TejRan : A Twist of Fate

Part 8 - Boys and Bae

Karan

Should I light a candle?

That seems like I'm trying too hard.

But what if it smells weird in here?

I don't want her first impression of my place to be associated with an odd smell.

I stare at the mahogany teakwood candle on my living room coffee table. It smells really good. It could make a great first impression.

"Fuck it," I mutter as I light the stupid candle.

Once I put the lighter away, I lift my arm and check that I put deodorant on after my shower.

Yup, smells good.

As usual, everything is in its proper place. So why the fuck do I feel so nervous? This is stupid. I don't even like the girl. I don't know her, so I shouldn't be nervous.

I feel vulnerable when I shouldn't compared to her hostel room, I truly believe her mind will be blown when she sees my penthouse.

I fluff my throw pillows just as there is a knock on my door. I glance at the clock.

Fuck, she's early.

I walk over to the entryway and catch a glimpse of my hoodie and jeans in the mirror and wonder if I should have opted for sweats.

Doesn't matter now.

I grip the handle of the door, take a deep breath, and open it.

"There he is, our man," Prince says, charging through the door, followed by Paras.

Shit.

What the hell are they doing here?

That's when I notice the pizza and beer in their hands.

"Uh, what are you doing?" I ask while shutting the door.

"What does it look like?" Prince says while kicking his shoes off and taking a seat on my couch. "Keeping you company." He glances around.

"Man, it looks good in here."

"I don't need you to keep me company," I say as panic sets in.

Teju will be here any moment, and the last thing I want, before she and I can even figure out our story, is my boys meeting her and questioning everything about our relationship.

"That's exactly why we're here," Paras says while flipping open the pizza box, the garlic and onions ruining any improvement the candle had made in my space.

"You act like everything is okay, but when you left shoot today, you bolted. And you haven't really talked to us at all in the last few days. You're retreating because of Anusha, and we're here to make sure you're okay."

"I'm not retreating. I don't give a fuck about Anusha...sort of. And the last thing I want is company."

"And we brought pizza, so that's fun," Prince says as he grabs a slice and takes a huge bite. Through a full mouth, he moans, "Fuck, that's good."

"Doesn't his place look nice? As if you're trying to impress someone" Paras asks.

"Are you?" Prince asks.

"No," I say quickly.

Knock. Knock.

The guys pause, and with confused looks in their eyes, they glance over at the door.

Shit.

Using his finger, Paras counts us, making sure we're all here. Prince sits taller, staring at the door as if he has X-ray vision