Priya in Heels (Entangled Embrace) (2 page)

Chapter Two

Tyler

I pushed past the crowds with guitar in hand and cocked my chin in silent salutations to my band members, Mike and Dale. Mike offered a hand, drawing me into a one-hand-pat-on-the-back/man hug and laughed.

“Where’s the cast?” he taunted. “Thought it was a fatal wound.”

I snickered and dragged another chair onto the stage. Sitting down, I propped my swollen foot on the extra chair, and tuned the guitar. “Whatever the owner wants. You guys played without me?”

“The show must go on.”

“Sounds like the radio did a good job in my absence.” I smirked.

“Coincidence. We just got back from break.”

“Let’s get this going, bums.”

“Hey, check out the new dancer on the floor.”

I followed Mike’s gaze across the room, landing on the sultry redhead in a tight blue dress and black heels high enough that they could be used as a stake. Meagan, my ex, danced in slow rhythm, grinding and air humping alone because no one was around her. Yet. Ah, there. Four guys swarmed around her.

She giggled and brushed them away as we made eye contact. A wink. A smile.

“Are you still hitting that?” Mike asked.

I resumed tuning my guitar, shoving the vixen out of my thoughts. “No.”

“Since when?”

A grin played at the corners of my lips. “Since I met someone else.”

“Yeah? Who?” Mike asked, raising his brows.

“Her name’s Priyanka. She’s cute, feisty, smart, and those eyes…” I whistled, remembering the almond-shaped eyes, hazel with specs of gold and jade and outlined in thick, black lashes. I could get lost in those eyes.

“Priyanka? Sounds Indian.”

“She is. The girl down the hall.”

“Ah. I remember you mentioning her. Finally talked to her, huh? Thought she did nothing but run in and out of her apartment whenever you saw her?”

True, Priyanka had the habit of always being in a hurry. Now I knew why. Doctors were busy. Since I’d moved into her building a couple of weeks ago, I’d made it a point to take the trash out early on the off chance I’d catch her before she hit the gym, or so was my assumption drawn from her outfit. Plus, I could see her in those tight little capris, and man, did she have a nice backside. And then, again in the evening I’d hang out to check the mail on the off chance I would catch her on her way home from work. It never happened.

“She was my ER doctor,” I said.

“That’s what she does? Damn. Good luck, bro.”

“You don’t think I have a shot with her?”

“She’s Indian, right? Like her people might stone you for trying to even talk to her. She’s a doctor, and that’s way over your head.”

I glared at him. “I work at NASA, remember? I could give her a lesson or two.”

“I bet you’d love to teach her a thing or two.” Mike laughed.

“I gotta go to the bathroom. Be right back.” I hobbled down the steps but with my sore ankle, I couldn’t evade the redhead.

She grabbed my elbow. “Dance with me, Tyler.”

For a second, I just stared at her. “Have you been drinking?”

Meagan pouted. “I miss you.” She tilted her head and bit her lip. Normally, that would’ve done the trick, but the new doctor in my life made Meagan look like a clingy, unintelligible drunk.

“Excuse me.” I walked past her before she sunk her well-manicured nails into my arm and I ended up bumping into a trio of women. “I’m sorry, ladies.”

A tall Indian woman with ebony hair, dark eyes, and a predatory expression swept her gaze over me like I was a fat carcass and she was a lioness who hadn’t eaten in days.

“Like something you see?” I asked, half jokingly and half sarcastically. I almost felt violated.

She opened her mouth to reply until a slightly shorter Indian woman next to her elbowed her. “Don’t mind Tulsi.”

“Do I know you?” I asked the latter.

“No.” She blushed.

I studied her features before it finally occurred to me. “Aren’t you roommates with Priyanka?”

“Yeah. Do you know her?”

“Sort of. She treated my twisted ankle in the ER today, but I’ve seen her around. I invited her to come here tonight.”

“Actually, she’s on her way.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Your table’s ready, ladies,” the hostess announced, leading the other two women in the trio to a table on the far left.

“Can I ask you something?” I stole the opportunity to speak with her alone.

“Sure.”

“Well, first, I’m Tyler. I live down the hall from you in 5D.” I extended my hand to shake hers.

“Nice to meet you, finally. I’m Vicki.”

“Finally?”

“Anyway. What did you want to ask me?”

“Is, um, Priyanka seeing anyone?”

Vicki beamed. Her teeth were perfectly aligned, white, and a cheerful contrast against dark brown skin. Her smile pushed up plump cheeks and almost hid her eyes. “You like Priya?”

