My teeth dug into my lower lip as I sat down opposite him, the legs of the chair scraping loudly. The air felt heavy with awkwardness and thoughts of last night’s … events. I poured myself some tea. Maybe he’d let it go.
The cup trembled lightly in my hand as I took a sip.
‘We need to talk about last night,’ Jai said, his voice firm.
I swallowed.So, we’re doing this.
‘We work together, and I’m your boss,’ he started.
This isn’t going to end well. Cold, invisible fingers gripped my heart.
‘The most important thing to me right now is to ensure you don’t feel pressured. I never want to put you in a difficult situation.’ His voice turned gentle. ‘If at any moment, you feel uncomfortable, please let me know, and I’ll do my best to fix it.’
The unease dissipated.Of course. It’s Jai. What did I expect?I nodded.
‘That being said, our kiss wasn’t a mistake. I don’t regret it.’
My pulse skittered.He doesn’t regret it. Relief bloomed so hard it hurt. I exhaled a shaky breath. ‘I … I don’t know what to say,’ I murmured, my eyes lowering.
‘That kiss … it was something else, and we both know it,’ he said. ‘The only complication is that you work for me. I’m hoping that’s the reason you called it a mistake.’
The other complication is that I’m spying on you for your mother. I bit my tongue and nodded.
‘It is not against company policy to date co-workers. I don’t care if anybody knows, but if you decide to give us a shot, we won’t tell anyone. And when your contract ends in five months, this will become a non-issue.’
My brain stalled. Did he say date? My ears were ringing. Surely. My heart did a full somersault. He couldn’t possibly be serious. Maybe I’m asleep, and God gave me this hyper-realistic dream to torment me for my sins.
Under the table, I pinched my arm.
Ouch.
It’s real.
‘Date?’ my voice squeaked.
‘The kiss wasn’t a mistake. Denying what’s between us would be.’ Jai’s gaze sharpened. ‘Say yes, Ananya.’
My throat closed up. The certainty, the hope in his face, fanned guilt into my lungs, making it difficult to breathe.
It only existed there because he didn’t know the secret I’d been keeping from him. If he did, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be out of his company and his life.
If he found out, I would break his trust. And his heart.
And I refused to do that to Jai.
So, I swallowed my guilt. My panic. My feelings.
Just say it.‘Jai, I … Can I have some time to think about it?’
‘You’re leading him on.’ Rhea smacked my leg. ‘Why didn’t you say no?’
‘Because I like him!’ Tears sprang into my eyes. ‘And all I wanted was to say yes.’
‘Oh, Anu.’ Her voice softened as she pulled me into a comforting hug. ‘I’m sorry. I know this is hard.’
My throat constricted.
‘But you know you need to do this,’ she added softly.
