“I would never do that,” he said, placing a hand on my elbow. “I can’t believe you did this. It…” He paused. “It really means a lot. Seriously.”
A delicious shiver ran down my spine at his touch and his words. “Point me toward the bowls.”
“Right there,” he said, glancing at the cabinet on the left, a dreamy look in his eyes. I knew he was genuinely touched by my gesture. I could only hope I did the dish justice.
As I dished out a steaming bowl of khichdi, he grabbed a spoon from the drawer. “Do you want one?”
“No, that’s okay. I ate before I came over. This is all for you.”
He smiled as I handed him the bowl. “I’m gonna eat on the couch. Normally I wouldn’t, but it’s the most comfortable place right now.”
“Whatever you like,” I said, putting the top back on the dish and following him into the living area, taking a look around his beautiful apartment. He had a chestnut-colored leather couch and two coordinating armchairs. A large built-in entertainment center lined the far wall with an enormous flat-screen tv. The shelves around the TV were filled with picture frames of his family members, books, and even some of Maren’s candles. I smiled when I saw two of the pine-and-cranberry candles were lit and filling the room with their fresh winter fragrance.
“I knew I recognized that scent,” I said, remembering it was the main scent we’d burned at the ski resort.
“Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “I stopped at her shop and bought a bunch the day I got home.”
“I didn’t realize you liked it so much.”
“They make me think of you.”
My cheeks grew hot as I stared at him. He said it so matter-of-factly, but that didn’t hide the emotion behind it. Even after all of our fights and my humiliating display in the elevator, he still sought out a scent that made him think of our time together.
How did I not see you before? I mean, really see you?
As clean as the rest of the apartment appeared, the coffee table was a different story altogether. It was filled with cups, used Kleenexes, and throat lozenges. A thermometer sat next to a lone teacup still filled to the brim.
Dev plopped on his couch, covering himself with a throw blanket before digging his spoon into the khichdi. I sat in one of the armchairs, waiting with bated breath. For just a second, I pictured him spitting it out in disgust, and my stomach twisted in hypothetical humiliation.
“Wait,” he said after one bite. “You made this?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Lyra, it’s incredible.”
“Really?” I said, feeling over the moon. “You’re not just saying that so you won’t hurt my feelings?”
“Um, we don’t do that, remember?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re right.”
“And I’m totally serious. It tastes just like my mom’s. If she wasn’t in Arizona right now, I’d be convinced she made it.”
“I like to cook,” I said, tucking my hair behind my ears.
“Wow,” he said, taking another bite. “I haven’t really eaten today, so don’t judge me if I eat every single bite you made.”
“Are you kidding? I’d be thrilled!”
“Holy shit, I still can’t believe you did this. This might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” He stared off into space, before resuming eye contact. “Yeah.”
“I brought you candy too,” I said with a flirty smirk.
“For real?” He looked childlike in his enthusiasm. “What kind?”
“Well, I wasn’t really sure what you liked, so I brought a bunch of stuff.” I hopped to my feet and grabbed one of the bags from the pharmacy. I placed a bottle of red Gatorade in front of him before digging through the candy.
“Savita said you’ll only drink the red kind.”
“Yep. Thanks.”
“So I have lots of different chocolate stuff, but I also brought you some gummies.”
“I freaking love gummies…and chocolate. I kinda like all candy.”
“Khichdi first, though.”
“Got it, boss,” he said before shoveling in another large spoonful of lentils and rice. I looked at his television and noticed it was on, but paused.
“What are you watching?”
“Guess.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure I see a dragon, so…Game of Thrones?”
“Yep.” He grabbed his remote from the cushion next to him. “I won’t make you suffer through it, though.”
“No,” I said, holding up my hand to stop him from changing it. “You’re sick. I’ll watch whatever you want.”
“For real?”
“Yeah.”
“Then we gotta do it right. Let’s start from the beginning. Season one, episode one. You gotta get to know the Starks. That is, unless you need to go… It is a Friday night.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to take care of you. Season one sounds great. Am I allowed to put my feet up on the coffee table?”
“Normally, I’d say no, but the Khichdi Goddess can do whatever she wants.”
I threw my head back in laughter as I kicked off my shoes and put my feet up. “That’s a new one.”
“And?”
“And I like it.”
“Good. Because this khichdi is amazing. Still can’t believe you’ve never had Indian food. You’re missing out.”
“I’d love to try it sometime.”
“Ahh, I know exactly where to take you,” he said, taking another bite.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, it’s this tiny place a few blocks from here. Tandoori Cafe. You haven’t lived until you’ve had their samosas. As soon as I’m done with this plague, we’re going.”
“I’ll pencil you in,” I said with a smile.
“Okay, I finished. Pass the candy,” he said with an impish grin as he held a hand to his stomach. Grabbing the bag from the floor, I passed it to him, and he started rifling through all the packets of sugary treats.
“Oh my God, how did you know? These are my favorite,” he said, holding up the Twix bars I grabbed from the pharmacy.
“I didn’t,” I said, shaking my head. “I just love them, so I grabbed ’em.”
“Oh shit, do you want them?”
“Don’t be silly. They’re for you.”
“Yeah, but I mean… I don’t wanna be a dick.”
“Dev, you’re sick. I bought everything in that bag for you. To help you feel better.”
He tilted his head slightly to the side and beamed. “Thanks.”
Seconds later, he tore into the package and pulled out his first sweet. He bit into the chocolate and closed his eyes. “Oh yeah, that’s the stuff.”
“I didn’t see you do that for the khichdi,” I teased.
“Oh shit, I’m sorry. I mean, it’s chocolate. And it’s my favorite, so…”
“I know, I’m just giving you a hard time. Enjoy. And turn the show on so I can start understanding what the hell the fuss is about.”