Five-Thirty AM - XXVI

Dev stepped back.

‘Well, then, I guess I was right, Maina, you really are blind. You can’t see when a man wants to get to know you better. I thought you understood that, but you obviously didn’t!’ he bit out.

‘It’s not unusual for men to try to pick me up, Dev,’ she spat. ‘In fact, you aren’t even as good as you think yourself to be,’ she scoffed.

‘I wasn’t trying to pick you up, Maina,’ he was fast losing his patience with her.

‘Really? Those age old lines? I know you from somewhere?’ she laughed.

He leaned in closer, breathing harshly through nose. ‘I did know you from somewhere. You and Mitul resemble each other. THAT’s why I thought I knew you,’ he said fiercely.

She leaned back, tried to push through the wall behind her, her heart thudding with anger and a building excitement. She didn’t know what it was, but adrenaline was pumping through her veins. Her eyes sparked with energy. ‘Mitul Di and I are nothing like each other,’ she challenged.

‘No, you’re not,’ he snarled. ‘And that’s a pity! You could learn a few things from her,’ his breath was hot against her lips.

‘How dare you!’ she raised a hand to strike him.

Quick as a cat, he grabbed her hand, slamming it against the wall. She struggled with him and he let her, leaning his lower body against her pinning her to the wall, her squirming arousing him already as he watched her trying to free her hand. His eyes never left her face.

‘Let me go!’ she gasped.

His hand came up and grasped her hair holding her head still. For a moment he stared at her, looking at the flush on her cheeks, the glitter in her eyes, the glistening parted lips.

‘Only after this,’ he whispered and crushed her lips with his. Hard.

She refused to open her mouth. His teeth tugged on her lips, biting them, demanding her to open to him. His tongue followed the nips, soothing them, tasting the wine she’d been drinking. She stopped struggling, her eyes closing of their own accord. She didn’t want to see him enjoying himself.

He felt the change in her and his hand slid her down arm, the backs of his fingers brushing lightly past her the soft curves of her breasts, sending jolts of awareness through her. She shuddered. He wrapped the arm around her petite waist. Her hand dropped over his shoulder, clinging to the rock hard muscles under the cloth, nails digging in, clinging on for support. She moaned into his mouth, running her other hand inside his shirt, seeking and finding the smoothness of his skin.

He pulled back, angled his head, his lips meeting perfectly with hers, his tongue claimed the warmth and wetness of her mouth, playing a glissando on hers. It was a gentler kiss, one that coaxed and seduced, promised and took, drawing a response from deep inside her. Hearts slammed against their ribs, racing together. His hands moved over her back restlessly, he pulled her closer wanting her to feel what she did to him. His mind clouded over, as he nuzzled the fragrant hollows of her throat, breathing her in, his tongue savoring the first taste of her skin, that bubbled along his taste buds with the headiness of champagne.

She arched her head back, exposing her throat to him, her breasts aching to be free of their restraints as they crushed into the wall of his chest. She gasped as she felt his hands on her hips, sliding to her bottoms pulling her up so she fitted perfectly with the contours of his arousal.

Myna opened her eyes, shocked at where she was. She shoved him back, and without another word, turned around and marched away.

Dev stumbled back, brought rudely down to earth from the cloud that he was on.

‘Fuck!’ he said, rubbing his hand on his forehead. ‘What the fuck just happened?’

His body was aching for satisfaction. He took a few deep breaths, hands on hips, trying to calm down his overloaded senses, stomping his foot childishly on the floor. His racing pulses were slowing down. Feeling the cooling breeze on his chest, he looked at himself. His shirt was unbuttoned halfway down his chest. Dev Karmakar smirked.

Maina Imani had enjoyed the kiss!

*****

Noel led Mitul back to the table, hand in hand. They hadn’t said a word to each other. Right now, all they wanted to do was just be with each other. He held her hand as she sat down, his eyes never leaving her face, a small smile seemingly stuck on there.

