Page 11 of Stumped

“I have a tendency to make people feel that way.”

Kuriakose clears his throat. “Is this the place?”

I look out the window and see a dosa stand with a few people milling about.

“You okay eating here?” Vera asks.

“As long as I can wear my cap.”

“As long as you let me take it off you later.”

She’s gone before I can formulate a response. As I get out, I ask Kuriakose to eat as well. As much as he works for me and drives me all over the damn city, I always feel guilty when I keep him out late. When he decided to move to Chennai with me, I built a house in the back for him. He’s family and while he refuses to let me thank him, I find little ways to show him my appreciation anyway.

In crisp Tamil?1,Vera orders our food and walks over to me. Kuriakose, as always, is making friends with the men at the stall. But my focus is entirely on my date.Can I call her that?She’s frowning at her darkened phone screen, huffing before putting it away and looks up at me. The crease between her eyebrows disappear and she smiles—my heart does a funny hop, skip and jump thing I can’t quite identify.

It’s rare to spend this much time with new people because most of them want something from me. Vera isn’t shy about her demands and I want the same thing: be alone with her, continue kissing and strip each other naked.

Ineedthis woman injected into my soul.

Her eyebrow lifts and I step forward until the insistent buzzing of my phone stops me. With every intention of ignoring it, I lean in and Kuriakose says my name. Frustration drives me to pull out my phone and I seeDhruv Panicker callingflash across the screen.

“Don’t go anywhere,” I tell her.

“I’ll try,” she teases.

Shaking my head, I walk around the car and lean against the side as I answer my agent’s call.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he grumbles.

“Nice to hear from you too, Dhruv.”

“Don’t fuck with me, man. You’re supposed to be resting, notgallivantingaround the fucking countryside with some piece of ass.”

I growl low, knowing he’s saying it to get a rise out of me. “I was resting. At a bar.”

“Multiplebars. Who is she?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“She better not be some influencer who’ll cause havoc.”

I look over and she’s laughing with Kuriakose. “She doesn’t know who I am.”

“Then what are you doing?”

“Having fun, for once.”

He sighs and I can picture the way he rubs his forehead in frustration. “There are photographs of you at these bars and at the club. Where are you now?”

I remember the guy who bumped into us at the club, the way his eyes widened when he recognised me. The hand flailing backwards to get the attention of his friends while tripping over my name. I’m not reallyfamous, but when cricket is religion and the ICL is going on, I’m suddenly thrust into the spotlight.

“Elias.”

“Getting dinner.”

He sighs again. “What the fuck is so special about her?”

Everything. Dhruv only needs the bare bones of whatever tonight is. He doesn’t believe in love, flirts with anyone that looks his way and I don’t judge him for it. When I signed on with him, we bonded over our single lives and it’s worked well allthese years. Even his grouchy personality can be ignored for how good he is at his job.

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