This Heart of Mine

Ch. 7: The Set Up

At least, Ian looked like he was sorry. His severe look was less angryish and more repentant.

"It's fine," she stated. "At least you didn't laugh at me."

"Why would I? You're a good dancer."

"Stop kidding with me," she snapped, sounding harsher than she'd intended. She took a bite of the chicken, which had cooled down. It was equal parts savory and spicy. The bell peppers were done well, adding a hint of bitterness to it. The entire dish itself was a bright red, warning those who dared to try it of it's dangerous mouth flaming ability. Frying the chicken was a good idea; it added a satisfying crunch.

He didn't budge; the resting grouch face belied his calm voice. "I'm not kidding. What song were you dancing to?"

She choked on a piece of pepper. She hadn't anticipated that question. "Why?"

"Why not? I've never seen you that...loose." As he said the word slowly, Ian looked confused, like he wasn't expecting it to come out of his mouth.

She smiled wryly. "So you think I'm uptight? You've barely known me for a few weeks, already passing judgement are we?"

His cheeks turned scarlet red, oddly contrasting with his black beard. "No! No, not at all—I mean, maybe a little—"

"I know I am." She got up and opened up the song on her phone. "I'll show it to you if you promise you won't laugh."

"Why would I laugh?"

"Cause it's an Indian song and I've had people laugh at me for saying that it's my favorite song and well—"

"What kind of asshole laughs when you tell them that it's your favorite?" he asked, looking annoyed. The resting grouch face had returned two-fold.

His fingers grazed her own as he took the phone from her. She could hear the faint beats from the headphones as the song started.

The song itself was about four minutes.

To Naina, it felt like an hour passed by the time he took off the headphones.

"It's a nice song. I didn't understand a word of it," he said, smirking a bit. "But it sounds fun."

She'd half expected him to laugh at her or at least say that he didn't like it. His approval of it shocked her. "You like it?"

"Yeah, they all look happy. What's going on in the song?"

She fumbled with her fork and it crashed to the floor. She wasn't sure what was hotter: the curry or her face. The smile on it kept threatening to come out and she struggled to hold it back. "Uh well, she's just happy that she's fallen in love and all."

"And the guy?"

Oh lord. She hadn't wanted to explain that part. "He's the dude she'd in love with. Her cousin."

"Cousin?" he had an odd look on his face, equal parts confusion and ew.

"In some parts of southern India, cousins can marry each other. It's not seen as a...wrong thing. People in villages tend to do it, though it's happening less and less. I think it's done in movies as a cute romance trope."

"Really?" She felt the amusement in his voice ripple over her cheeks.

She didn't look at him and kept plowing forward. "Yeah, and it's annoying. Like why can't they just be close family friends? Haven't they heard of the best friends to lovers idea? Like if it were my cousin, I'd see him more of as a brother, not someone I'd fall in love with—"

She cut herself off, and clamped her mouth shut. She'd done it again; babbling endlessly about a topic that no one cared about was one of her superpowers.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

His drawl was soft, rustling the quiet kitchen. "Why?"

"For talking about a thing that you probably don't understand and just, you know, babbling."

"I like it when you babble. You get cute and all when you're excited. You're completely different."

Her face was now as hot as the pot of chili chicken. She could've cooked an egg on her face, and it would've fried perfectly. "Uh, thanks."

He threw his head back and laughed. The collared shirt he wore rippled as his chest moved. The sleeves were tight around his arm muscles and she could see peeks of the tattoos.

The jeans he wore accentuated his ass so finely, she whimpered inwardly.

"You have a way of taking compliments you know," he said, gasping a little.

"So I've been told," she grumbled. Her chest was pounding now; half afraid that he could hear it, Naina tried taking in slow breaths.

The apartment was silent, except for Lauren's and Dominic's laughs.

"You want some of this curry? It's chili chicken."

He shrugged. "Sure."

This time, when she handed him the bowl and his fingers touched hers, a shiver ran up the length of her arm.

Gawd-friggin-damnit. Not again.

Why was she reacting like this? She barely knew him.

Besides, she wanted to set him up with Deme.

As he ate bites of the chicken, his face turned pink and then slowly started turning red. He fanned his face and stretched out the front of his shirt, like he was trying to cool himself. She stifled a giggle.

"Are you single?" she asked.

He choked on something. Whatever it was, his face turned beet red and he gagged a bit before swallowing it and taking a sip of water. There were tears in his hazel eyes. "Yeah, why?"

"There's someone I'd love to set you up with. She's great and funny...and you're really her type. She's a few years older than me."

His eyebrows furrowed as he moved away from her and washed the bowl. "Uh," he drawled, dragging out the word. "I mean, do I know her?"

"She's the owner of Moon Moon, one of the restaurants in the town square? Brown haired lady," Naina prompted.

Recognition dawned on his face, and she could see his features relax. "Yeah, I know her. Sure, why not?"

If Naina hadn't been so stupid or, at least, a bit keener, she would've saved herself some heartache. Instead, she ignored the nagging feeling in her chest about how he'd tried to understand something she liked and cleaned the dishes without being asked to. Or how he'd never laughed at her like the way her supposed ex-best friend did.

She ignored how his laughter was infectious, how his eyes seemed to light up whenever he was around her and how her heart seemed to beat faster since she'd met him.

She pushed it away.

Naina wouldn't be right for anyone. Lauren had made that very clear.

~~~

My heroines will push away their feelings. Please don't get mad at them haha

If there's anything that I should fix or anything that seems out of place, please let me know. :P