Page 31 of Pillow Talk (Rally Romance #1)

‘You better get used to it, Shona. Because now that I can say I love you, I’m going to say it all the time.’

‘How about you show me then,’ she said, with a wink.

She didn’t have to say it twice. He grabbed her hand and led her to the car.

Sen had every intention of taking his time, making love to her slowly.

That was the plan. But when they got to his apartment, which was closer to the lake than hers, he couldn’t wait.

He kissed her like he was starving. Tasted her like he’d never get another chance.

And when she tried to return the ecstasy, he gently pushed her hand away.

‘Another time. Right now, I want you. All of you,’ he murmured.

She nodded and he sank into her.

She moaned softly, his name a whisper on her lips. He closed his eyes.

This wasn’t a fling.

Not a lunchtime quickie.

Not some friends-with-benefits itch to scratch.

No. This was how it should always have been. Because in this moment, as their bodies moved in perfect harmony, he didn’t have to pretend. They didn’t have to pretend. There was no need to hold back, no need to guard what they felt. Everything was out in the open…raw, real and finally theirs.

Their rhythm built, breath after breath, heartbeat matching heartbeat.

She cried out his name and he held her closer, his face buried in her neck, his body shaking with release.

Just before he collapsed on the bed next to her, he caught a glimpse of his nightstand: Shona’s bangles, a headband, her open handbag spilling some of its contents, and her phone.

He smiled. Shona Shah. Why did it have to be her? Yet he wouldn’t have it any other way.

‘Happy birthday, Senthil Aiyer!’ Sam called out, his voice loud and full of cheer. He lifted his glass of beer high and everyone around the table at Scotty’s quickly followed suit. Glasses clinked, laughter rang out and the air buzzed with celebration.

‘I don’t get why we’re at Scotty’s when it’s so ick ,’ Anni whispered in Shona’s ear.

‘Sen felt bad about hiding our relationship from Sam so he let him choose the place for his birthday and it turns out your husband loves Scotty’s,’ she replied.

Anni tried to lift her foot off the floor but her heel was glued to the sticky surface.

Shona giggled and gave her a little push to unstick her. Anni lifted her foot and shook it.

‘Sam owes me a new pair of shoes,’ she said.

Kaavi leaned in. ‘I think we’re way overdressed.’

The trio were in skinny jeans and slinky black tops suitable for a night out on the town.

The different styles and their choice of stilettos expressed their individuality.

Anni’s top was a halter-neck and her shoes were an elegant, deep red, Kaavi had paired her strapless top with peep-toe heels and Shona’s look comprised a flattering deep cowl neck and timeless stilettos with a broad strap across the top of her foot.

Sen and Sam were wearing jeans and cotton, button-up shirts.

Everyone else at Scotty’s was in dirty jeans and crumpled T-shirts.

‘I’m having serious doubts about Sam right now,’ Anni giggled.

The man in question was patting Sen on his back and laughing about something.

As if he sensed his wife was watching him, Sam turned his attention to Anni.

‘Having fun?’ he asked.

Before Shona could hear her friend’s response, Sen draped his arm around her and walked her to a dark corner in the bar.

He leaned down and sniffed her neck.

‘Sen!’

‘Sorry. But my real birthday present is you and you can’t blame me for being impatient to unwrap it,’ he said.

She gently pushed him away.

‘Did you see that?’

Shona looked around.

‘What?’

‘Sam just yawned,’ he replied, looking at his smartwatch. ‘It’s not yet 9.30 – and I don’t even mind. Follow my lead,’ he said, pulling Shona along.

‘Sam, want to call it a night?’

He shook his head and started to answer but yawned instead.

‘Older men…’ Anni teased.

‘Hey! I’m only a year older than you,’ he protested.

‘Listen, I’m the youngest here,’ said Kaavi, ‘but I’m also tired. Sen, I love you but I didn’t expect today to be this exhausting.’ She stretched her arms in a full-on yawn.

