There's Something About Sweetie(69)

“Hmm.” He turned his head and kissed her temple. “I’m not sure how I feel about you thinking about my brother while you lie in my arms. Why do you ask?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to have a sibling. I mean, I have my cousin Anjali Chechi, but it’s not the same. She lives so far away, and we only get to talk on the phone. But I always thought it’d be so awesome to have someone there to bounce ideas off of all the time. To just have to talk to. Being an only child is lonely sometimes. And annoying. All your parents’ focus is always on you.”

Ashish laughed. “Yeah, I actually know a little about that. Now that Rishi’s gone, my parents’ laser beams are always swiveled and locked on to me. Actually, I shouldn’t complain. That’s sort of how I ended up here, with you.” He kissed her cheek and she thrilled at the casual touch. “But … for the most part, Rishi is a really great big brother. I went through this phase of thinking we were the most poorly matched siblings on the face of this earth. You know, he’s totally a golden child and I’m … er, what’s darker than a black sheep? A black hole? I was always the black hole of my family.” He laughed. “But Rishi’s a good guy. His heart’s in the right place, and I know he’ll always be there for me, no matter what.”

“Hmm. Will I ever get to meet him?”

“It’s funny you mention that. He wants to come to my big game in May. I can introduce you two then.”

Sweetie grinned up at the sky. “I’d love that. And I can introduce you to Anjali Chechi at my birthday party.”

“That would be awesome,” Ashish said. “How do you think your parents’ll react to the fact that we’ve been dating behind their backs?”

“I don’t think they’ll be too happy, but … it’ll be my birthday party. They can’t get too mad, right?”

“Ah, Sweetie Nair,” Ashish said, pulling her closer to him. “No one could get mad at you.” And then he kissed her again.

As he got in his Jeep, Sweetie sighed. “So. I’ll see you next Saturday?”

“Yep.” He smiled and chucked her gently under the chin. “Just one week to go. I’ll miss you.”

She glanced down at her feet and smiled. “Me too.” Then, looking up at him: “So, we’re going to Gita Kaki’s house then, right? Who’s she?”

Ashish sighed. “It’d take an entire month to fill you in on Gita Kaki. Let’s just say she’s extremely … eccentric. And, um, just be prepared for some bizarre conversation. If you still want to go out with me after that, I’ll consider it a big win.”

Laughing, Sweetie leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him again. It would never get old, being able to kiss him at will. “It’ll take more than a batty aunt to keep me away, Ashish Patel.”

His eyes shone and he beamed at her. “Good.”

She watched him drive away until she couldn’t see the Jeep at all. She missed him already. So far Sweetie had thought she was falling for Ashish Patel. When, though, should she begin to admit that “falling” had changed to “fallen”?





CHAPTER 24





Sweetie sat back against her headboard, freshly showered and in her Hello Kitty pajamas. Once a month on a Friday night, she and Anjali Chechi FaceTimed with each other. They couldn’t get together to talk regularly, so this was the next-best solution they’d both devised. To Sweetie, these conversations were more than just chatting. They were a lifeline. When she’d had enough with Amma’s constant haranguing and her self-esteem was hanging in shreds around her, seeing Anjali Chechi’s caring face and hearing her tell her about her successful life had kept Sweetie from screaming and jumping out the window to run away from it all.

“Hey,” she said as Anjali Chechi’s smiling face popped up on her screen.

“Heyyyy, Sweets,” Anjali Chechi replied. Her full face would never be considered conventionally beautiful: She still had scars from the chicken pox she’d gotten when she was little, she had a double chin, her hair was frizzy and untidy, and her eyes were too wide set. But to Sweetie, her face was home. It symbolized love and acceptance, and the feeling that things would work out just fine.

She relaxed and grinned.

“You look happy,” Anjali Chechi observed. She never missed a thing with Sweetie. “I’m guessing this has to do with that boy you told me about?”

Sweetie felt her cheeks heat and she bit her lip and nodded. “Ashish Patel. We’re going on our third date tomorrow.”

“Third date! So things are getting serious?”

Sweetie adjusted herself against her pillows. “They are for me … and for him, too, I think.” She beamed at just saying the words out loud. “We get along really well. Like, I think he’s really cute and everything, but I also feel like I want to get to know him as a person. It’s just like being with a good friend who’s known me for years when we’re together.”

Anjali Chechi smiled. “That’s so important. I’m really happy you’re finding that, Sweetie. So Vidya Ammayi still doesn’t know?”

“No, Amma’s clueless. But we’ve decided to tell her at my birthday party. You’ll be there for moral support, right?”