Page 40 of The Promise of a Traitor

As she watched, her father stepped around her and continued down the corridor.

“She’s doing better,” Aastha said to his retreating back. “The doctor said the new medication seems to suit her.”

A brief hitch in his stride and then he kept going, disappearing into his bedroom and slamming the door shut behind him.

Aastha blinked back frustrated tears as she left her house. She couldn’t fix her broken family. She could only keep them afloat.

The café was busy with a few patrons waiting for an empty table. She slipped on an apron and got behind the counter, where Rohan was waiting for her.

“We’re fucked,” he said, without preamble. “We should cancel.”

“We can’t cancel,” Aastha said grimly, opening up the file on the laptop with the pre-booked orders. “The Willy Wonka carnival is our biggest day of the year. We need those funds to bring us back into the black.”

“Vanilla sponge with buttercream frosting,” she muttered. “I’ll get started on that.”

“Aastha,” Rohan stopped her as she moved to enter the kitchen. “We need to get the palmiers started soon. We have two days and-“

The bell above the café door tinkled and a loud voice announced, “Your Oompa Loompas are here.”

Aastha stared open-mouthed as Rehaan Bakshi sauntered into her little café in jeans and a black tank, his muscled, tattooed arms on full display. One of the teenage girls at the end table almost face planted in her bowl of pasta as she tried to lean forward to get a better look at him. Behind him an annoyed, stone faced Advik and a quietly amused Vikram walked in.

“What’s going on?” Aastha asked them as they approached the counter.

“This one,” Advik jerked a thumb in Rehaan’s direction, “claims to know how to bake.”

Nonplussed, Aastha stared at the three of them, her gaze going from one face to the other. “Well,” she said finally, “good for him?”

Advik sighed and slapped a hand on Rehaan’s back, almost propelling him over the counter with the force of the blow. “He’s here to help.”

“Help?” Aastha parroted, her confusion growing.

“Help you,” Advik muttered. “For the Willy Wonka thing.”

Oh. Aastha took a step back. “Oh no! No. No. No!”

“I know. I know.” Rehaan winked at her. “I’m too goodlooking for this. I understand your disbelief.”

“Oh that’s not it at all,” Aastha retorted with a smirk. “I look better than you and I’m bloody fabulous at it.”

Vikram burst into laughter, the loud, boisterous sound from the otherwise quiet man drawing more than one female, and in some cases male, gaze. Even Advik cracked a smile as his eyes met hers.

“Careful,” she warned him, “you smile suddenly like that and your face might crack. It’s not used to it.”

“I like you,” Vikram gasped, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

“I like me too,” she returned, “and I really like my café. Please let me deal with my issues on my own. This may not look like much but our livelihood depends on pulling off this event. I don’t need trust fund babies bumbling their way through it and making an even bigger mess of what is already looking to be catastrophic.”

“And how exactly are you going to pull it off?” Advik asked. “By pulling consecutive all-nighters.”

“If need be…” Aastha shrugged. “Now, if you’ll excuse me-“

“Blueberry and lemon tarts, dark chocolate and mint souffle, and vanilla and caramel glazed pears.” Rehaan’s musing voice cut through her excuses.

“Excuse me?”

“Any of those on your menu?” Rehaan’s gaze met hers, something undefinable in it.

“You can make those?” Aastha challenged.