Silently Falling in Love: Race (THE EDITED VERSION)

Chapter 37 - Walk your Dog

Anjali: January 1996

Katherine walked into my room without even knocking. "Get dressed," she ordered.

"Why?" I asked without moving off my bed.

"Really, you're going to ask me why? Isn't it obvious?"

"No, it's not obvious. I don't remember committing to anything tonight." I said.

"The only thing you seem committed to lately is your misery. Tonight, you're getting dressed and you're going to a party with me. I'm not asking, I'm telling you," Katherine continued with her authoritative voice.

"I'm tired, I'm not in the mood to go to a party."

"It's Saturday night, and it's been months since your breakup with Karthik and..."

"And it's just been a month since he got married," I defended myself before letting Katherine finish her thoughts.

"Anjali get your ass out of this bed before I call your mom and tell her you're on drugs!" Katherine threatened.

That got my attention, and I sat straight up in bed. We never brought our mothers into the conversation. That was our golden rule, never share anything with the mothers you don't have to. Their dramatic attitudes were enough to drive anyone up the wall.

"Why the hell would you do that?"

"Let's see you mope in your room night after night and weekend after weekend! You've been stuck in the same stage of heartbreak for months. You need to move to the acceptance phase and move on. At the very least, move to the rebound stage and have great sex with some hot guy and get Karthik out of your system! But, continuing in this stage is no longer an option. That's why I'm going nuclear and pulling the mom card. You know if your mom thinks you're on drugs she will come here and move in with you!"

"You're bluffing!"

"Only one way to find out isn't there. Stay home tonight and see what I do tomorrow. Rima's family comes over for Sunday lunch around noon, so as long as I call before then she should be here by dinner tomorrow night," Katherine threatened again.

I looked at Katherine and she didn't look like she was kidding.

"Can't I call Alex and see what he's up to and if he's free can I go to a movie with him?"

"No, you cannot, unless you plan on sleeping with him," Katherine said calmly and with a straight face.

"That is not an option!"

"In that case put on something subtly sexy like you didn't try too hard and just threw together. We're getting together with my friends from Penn and they're bringing other friends too. You can meet new people. And stay away from the doctors; I'll let you know who else to stay away from. And if you're going to have sex at the guy's house, just tell me you need me to walk your dog in the morning."

"But we don't have a dog," I said, confused.

"God, you're slow Anjali! That's our code phrase for I will go have hot rebound sex tonight at the guy's house and not here. And if you bring him back here, just please keep it down. I am coming back to our place, so I really don't want to hear you screaming some random guy's name."

"I am not going to have sex with some random guy, so you won't need to worry about me making too much noise."

"Well, he won't be random after a few cocktails; it will be like you've known him forever or you can go have sex with Alex who isn't so random."

"Get out so I can change!" I yelled, annoyed.

"Twenty minutes is all you have," Katherine continued in her bossy tone.