Page 2 of Pillow Talk
MrAiyer chuckled. ‘Of course I do. Senthil told me all about it. He talks about you often.’
Shona avoided his eyes. ‘Business is going well so I’ve been busy,’ she said.
‘I’m glad, my dear. My grandson raves about it,’ he replied.
Shona’s cheeks flushed and she murmured a thank you before the old man waved and went on his way.
She wanted to wring Sen’s neck. Why on earth was he talking about her when ‘they’ were a secret?
On the other hand, maybe she was overreacting because everyone in town knew they were good friends. They’d known each other since they were kids before he was sent off to boarding school. When he returned, they hung out in the same circle of friends. Actually, it was the only circle. The town was small and even the 25- to 30-year-olds who had gone to school together hung out together. There really was no other choice. One weekend, while she was away at college, Sen’s university friend Sam tagged along when he came home to Rally. He took one look at Anni and that was it for him. Now that their best friends were married, she and Sen spent more time with each other. How did they end up in a no-strings-attached fling? Shona wasn’t sure. It started as soon as Anni and Sam left on their honeymoon. Shona vaguely remembers her dusky pink bridesmaid’s dress being ripped off her body. No, she was lying. Her memory was not vague; she vividly remembered everymoment with Sen.
He was a good distraction but a distraction all the same.
She took her phone out of her pocket and typed:
Coming over tonight?
A few dots appeared on her screen as Sen wrote his response:
Depends. What are you offering?
Hotdogs.
I’m in.
Yep, Sen was in. And hard to shut out.
Chapter
Two
‘Hotdogs are not really supper,’ Sen said, before shoving almost half of one into his mouth.
‘Do you want me to kick you out?’
Sen held up his hands. ‘Sorry, hotdogs are fine dining.’
Shona laughed. ‘I take it you never had hotdogs for supper as a kid.’
Sen shook his head. ‘Have you met my mother? Malini Aiyer make hotdogs for supper?’
Shona didn’t answer. Malini Aiyer was exactly the reason why Sen would always be a fling. His mother was high society and it was only natural for Shona to assume that she probably expected the same from her son and his prospective partner.
Sen interrupted her thoughts. ‘What about you? Because I know your mom can cook. I think you just feed me hotdogs and cheeseburgers because I’m too easy.’ Shona laughed again. ‘I know you’re easy,’ she teased.
Sen playfully punched her shoulder. ‘Not this again. You propositioned me and I obliged.’
Shona punched him back. ‘That’s not how I remember it.’
Sen stood up and held out his hand. ‘Then let me refresh your memory.’
She stood too, and took in his features. Sen towered over her.He’d had a growth spurt when they were about 11 and since then she’d always had to look up into his face. Often, she stood on tiptoe to kiss him. Sen had always been the ‘hot guy’ in Rally. He was the real-life version of Prince Charming from the fairy tales: clean cut, symmetrical face, beautiful eyes and a short, preppy haircut. But what made heads turn was his confidence. When he entered a room, his presence was felt without a single word being spoken. His mischievous smile captivated women of all ages. He even walked with purpose.
Shona took his hand and followed him to her bedroom. She flicked the light switch and ignored the pile of freshly washed laundry on a chair in the corner. She’d get to it tomorrow. Just like she would get to organising her dressing table where most of her makeup lay scattered after she’d used it that morning. Her room appeared cluttered because she hadn’t had time to put things away in their right places. She was just too busy. But she still made her bed every morning. Thankfully. With Sen popping over every night, she had to give him a good impression of her and, for now, the queen-sized bed covered in a soft coral duvet, the matching curtains, and clean wooden floors suggested that she was winning at life.
She turned back to Sen. He smiled and reached for her to start undressing her, but Shona was quicker. Sen raised an eyebrow as she took off her clothes and flung them onto the chair.
‘What?’
