The Queen's Dilemma

Ch. 9: Uncertainty

But as she laid between Lou Ann and Lily, Rani wondered why they really wanted to set her up with a man that looked like her ex. She was terrified she'd end up using him to get what she hadn't gotten with Vishnu. She didn't feel that certain spark around Matt.

It was a calming warmth she got when she was around Matt. The kind that settled her down yet made her nervous when he'd glance at her with his piercing brown eyes. It was the kind where she wanted to hug him and stay that way.

With Vishnu, she wanted to go crazy. He'd been her longtime childhood crush; being with him had been a dream come true. That relationship felt like it'd never end.

Fear clogged her heart; it was like meeting her ex all over again. Vishnu was a kind, attentive guy and an incredibly good boyfriend. But he'd left her; she hadn't been enough for him and he returned to his ex.

Somehow, she surmised that Matt would be similar. It was clear from how much he loved his daughter and cared for their family of friends. And from how all of them acted around him.

What if Matt fell for Holly again, if Rani tried to take things further with him? Could her heart handle that kind of shattering again?

Ram's smirky face crossed her mind and she willed herself to go to sleep as best as she could.

It was hard, given how touchy-feely Lou Ann was when she was asleep.

Rani woke up with Lou-Ann's hand glued to one of her boobs and a leg spooning her.

The ladies cackled when they saw Rani's face. "Looks you've been finally initiated!" Lily exclaimed. "Everyone in the group gets manhandled by Lou-Ann."

Lou-Ann, in a crackly voice, said, "Screw all of you. I'm sorry about that Rani; usually it's my husband that gets manhandled by me."

They convened again for doughnuts, and some Indian dishes that Nandini made. Idlis, the white rice lentil cakes famous amongst Indians as a filling breakfast item, and Sambar, spiced vegetable soup, laid next to some coconut dip.

Seeing Dede, a black woman, and Lou-Ann, who was Caucasian, eat idlis and sambar made Rani's eyes almost pop out. They ate it with such ease and skill, that as an Indian, she was ashamed for fumbling her idli pieces.

"Don't worry Rani," Nandini said. "I've trained them well."

Dede snorted. "Sure you have. Rani, imagine the look on everyone's faces when I took a whole idli and ate it like a cookie. As if that wasn't bad enough, I complained about how bland it was."

They all shared another laugh before cleaning up and dispersing back to their homes.

Rani walked back. It wasn't far from Nandini's place, which was in the neighborhoods behind the town square area. Lily, who was with her, mumbled things that sounded like she was running through stuff for the restaurant. "Need to buy cilantro...can't get the dressings done right away..."

"Walk of shame, you two?" Matt chuckled from behind them. He must've had a night shift, because the circles under his eyes were darker than usual and he kept yawning. Several cowlicks bounced around his head like a pogo stick and the itch in Rani's hand to comb then down started.

Lily sighed. "Shut up, Matt."

"What? Why do you look frazzled, Rani?"

"Frazzled?" She asked.

"Yeah, your hair's all over the place." He indicated with his own.

Instinctively, she put her hand on her head and pet down the flyaway hairs. "Lou-Ann and I had a little fun last night during bedtime."