Page 44 of Power

“That sounds like an Indian name.”

“It is. He and his brother Jai are from India.”

“Are his parents still in India?” She tasted her marinade and added more salt to season it.

“No, they passed away a few years ago,” I replied, depositing my tray into the oven and setting the timer.

Her face turned somber. She knew about loss. I did too. “That’s a shame. He must be lonely.”

“I guess he is.” I knew he was. It was why he was so guarded with his feelings.

“How did you meet?” She coated her hens with the dressing she’d prepared, using a brush to keep her hands clean.

“Well, he’s my boss.” I turned away to pretend to check the oven even though the vegetables had barely been in there for a few minutes. I didn’t want to see her expression.

“Amelia Becker!” she scolded playfully, pinning her hands to her hips.

“He bought over IP Innovations and hired me to work for his company,” I argued defensively.

“You don’t have to defend yourself to me, honey. I know you’re brilliant. He is lucky to have you as an employee.”

“He agrees with you and treats me like I’m smart. He believes in my abilities as a programmer.” He believed in me even when I doubted my own abilities.

“That’s good. I should be warning you not to let a man with power take you for granted, but I know I raised an independent girl. You learned from my mistakes.” Her voice was heavy with regret.

“Mom…you were a great mother, and it wasn’t your fault that Dad died.” I came to her side to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

“Yes, but I wasn’t as independent as I could have been, so I wasn’t prepared for his death. It took me a while to get back on my feet.”

“But look at you now. You’re providing for yourself and you raised me after he died. I’m so proud of you, Mom.”

“Thank you, sweetie. That really means a lot to me.” She kissed my cheek. “So…when do I get to meet him?” She took another sip of her wine and played coy.

I smirked. “I don’t think introducing him to my mom when he wants a casual relationship is the best idea.”

She laughed. “Maybe not. But I’d love to meet him, whenever you’re ready.”

•••

Despite our small meal, we managed to stuff ourselves until we couldn’t eat anymore. We spent the rest of the evening watching old black-and-white movies that Mom loved and talking until we couldn’t keep our eyes open.

I had just showered and changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top to get ready for bed. My hair was still wet from my shower, so I left it loose to dry a little more before sleeping.

I leaned back on my bed, propped up by pillows, and scrolled through my phone to catch up on social media.

My room was like a time capsule of my teen years. Star Wars posters decorated the walls. I still had glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to the ceiling. I had also had a weird obsession with lava lamps at one point, so I had them in various sizes and colors on my desk at the far end of the room. I had been such a sci-fi fan growing up, and I loved anything that reminded me of outer space or computers.

I had received a few missed texts from friends wishing meHappy Thanksgivingthroughout the day. I even had one from my new friend, Blake.

Happy Thanksgiving, Amelia. Hope Seattle is treating you well. Let’s get together when you get back.

It felt nice having a friend at work. Whenever we crossed paths, we always chatted, but we had never met outside of work. It would be fun to get to know him better. I thought he’d really get along with Nat and my old IP Innovations friends too.

I texted everyone back. I hadn’t heard from Shyam, so I decided I should wish himHappy Thanksgivingtoo.I didn’t know what traditions the Sethi brothers had for holidays, but I was guessing it didn’t involve a nice meal in a dining room and arguing over football. I couldn’t imagine Shyam carving a turkey or Jai passing around stuffing.

Instead of texting, I hit the phone icon on my screen. The phone rang once before he answered.

“Jaan.” That one word in his familiar voice made my belly flutter with excitement.

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