He picked up their wine glasses and held hers out to her. She took it with a shy, ‘Thank you,’

He leaned close, one hand along the back behind her, raising his glass and clinking it against hers. ‘Our first dance,’ he toasted. ‘The first of many,’ he promised.

‘Our first dance,’ she echoed.

She took a sip from her glass, he wouldn’t let her look away, as he too sipped.

The rest of the table beamed at them, but they were in their own little bubble, completely lost in their world. A throat clearing dramatically jerked them out of it. They turned to look at Piya who was grinning widely at them, her arm hooked through Anuj’s.

Suddenly the atmosphere at the table became cheerier! They started all talking at once, leaning over each other to hear. The conversation flowed. Dev and Myna were still missing.

‘I wonder where they are,’ Mitul said to Noel, looking around for her cousin.

‘I wouldn’t worry about it,’ he winked at her. Her mouth dropped open. He leaned forward and quickly kissed the corner.

‘Gross! Get a room, you two,’ said Jiya, while the rest hooted and/or cheered. Mitul blushed and looked at the rest, unable to keep from smiling.

The vibration under her hand brought her attention down to her purse. Her phone was ringing. Quickly pulling it out, she answered it. It was her mother.

‘Mom,’ she mouthed to Noel.

‘Yes, Ma. Wait. It’s too loud here, I’ll take it outside,’ she got up and Noel got up, too, to allow her to slide out. He sat down, and continued the conversation that he was having with Rajan and Piya’s cousin.

Two minutes later, Myna marched up to the table, and stood waiting for Noel to get up. ‘Noel,’ she said, ‘I’d like to sit down,’ she said.

Unable to deny a lady a request, Noel slid down the banquette, making space for her.

‘Would you like something to drink?’ he asked her politely, noting that Dev had still not made an appearance. She, on the other hand, appeared flushed and angry.

‘Sure,’ she replied. To his utter surprise, she reached over for his glass and drank from it, before smiling up at him.

Mitul walked back in, stopping in surprise to see her cousin already ensconced by Noel, her gaze going from one to the other. She was just in time to see Myna drink from his glass, and her eyes widened angrily as she looked at Noel. He looked at her helplessly, pleadingly. She shook her head, and calmly sat down across from him. She knew Myna - she would take what she wanted - or at least, try to.

Mitul, for the first time in some time, didn’t worry about women draping themselves across Noel. It took someone like Myna to make her understand his plight. It was strange, this feeling of being able to trust him. He wouldn’t two-time her, least of all with her own cousin! That was the leap of faith she had taken tonight, and she wasn’t going to step back from it.

Noel felt horrible. He was annoyed with his Mitul’s cousin. Whatever had happened with Mitul on the dance floor, he was finally at peace and didn’t want to send any wrong signals to her. But Myna was hell-bent on making it hard for him, and the fragile bond that had just started to form again.

Dev came back a few minutes later. If he was surprised to see Myna sitting next to Noel, he didn’t show it. He just ordered another Scotch and drank it down quickly, before ordering a third and a fourth.

Noel was getting worried. The more he tried to back away from Myna, the more she became draped against him. Mitul was sitting there stony-faced, but at least she wasn’t avoiding him anymore, and Dev was drinking like it was going to be prohibition from the next day.

Finally having had enough, he disentangled himself from Myna and said, ‘guys, sorry to break up the party. But I really need to get home. I have an early call tomorrow.’

Despite the protests, he was firm. Myna protested the loudest. Mitul just smiled at him, a sweet smile that told him, she’d understood why he was leaving. He was relieved at that.

‘Come on, Noel,’ Dev said surprisingly. ‘It’s still early. And I’ve just started,’ he raised his glass show how empty it was.

‘I think you’ve had quite enough,’ Noel said. ‘Let’s go, Dev.’

‘You know, Noel,’ Dev’s voice was grave. The kind of gravitas that men have when they are drunk. ‘You’re a very lucky guy. You just don’t know what a lucky guy you are.’

Myna looked him and said spitefully, ‘of course, he’s lucky, unlike some people I know, who try their luck however unwanted it might be.’

