Page 8 of Pillow Talk (Rally Romance #1)

He grinned and held up a brown paper bag sporting the logo of a Chinese restaurant.

‘I figured you’d be hungry,’ he said.

Shona stepped aside and gestured for him to come in.

He put the bag on the table and took a few strides towards her.

‘But first…’ he said just before his lips met hers.

The kiss took Shona by surprise. When did they start greeting with a kiss? Or maybe it was leading to some bedroom action. But right on cue, her stomach growled. Sen laughed and stepped away.

He went to the food and was about to sit down when Shona spoke up.

‘We don’t have to eat here.’

‘Right. The kitchen. Lead the way,’ he said as he picked up the paper bag.

Shona walked with him behind her but she didn’t go to the kitchen.

The footsteps behind her stopped as soon as she walked into the dining room.

She looked over her shoulder.

Sen was speechless. She turned and removed the bag of food from his hand.

Sen still hadn’t said anything.

She placed the bag on the table and looked at him.

‘Why?’

‘The truth?’ she asked.

‘Always the truth,’ Sen replied.

‘Come sit down. We can talk about it while we eat. Let me get plates first.’

When she got back, Sen had already laid the boxes of food on a placemat she didn’t even know she had.

They were silent and as they dished their food.

‘Thanks for supper … again,’ Shona said.

‘Don’t mention it. Now please tell me why,’ said Sen.

‘I didn’t always live here. When I came back to Rally after college, I found a place in Abbot Street.

My parents wanted me to move into the apartment above the garage but I couldn’t imagine anything more painful.

I was wrong. Abbot Street was worse. I lived in a block of flats that the landlord rented out to only young tenants. ’

‘The beige building on Abbot Street?’ Sen asked.

She nodded.

‘Young tenants were too busy partying to complain about the lack of hot water, the torn wallpaper and the noise. I couldn’t even hear myself think.

Loud music, shouting. It was too much. And on top of that, I had a neighbour who baked me weird-shaped cakes.

Every day! I would come home to find a mini cake box on my doorstep.

Ralph thought I didn’t know that he would watch me pick up the cake box from his hiding spot around the corner… ’

‘Weird Ralph?’ Sen asked.

Shona chuckled.

‘Yes, Weird Ralph. I lived there for four years, saved for my…’

She stopped and looked away.

Do not cry in front of Sen!

Sen didn’t probe. His presence was actually comforting. Shona blinked away the tears and turned back to him.

‘I saved. The elderly couple who own the flat next door owned this one too. When they heard I’d put in an offer, they reduced the price. The wife, Kamini, remembered that I’d gone out of my way to help when a sewing emergency came up on her granddaughter’s wedding day.

‘I bought this place and, at first, I had time to cook delicious meals, even if it was for one, or when Anni came over. I loved curling up under a blanket on the couch to watch romantic comedies. But then I just got busy. I wish I could tell you more, but for now let’s stick with I just got too busy to care about the dining room. ’

Sen simply sat back and looked at her. He really looked at her.

‘Okay.’

‘So, this is why they call you a cut-throat lawyer?’

‘I don’t understand what you mean,’ he said.

‘You got me to spill my life story and now you’re making me want to tell you more.’

‘Sho, I’m not making you say anything. I’m just sitting here eating and wondering if you’re wearing a bra under that T-shirt.’

Shona smiled. He grinned and turned his attention to his meal.

‘The shop…I got too busy. I felt like I was running it alone. And on the side, I was working on designs that made me happy. You moved back two years ago, Sen, but we only really caught up shortly before the wedding. I didn’t even have time to go out for girls’ night with Anni or even a date,’ Shona explained.

He didn’t say anything.

‘I didn’t clear out this room for you, if that’s what you’re thinking. I did it for me…because I could see myself having a meal here with you,’ Shona said.

She looked up from her plate. Sen’s eyes shone under the light from the chandelier.

‘What the hell, Sen. How are you getting me to spill my guts?’

He chuckled. ‘Sho, I didn’t do anything. But I’m honoured that you chose to share this with me.’

Shona nodded. ‘Are there fortune cookies in the bag?’

He held one out to her.

‘Take one for yourself. We open them at the same time,’ Shona instructed.

Sen did as he was told and they both broke their fortune cookies.

‘You go first,’ Sen said.

Shona twisted her lips as she read the words on the tiny piece of paper. And then read it out loud: ‘Don’t hold onto things that require a tight grip.’

Sen read his piece of paper: ‘Do it scared.’

He crumpled up the paper and put it in the bag.

‘I don’t even know what that means,’ he said dismissively.

‘Are you done?’

Sen nodded and they both stood to clear the table.

Shona expected the awkwardness to return after the food containers had been thrown away and they were back in the living room, but they both seemed at ease.

‘It’s after midnight, Sho. I really should be leaving.’

‘Don’t.’

Shona didn’t know why she said that, but she wanted Sen to be with her. And it wasn’t because she enjoyed his body. She just wanted him there.

‘I mean stay…if you want to,’ she said.

‘Okay. My overnight bag is in the car.’

‘Wait, firstly you brought your car and secondly, you knew I was going to ask you to stay?’

‘Sho, once you get a taste of waking up in my arms, there’s no going back. I figured you would want me to stay another night.’ His words were followed by a smirk.

‘Sen Aiyer, when did you get so cocky?’

Sen leaned in. His warm breath on her neck.

‘Remember that night? You said I was cocky when I promised that you would be in my arms by the end of the night,’ he whispered.

Shona sucked in her breath. Her cheeks were flushed and the room got hot as hell.

‘Anyway,’ Sen took a step back, ‘I brought my car because I managed to convince the caretaker to let me park inside the premises, out of sight from the town’s busy bodies.’

‘You spoke to Sol?’

Sen fished his keys out of his pocket and headed to the door.

‘Yeah, he’s a great guy,’ he said as he closed the door behind him.

This was odd for Sen. He was sleeping in a woman’s bed.

Really sleeping. After he fetched his bag, they’d had coffee, talked more and got into bed.

He held Shona until they both fell asleep.

This was not his style. He dated women, never stayed over, never got to know them, and never called back when he was tired of the interaction.

He was a dog. His secretary called him that.

But that had been six months ago, before he hooked up with Shona.

He looked at his watch on the nightstand: 4am.

He thought about the dinner conversation.

It was no secret that Shona was busy. She had always been.

In the summer when they were teens, she was torn between the shop and having adventures with him and Anni.

It had bothered him that she’d had to beg to get a day off during the summer.

But he didn’t say anything. How could he?

He didn’t understand the workings of a shop and, after all, he was the town’s ‘poor little rich kid’.

Back then, Shona’s grandmother ran the show.

She was at the age where she really shouldn’t have been working in a shop, but the old woman was there every day.

He recalled one scorching hot summer’s day when the three of them went down to the lake to cool off.

Now that he thought about it, there’d never been any concern from her parents or his that he was a boy hanging out with two almost-teen girls.

The lake was their place. Where others saw overgrown grass and a neglected lake, they saw adventure.

The lake was on the outskirts of town, but with Rally being a small town, it was within walking distance of Anni’s house, his house and Shah somewhere in her awful childhood, someone had told her that she didn’t deserve to eat good things or enjoy life, but Shona had talked her into joining the picnic.

They had a swim, gulped down the sandwiches and chips and were lying on their backs, basking in the sunshine.

‘Senthil, will your wife buy her wedding dress from my shop?’ Shona had asked.

Anni giggled loudly.