Page 25 of Right Where I Belong
“Are you here for work? Pleasure?” he asked.
“I’m actually doing a Masters in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of Singapore.”
“That is amazing,” he replied. “How long is it for? Are you going to be staying for a while? And what about Ahaan? Is he here too?”
Her heart warmed. It was unexpectedly sweet of him to think of Ahaan. And he remembered her son’s name? Then again, Rithwik and Aisha must have mentioned Ahaan often. Still, it touched her more than she cared to admit.
“Ahaan’s actually with Rithwik and Aisha in London. He’s going to attend a four-week program at a school there.”
“Rithwik never mentioned this,” Aditya said. “Although I really haven’t spoken to him much this past week. I landed just this morning from Dubai.”
He leaned in slightly, and another wave of his cologne hit her—clean, musky, far too distracting. This close, he looked ridiculously good. A faint shadow of stubble traced his sharp jaw, and his hair was tousled, like he’d run a hand through it more than once. She’d always assumed his eyes were dark. But this close, she realized they were more of a warm brown.
God.She needed to stop staring. Immediately.
Nonetheless, her gaze stayed on him. And then she noticed that he was watching her too, and that was… That meant nothing. He was simply surprised to bump into her. That’s all. Nothing more.
She looked away and finally noticed Shauna and Akash, standing awkwardly next to them, not talking at all. From beside her, Aditya greeted Shauna with a hug.
Sabrina faced Akash. “Hi.”
The younger man pecked her cheek. “Hi, Sabrina. How are you? I’m so happy to see you here in Singapore.”
“Same. How come you’re here?”
“I’ve been interning with Aditya for the last few months.”
Her gaze turned to Shauna. “Oh, Shauna’s interning here too.”
“At Big Four Media,” Shauna explained to Aditya, ignoring Akash altogether.
“That’s amazing,” Aditya said. “Raashi mentioned that you were working here. I was going to check on you anyway.”
He looked at Sabrina and smiled. That killer smile was making her stomach flutter. She really needed him to go away so she could take control of her unruly mind.
Aditya’s eyes swept over her. “Akash and I were planning to go to The Marquee. Why don’t you both join us?”
“It’s a nightclub,” Shauna clarified for Sabrina.
“Oh, we wouldn’t want to intrude,” Sabrina said. “Besides, we were going to get something to eat.”
She glanced at Shauna and gave a barely perceptible shake of her head, hoping she’d take the hint and turn them down. Because, in Aditya’s presence, his scent surrounding her, his eyes lingering on her, she felt off-balance. She needed distance from him to gather herself.
“It’s no intrusion at all. Join us,” Akash said, addressing Sabrina. “That is, if Shauna doesn’t mind.”
“Why wouldImind?” Shauna shrugged. “We’re happy to join you guys, aren’t we, Sabrina?”
Sabrina gulped, not quite sure what to say. She’d deliberately never spent much time in Aditya’s company, and especially now, with her heart pulsating the way it was, it didn’t seem like a good idea at all.
Since she was left with no choice, she said, “Sure, why not?”
“That’s settled then,” Aditya announced. He signaled to a waiter and paid their bills, despite Sabrina and Shauna protesting.
Within minutes, she found herself nestled in the back seat of a sleek black Mercedes, sandwiched between Aditya and Shauna, while Akash sat up front beside the driver. The conversation flowed effortlessly—Aditya and Akash bantered with an ease that hinted at a long-standing camaraderie, while Shauna chimed in with her usual spark. Talk drifted from Singapore’s ever-changing skyline to local politics and the best weekend escapes.
Sabrina listened, half amused, half awed, absorbing everything with a quiet wonder. Her eyes drifted to the window, and she gasped.
“Is that the Marina Bay Sands?” Sabrina whispered, her eyes wide as the sleek silhouette lit up the skyline.
