~~Ria's POV~~
After what I dubbed as the 'Ferarri talk' with Adam, I started hyperventilating for the next whole day. Yes, Adam had called me at night but we talked everything except his favour. That just made me panic even more and ruined my whole night, freaking out over completely made-up scenarios in my head.
Next morning Zoey spotted me looking like a ghost, making coffee in the kitchen. I pulled the jug out of the coffee machine and poured the steaming coffee into two cups.
"You look like a sleep deprived sloth!"
Zoey said in her usual chirpy voice. I grunted on response and gulped the coffee.
"That is one way to put it." I murmured.
"You know what?"She said leaning on the table and picking her coffee mug, "You shouldn't panic like this. Like hundreds of girls dream to be in your position. Come on girl! You are asked out by one of the most hottest, dashing and richest guy in America! Girl, you be out here living the American dream!"
I barked a laugh as I reloaded the coffee machine.
"Think Zoey, think! Tomorrow is the freakin' day. Tomorrow is Sunday and he's not even talking about it!!" I desperately tried to convince her. "I don't have a dress or a shoe or a bag. Or manicure. Or pedicure. Or highlights."
"So what, we go out the mall today and deck you out." She replied casually like she didn't solve all my problem with one answer. I snorted.
"Don't underestimate my paranoia, I can do much worse. You wait."
Suddenly the whole room was filled with the blaring noise of my iPhone's infamous ringtone. The music made both of us jerk like a knee-jerk reaction to the ear invasion that was my favorite Hindi song.
"F*cking hell, Ria!"
Zoey cursed out aloud as we fell into our knees and started searching my phone in the direction of the sound— the couch. Zoey found it under the cushion and fell backwards yelling shouting in victory. I jumped on her and snatched my phone before silencing it.
"Hello?" I said through the phone, gasping for air.
"How are you, tiger?" A very familiar voice replied.
"Rahul!!! Idiot! It's been four freakin' days and you didn't even bother to call." I said sitting back up from the tangle of limbs that both Zoey and I were.
"Yeah...sorry." he said with a chuckle and I could almost picture him scratching his head. "And that's exactly why I decided to pay you a visit."
I took two seconds to digest what he said and another two second to suppress a gasp.
"Open the doors, tiger. I am too tired to wait." He said boyishly.
My eyes widened and as if on cue, I made a mad dash for the door. Zoey also followed me with a second's difference, yelling at me to tell her what was going on. I yanked opened the door and there he was with his usual green and black travel bag. He was grinning wide at me.
"Give me some sugar, tiger."
He opened his arms and I rushed into it. He hugged me tightly as I happily returned it.
"Missed you so much, tiger."
"I missed you more."
I said in a voice muffled against his denim jacket. He softly chuckled as he stoked me hair like he had always done. A loud cough made us pull apart. It was a fifty year old lady with a supermarket bag in her hands.
"Sorry to disturb you cute couple but that is my apartment."
She pointed to the flat to the right of us. We broke into laughter on hearing her.
"Thanks for the complement but we are not a couple. She is my sister. Twin to be particular." Rahul corrected her with a laugh. The lady made an 'o' with her mouth and smiled at us, "Sorry about that. But honestly, you both look too different to be twins."
"Fraternal twins." I smiled and moved away so that she could reach her door.
"Ah, I see. Anyway see you around kids." She said before closing her door and we started laughing again.
"You guys should never hug out in open anymore." Zoey chimed in and gave Rahul a hi-five. Then we all proceeded inside.
"So, how's everything in India?" I asked him as he dropped into the sofa followed by me and Zoey.
"Kinda okay but you running away is still a problem, of course. Dad is always talking about how the family cannot look anyone in the eye anymore and mom is mad at you but she kept asking me if I knew you were safe. Anyway, that jerk fiance of yours got married to another unlucky bride a month ago." He said attacking the peanut jar in front. I sighed in relief and reclined back.
"How's Seb and you?" Rahul asked Zoey.
"Very good. He's still in that dance company and doing pretty good." She smiled and suddenly on remembering something she leaned in.
"I have a news for you. Ria is gonna be a billionaire's fake girlfriend for a day." Zoey said secretively and I shot up in my seat in alarm.
"A what?!" Raul jumped, nearly knocking off the peanut jar in his lap.
"Bhayya! Let me explain! "
I said calming him down while glaring at Zoey for giving him a heart attack. She knew that I was his little sister, despite being twins, and she was playing him for her amusement. She giggled while I scrambled to explain everything to him in a record-breaking pace.
"Oh! So that's it? You almost gave me a heart attack there." Rahul said popping more peanuts into his mouth.
I slowly nodded.
He smiled, "Just make sure there are no cameras. You are sooo dead if the tabloids catch you."
"What now?" I asked him. He grinned, "You need a serious makeover."
I dead-panned.
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YOU ARE READING
What He Wanted (Book#1 of The Runaway Club)
Romance(Book#1 of 'The Runaway Club' but also can be read as stand alone). Ria Malhotra was done. If her parents thought that she will be marrying a man she will meet on her wedding day, they had another thing coming. So what does she do? Taking a leaf out...
