Page 40 of Stumped

Thirteen. Not in the romance zone

Elias

Ihave never been more glad to be home than I am the moment the plane touches down in Chennai. Between the gruelling physiotherapy with Dr. Theo and being forced to sit on the sidelines and watch my team play shitty games one after the other, I’m exhausted. Why are they making silly mistakes? It’s been one fuck up after the other and I’m worried we’re not going to make it to the finals.

Maybe then Doc can ease up on the torture.

Then there’s the Lucky Shot crew that’s been following us around. They’re not intrusive, but I’m aware of their presence. Thankfully they talk to the guys playing and don’t bother me as much. When they do corner me, the questions range from ‘why cricket?’ to ‘what’s your favourite workout music?’ and even about my relationship status. I’ve been skirting the last one because it’s safer that way. It would also be in bad form to announce I’m obsessed with their boss, that I dream about her and fist myself to memories of her naked body.

I’ve been home for five hours and spent most of it unpacking, showering and doing laundry. Also staring at my phone. I know Vera’s busy, so I never expect instant replies when I send her a long list of texts. But it has beenhoursand I was hoping tomake plans to spend the evening with her. I wasn’t joking about being obsessed, because every chance I get to be anywhere close to her, I want to take it. The combination of her warm, soft body enveloped in my arms and the heady scent of peaches, honey and vanilla is making me greedy to see her.

After a second load of laundry is done, I speak with my parents and my siblings, I check in with Bash and Samar; still nothing from Vera. I understand the terms of ourarrangementand I respect them, but I haven’t eaten anything since boring airplane food and my body craves hers. So showing up unannounced isn’t wrong, right? Especially if I bring whatever’s still withinthe rules—food and sex.

It takes me another hour to do anything and by then it’s closing in on eight in the evening. If Vera’s still at the office, it’s my duty to stop her from being such a workaholic.Right?I slip into black trousers and a light blue shirt, wanting to look like I’m showing up for a work meeting instead of something else. Even if it’s way past working hours. I call my favourite pizza place and give them my order. Kuriakose drives me to the closest TASMAC?1 so I can grab a bottle of wine before we pick up the food.

I’ve never been to this part of the city before and if it wasn’t for Google, I wouldn’t even know where her office is. The security at the gate waves us in and once Kuriakose is parked, I walk through the empty lobby and climb into the elevator. The Lucky Shot office is on the sixteenth floor and I imagine she has a gorgeous view. When the lift stops, I step out through the doors and come face-to-face with a young man swearing at his Nintendo Switch.

“Hey there,” I say gently.

He startles and drops the gaming device, eyes wide as he looks at me. “Hi. Uh…wait, you’re El?—”

“Is Vera here?” I ask, cutting him off.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Not really. I’d like to surprise her.”

He hesitates and I’m glad that even though he knows who I am, he doesn’t make my entrance into the office easy. He’s protecting Vera and for that, he’s already got a few points in my book.

“Down this way and the last office on your left. It’s the only one with the lights on, so you can’t miss it.”

“Thanks.” I chuckle at his confused expression.

My eyes dart around the wide open space, as I follow his directions, with at least ten cubicles set in twos. None of it is cramped and the work areas seem quite comfortable. The air-conditioning is also at a nice temperature, with plants filling up all the empty corners. On one side there’s an open area that looks like a kitchen and dining room, as well as a large balcony. Enclosed offices stretch across another wall with frosted glass doors providing enough privacy.

I see light spilling onto the dark wooden floor at the end and smile to myself. It doesn’t surprise me she’s working long after everyone’s gone. I did my research on Vera—articles about her rise to success, interviews touting her as one of the most powerful young women in the country. Reviews from satisfied clients paint a picture of the person I’m growing more and more attached to. When I stop at her door, I’m glad the frosted feature isn’t activated.

A large desk is up against the main wall, with floating bookshelves above it. An iMac sits on one side while files, plants and notebooks fill the other side of the surface. Vera’s seated in a plush green chair and while I can’t see anything beyond the messy bun her hair is tied up in, I can tell she’s very focused on her work. Beside her desk is another shelf that spans the entire wall. Awards, books and photographs are littered all over the space. The final wall is a window with an arched top. Thelights of the city wink at me as I take in the green couch in front of it. Tall palms and smaller plants are tucked into corners and paintings hang on remaining wall space.

This is exactly what I imagined her office would look like—comfortable, classy and professional. I run a hand down the front of my shirt and take a deep breath before knocking against the glass. Vera jumps and spins in her chair, eyes widening when she sees me. I wave, offering her a grin in return. She blinks a few times and stands up, almost like she’s not sure if I’m real or not.

Dressed in a light blue pantsuit that matches my shirt, she looks incredible. Her feet are bare with bright pink polish on her toes. She’s probably worn the outfit all day, there’s not a single wrinkle and I’m impressed.

“What are you doing here?” she asks as I step inside her office.

“Bringing you dinner.”

“What…why?”

I chuckle at her frazzled expression. “I texted when I got back and didn’t hear from you, so figured I’d swing by.”

“To bring me dinner.”

“From my favourite pizza place.”

She looks at the box, then at the tote carrying the wine, eyebrows dipping. “I’m sorry I didn’t see your texts.”

“It’s okay, I know you’re busy.”

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