Page 46 of His Smile
"My God, I loveit," she beamed, actively ignoring his odd mood completely. "I am somad I didn't leave years ago. Everyone at Ephemeral is great, the studio isjust phenomenal. Dante, our director, is renting out this huge four-storybuilding that used to be a gym and some office space below it. We have our ownparking garage, security, there are even some great restaurants next door. Ilove it."
"I'm happy for you,” hesaid lightly, as he leaned forward in his seat.
Somehow, she didn’t believehim. "Thank you, but why do I sense an unspoken "but" inyour voice?"
Straightening in his seat,Dev regarded her for a few seconds before answering. "Well come on,Rahina,” he waved a hand towards her as if presenting evidence. “You have toadmit you seem…you seem so…"
"Happy…elated?"she offered with a laugh.
"No,” he shook his headand gave her a disappointed look. “I was thinking more like distant. It feelslike you're changing."
Shocked, her eyes went wide."Changing?" she repeated. "How so?" Though, she was sureshe was going to hate whatever he had to say.
"Almost everything,Rahina,” by now there was an exasperated tone to his voice that grated hernerves. “The way you walked out of the dinner the other night without tellinganyone, for starters."
Rahina hid her frown behindher smile. Her mother's scathing voicemail and her father's guilt-laden textstill stabbed at her for that stunt.
"The new car," Devadded. "Not telling anyone about what happened at your old company andyour change to a new one, and the fact your family and I both learned of thechange with the rest of the world via a commercial. Even the way you dress haschanged."
Rahina laughed. It was atrue deep laugh that sprang from the well deep inside of her of no longergiving a fuck. Eyes twinkling with amusement, she pursed her lips together tocontain another laugh at his displeased expression.
"Dev," she put herhand on the small glass table in between them in a gesture of patience."You and my parents have only seen the tip of this iceberg I am rolling infrom the sea," she smiled evilly at the immediate wariness in his eyes."From now on, no more master's degree, no more marriage meetings disguisedas dinners, no more playing to my mother's tune, and a whole lot more of whatRahina wants to do. And what I want to do will include sex, scandal, fast cars,and so much more."
She could see the anger inhis eyes, and she had to admit, she loved it. "This isn't like youRahina.”
"And just whatislike me, Dev? We hardly know each other, so this should be interesting."She threw back at him, as she leaned back comfortably in her seat, crossing oneof her exposed legs over the other.
Suddenly a realizationcrossed through his dark eyes before narrowing at her with accusation,"There is someone else, isn't there?"
She could see no reason tolie to the man. "Yes,” she replied easily.
"You never gave us achance," he said with a quiet anger she didn’t care to understand.
Annoyed, she lifted her chinand stared down at the annoying man. "That's the thing Dev. That in ofitself is where you and I differ greatly, you do not seem to understand I'm notrequiredto give us a chance."
Rahina could see Dev openinghis mouth to argue, but the large shadow that fell over them stole both oftheir breaths. Standing with his hands thrusted casually into his dark suit’spockets, Roman stood at the entrance to their booth with a wide smile.
“When you said you had asurprise for me Rahina, I was imagining something different,” cold gray eyespassed over her, pinning her to her seat in frozen fear.
“Roman!” she exclaimedbreathlessly. “When…when did…” she could hardly gather her thoughts under thepressure of his cold gaze and his huge smile that told her without a doubt shewas in so much trouble.
“Rahina who is this?” sheheard Dev demand from the other side of the booth. She nearly winced at thesound of the man’s voice. Didn’t he see the giant man giving them both apsychotic smile, didn’t he at least sense the danger?
“Yes, Rahina,” Roman’s heavyaccent purred at the syllables in her name. “Tell Mr. Gorshal, who exactly Iam." Though he said it with a smile, they could both hear the command inhis voice.
Trying to take a bit ofcontrol of the situation, Rahina stood from her seat and nervously stepped nextto Roman. “Umm, Dev this is the man I mentioned I am seeing,” she explained,glancing anxiously between both men, praying Dev wouldn’t say or do anythingstupid.
Dev opened his mouth tospeak, but Roman spoke first. "Say goodbye to Mr. Gorshal,” Roman caughther gaze and held it firm. Rahina tried to suppress her involuntary tremblingat the cold anger she sensed beneath his smile. She was in so much trouble.
Distractedly, she mumbled agoodbye to Dev as she swiped her gold clutch off the couch. With his hand onthe exposed skin of her lower back, Roman guided her away from the table, andfor the first time, she realized he wasn't alone. The walkway that led to theirbooth had three men lined up along the wall, one of which she faintlyrecognized from the dealership and the other was completely new to her, whilethe last man being the familiar lieutenant. Mosca didn’t look at her as shepassed by him in silence alongside Roman, but she could sense him and the othertwo men falling in line behind them, following them out the entrance door tothe street. Still, Roman had said nothing.
Guiding her to the familiarblack SUV parked at the curb, with another identical one parked behind it,Rahina paused and turned to face Roman.
“My car is…” she began toexplain, but the feeling of Roman’s hand cupping her face stopped her.
Swiping his thumb over herparted red lips, he stared down at them as he spoke. “Your car will be drivenhome. Get in, Rahina.”
She could hear the click ofthe door opening behind her and her stomach knotted.
