LOVE SOAKED

CHAPTER 7 - yeh raate, ye mausam( these nights and this heavenly weather)

ASHER
The rain drumming a steady rhythm on the cafe window was the perfect soundtrack for getting lost in Trisha's eyes, the perfect escape that i needed from the phone call earlier. The steam from her chai danced around her face, momentarily blurring her features before revealing them again, even more captivating.

"Ginger chai huh?" I teased, a smile tugging at my lips. " who puts ginger in tea? Its like ..... you know? "

She laughed, a melody that warmed me from the inside out. "Like heaven? Like marshmallow in hot chocolate? " she said with a frown and a judgemental look in her eyes, like I had offended her entire family with my question.

"You're comparing ginger tea with hot chocolate? " I feigned offense too, earning another laugh from her. "Okay you know what, bring it on" I say to her before ordering the same for myself. Either ways, it wouldn't have mattered, if the tea tasted absolutely disgusting, I would force myself to have it everyday, as many times as shed like, if it meant I got to spend time with her and see her face light up as she takes a sip.

The air crackled with a comfortable energy, a stark contrast to the usual sterile atmosphere of business meetings. I found myself leaning in, captivated by the way the pendant around her neck swayed with each word.

"So," I began, wanting to know more about the woman behind the sharp wit and even sharper mind, "what makes your heart race outside of blueprints and renders?"

Her smile softened, and she traced a pattern on the condensation on her teacup. "Stories," she admitted, her voice a gentle whisper. "Always have. I truly believe a good book can transport you to another world, make you forget all your troubles."

"And what about outside of books?" I pressed, wanting to know everything about her. "What are your passions? What makes you, you?"

She met my gaze, a hint of vulnerability in her eyes. "I love exploring new places, And... well," she blushed, a delicate rose blooming on her cheeks, "I've always dreamed of designing a library/cafe that sparks a love of reading in people, a place where their imaginations can run wild."

I felt a mg heart tug at the mention of the word wild from her lips. There was a depth to her, a hidden well of passion that made her even more beautiful. As I watched her, completely captivated, I found myself blurting out, "You have the most incredible eyes. They change color with the light, like... like a stormy sky."

Her blush deepened, and she stammered, "You think so?"

I couldn't help but grin. Here I was, a grown man, completely flustered by this woman. "Absolutely," I admitted, feeling a warmth bloom in my chest. "They're... captivating."

The conversation flowed easily, a delightful mix of childhood stories and dreams for the future. She spoke of a cheating ex-boyfriend, her voice laced with hurt, and I instinctively reached out, my fingers brushing against hers as I offered a reassuring smile.

Smiling was the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted to punch that bastard, on the other hand i wanted to send him flowers for losing this beautiful girl and making her cross paths with me.

Suddenly, she blurted out, "This is getting awfully personal, isn't it? Maybe a little too personal for a first outing?date? What is this Asher?"she asked with curiousness in her eyes.

I chuckled, holding her gaze, leaning close enough to smell her freshly shampooed hair, in a husky, low tone i whispered" storm, if this was a date you'd know." A beat of silence followed, thick with unspoken tension. "Tell me about your love life, Storm" I finally ventured, the words leaving my lips before I could stop them.

She blinked, surprised. "My love life?" she stammered, a teasing glint returning to her eyes. "Well, Mr. Brown, it's been rather... non-existent lately. But what about you? Any special someone waiting for you back home?"

The question caught me off guard. Dating after my ex hadn't been easy. I cleared my throat, avoiding the question. "Maybe that's a story for another time," I said, my voice a touch husky.

Her smile widened, knowingly. "Looks like im not getting rid of you anytime soon, huh?"

My heart hammered in my chest. "Absolutely" I chuckled as I took my last sip of my ginger tea, which, was perfect for this weather and it seemed to have grown on me. But I dint want to tell her that just yet, instead I asked her something that had her chocking on her chai," the books you read, are they smut? "

I chuckled as I watched her choke, and cough and when she finally caught her breathe, " how do you know what that even means?" "It's pretty common in America, I have a younger sister who is always curled up in her room reading these romance books"

"Wow" was the only thing she said, letting my question go unanswered, but her red cheeks say otherwise. Looks like I'll be borrowing a lot of these books from my sister soon.

Getting up from my table, I stepped out to use the washroom, I soon realized I had left my phone on the table, I hurried to go get my phone but what I feared had already happened, Trisha was talking to someone on my phone with an expression I couldn't quite fathom.

I took fast strides and reached the table to ask what was wrong but before I could open my mouth, " I've already paid the bill, we should get going." Leaving my mouth agape without a second glance she walked out of the cafe.

Looking at my phone I finally realized my worst fear had come true. I quickly hurried to catch Trisha and explain but she was already gone, no where in sight and I was a complete dick for having let her leave in the rain,all alone. Fuck!!! Fuck!!! Fuck!!!