“Don’t listen to those guys. I could never see you as anything but the sexy, strong, smart-ass, ridiculous man that you are.”
He threw his head back in laughter. “Don’t hold back, Lyra. Seriously.”
“That was me holding back,” I said, pulling away slightly and winking at him. “Let me put these in water and we can go.”
“Okay.”
“So, are we going to eat too? I’m starving.”
“Yeah, I hear the bar has great food, if that works for you.”
“Of course,” I said, snipping the ends of the flowers and placing them in my prettiest glass vase. They looked gorgeous in the sunlight.
“See, that’s one of the things I love about you. Trupti always insisted I take her to fancy places. Wait, is it okay that I mentioned her?”
“Of course. We’ve known each other a while now. I think it’s silly to pretend we don’t have pasts.”
“And yet another thing I love about you.”
“I do like nice restaurants, though,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “Just not all the time.”
“Exactly, it’s not special if it’s the only thing you do. And just so we’re clear, what I was trying to say is that you’re flexible. I like that.”
“Message received.” I smirked. I knew he was doing damage control. He didn’t want me to think he was cheap, which I could never in a million years think he was. I’d observed him since Maren started dating Peter. He was generous to a fault. “I still want to go to Tandoori Cafe, by the way.”
“Ooh, that’s right. Want to go there?”
“That depends. Is it too fancy?” I said, with a wink.
“Just fancy enough,” he said.
“Awesome,” I said, fluffing the petals of the flowers. “Thank you again for these. I love how they’re outlined in white, so beautiful.”
“Sure,” he said, looking proud of himself. “I’d never heard of them, actually. But they’re really unique and beautiful…kinda like you.”
“You’re going to give me a big head.”
“That’s what she said.”
“Oh my God,” I said, fighting the urge to laugh. But I lost. A strong cackle left my mouth, and I pressed my hand against his arm and we both laughed.
“You really are ridiculous.”
“Oh, I’m aware,” he said, placing a soft kiss on the top of my head as he pulled me in for a hug. “C’mon, let’s go. I’m starving.”
“So my favorite thing about this place is that everything is served in small plates. Like tapas. It’s the perfect way to try a lot of things.”
“Awesome,” I said as we sat in a cozy table at Tandoori Cafe, Dev’s favorite Indian restaurant. “So, what do you recommend… Besides the samosas?”
“We’re getting all the samosas,” he said with a laugh. “They’re my weakness.”
“And what else?”
“Hmm,” he said, studying the menu. “You have to try butter chicken, and probably tandoori chicken too. Are you okay with getting a bunch of stuff? I want you to try so many things, and it’s hard to decide. My treat, of course.”
“Order whatever you want. I’ll try everything.”
“Sweet,” he said, “and you’re okay with spicy, yes?”
“The spicier, the better,” I said.
“My kind of woman.”
When the waiter arrived, Dev ordered about nine dishes. I was overwhelmed just hearing him rattle them off. I had no idea what to expect, but if the smells coming from the neighboring tables were any indication, my taste buds were about to be very happy.
“Tell me about your family. Aside from Savita and your brother who likes to play board games, I don’t really know anything about them.”
“Ganesh. That’s my brother’s name.”
“Yes, sorry, I forgot.”
“It’s okay. Um…my parents are great. They have a house just outside the city. I’m a mama’s boy, but I’m sure that doesn’t shock you.” Dev laughed before popping a piece of naan into his mouth.
“Not at all. You strike me as a guy who takes care of his mother.”
“Right now she still takes care of me a little bit, but yeah, if she needed me, I’d be there in a heartbeat. But I’m sure you’re the same way. From everything I’ve seen with you and Maren, you love fiercely.”
“I do.” I could feel heat rush to my cheeks. I loved that despite all of our months of bickering and pushing each other’s buttons, Dev still saw the loving side of me. He still saw all of my positive qualities despite the fact that he could barely stand to be around me.
“And my dad’s awesome. Just a cool cat, you know. He came to this country in 1970, and he fell in love with it. Head over freaking heels. He got me into some quirky music too. He’s just a great guy.”
“Quirky music? I thought you were a rap and hip-hop guy.”
“Most of the time, yeah. But I love me some Harry Nilsson.”
“I don’t know who that is.”
“Oh man, he was this wacky guy in the sixties and seventies. He inspired the Beatles, I guess. In fact, you’ve probably heard a couple of his songs and don’t even realize it. I’ll send you a playlist. You’d probably love his version of “Over the Rainbow,” actually…since you love that supposed classic.” He used air quotes when he said the word classic, enunciating each syllable in an eye-rolling ridiculous way. But it was kinda cute.
“Oh my God, what is your problem with that movie?”
“I’m just playin’,” he said with a shrug.
“I’d love to hear his version of the song.”
“Oh, have you seen that Tom Hanks You’ve Got Mail movie?”
“Yeah.”
“It plays at the end when they meet in the park.”
“Oh yes! I love that one—it’s so romantic. I had no idea who sang it.”
“My dad watches that movie all the time, just to get to the song. I keep trying to get him on iTunes. No dice.”
“I’d love to meet your dad. He sounds like a really interesting guy,” I said, genuinely intrigued by Dev’s family. “Would they be upset that you’re dating someone who’s…”
“What? Not Indian?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Nah, not at all. Trupti was my first serious relationship with an Indian girl. My parents just want me to be happy.”
“That’s nice.”
“I could ask you the same thing. Will your parents be okay with me being Indian and not Latino?”
“Yeah, they don’t care either. My mom’s been trying to marry me off since I turned twenty-one.” I closed eyes tight, mortified. “Not that we’re getting married or anything. Geez, sorry. I had to make it awkward.”
Dev laughed, reaching across the table to take my hand in his. “Lyra, I’m crazy about you. It’s not awkward at all.”
“Thanks.”
“So, now that we know our parents aren’t racist…” he deadpanned, a devilish look on his face. “I guess it’s safe for us to continue with our date.”