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Slantingmy head,Iskimmed the crowd over my shoulders until fixing onAxel.Shit.Hehad started toward us. “I-Ijust have a terrible headache.Canwe go home?”Ispoke with urgency.
Jayfollowed my gaze and spottedAxel’slarger-than-life body moving toward us. “Someoneyou know?”
“No,”Ireplied hastily.Myeyes were downcast, unable to withstand whatJaymight see if he were to look closely.
Mydeflections didn’t deterJay. “Heis coming over and looking right at you.”
“Heprobably thinksI’msomeone else.Please,Jay.Canwe go home now?Thismigraine is killing me.”IgrabbedJay’shand and allowed my eyes to dance back to the superstar making his way across the room.Axelfroze in place the momentIentwined our fingers.Hiseyes focused solely on our adjoined hands, his jaw locked and muscles clenched as he ground his teeth.
Ihad never seen such wrath on a person’s face.Somethingtold me that if he reached us, he’d drag me out of here despite a roomful of people or my husband standing next to me.Idecided to fast-track our exit, rushing out and forcing a silentJayto match pace.
“Areyou sure you’ve never met that man before?”Myintuitive husband asked one last time.
“Positive,”Iconfirmed, hopingJaywouldn’t see through the lie.
Thetruth was thatIhad met that man once before.
ChapterTwo
Past-Milan’sWedding
September20th, 2008
* * *
Piya
“Forfuck’s sake,Piya.WhatdidMomtell you?”Milanwas displeased by my presence.Whatelse was new?
Iheld up my palms in surrender. “Ijust want to congratulate my brother on his wedding.Isthat a crime?”
Wewere celebratingMilan’swedding at a beachside property inLongIsland.Thebeautiful wedding venue,Chateauat theHempstead, stood proudly on a cliff, a regal presence overlooking a private beach.
Closefamily and the bridal party were staying at a nearby mansion, andMilanasked me to stay put until the wedding.Loungingby the beach was dreadfully boring, andIended up sneaking onto the grounds earlier than anticipated.
Therewas also one more reason.JayAmbani.
Momwas worried about any idiotic stuntsImight pull onMilan’sspecial weekend.Shecoddled my brother and warned me against jeopardizing her favorite child’s mood.However, she also instructed me to get better acquainted withJayAmbanithis weekend, rumored to be day drinking with my brother.TheAmbaniclan was practically royalty in our circle, andMomwas privy toJayAmbani—AriandMayaAmbani’sonly son—wanting the whole nine yards, wife, kids, white picket fence.
Afterinforming me thatIdidn’t have a shot withJay—personality-wise—Momhad begrudgingly added, “Butyou’re young and pretty.Maybethat’s all he is looking for in a wife.”
Itwasn’t the first time my mother tried setting me up with an eligible bachelor.However, it was the first timeIgave in.
Mytrack record with men was far from clean.Mycrappy list of ex-boyfriends included boys deep in the nightclub scene, those with loose morals, and all-around douchebag losers who treated me like dirt.Aftermy latest ex-boyfriend, my will to fight my mother’s attempts at set-ups waned.Thebastard stole my wallet.EvenIhad to admit thatIhad terrible taste in men.Ihad been dating sinceIwas thirteen, and the quality of my taste had only declined in the last eight years.
WhenMomsuggested meeting men with the intent to marry,Icouldn’t refute the logic.Iwas twenty-one and wasn’t looking to get married right away.However,Iwanted to date someone who saw a future with me.
Momdirected me toJayAmbani, who was irrefutably out of my league.Hemight as well be playing “Bachelor,” with the women in our community as contestants in this twisted game.Rich, hot as hell, polite, mature, educated… yeah, women circled him like hounds.Thecompetition was stiff, and sinceIwas labeled a troublemaker,Iwas at the bottom of the food chain.Nonetheless,Iwanted to throw my hat in the ring.PerhapsifIdated a man likeJay,Icould finally become a straight shooter and stay out of trouble.
Alas,JayAmbanionly thought of me as his friend’s baby sister.
Momwas twenty-three whenMilanwas born, a planned pregnancy.Shewas shocked to find herself pregnant a second time at thirty-seven, this time with me, an accidental pregnancy.Mybrother mercilessly teased me about it while growing up.Milanwas fifteen years older than me, andJaywas two years older thanMilan.WhileIthought the seventeen-year age gap was what the doctor prescribed, it madeJaysee me as a petulant child.Otherthan gently disciplining me for my rowdy behavior,Jayhad never shown romantic interest.NotthatI’dlet it deter my efforts.Aftermy latest… um… blunder,Iwas determined to change my taste in men.
Mom’sinstruction to not spoil my brother’s mood while simultaneously vying forJay’sattention was too much of a contradiction.Inany case,Momwas convincedI’dwreak havoc, andIdidn’t want to disappoint her.So,Isnuck into the venue grounds, hoping to run intoJayto further our… acquaintance.
ExceptJayhadn’t arrived yet.Mybrother and a few of his buddies were playing cornhole outside the groom’s cottage next to the main building.Theywere drinking beer, partaking in “manly” things, and slapping each other on the back.Focusedon day drinking and getting high, they appeared surly by my unexpected presence.Iwasn’t welcome here and considered quitting my ambitious plans when the axis of my world tilted.Literally.
“Watchout!”Nick,Milan’sbest man, suspended his fabric bean bag in the air as he shouted from behind the angled cornhole board.
