Page 26 of 12 Years

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Payal nodded. She looked around Aer as both of us sipped our Prosecco.

‘A lot of dating-type people here,’ she said, subtly gesturing towards the other couples sitting at the tables around us. One of them was holding hands.

‘Yeah, it’s a popular date spot,’ I said.

‘Oh, really? I wouldn’t know anything about all that,’ Payal said.

‘You’ve dated people before, right?’ I said.

‘As in? Having a proper boyfriend or something like that?’

‘Well, yes.’

‘Not really.’

‘What does “not really” mean?’

‘It means no. I’ve never had one. Crushes, yes. Boyfriends no.’

‘Like never?’

Payal looked at me with a sheepish smile and shook her head.

‘You’ve never been on dates, held hands or kissed anyone?’

‘No and no, but I’ve kissed, yes. On the cheeks only, and that too my younger cousins.

‘No, like a proper kiss.’

‘This is so embarrassing, but no.’

My mouth stayed open as I wondered what to say next.

‘Okay, that can happen. You’re still young. What about Stanford? Didn’t meet anyone there?’ I said.

‘I had a crush.’

‘You did?’

‘Yes, but again, it’s embarrassing. It was a professor. A young assistant professor, to be more specific, but he was still a fair bit older than me.’

‘How old?’

‘I was nineteen. He was thirty-one. Taught microeconomics. I aced his class, hoping to make him take notice of me.’

‘And?’

‘Nothing. It was just a silly crush on an older guy. Went nowhere.’

‘Do you like older guys then?’

‘My crushes would suggest so. Who knows though? I don’t have any real dating experience.’

I nodded.

‘It’s probably hard for you to imagine someone like me in today’s day and age,’ Payal said after a while.

‘It’s a bit unusual, yes,’ I said.

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