‘I’m sorry guys. We shouldn’t have scheduled the store’s opening on Sen’s birthday,’ Shona said.

‘It was my idea! People were always peeking in and asking when it was going to open. Today was the best day for it. You didn’t ruin my birthday, you made it memorable,’ Sen beamed.

‘Sen’s right. Today was perfect and we loved being a part of it,’ Sam backed up his friend.

‘All those excited customers and that ringing cash till made it worth it, girl,’ Anni added.

The First Look Bridal Shop was real. Even now, several hours after it had opened, Shona still couldn’t believe it.

It had taken lots of hard work – three months of hard work.

During that time, she’d hired two seamstresses and worked until all the rails displayed Shona Shah wedding dresses.

The veils were still a big hit and she’d had to hire another seamstress just to keep up.

Her parents were there that morning when she turned the key and opened the door to the shop she’d always dreamed she would own.

Her mother was a natural sales assistant, but Shona immediately turned her down when she suggested going in a few times a week to help, insisting that her only job now was to enjoy all the things she and Shona’s dad had planned but never got round to doing.

They’d already been on a holiday with Uncle Pat and Aunt Jaya and were talking about going on a cruise.

Aruna and Zayn, who now lived in Durban, were also there for the opening.

Aruna wasn’t ready to open her own dance studio, but her website was still profitable and feeding her passion.

The Aiyers had popped by too. MrsAiyer had brought lunch and allowed her husband to eat whatever he wanted ‘just this once’.

Shona didn’t expect Sen’s grandfather to be so emotional but he was.

He repeatedly told her how proud he was of her.

Sam, Anni, Felicity and Kaavi were there until closing time and Sen never left her side.

When she imagined her shop when she was a kid, she never thought she would be surrounded by so much love and support.

Someone behind their group cleared his throat.

‘Are you guys going to leave or spend the whole night talking? We want to use that table,’ a gruff man with scruffy hair and a missing tooth asked.

Anni quickly moved aside.

‘We’re leaving… and Sam we need a discussion on your life choices,’ she said, scrambling for the door.

The others followed her without looking back.

‘We’ll drop Kaavi off because your grandfather’s is closer to our place,’ Sam said once they were outside.

Sen hugged his best friend, Anni and Kaavi, and waved them goodbye. As soon as their car was out of sight, he reached for Shona’s hand and interlinked their fingers.

‘Let’s walk home.’

‘We didn’t bring the car so that’s the plan,’ she said.

They walked slowly, taking in the Main Street. After the whirlwind of the day, time itself seemed to have slowed down. When they walked past the dress boutique, Shona saw eight-year-old Anni peeping in through the gap in the open door at the blue and white polka-dot dress she longed for.

A few steps further, she spotted the bait and tackle shop. She remembered nine-year-old Sen buying them stinky bait to catch fish in the lake. There were no fish, but that summer they spent almost every day at the lake with their rods.

The ice cream parlour where Anni always ordered a banana split and she and Sen shared a triple chocolate mousse sundae came into view.

Next to it, a new sign had been put up: Shahs.

Just Shahs. The storefront had also been updated, its fresh paint and slick glass a sharp contrast to what Shona remembered.

She no longer felt her chest tighten when she saw the shop.

Instead, she felt proud that she’d helped change its legacy.

On days when horrid memories crept in she replaced them with happier ones.

And then they found themselves at what was probably the world’s ugliest statue. It’s where Sen was supposed to meet her and Anni when they planned to take the bus into Durban all those years ago. They never showed up. Yet he still found them…saved them.

Shona gazed up at Sen.

‘Are you okay?’

She nodded. ‘I love you, Senthil,’ she whispered.

‘I love you too,’ he said lifting her chin to brush her lips with his…but then he stopped.

‘Sho, I can’t kiss you here with that creepy statue staring at us.’

Shona laughed and he chuckled as they continued their journey home.