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Three months later
Heat coats my skin from the rays shining in through the windows. I press my hand against the warm glass, trying to remember everything about this place before it’s gone. The familiar noise of my bangles clinking against each other cracks a smile across my face. They’re a recent gift from my best friend Lya, one that I rarely take off. She’s been the light in my life for years, my saving grace when she didn’t know I needed one. I treasure everything she gives me. She has a family of her own now and I don’t see her as much as I used to, so everything involving her is significant.
Looking outside, I take in the surrounding areas of Craibridge—at least, what’s left of it. The buildings are old, some crumbling down day by day, but there’s beauty in their stories. This community was once filled with life, but now it’s run down by gang violence and drugs. Some fancy developer wants to come in and demolish the entire West Side to revamp Craibridge, though they’ve been saying that for years and nothing has happened yet. No one cares about the dirty parts of the town, so this side often gets forgotten until some new crazy story emerges on the news about another gang member dying in a shoot-out—or worse, an innocent getting caught up in one.
My family’s restaurant, Star of India, is located smack in the middle of the West Side. Although it’s in the rough, poor neighborhood, the restaurant remains a safe zone. A place where everyone can take reprieve, knowing nothing can happen inside these walls since gang violence isn’t tolerated here.
It’s my home. My lifeline. My peace.
My parents opened it after they moved here from India, and it’s been a staple in the community ever since. Since my parents are getting older and wanting to slow down, I took over control of the business a few years ago.
It’s given me a sense of purpose and allowed me to make a difference, or at least help keep the peace in the West Side. Lately though, we’ve hit a lot of financial trouble. We still have our loyal patrons, but increasing fights between the two rival gangs—the Snakes and the Draaks—are making people avoid this side of the city like the plague. Even though the restaurant itself is a safe space, getting here can still be dangerous.
Incessant ringing of the phone breaks through my trance. Looking around, I see a few patrons scattered around the dining room. Just as I’m about to head to the back, my eye catches on a deliciously dark-haired, handsome man sitting at table five. It’s hard to miss him, considering his immaculate appearance looks so out of place among the outdated red and gold decor.
He’s wearing a perfectly tailored black suit that looks like it costs more than my yearly rent. His chocolate brown hair is pushed back and styled smoothly, showing off his expensive haircut. Dark stubble lines his sharp jaw, but it’s his intense blue eyes that have my breath hitching. The ice cold glare he’s shooting me sends a shiver down my spine. I’m not sure how I’ve managed to earn that scowl, but I know a few things I can do to wipe it off his handsome face.
I must’ve zoned out when he came in, because a tall drink of water like him definitely would’ve caught my eye. He’s every one of my spank bank dreams come true. Someone I wouldn’t mind giving the ride of his life and finding out what he’s hiding under that suit, before sending him on his merry way.
Snap out of it, you horny bitch, and do your damn job.
Realizing the phone is still ringing, I move behind the counter and answer it. “Star of India.”
“Good to see the place is still standing.”
I groan quietly as my father’s voice rings in my ear. “Hello, Papa.” I ignore his sarcastic comment, because responding to it will only cause a bigger fight between us. My parents have been trying to get hold of me for the last couple of days, but I’ve been avoiding them.
“We’ve been trying to reach you. Have you been ignoring us?”
I roll my eyes, throwing my head back so I’m looking at the ceiling. Yeah, I’ve been avoiding you—was it that obvious? “No, Papa. I’ve been busy. You know, working at the restaurant?” The bite in my tone is sharp, but if I don’t stand my ground now, he’ll steamroll me. I may be fiesty, but I learned all my sarcasm from him, and he’s ruthless.
“No need to be rude, Tara. Your father and I are just worried about you.” My mom’s irritated voice cuts in. I should’ve known she was listening. My love for them is endless, but they definitely like to team up on me, always having each other's backs during ‘difficult times,’ thinking it’s easier to break through to me if they do it as a united front.
“Sorry, Ma. We’re getting pretty busy. Is there anything important you wanted to talk about while you’ve got me on the phone? If not, I’ve gotta go.” No one has come in since I’ve been talking to them, but they don’t know that. The sooner I can get this conversation over with, the better.
“Tara, we didn’t want to do this over the phone, but with the way you’re avoiding us we have no other choice. We’ve given you enough time to explore who you want to be. Time you requested, against our wishes. You’re not taking this seriously, so we’ve discussed and agreed that you’ll be seeing Zayan again. He’s a nice man, from a good, wealthy family. He’ll take care of you, like he always did.”
The desperation in my mother’s voice is apparent, but I’d rather gouge out my eyeballs than marry that monster like they want me to. Shit, I’d drink a cup of acid before I even contemplated giving him a second chance.
I need to put my foot down. “No. I will not marry that prick. I’ve made that very clear. Find someone else, I don’t care—just not him.”
My voice is no longer calm, rising to an audible level the customers can hear. The handsome one in particular is shooting daggers at me, like I’m somehow a bother to his life by existing. I can hear my mom warning me about my language through the speaker, but my attention is now elsewhere. My gaze narrows on this mysterious man who refuses to look away.
“Can I help you?” Clearly irritation is getting the best of me, but this man is looking at me like I peed in his Cheerios. My parents ramble on about Zayan, the stupid ass motherfucker I used to be with, while the man at table five finally returns to his food with a scowl on his face. “That’s what I thought,” I mumble under my breath, before taking this conversation to the back office so His Royal Highness isn’t bothered anymore.
The door clicks shut behind me as I lean against it, observing my surroundings. Papers are scattered lazily across my wooden desk, but I know exactly where everything is. If my parents saw this place, they’d have a heart attack. They call me a slob; I call it organized chaos. The office is small and it has no windows, but it’s not like I need a mansion to do my job.
“Listen. I know you have your heart set on me marrying Zayan. Obviously you picked him for a reason, but my answer is no. If you force me to marry him, you’ll lose me. That’s final.” Pushing off the door, I walk over to the chair behind my desk and plop down into it.
They have no idea what he put me through. He’s a fucking monster in sheep’s clothing. He acted like the perfect, doting boyfriend, but behind closed doors, he became someone else. Something else. My parents will never know the horrors I’ve suffered because of him, because I don’t want them to look at me with pity or disgust. If I’m being honest, I’m not even sure about all the things he put me through. There are still periods of time I can’t remember from the last night I was with him.
“Tara. You don’t have a choice. You will be marrying him. Think of our family, think of the restaurant. It can’t survive without help, and he’s the only one who can give it to us.” My mom’s voice echoes through my head, making me pause in my fight against this.
I don’t want to marry him, but he could help our family. Our livelihood. We’re at risk of losing the property if we don’t get our shit together. My parents are aware, though they don’t quite know the full extent of it. It pains me to see all of their hard work slowly dwindling away, but I refuse to lose this place.
My best friend Lya and her three boyfriends all own a tech company, VPAC Tech, and I know she’d be willing to help me out, but my damn pride refuses to let that happen. She’s already done so much for me; I don’t want to feel like I owe her anything else.
“I’ll figure it out... without Zayan. I won’t let the restaurant go down, I promise. We’ll be okay.” I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince myself or them, but either way, I’ll come out of this on top. My parents have worked too hard for me to blow this now, but I refuse to be permanently attached to that dickwad Zayan.