She scribbled something on a napkin and pushed it into Noel’s pant pocket, her hand sliding in suggestively.

Dev narrowed his eyes as watched her actions. ‘At least I’m honest about what I want and I’m not delusional about it either,’ he said suddenly completely sober. He stood up, swaying just a wee bit.

‘Sorry for ruining your evening, Piya,’ he turned around to bid his host adieu. ‘I’d really have enjoyed this evening, but.. ‘ he left it hanging there, an unreadable expression in his eyes as he gazed at Myna, leaving no one in any doubt what he meant. ‘I promise you, next time, we’ll have some real fun,’ he said. Myna avoided his gaze.

They said their good nights and the two men walked out of the club.

Noel started the car, and put it into gear. There was silence in the car for a while, until Dev exploded with a ‘Fuck!’

Noel glanced at him, keeping silent, knowing Dev would talk about it, sooner rather than later.

‘Did you know Mitul was Maina’s cousin?’ finally Dev said.

‘Not before today,’ Noel replied.

‘Maina. I looked for her all over town, and the one person I didn’t think to ask could have answered my question,’ Dave mumbled.

‘Ms. Chanel No.5?’ Noel prodded.

‘Yeah. Ms. Maina Chanel No.5. Imani!’ he snorted. ‘What does she think of herself?’

‘What does she think?’ Noel was curious. The little or lot, as one would put it, that he’d seen of Ms. Myna Imani had not impressed him, one little bit.

‘That she is better than the rest of humankind. She is above everything else. She’s even disparaging of Mitul!’ Noel just raised his eyebrows, waiting for the diatribe to continue. And Dev did not disappoint. ‘She called me a skirt-chaser. Me! I never have to chase a skirt, they chase me. I wanted to know who she was, because she so resembles Mitul. That’s why she looked so familiar. But did she listen? nah! She was stuck in first gear. She wouldn’t even accept that she’s attracted to me just as much! She ...’ he stopped at a loss for words.

‘So did you kiss her?’ Noel asked casually changing gears.

Dev looked at him open-mouthed. Gentlemen never kiss and tell! And Noel would never have asked Dev this question under normal circumstances.

‘I’m only asking because I’ve been sitting next to her for the last hour and I don’t think Chanel No.5 goes very well with Giorgio Armani.’

‘Yeah, I kissed her,’ he mumbled, then smiled, remembering how she’d responded. ‘We kissed.’

Silence.

‘And then she goes and sits next to you, she’s fawning all over you. And you? You let her! After MITUL asks you to dance! What the hell, Noel?’ he accused.

‘Dev, there was very little I could do short of being blatantly rude. I couldn’t ask her to get up and move, now could I?’ he asked reasonably.

‘So you dance with Mitul, and then sit next to Maina?’ Dev asked Pause. ‘And this after knowing that SHE was the Maina I told you about?’

Noel smirked. ‘Look, I didn’t know she was THE Myna until after we were introduced. And I didn’t sit next to her. She came and sat down next to me, while Mitul was out.’ Noel was starting to get annoyed at this. ‘You know I wouldn’t hit on a girl that you’re interested in.’

‘So why’d you dance with her?’ angrily.

‘Did it look like I had a choice?’ equally angrily. ‘Why didn’t you ask her to dance?’

Dev stayed silent. ‘I couldn’t,’ he admitted.

‘You couldn’t?’ surprised. ‘Why?’

‘I was going to,’ sigh. ‘And then she was all over you.’

Silence. Noel reached in his pant pocket and pulled out the paper Myna had given him. He hadn’t even opened it. He held it out between two fingers to Dev. ‘I think you could use it,’ he said softly.

Dev took the paper and opened it. He stared at it in astonishment. ‘M. Y. N. A.’ He gave a disbelieving laugh. ‘That’s how she spells it? Myna?’ He looked at Noel and said, ‘thanks, but she gave this to you,’ holding it out for Noel.

‘And you know I have no use for it,’ Noel retorted.

