Page 35 of Thiago
“I didn’t know,” she said in a low voice. She gave him an odd look, as if seeing him for the first time.
“Now you do. I will pick you up at seven o’clock from your place.”
Straightening, India nodded. “I’ll be ready. I’ll wear a pretty dress… and the bracelet.”
His mouth twitched in the faintest smile. He hadn’t had much reason to smile lately and hoped this was the beginning of a change in their relationship, back to where they used to be.
“Good.”
Without another word, Thiago left her office, and the fist-like tightness on the left side of his chest, over his heart, loosened somewhat. On the way back down the hall, he nodded at a few employees. He didn’t return their uneasy smiles, but he almost did.
Almost.
Chapter Fifteen
“What about this?” India held up a red dress so Kiara, who was watching her from FaceTime on her iPad, could see.
Her friend scrunched her nose. “Ehh.”
India dropped her arms in defeat. “You haven’t liked anything I’ve shown you. He said to wear a pretty dress.”
“Did he use those exact words?”
“Unfortunately, yes. He’s about as charming as a bull.” And yet she was crazy about him and doing her best to satisfy his ask, her pulse beating with the promise of something new and exciting.
“Sweetie, that’s a pretty dress—if you were going to the Oscars, but I know he has family in the entertainment industry. Is he taking you to the Oscars?”
“Sarcasm is ugly on you.” In a huff, India tossed the dress onto the pile on the bed. “I have nothing to wear!” she exclaimed.
“Now I know that’s a damn lie. I can’t believe how difficult you’re making this.”
“He and I have never gone on a date before. I’m nervous!” She blurted out the truth unexpectedly.
Suddenly, Kiara lowered her gaze and whispered, “Yes, you can show her, but you have to hurry, okay? We’re having a very important conversation.”
Three-year-old Jayden squeezed into the frame by climbing onto his mother’s lap. “Auntie India, look what I find. A sparkly rock!” Jayden held up his treasure, eyes bright and excited.
India leaned in close as though inspecting a rare jewel. She gasped. “Oh my goodness! It’s very pretty and so sparkly. What a find! That’s a special rock, Jayden, and only the best explorers find those.”
Grinning, Jayden’s little chest puffed out, and he looked at his mother. Kiara kissed his cheek.
“Good job, pumpkin. Go put it on the shelf with the others, okay?”
“Okay. Bye-bye, Auntie India!” Beaming, Jayden hopped down and took off.
“He has not stopped talking about his sparkly rock since he found it this afternoon,” Kiara said, amused. “I guess that’s his favorite now. Where were we? Oh, you said you were nervous. Nervous about what? You’ve been putting your tongues down each other’s throats for months. This should be easy. It’s just dinner.”
“It should be easy, yes, but it’s not. It’s different. It’s adate. We’re past that stage. It’s like going backwards. As you pointed out, we’ve put our tongues down each other’s throats for a while now.” Not to mention he’d stuck his body parts in her various holes.
“You have to relax. You’re going to eat a nice dinner and have some conversation, that’s all,” Kiara said in a soothing voice.
“We’ve never done that. That’s not true. We’ve done dinner and conversation, but not like this. It feels strange.Official. He’s changing the parameters of our relationship, and I don’t know how to act. Dating is for normal people, not Thiago Santana.We’re supposed to have amazing sex, talk for a bit, and then go our separate ways.” India marched into her walk-in closet and yanked the hangers left, searching for another dress.
She pulled one from the closet and held it up. “What about this?”
Kiara squinted. “Bring it closer.”
India walked over and held it pressed against the front of her body. “What do you think?”
