There was so much loss in Adil’s voice. “I’m so sorry to hear about your wife. And your nephew.”
Sorrow darkened Adil’s eyes for a second. “We must treasure the time we have. I always felt bad I missed so much of Dev’s life when he was young. I thought it might be nice to return to India for a while. Imagine my surprise when he brought me right back to America.”
“You’re from here?”
Adil brightened, and he rolled out the roti. “In New York. For almost thirty years.”
The way he said it, the way all New York City people said it, made it clear what part of New York he’d lived in. “I’m from upstate.” She was actually from western New York, not upstate, but city folk usually only differentiated between them and everyone else.
“We were neighbors! Small world, yes?”
There was something so hypnotizing about the capable way he handled the rolling pin. “Very small.”
He flipped the roti to the hot pan. “I am aware of the circumstances around yours and Dev’s meeting, Jia.”
So much for her relaxed shoulders. “Oh.”
He cast her a sympathetic glance. “I want to apologize for Rohan and his cousin. I cannot begin to guess what they were thinking. I am glad Dev is making it up to you with an outing tonight.” Adil smiled. “How nice it would be if a friendship could emerge from this mess.”
She busied herself by taking a sip of water. “Yes. Thank you.” She hoped that was all Dev had told his uncle about tonight. Bad enough that anyone else knew about the catfishing; she didn’t want needs a pretend suitor stamped on her list of flaws, too. “It is nice, I suppose.”
Adil slid the roti off the pan onto a plate, buttered it, and placed it in front of her. “Here, eat. You don’t know what they could be serving at this place.”
Jia was too nervous to be hungry, but she didn’t want to insult Dev’s uncle, so she obediently took a bite.
“Jia, you’re early.”
Jia looked up and promptly choked on her roti. She gasped and coughed, even when Adil leaned over to wallop her on her back. She picked up her water and chugged it, then wiped away the tears that had come from her coughing fit. Thank goodness she’d worn waterproof mascara.
While she’d been sputtering, Dev had come to stand a foot or two away from her. He eyed her with concern. “Are you okay?”
She waved his thoughtfulness away. “I’m fine.” Only she was not fine.
He was wearing jeans.
And they looked good on him. Real good. Choke on a roti good.
She’d thought he looked nice in a suit? The denim hugged his thighs and made him even taller. His T-shirt was still a crisp white, but it was definitely more casual than she’d seen him in before, and it revealed his surprisingly muscular biceps.
Jia jerked her eyes to his. She couldn’t be trusted to not look at his butt, and now apparently, she couldn’t be trusted to look at his front. Neck up from now on, that was all. “Hi,” she said weakly.
“Hello. I’m sorry I kept you waiting. You’re early.”
“I am?” Jia glanced at her phone. “Only ten minutes. Occasionally I’m early to things. Don’t get used to it.”
“I wouldn’t dare. You’ve met my uncle, I see.”
“I have.” Jia smiled at Adil. “He was kind enough to give me a snack.”
“Next time, I’ll make you a proper meal,” Adil promised.
Jia wasn’t sure what to say to that. Was there going to be another time that Jia would be at this home to see Adil again? She settled for a polite smile, and picked up the rest of her roti to finish it off.
“What time will you be home?” Luna had slipped into the kitchen so quietly Jia had barely noticed her. She’d carefully directed her question to her uncle.
“Not too late, I don’t think,” Dev responded, and looked at Jia.
Jia shook her head. “Not late at all. The event should be over in a couple of hours.”
Luna looked back and forth between the two of them. “Okay. I hope you two enjoy your . . .”
“Meeting,” Dev said, at the same time Jia said, “Cultural event.”
They both paused and looked at each other. “Uh,” Jia said. “We will, thanks.”
“Luna and I have at least four of our shows to catch up on,” Adil said cheerfully, back to work rolling out rotis. “Take your time while you’re out. We’ll probably both be asleep by the time you get home.”
Dev nodded. “Luna, when you’re done eating, make sure you finish your homework before you join Adil Uncle for any television.”
“I will. I’m not a kid.”
Jia would have taken Dev for a strict parent, but the fond patience he regarded his niece with at her sharp rebuke told her that was unlikely. Patience and a little bit of flexibility was good, as far as she was concerned. She’d had strict parents, and all it had made her want to do was rebel.
He didn’t kiss or hug Luna, but did lightly pat her shoulder as they passed her. “Of course not. Good night. Good night, Uncle.”
“Your family’s sweet,” Jia said in a low voice as they walked to the door. They both put their shoes on, and Dev grabbed a jacket and a baseball cap from the hall closet. She’d barely exchanged any words with Luna, of course, but the girl had seemed quiet and well-mannered.
“They are, thank you.” He put the jacket on, blessedly covering up those arms she was not looking at.
If only he could do the same with his long legs. That she was not looking at.
They left the apartment and Jia fidgeted with her purse. She was not going to be able to enjoy any part of the evening if she didn’t ask. “So, your uncle mentioned that he knew about the catfishing.”
Dev grimaced. “Yes. He caught me right after I found out. I promise, he would never think less of you for it.”
“I didn’t think he would. But . . . you didn’t tell your uncle about our agreement, did you?”
He glanced at Jia as they entered the elevator. “I would never. He thinks I’m simply trying to make my family’s bad behavior up to you.”
“Okay.” That wasn’t so bad. She nodded at his hat. “Ready to disguise yourself?”
“I am, yes. Though, to be honest, I was surprised anyone wanted to photograph me here to begin with. I was never as much of a target as the others in my family. Until my grandfather and brother were gone, people were usually happy to forget I exist.”
She looked all the way up at his profile. “That seems like it would be hard to do,” she said without thinking.
Dev glanced down at her, and suddenly the elevator seemed a bit too small. She cleared her throat and edged away a little. “I mean, you’re so big.”
He stilled.
“Tall,” she clarified, her cheeks heating up. “Hard to miss.”
“I see,” he murmured. He placed the dark cap over his head. It obscured his face enough that they should slide by without detection. “Hopefully I can make it through this show undetected. It’s an art show we are going to, correct?”
“Yes.” She smiled up at him. “You’ll love it.”