There's Something About Sweetie(103)

Sweetie snorted and adjusted Ashish’s silver chain around her throat. “Yeah, it was sort of a disaster. But aren’t you glad I’m going to prom?”

“I’m very glad.” Amma finished up and stood back to admire her handiwork. “But you’re not going with Sheena in her limo?”

Sweetie pulled a face as Anjali Chechi finished putting on the blush and then snapped the case closed. “No. I think we’re just taking Ashish’s Jeep.”

“Sweetie!” Achchan called from downstairs. His voice held a barely suppressed glee. “Come down!”

Amma, Anjali Chechi, and she exchanged curious glances. “Let’s go see what’s going on,” Amma said, shaking her head.

When they got outside, Ashish was standing beside a bright-pink limo, dressed in a tux. He grinned a little nervously as Sweetie stepped down and walked up to him. “What on earth?” she said. “Ashish, you know we could’ve just taken your Jeep!”

“Ah, it was sort of Ma and Pappa’s present,” he said, gesturing to where they stood, beaming happily. “As was the tux, which came in the limo, and … this.” He reached through the open window and pulled out a corsage.

“Pink peonies,” Sweetie said, smiling. “My favorite.”

Amma’s voice stilled Ashish’s hands, which were taking the corsage out of the container. “Wait, wait!” Amma, Achchan, Anjali Chechi, and Jason Chettan came hurrying down the walk. “We have to take photos, Sweetie!”

Sweetie muffled a laugh. “Of course.”

“Oh, us too!” Sunita auntie said, hurrying over with Kartik uncle in tow, his phone at the ready.

“Oh God,” Ashish whispered to Sweetie, and she said, from behind her smile, “Be nice. It’ll be over soon.”

And it was. Once the parental units had taken pictures of (a) Ashish putting the corsage on Sweetie’s wrist, (b) Sweetie adjusting the corsage, (c) Sweetie admiring the corsage, (d) Sweetie and Ashish smiling totally fakely, and (e) Ashish helping Sweetie into the limo, they were alone.

Sweetie sank against the back of the seat and closed her eyes. “Oh. Em. Gee. I feel like I could sleep for a decade.”

Ashish said, “And I could look at you for a decade.”

She opened her eyes and smiled shyly at him in the dark interior of the car. “It’s over,” she said, noting the tone of disbelief in her own voice. “They’re all on board with us dating. It’s official. No more hiding.”

Ashish grinned. “No more hiding. So I can do this without worrying who might see.” He reached over and took her hand.

“And I can do this without worrying who might see,” she said, smiling and putting her head on his shoulder.

“And I can do one more thing,” Ashish said, making her lift her head at his mysterious tone. “But I won’t let anyone see.”

As he took her in his arms, holding her so tight it was like he was reassuring himself that she was really there, like they were really in this moment, Sweetie couldn’t stop smiling. And when their lips met, she knew what happiness tasted like.





CHAPTER 34





Ashish was nervous now. He’d been building up so much for this afternoon that he hadn’t given much thought to after. He hadn’t wanted to give much thought to after, to be honest, because what if it didn’t work out? What if he’d had to go home and chill with Netflix and a bucket of cheese popcorn?

But now here he was, with the most beautiful girl in the world next to him, dancing to the cheesiest songs a DJ could possibly have picked. “Dancing Queen”? Come on.

Sweetie waved a hand in his face. “Hey. Where are you?”

He looked back down at her and his heart constricted. Oh God. He was seriously going to have a heart attack. Ashish Patel was going to have a heart attack because he was nervous around a girl. It was hilarious. Ashish was the king of romantic gestures. Elijah always asked his advice on what to do for Oliver when important dates rolled around (Valentine’s Day, Oliver’s birthday, National Pancake Day; the last was sort of their thing—long story). Ashish forced a smile. “Ah, here?” He cleared his throat. “Hey, are you, um, enjoying the music?”

Sweetie smiled. Oof. That dimple. “It’s not bad.” Then she studied his face. “But we can leave if you want to?”

“Ah, actually, I was thinking we could take a walk,” Ashish said.

“A walk.” Sweetie pulled back to look at him, a small smile on her face. “Where?”

“Just … around.” He adjusted his bow tie. Oh God. He really was going to pass out. Why had he enlisted Pinky in this? What had he been thinking? This was going to be a total disaster. Sweetie was going to dump him on the spot.

“Ashish Patel, what are you up to?”

He looked into Sweetie’s eyes and the panic came on like a tsunami. “You know w-what? Actually, let’s just, uh, let’s stay here. I don’t really feel like a walk.”

Sweetie put one hand on her hip and, after a pause, pulled him off the dance floor over to the punch bowl. “You’re up to something and now you’re chickening out. I can tell.”

He poured himself a cup of punch and downed it in two gulps. “Okay,” he said. “You’re right. I … There’s this … I don’t know if you’ll hate it.”