Page 31 of The Ex Factor

“Was there a reason you barged into my office?” I asked with mild annoyance.

Devi held her stare, then gradually resigned. “I wanted to remind you of a couple of things. The new lease is ready and needs your approval.”

I worked hard to keep my face impassive. The lease. Aarti. Her expression. The reason for my smile. No, I wasn’t about to go down that line of thought. Not right now.

“I’ll take a look at it. Have you run it by El?”

“Yes, she has approved the amount.”

“Good. Anything else?” I asked in a bid to rush her out of my space.

“Your mother called and insisted that I remind you about Padmaja’s exhibition on Thursday.”

I put my glasses back on. “I remember,” I said, my reply clipped but not curt.

“And she wanted me to remind you to buy something for her puja room.”

I let out an exasperated sigh. “Yes, I remember.”

“Hey, don’t shoot the messenger,” Devi complained.

“I’m not. Sorry. I’ve got things on my mind right now.”

“Yes, like trying to hide a smile behind that massive screen of yours. Like trying to rush me out of your office so you cango back to reminiscing about whoever it is you are reminiscing about.”

“Good god, Devi. Do you sometimes forget I’m your boss?”

“And do you always forget I’m Cathy’s friend and that you couldn’t fire me even if you wanted to?”

“Out,” I said with a smile as she pulled up her dignified professional persona before walking out of my office.

Cathy or no Cathy, firing Devi would mean doom for my business. She had been with me since we were a small startup, and she adapted quickly when we ballooned into a million-dollar venture. After it was acquired and I embarked on this new journey, she stayed with me instead of moving to the new company despite their several attempts to poach her. She had her finger on the pulse of this business, and without her, I would not only be left rudderless but possibly be thrown into full-blown chaos. Obviously, I would never tell her that. But the smart woman that she was, she knew it already. She was family, and her loyalty to me ran deeper than our professional association.

I turned my revolving chair to face the skyline before me. My vision blurred over the horizon in the distance, where the skyscrapers reached up to kiss the low clouds. It had been more than a week since our dinner at the Korean restaurant, and I hadn’t heard anything from Aarti except a couple of innocuous messages early last week.

In response to my text thanking her for dinner, she had sent a brief one saying that she’d had a wonderful time. I was tempted to ask when we could meet again, but I had typed and deleted that message three times. She did have a busy work life, and she had mentioned she was going out on dates. Maybe spending time with me wasn’t at the top of her priority list.

If we had been in touch, though, I would’ve invited her to Padma’s exhibition. It was a black-tie event at some fancy galleryin SoHo. I didn’t know the details. I was sure Devi had already passed the information on to Imran.

I sighed as I turned around to face my screen and tackle the steep work week ahead.

Imran droppedme off outside the gallery on Thursday, and I was glad to step away from the evening chill into the warm hall. The gathering was larger than I had expected. Multiple artists and sculptors were featured at the exhibition as the brochure in my hand informed me. Padma was talented, Tara had gushed over and over during our time together. Maybe this would be her big break. My heart beamed with pride as I looked around for my cousin, but I wasn’t ready for what met my eyes.

About fifty feet away stood Aarti, with her back to me. The ease with which I recognized her form unsettled me slightly. She wore a simple black dress that fell just below her knees. The cut of the dress and the fall of the fabric definitely screameddesigner. Darn, I had too many fashion savvy women in my life that I could spot these things so instinctively.

I’d always seen her in professional mid-heels or sneakers. At the exhibit, she towered over half the crowd with stilettos on her tall legs. I tried to check the admiration on my face. It was a good thing she hadn’t seen me yet because I couldn’t stop staring at her. She was gorgeous in the truest sense of the word, and it wasn’t unnatural to be attracted to her. But maybe she deserved someone better, someone who didn’t intermittently think about his ex-girlfriend.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Hey, Annayya!”

I turned around to face my younger cousin with the perpetual baby face. “Hello, Bella!”

“Will you give it a rest?” She hit my arm.

“Sorry, I keep forgetting you’re all grown up, Ms. Padmaja.”

“You are impossible. You know that?”

“Only with the people I love. Now, show me what you’ve made, and I’ll tell you if you’re any good,” I said.

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