“Stuffed mushrooms?” Dev asked.
“Sure.”
“And we gotta have poppers,” he added. Clearly he was having an easier time concentrating on the menu options than I was.
Get it together, Lyra!
“Okay, that’s three if we count the dates. So we need three more. You choose something, Lyra.”
“What about…” I said, taking in a deep breath. “Grilled cheese dippers. Maren loves grilled cheese.”
“Good choice.”
“Pigs in a blanket. We have to have those.”
“Obviously,” Dev said with a smile. “Okay, last one. Let’s make it count.”
“Mini sliders? We need to give everyone some protein,” I said.
“Perfect. Okay, Morgan, those are our choices. Cool?” Dev polished off the rest of his drink. “Want another drink before we call it a night?”
“Sure.”
“So, I’ve been dying to ask. What’d you and Savita talk about? I mean, how did you know she was my sister?”
“Aside from the resemblance?”
“Obviously, yeah.”
“I don’t know. I guess I just introduced myself and she recognized my name. It’s not a common one after all.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
“What’d you tell her about me?” I asked, leaning toward him as I felt the two previous whiskey sours kick in. I was buzzed and tingly and enjoying every minute spent with my former enemy.
“I mean, she knows we got into a fight. And she knows… She knows some things, okay?” Looking uncomfortable, he ran his fingers through his silky black hair while he let out a nervous laugh, and I realized I was dying to do that—to run my fingers through his hair while his lips pressed to mine. I was dying to touch him, to feel him, to finally explore the chemistry between us in a physical way. And the cocktails were only making that desire more intense.
“Some things,” I said, letting the words linger. “That’s fair.”
“You’re not going to push me? Most girls would. I mean Trupti definitely would have.”
“I guess I’m different then.”
“You’re definitely different, Lyra.”
“Is that an insult or a compliment?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
Playfully, I smacked his arm but didn’t want to pursue that any further. I didn’t want to fight and worried if I pushed, that was exactly what might happen. “I do like Savita, though. She seems like a sweet girl.”
“She is, for the most part. She’s pissed to be there…at the school. No offense.”
“None taken. But why is she upset?”
“She expected to go away to school, but her grades were absolute shit. Sometimes Savita can be a little entitled, so when my parents sat her down halfway through high school and told her to get her shit together, she blew them off. Then when it was time to apply to schools, they told her it wasn’t going to happen.”
“Good for them.”
“She doesn’t see it that way. She even applied to Northwestern in Chicago. I love my sister, but that girl is clueless. You don’t get into Northwestern on a C average.” He shook his head and laughed.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t think so. She seems to be taking things seriously now, though. She was already working on her semester project on the first day of the semester. That’s pretty rare. I’m used to seeing them the week it’s due.”
“Yeah, she’s kicking ass. Straight As, so she’ll probably end up going wherever she wants now. She’s started applying, and she’ll even get her associate’s.”
“That’s good.”
“Any siblings?”
“Nah, just me. But I grew up with lots and lots of cousins.”
“Do you see them a lot?”
“Most of them are in California. I grew up in Los Angeles.”
“What was that like?”
“Eh, you know…we went to Disneyland a lot,” I said with a laugh, remembering our many visits to see the mouse and how happy it made me when I was young. “And seeing celebrities at the grocery store was no big deal. Other than that, it wasn’t for me. Too… I don’t know, plastic, fake. Temporary.”
“That’s what I love about Seattle. It’s none of those things.”
“Exactly.”
“So, what about your folks? Where are they now?”
“They still live there. Same house, same street.”
“I’m sure they miss you.”
“They do. I’m going home for spring break since I didn’t see them at the holidays. It’ll be good to see my folks, get some sunshine.”
“I bet you’re tight with your mom.”
“Yeah, my mom is… Well, let’s just say she makes her presence known.”
Dev laughed. “Don’t they all? In their own way.”
I paused for a moment. “You know, I think this is the first conversation we’ve ever had without snide remarks or sarcastic digs.”
“I mean, if you’re missing that, you know I’m happy to—”
“No, no.” I waved him away, pressing gently against his forearm. “It’s nice.”
“Yeah,” he said, looking at my lips. “It kinda is.”
“Maybe we should do it again sometime.”
“Yeah.” He nodded with a sexy smirk. “Maybe we should.”
Chapter 15
DEV
I’d been working like a dog. So many meetings, so many conference calls and projects all coming to a head. Every day I came home exhausted, flopped myself on my couch, and texted Lyra. Sometimes it lasted an hour, sometimes only a few minutes. It started in the usual way—something one of us remembered about the party. Tonight, it was Lyra’s turn. By the time I’d gotten my Chinese takeout set up on my coffee table, my phone buzzed.
Right on time.
-So, does that bar of yours allow live music? Because I have an idea.
-They do. What’s the idea? Nothing lame, I hope.
-There’s this Better than Ezra cover band…
-Better than Ezra? WTF? They have like two songs.
-They’re Maren’s favorite. Like all-time favorite.
-Seriously? I just lost massive respect for that girl.
-Ass!
-I’m just playing! Seriously, though, do they just play their three popular songs on a loop for three hours?
-I thought you said they had two songs. Which is it?
-Doesn’t matter. They suck. And they’re…old. Doesn’t she like anything from this century?
-Dev, stop! The place is for Peter, right? So this can be for Mare. She’ll love it and I’ll take care of their fee.
-No, I’ll split it with you. I mean, I’m assuming they charge per song? Shouldn’t be too much.
-I’m not dignifying that with a response.
-LMAO! Seriously, though, I’ll split it with you and I’ll make sure it’s okay with Morgan. I mean, that’s assuming they’re even free that night…I’m sure their schedule is just packed.