Silently Falling in Love: Race (THE EDITED VERSION)

Chapter 40 - Coffee

Alex: May 1996

I hid away in the office while Anjali worked in the workshop area. Ever since the photo shoot, I'd avoided being alone with Anjali. We hadn't had lunch in the past two months because I made sure I was busy, and I volunteered to travel for my company so I didn't have to lie to Anjali. She never questioned me or tried to re-schedule our lunches, which made me believe she too was avoiding me.

The last time we had hung out was when Arjun was in New York visiting and he'd been around the entire time. I was afraid of being left alone with Anjali because I didn't trust myself. Even today, Tarun cha-cha was supposed to be here right now. I wondered where he was; I worked in the office area until he arrived. I'd barely said hello to Anjali before moving inside the office. I left the door open, so I didn't seem rude, but being alone with Anjali was getting difficult. I didn't trust myself.

I decided to leave the building for coffee and hopefully by the time I returned, Tarun cha-cha would have arrived.

I grabbed my wallet and jacket and walked out of the office.

"Hey Anjali, I'm going out for coffee, do you need anything?"

Anjali turned towards me as she was putting a pencil through a bun she was making in her hair. With her hands behind her head, her pink t-shirt stretched across her chest, making me groan in-ward. Forget the tight sari blouse I had been up close and personal with at the photo shoot, even a simple t-shirt and jeans could bring me to my knees. How were we going to work together, if such a simple gesture could make me want to walk back into the office and slam the door?

"Thanks Alex, I'm good."

"Okay," I said rather quickly and moved to leave our workshop when the bells over the door rang.

Tarun cha-cha slammed the door and came storming into the workshop area.

"Maybe you should ask cha-cha if he needs coffee," Anjali murmured so only I could hear.

"Hi cha-cha, I was thinking of getting coffee and something to eat, do you need anything?" I asked.

Tarun cha-cha ignored me as he cut the space between Anjali and I and stood between us, but faced Anjali with his back towards me.

He was mad about something. I moved to the other side of the table to see what had Tarun cha-cha worked up. Maybe Anjali screwed up a design. That was the only scenario I could think of that would cause this level of anger.

He slammed a folder down on the table, "When the hell were you going to tell me, Anjali?" Tarun cha-cha asked pissed off as he folded his arms across his wide chest.

"Tell you what?" Anjali asked, confused and slightly scared.

"Don't play coy with me!"

"Cha-cha I really don't know what you're talking about."

"I can't believe I had to find this out from your father! I would have expected you to tell me directly."

I froze; I'd never seen Tarun cha-cha speak so loudly or sternly with Anjali. He'd used that voice on Arjun and me plenty of times when we were younger, especially when we'd been caught doing a prank, but Anjali was his weakness. He'd always been charming, fatherly and protective of Anjali.

"You're just going to throw in the towel and have an arranged marriage because you had one broken heart and a couple of awful dates?"

I looked from Tarun cha-cha to Anjali, shocked at what he'd just said. He had to be joking. Or maybe Anjali was not even aware that her dad was looking for someone for her.