“Nope, we’re finished,” Veera responded before Deepak. She grabbed her purse and looped it over her shoulder. “I have another meeting with a client one building over. Bharat, Inc. The tech company.”
“The Singh brothers are good people,” Deepak said and nodded at her. “Just tell them straight, and they’ll be receptive.”
“Thanks,” she said as she picked up her bag that she’d left next to her chair. “Prem, it’s good seeing you.”
“Uh, you too?”
She zipped past him, her billowing top brushing his arm as he passed. Before Veera could reach the door, Prem called her name.
“Yes?”
He thought about Kareena, about how quiet she’d been the night they’d talked, and then decided it was best to trust her to tell him how she felt directly. “Never mind. I’ll see you around.”
Veera shot him a wary look, then wiggled her fingers at Deepak before leaving the office and disappearing down the hallway.
“Trouble in paradise?” Deepak asked from his chair.
Prem zeroed in on his friend’s smug expression. “Oh no. No, you don’t. Don’t turn this on me. What about you? Lucy, you have some esplain’in to do. What was Veera doing here?”
Deepak put the Rubik’s Cube down on his sparsely decorated desk. “We started talking at that dinner you dragged Bunty and me to. She’s smart. Intuitive. More importantly, she can be an asset on this project I’m working on that requires a lot of number-crunching foresight skills. She’s also looking to diversify her clientele. It’s a perfect fit.”
That sounded reasonable, but it definitely wasn’t the whole story. Of course, Deepak never revealed his cards until he was ready, so harassing him for details wasn’t going to work in this situation.
“Now your turn,” Deepak said. “What’s up with Kareena?”
Prem thought about his girlfriend.
His girlfriend. The word made him unreasonably delirious. He had enjoyed Gori, respected her and appreciated her in his life, but this feeling was new. A little odd, but he could work with it. “I woke up next to her for two nights in a row. Between our trip to the shore, and the hours we spent in the park on Saturday, I really think this can work.”
“After four months? Good for you. Have you figured out your community center issues yet? Is your engagement to Kareena Mann going to help you get the cash you need?”
Prem shook his head. “It has, in the most surprising of ways. Apparently all this love talk with Kareena has influenced some of my segments on the show, and Gregory at LTD Financial had a change of heart. I had a meeting with him today, and he said he loved the new content.”
Deepak’s head jerked up. “LTD Financial is investing again?”
“Yup, Gregory changed his mind about pulling out of the community center project. This time he’s willing to commit more money.” Prem was still buzzing from the news. He texted Kareena, but she was in client meetings until four. The next best thing was his friends. With the larger investment, Prem could not only secure his dream location and start building out his center according to his plans, but he could also hire a larger staff to start.
In honor of Gori’s memory, and for the South Asian community.
“I’m happy for you, brother,” Deepak said. “You’re finally doing it.”
Prem picked up the Slinky that Deepak left next to his monitor on his otherwise pristine desk. “Finally. We’re pulling out the original contracts, tweaking the numbers, and by next Friday, I should be able to sign the lease with the center location.”
Deepak tossed the Rubik’s Cube in the air and caught it in one hand. “Does this mean that you and Kareena no longer have to do the engagement thing? I know you’re officially dating and all, but the engagement part was fake, wasn’t it?”
“Well, no. We still need to do the engagement thing so she can get the money for her mom’s house. She’s determined to save it, and I’m sure as hell not going to stop her. It’s a great house.” Prem had seen the inside twice, and both times he could see imprints of Kareena in the design, in the decor. It was as if it always belonged to her.
“And you want to be engaged, too.”
“Well, yeah,” Prem replied. “We make sense together. We have similar likes and dislikes. We have physical chemistry and want the same things out of our future.”
Deepak’s thick black brows shot straight to his hairline. “And love? That’s a big thing for her, right? Is she just going to accept that you can’t love her? That you don’t love her?”
Prem felt an odd pang in his chest. “I think she’s accepted that I don’t believe an emotion that I have literally referred to as an illusion is the foundation of a relationship.”
“Mm-hmm. Prem, you seem pretty lovesick to me.”
“No way,” Prem said. His pulse jumped at the thought. “Love isn’t what makes a relationship. That’s not what makes Kareena’s and my relationship . . . fit. We’re based on compatibility. Like an arranged marriage, except we found each other first and needed a bit of inspiration from her aunties.”
Deepak tossed the Rubik’s Cube one more time. “Not gonna lie, brother. That surprises me she’s cool with you never saying how you feel about her. I mean, you guys went viral because of how adamant she was about love marriages. But hey, as long as you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. I mean, of course I’m sure.” They hadn’t talked about it, but why did they have to? Kareena would’ve mentioned it, or she would’ve told him to take a hike otherwise.
Deepak’s feet hit the floor with a thud. He stood and straightened his coat. “Whatever, man. Don’t worry about it then. Fixating will make you nuts. Melancholy is the nurse of frenzy and all that jazz.”
Prem rubbed a hand over his stubble. “Maybe I’ll talk to her after Bindu’s party,” he said.
“Suit yourself. Now thanks for visiting, but I have to do some work around here.”
“I thought we were going to grab something to eat?”
Deepak turned to his computer. “I don’t want to spend the next hour talking about how you’re not in love with Kareena.”
“I’m not, damn it,” Prem said. He wasn’t. The idea that people thought he potentially could be seemed unfathomable “Love is not real. It’s just our need for attachment and building partnerships to create community.”
“And you aren’t your parents, Prem,” Deepak replied. “You could get away with that shit with Gori, but this is your life partner. Your . . . what is it again? Jeevansathi. Now go be grumpy pants somewhere else. I’m happy for you, but come talk to me when you’re happy, too.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Kareena
“Hey, Dave’s Restoration. This is Dave, how can I help you?” The voice had a sharp South Jersey accent to it that was somehow endearing and amusing.
“Dave, it’s Kareena Mann. I have the BMW 1988 E30 in Henna Red with tan seats?”
He let out a low whistle into the phone. “The E30 M3! Yeah, of course. Kareena. How can I help you?”
She looked out the kitchen window to the open shed doors. The front taillights were visible from where she stood. “I’ve restored as much as I could on my own. I think it’s time to bring her in.”
Dave let out a whoop and a holler. “Johnny! Johnny! I got the E30 M3 restoration on the phone! She’s ready for us!”
Kareena couldn’t help but smile. She found Dave’s shop by happenstance, and she kept going back to him for parts because he loved cars like they were his children.
She waited for him to come back on the phone before she said, “The car isn’t road ready. She’s going to need a tow to your shop. Can you arrange that for me?”
“Hell, I’ll tow that beaut myself,” Dave said. “Don’t you worry, doll. I’ll take care of her. I can be there tonight if you want.”
“Wow, um. Yeah, sure.” She was supposed to see Prem tonight. It was the only time they had together before Bindu’s engagement party next weekend, but she could cancel. This was important.
And she honestly could use the weekend to think.
Oblivious to her train of thought, Dave started rattling off information. “This is what I need from ya. Tell me when you’re ready.”
“Go for it.”
“Maintenance records?”
“I’ll email them to you.”