Suddenly embarrassed and expecting her to laugh me right out of the bar, I shrugged.

She cleared her throat. “She isn’t seeing anyone, but she
is
hard to get to if you want to date her. She’s known for brushing guys off and not giving them the time of day.”

“Yeah, I noticed.”

“If she knows you like her, she will slam your hopes down so fast, you won’t know what hit you. But if you can get past her barricade, you might have a shot. Get her to laugh and relax without feeling threatened.”

“Why does she do that?”

Vicki shrugged. “I’ve never asked. She’s done it for as long as I’ve known her. I think it’s just a quick way to let guys know not to bother, and they don’t usually keep trying when they’re rejected so tactlessly. It’ll really stump her if you keep trying.” She lit up with excitement.

I stuffed my hands into my pockets. “Think you can help me out?”

Vicki’s smile returned, along with a mischievous gleam in her eyes that said she’d been waiting to play this game for a while.

Chapter Three

Priya

It took twenty minutes to get to The Harmon’s, and five minutes to find a parking spot. Not too shabby for this time of night.

Before getting out of the car, I pulled out my wallet from my backpack and stuck it in my pocket. I was probably the only woman around town who didn’t own a purse and rocked odd-shaped, stuffed pockets. Keys, cell phone, and a thin wallet somehow fit into my jeans.

The air was crisp tonight, very rare for muggy Houston, but welcome and long awaited. Perhaps the reason nightlife prevailed here was due to the fact that the days scorched the inhabitants in unbearable heat and sane people only emerged at night.

The Harmon’s was bustling—more than usual. Had Vicki not saved a seat for me, I would have waited in a line ten groups long. She waved me over, excitement and a flare from alcohol evident in her eyes. She wore a low-cut black dress, and for a reason beyond me, a chic green scarf and high-heeled boots.

I passed the bar and glanced at the stage to the right—because curiosity got the best of me. Tyler, more handsome than before, if that was even possible, sat on a chair with his foot propped on a stool and hugged a guitar to his chest while he played. One guy played the drums and another sang. They were very good. No wonder the crowd was going crazy for them.

Jeeta and Tulsi waved when I approached. They had a table covered with empty shot glasses, wine, and half-empty fruity drinks. Jeeta tapped a square glass filled with red liquid, ice, and a maraschino cherry. Ah, they had ordered a cherry vodka for me!

After I hugged each of my girls, I settled in between Tulsi and Jeeta.

“How was work?” Jeeta asked in her thick Indian accent. She’d arrived from Punjab a year ago on a student visa to study for her master’s in chemistry at Rice University and hadn’t yet shrugged off the telltale signs of a newly imported immigrant.

Though, after ten months, she had learned to let her hair down, literally. She no longer kept it back in a long braid. Her hair was mid-length, wavy, thick, and layered. She dressed better, too. When she’d first arrived, she’d looked ten years older and could’ve been mistaken for someone’s
auntie
(a woman old enough to be our mother). Now she wore jeans and a little makeup. She didn’t look like a clown with pasty white powder and red lipstick anymore.

Tulsi had been raised in America and was borderline skank, and that was putting it nicely. Don’t get me wrong, I loved her like a crazy sister, but she led two distinct lives. In Austin with her family, Tulsi was a well-behaved biochemical engineer who properly observed all religious holidays. Anywhere else, she was a man-crazed woman whom I feared would make a devastating mistake one day.

“Oh my God, that dude on stage is fine as hell,” Vicki declared.

Yeah, yeah.
I was hungry as hell and didn’t care about the guys. I perused the menu, and the waitress arrived, thankfully, before I finished my drink on an empty stomach. I ordered, and then inhaled, a chicken burger with Parmesan fries and a butt-load of ranch dressing, but refrained from licking my fingers, or the dressing container, for that matter.

“Are you going to survive there, heifer?” Tulsi asked.

“I haven’t eaten all day! I’m still hungry.”

“How do you eat so much and stay so skinny?”

“I work out. A lot.”

“You know, Indian men like a little meat,” Jeeta interjected. “You’ll never marry a good man being that thin. And Indian men don’t like women who go to the gym all the time.”

“Oh my God, will you be quiet about being a good Indian woman,” Tulsi snapped. She’d obviously been drinking and appeared to be bored with us girls.

“Don’t talk to her like that.” I glowered at her in Jeeta’s defense. Tulsi’s behavior often warranted a good verbal smackdown, but I wasn’t in the mood for a fight.

