There's Something About Sweetie(31)

Oh God. They actually thought these were good dates. They weren’t trying to punish him or Sweetie. Before he could open his mouth or even think of a response, Sweetie was speaking.

“Auntie, uncle, these are all really thoughtful date ideas. I really think Ashish and I will have fun and learn a lot.” She nudged him discreetly with her elbow.

“Uh, yeah, totally,” Ashish said after a beat. “So fun. And … educational.”

Ma and Pappa relaxed, both of them smiling. “Yes, correct!” Pappa said. “And see? We gave you a free choice for number four.”

“I did actually have a request for that one already,” Sweetie said a little nervously. “If Ashish is okay with it too, of course.”

He raised his eyebrows, curious. “Sure. What do you have?”

“Well, May fourth is actually my seventeenth birthday party,” Sweetie said. “It’d be nice if Ashish could come. … That way when we do tell them, after three of the dates are done, it won’t be a total surprise. And he can meet them and I know they’ll warm to him.” She squirmed a little, as if she was embarrassed to be saying all that.

Ashish was secretly delighted. Meeting her parents in this context didn’t signal anything super serious, obviously. But the fact that she did want him to meant she thought they’d be impressed by him. Heh. Heh, heh, heh. You still got it, Ash.

“Of course he can go, if it won’t be an imposition on your parents,” Ma said.

“It won’t be,” Sweetie replied. “They told me I could invite a few friends.”

“Then it’s decided!” Pappa rubbed his hands together, something Ashish knew for a fact he did when he’d closed a big business deal. The thought annoyed him; it meant Pappa thought he’d won. And he so hadn’t. “Your first date will be Saturday.”

“Okay.” Ashish hopped up. “I’ll walk Sweetie to the door.”

“There’s no need for her to rush off,” Ma said. “Be a good host, Ashish. See if she wants a tour. She might enjoy the basketball court.”

“Just don’t take her up to your room,” Pappa said suddenly. “I don’t want any hank—”

“Okay, let’s go,” Ashish said loudly, drowning him out. He gently pulled on Sweetie’s elbow and she stood too, still looking pretty stunned at everything that had transpired. Could you blame the girl?

“Bye, Sweetie,” Ma said, waving.

“Bye-bye,” Pappa added.

“See you later, auntie. Uncle, it was nice meeting you.”

As the door closed, Ashish heard Pappa say in what he thought was a quiet voice but might as well have been an elephant trumpeting, “That’s a nice girl! She won’t stand for any hanky-panky.”

Oh God, Ashish thought. Kill me now.




They walked out of the vast study into the equally vast hallway and then crossed into a vaster … Sweetie didn’t even know what this was. A second living room? A den? It had a humongous fireplace in the corner, and the ceilings were about twenty feet high. Their footsteps echoed slightly as they walked.

So Ashish Patel lived in a mansion. It didn’t even surprise her. The way he held himself, the confidence with which he spoke, all of that signaled someone who hadn’t been denied much, if anything. Whatever doors his handsome face and rugged body didn’t open, she was sure his wealth did. But he wasn’t unbearably arrogant, Sweetie decided, watching him rub the back of his neck nervously. He was just cocky. And, somehow, that didn’t annoy her. Yet. After what she’d just witnessed, she wasn’t completely sure about her and Ashish Patel after all. His parents—especially his dad—seemed intense.

“So …” Ashish looked at her, his hand still resting on the back of his neck, the other in the pocket of his shorts. “How much do you want to run away right now? I totally won’t judge you if you do.”

Sweetie tried to laugh, but it came out high pitched and wheezing. “Um, a little bit. The thing is … your parents are—”

“Aliens in human meat-suits? Believe me, I’ve had that thought many a time, but I’m pretty sure they’re just a little strange.”

Sweetie did laugh this time. “No. I was going to say I think they really, really love you. And yes, their date idea is a little … out there. But I just don’t get it. Why are they agreeing to this? They obviously think it’s a bad idea to be doing this without my parents’ consent.”

“Oh, that’s, um, because of me.” Ashish gestured to the window. “Do you want to take a walk around the gardens?”

Sweetie shrugged, curious to hear what he had to say. “Sure.”





CHAPTER 12





Ashish led the way out into the hallway and then out of the French doors. As they wound their way into a gigantic, rose-scented garden full of whispering trees and neatly trimmed grass that would’ve looked at home on Downton Abbey, he said, “Okay. So the reason my parents still want us to date is because they’re apparently afraid I’ll get this reputation of being incompatible with Indian girls. They’re afraid that it’ll follow me around and when it’s time for me to get married to an Indian girl—because who else would I marry, right?—her family won’t want me.” He rolled his eyes. “I know, it’s ridiculous. I’m seventeen. But that’s just how my parents are. They live in fear of their black sheep of a son dying a lonely old man someday.”