Page 41 of Driven By Desire
“Mmmhmm.” Shoving his hands into the pockets of his track pants, Chirag hunched his shoulders against the chill in the night air.
“Not like we’re perfect. Still, she should have known enough to contact one of us,” Krish continued to ramble.
“Uh huh.” Deciding there was nothing more fun that watching his responsible, steady elder brother come apart at the seams, Chirag settled in for the show.
“I’m sure the temporary hair color was her idea,” Krish added, a trifle defensively. “Bet Pooja pushed for permanent.”
“Sure.”
Rolling his shoulders, Krish wondered exactly why he was so annoyed by Chirag’s affable concurrence with everything he said. Until it occurred to him that Max wasn’t the only one who’d been played.
Giving Chirag a friendly shove, he chuckled, “I can see where Pooja gets her skill for manipulation from.”
“Learned at the knee of a master.” Rubbing his palms together to generate some heat, he straightened. “Right, so I’m going to handle the rebel army in there. You go make nice.”
---***---
Parking on the secluded street, Krish got out and walked over to Max’s house. The garage was in darkness barring one light that burned towards the back. The inviting yellow glow pouring out of the windows of the house had him quickening his step and ringing the doorbell with more enthusiasm than was required. That enthusiasm withered slightly when faced with an angry, mutinous expression.
“What?”
“Can I come in?”
“I’m not sure.” Cocking one insolent eyebrow at him, Max said, “I haven’t asked you yet what my response should be.”
Guarded eyes met furious ones. “Can I come in?” he repeated.
“Whatever.” With that bad tempered non-reply, she spun on her heel and stormed off down the long corridor. Krish shut the door quietly behind him and followed a lot less dramatically. Entering the living room, he found Max piled up in a corner of the couch. Body folded in, arms and legs tightly wrapped together, she was an angry, defiant human pretzel.
Lowering himself into the sofa opposite, he kept a healthy distance between them. “Is your father home?” Additional protection was always a good thing.
“Out of town.” The succinct reply didn’t help the situation much. Leaning forward, Krish reached for Max only to have her scoot further away from him.
“I’m sorry I lost my temper.” Proffering the olive branch, he eyed her hopefully.
Smacking it and his again-reaching hand away, Max shot to her feet. “You snotty, sanctimonious, arrogant, pompous, overbearing, egotistic-“
“I think you might be repeating yourself.” Getting to his feet as well, he said mildly. “A lot of those words mean the same thing.”
“You, you-“ On an incoherent splutter of rage, she put both her hands on his chest and shoved. Her ire rose as she realized she hadn’t budged him an inch. Looking around wildly for something to throw at his hard head, she spied a book she’d been reading on a side-table. She was reaching for it when Krish grabbed her arm and hauled her back.
“Don’t.” Temper rising to match hers, he gave her a little shake. “I came here to have a civilized conversation. If you’re incapable of that, say so and I’ll leave.”
Wondering if she should knee him in the balls and show him just how civilized she was, Max wrenched her arm out of his grasp. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she fought to regain control of her rather infamous temper. The sooner he said what he came to say the sooner he would leave.
“Talk.” The curt order was all she was able to manage through the haze of fury that still blanketed her vision.
“I probably didn’t handle the situation earlier this evening very well but you have to see things from my point of view.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do I have to see things from your point of view?”
“Because-“
“Your point of view is boring, old-fashioned and repressed.” The words flew out of her mouth before she could think them through.