Tulsi rolled her eyes, pushed away her chair, and stood in a sexy, rap video-ish kind of way. The good lord had blessed her with a Latina’s butt and boobs, and she wasn’t shy about showing them off in skinny jeans and a V-neck tank top.

The instant she stood, at least five guys dropped everything to gawk.

“I’m going to dance. See you girls later!” She beamed, and just like that, she was happy again.

Guys flocked around her and the crowd engulfed her. She was lost to the rhythm and sway of an adrenaline-infused, music-loving horde.

Actually, the band
did
rock. I craned my neck to get a peek, but couldn’t see them on stage without getting up.

“I guess I should get going. I have
mandir
in the morning,” Jeeta said and slurped the last of her water. She was religious and traditional, and every Sunday morning at eleven, she was at
mandir
, devout and studious in her worship.

“Thanks for coming out!” Vicki hugged her from across the table.

“Bye, honey,” I said.

“Good night,” Jeeta replied and left.

“Did you get any interesting cases?” Vicki asked, switching chairs so we sat closer to one another.

“You know I can’t say.”

“No cute guys walk into the ER begging for some doctor lovin’?”

“Um, no.”

Vicki frowned. “Wanna dance?”

“Oh God no.”

“Come on, you never dance,
yaar
!”

“Because I have two left feet. Besides, I’ve been on my feet all day!”

Vicki slouched and watched the dancers longingly.

“You go, I’m okay.”

“Nah.”

“Just go. I’m happy to sit and eat.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. And that cute guy over there has been eyeing you!”

Vicki glanced at the Indian man three tables away. He was dark, had glasses and a thick mustache, and wore a striped shirt stretched over a puffy belly tucked into khakis.

“
Eww
!”

We laughed.

“I’m going that way, near the stage. Where Tulsi is, I know hot guys must be.” With those words, Vicki tried to saunter away, but in those hooker boots, her ambling didn’t look natural. It amazed me what a woman would wear to look good, even if it killed her.

I ordered cheesecake and actually ate the entire slice, waving off a few guys who tried to get between me and my food.

The waitress planted another cherry vodka on the table and cleared the rest.

“I didn’t order that.”

“The gentleman on stage ordered it for you.”

I looked past the throbbing mass of dancers as a few heads moved in and out of the way to reveal parts of Tyler. The music changed gears, from slow and enchanting to soulful and sexy. The voice changed, too. I craned my neck to see who sang now, because this man’s voice was amazing. I was surprised to find out that the voice belonged to Tyler. The way his lips moved as he belted out an amazing rendition of an Usher song as he sat in his chair made my legs weak, which said a lot because I was sitting, too!

“Oh, I can’t accept this. Please tell him that.”

“Already paid for.” The perky waitress hurried off to another table without another word.

The drink looked so inviting, sitting all alone with a newly refilled water glass next to it. Water beads skittered in choppy slides down the outside of the glass.

Well, if it was already paid for…and Tyler couldn’t possibly see me drink it from his spot. Every time I took a sip, I searched for his reaction, but he wasn’t looking at me.

I waved off another guy who asked if he could buy me a drink.

After finishing the cherry vodka, I stood, slow and steady, and found Vicki sweaty and flushed near the stage, right at Tyler’s feet.

I tapped Vicki on the shoulder and nearly yelled, “I’m going to get going!”

“I’m ready to leave, too! Can I get a ride?” she asked.

I tried not to look, but damn, I did. Tyler’s beautiful face focused on the beat, his head rocked back and forth, and perspiration glistened on his brow. I turned from him as he looked up. Vicki waved to him. I walked away, but Vicki persistently tugged on my sleeve. I grabbed her wrist and yanked.

“What are you doing?” Vicki spat. “That dude was totally into me.”

“Yeah, I’m sure he’s a charmer. Did he buy you drinks, too?”

She groaned. “Let’s talk to him. He’s gorgeous.”

“You, uh, been hitting the sauce pretty hard?” I eyed her.

“What does that mean?”

“Since when are you ballsy enough to talk to guys like that?”

She shrugged. “He said hi to me earlier. That makes it easier for me to wait until he’s done playing and talk to him. They only have one more song left.”

“Look, it’s late and I need to get some sleep. You gonna wait for Tulsi and be her third wheel, or are you going home now?”

Vicki shot Tyler a curious look and called Tulsi’s phone, which went straight to voicemail. “Priya and I are leaving. Get home safe.
Call me
when you get home!” She hung up. “She’ll be okay, right?”

“She’s tipsy but smart enough.”

“She better call back this time.”

“I think after you yelled at her the last three times she didn’t, she’s wised up, especially since you reamed into her during her hangovers.”