They stopped at Dev’s house. ‘Thanks for giving me the ride, Noel,’ Dev said. The drive had cleared his head. ‘There’s something I should tell you. I talked to Mitul today. She told me why she’d been avoiding you.’

Noel frowned. ‘Why?’

‘Because you’d always have girls like Myna around you,’ Dev replied.

‘What?!’ Noel spun around in his seat.

‘Think about it, Noel,’ Dev said. ‘She was protecting herself.’

Noel sat there gazing out the window. He needed to clear this up with her.

‘Talk to her,’ said Dev, echoing his thoughts.

‘I will,’ he waited while Dev unbuckled himself, and started to get out of the car. ‘And Dev. Thanks, dude,’ he said.

Dev nodded and shut the door. ‘Good night,’ he said.

*****

Noel walked out of the bathroom, and sat on his bed, thinking. He pulled open the drawer by his bedside, and took out the photo of him and Mitul. He looked at it for a long time. Smiling to himself, he placed it back where it belonged, on top of the table.

He reached for the phone next to it and pulled up her number. Should he call her? What if she was asleep?

In the end he settled for texting her. A smiley wink. ;-)

Two minutes later he got an answer.

:-)

Can I call?

Yes.

He hit the call button.

She picked up the phone on the second ring.

‘Are you home yet?’ he asked.

‘Yes, just getting ready for bed,’ she was smiling.

He could hear it in her voice. Picture her in his mind. Damn! He’d missed that voice so much. So very much. He closed his eyes, leaning back on the pillows, one muscular arm under his head, as he held the phone to his ear with the other.

‘I missed your voice,’ he murmured.

‘I did, too,’ she sounded like she was falling asleep. She yawned.

He chuckled at that. ‘Go to sleep,’ he said.

‘Okay,’ she couldn’t fight the heaviness of her lids anymore, and closed her eyes.

‘I’m right here,’ he said very softly, before she hung up the phone, a smile on her face, phone clutched tightly in her hand, as she fell deeply asleep.

*****

Myna, on the other hand, was wide awake. The events of the evening played out in her mind. Although a greater part of her thinking process was occupied with the KISS!

She cringed a little at her behavior with Noel. She could have been a little less obvious about wanting to be with him. Used her feminine wiles to her advantage. She got up, restlessly and walked over to the full-length mirror. She looked carefully at herself. The short shorts and the spaghetti-strapped short top left very little to the imagination. At five-seven, and long-limbed, blessed with a high-metabolism DNA, she rarely needed to work out. On a man, the physique would be called lanky, on a woman, it was cover-page-of-Sports-Illustrated ready.

She had no illusions about her beauty. She was beautiful. She knew it and she flaunted it. So why did it feel that Noel was not really as into her as most other men in his position would be? She had let him know that she was more than ready and available. Yet she’d not received one signal back from him. Was it because he was dating that model? She doubted it. He wouldn’t have shown up with DEV, if he was dating someone. Was he - God Forbid! - gay? She pondered that for a bit and then ruled it out. Her gaydar hadn’t gone off, and it had never let her down so far.

Then what was it? Why hadn’t he called her back tonight? Maybe he was putting that stupid Dev to bed, she thought with a smirk.

Dev. That Kiss. She was back at square one. She leaned forward and looked closely at her face, examining each of her features carefully. A small bruise had formed on her lower lip! She touched it with her fingertips, her eyes closing as she remembered the power of that kiss. It was heady, and strong and he’d taken it from her. Wrung out a response that she had been unwilling to give, and been powerless to stop. Every nerve in her body rang out as she stood there, her fingers on her lips, eyes closed. She could feel him against her, her body betraying her need by the shudder that ran through it. She could feel the muscles of his back moving under her fingertips, the smoothness of his chest on her palms. God! The man knew how to kiss, she groaned.

Her eyes flew open. So okay. He was a good kisser. But that still didn’t make it right for him to kiss her like that. She looked at herself in the mirror again. Her eyes were bright, her cheeks flushed. She stomped back to bed, her nerves strung on end, aroused and frustrated. Forcing herself to think of Noel.

HE was the prize. Dev was just his friend.

******