Page 72 of Behind Frenemy Lines

“I miss some things,” Kriya added. “I miss being with someone. Having someone to watch shows with. Someone to cook for—it’s so pointless cooking for yourself only. And I miss the sex.”

Luckily I was already flushed from the alcohol. Kriya glanced at me and smiled, as though she saw my embarrassment anyway. Somehow I didn’t mind.

After a couple of episodes, she stretched her arms over her head, sighing.

Kriya: “I should get out and let you sleep. Hold on, I’ll help you get the sofa bed out.” Paused. “Charles?”

Had been watching her, mouth dry. Took me a moment to register the silence. Kriya was waiting for a response.

CG: “I, uh, yes. Thanks. I mean, it’s OK, I can do it myself.”

Kriya eyeing me, speculative. She’d noticed me looking at her.

I’d give it a shot, if I were you.Zurina was her best friend. She should know. What was the worst that could happen?

Knew the answer to that. Worst wouldn’t be getting rejected, though that would sting. Worst would be if Kriya felt she’d been wrong to trust me.

Felt sick at the thought. I couldn’t risk it—

Kriya: “Did Zuri they all tell you, we’ve got a nickname for you?”

Blinked. “What, really?”

Kriya: “Kawan Baik. It means ‘good friend.’”

CG: “Oh. Is that why Zurina said that about any good friend of yours being a good friend of hers?”

Kriya: “Yeah, she was being a troll. We’ve been friends since age seven, you can’t impress somebody like that.” Shook her head. “I hope they weren’t too much for you.”

CG: “They seemed nice.” Decided not to mention May Yin’s attempt to get a fortune teller to curse Kriya’s ex-boyfriend.

Kriya: “It was kind of a joke, calling you my good friend. Because we kept running into each other after I bombed my training contract interview at Swithin Watkins. You probably don’t remember, but that was the first time we met, you know.”

CG: “When you fell on the steps.”

Kriya stared at me. “Wait, you remember that?”

CG: “It wasn’t my finest moment. I should have been more helpful.”

Kriya’s eyes softened. “You did help. You told me I was at the wrong building.”

CG: “Loretta and I have a name for you, too.”

Kriya: “Serious?”

CG: “It’s, um, ‘Hot Lawyer Who Hates You.’ ‘You,’ as in me. Loretta came up with it.”

Kriya started laughing. “Yeah, I would’ve guessed that. Did I really come off like I hated you?”

CG: “As I said, it was Loretta’s idea. She thought it likely, on the evidence. I wouldn’t have felt confident drawing any firm conclusions. Assessing people’s feelings isn’t one of my skills.”

Kriya: “I think you do fine. I don’t hate you, for the record.”

Said, stupidly: “OK. That’s good.”

Was acutely aware there wasn’t much distance between us. Kriya had switched off the ceiling lights when she turned on the TV. The only light was from a floor lamp next to the sofa, and the glow of the TV screen. We were talking in hushed voices, as though we might be overheard.

Kriya was looking at me as if I were a puzzle she wanted to solve. “It’s a flattering nickname, apart from the ‘hates you’ part.”

---