“Sometimes I’m tempted to tell her parents what she does.”

“You sound like Jeeta.”

“I’m surprised Jeeta hasn’t told on her.”

“She’s probably too scared.”

We laughed.

By the time we pulled into our apartment parking lot, my thighs ached from having held them together for so long. I bolted up three flights of stairs. “I have to pee!” I called back.

Even if we both needed the bathroom, Vicki would never be able to run in those heels.

Hopping from foot to foot, I prayed pee wouldn’t trickle down my legs. My butt hit the toilet seat just in time for sweet, sweet relief.

I washed up, changed clothes, emptied out my backpack, and put away some things when I heard Vicki speaking to someone. Maybe she was on the phone with Tulsi to make sure she made it home, but then I heard someone else’s voice. A guy’s voice?

The landline rang.

“It’s your mummie,
beti
!” Vicki called out in her best Indian accent.

I picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“How you are doing?” Mummie asked.

The line clicked when Vicki hung up.

“Fine. How are you? Is everything okay? Why are you calling this late?” I asked, apprehensive, as I flipped through my cell phone. My mother had called three times.

“I haven’t heard from you in many days. I have some exciting news that couldn’t wait until morning.”

I sighed, relieved to know she didn’t intend to hit me with bad news. “That’s okay. You can call me whenever you want to, Mummie.”

“So sweet, my girl. Do you remember Manuk?”

“Yes.” I silently gagged.
What an ugly name.

“Did you know he moved back to Dallas a few years ago?”

“No.”

“Well, he has a very nice house there. I heard he has an elevator.”

“
Mmhmm
.” I sat on the edge of the bed and checked my nails. They were long overdue for grooming.

“He’s a dentist and has his own practice.”

I slumped my shoulders, knowing where this was headed.

“He’s looking for a wife, and his parents called me today.”

“Did they ask about me?”

“Yes!”

I groaned.

“Now, now! This is great. Professional families are asking about you. Imagine it! He’s a doctor!”

“
I’m
a doctor.”

“Yes, but
he’s
a doctor! He makes a lot of money, works normal hours, already settled, and Dallas isn’t too far from us.”

“
Mmhmm
.”

“I think we will have them over to discuss your future.”

“What?”

“It’s nearing that time. You can get engaged in another year, get married around the end of residency, and find a job in Dallas.”

“I don’t like Dallas.”

“You can’t expect the husband to move.”

I rolled my eyes. “
Mmhmm
.”

“Sleep on it. I’ll make arrangements with Papa. We’ll call to tell you when.”

“
Mmhmm
.”

“Be serious!”

“I am.” I was serious about the inevitable. Mummie wanted to arrange my marriage. I had given into her notions twice now and had met two potential suitors whom I had politely declined.

As if Mummie read my thoughts, she said, “If you keep turning men down, you’ll get a bad name.”

“I thought if I
didn’t
turn men down, I’d get a bad name,” I joked.

Mummie didn’t think that was funny. In a stern voice, she continued, “When I call, you must make plans to come.”

“I’ll try. My schedule isn’t easy to change right now.”

“I know. Sleep well,
beti
.”

“Bye, Mummie.”

I dropped the phone onto the bed and walked into the hallway, eager to know what sort of guy Vicki had in our apartment at one in the morning.

“Yeah, I live with my roommate,” Vicki told him.

“Betty, right?”

“No.” She giggled. Good lord, she only giggled when she tried to flirt. “
Beti
means daughter in our language. Her name’s Priya.”

“Oh. Pretty.”

I rounded the corner and dropped my jaw for the second time tonight…for the
same
guy.

Tyler stood by the door, his hands in his jeans pockets looking like a guy in a laid-back clothing ad. He flashed a smile. It melted my insides and set aflame other areas. I could hardly move, or think straight, when he looked at me with those gorgeous green eyes.

“Ah, Pree. So you live here?”

“I didn’t realize I had a stalker,” I shot back.

“He’s not a stalker,” Vicki said. “Tyler lives across the hall.”

I scowled. “I’ll believe it when I see you walk in there.”

He shrugged. “Sure.”

Vicki beamed. “Tyler and his band were playing at The Harmon’s. What a coincidence!”

“Sure,” I muttered.

“Well, looks like Pree is about to pounce on me if I don’t leave.” He opened the door.

“Nonsense. She’s actually pretty nice.”

I crossed my arms. A random patient who tried to hit on me, then showed up in my apartment, and claimed to live across the hall sounded very stalker-ish.