BAREFOOTED

Chapter 6

"You WHAT?" Archie and Jazzy shrieked together, their eyes popping out of their heads like a couple of cartoon figures.

It was late morning and they were sitting in Archie's small office cabin after Megha's dance work out to plot Archie's upcoming lunch date. She hadn't meant to disclose her little escapade so early in the conversation but her eagerness to confide in them got the better of her.

"Oh my God..... you've totally stolen my thunder!" accused Archie, "You kept quiet the whole of last night? You should have at least texted us!"

"Yeah," wailed Jazzy, jumping in her seat.

"Shhhh," warned Megha, as she peeked at Aditya' s closed cabin door across the hallway.

Seeing her furtive glance, Jazzy jumped and shut Archie's door before sitting back down and poking a finger into her belly, "Well, spill the beans honey – how physical did you get?"

Her voice was a thread of whisper as a pair of heads drew closer to her. "It was a toe-tingling kiss," she offered, watching their eyes grow impossibly larger.

There was more shrieking and Megha clamped her hands over her ears when her friends jumped around in merriment.

"So what's the kiss-o-meter reading? On a scale of one to five?" prodded Jazzy.

"Over the top, Jazz....way over the top," she responded.

"Darling, I am so happy for you," the approval in Archie's voice was evident as she hugged her, "I know this is a big step and I'm so glad."

Jazzy was shaking her arms around, "My turn, my turn to hug. Come here, you hot little mama. Now," she caught her in a tight hug, "don't go and tell yourself you need to take things slow and so on and so forth - you got that? You just get out there and live it up."

"Jazz is right," agreed Archie, "don't start your usual 'should I versus shouldn't I' debate. You're a grown woman who needs some good loving."

"Oh my God!" They were both giggling, falling over each other as they spluttered with glee.

Megha watched as her two friends high fived and turned back to her. She raised both her palms in submission "Okay, okay," she smiled, "I'll try not to be too careful and I'll take lessons of promiscuity from Jazzy."

"Darling, we want you to happy, not single," warned Archie while Jazzy scowled at both of them.

"Enough about me, tell us about the proposal Archie," coaxed Megha.

"What's to tell? Grandpa fixed up a meeting for lunch today. I don't know.....maybe I'm too romantic but I would have preferred the man contacting me directly," she bristled.

"So what now?" asked Jazzy, looking from Archie to Megha and back.

Laced with irritation, Archie's voice was icy, "Well, I was tempted to call off meeting him for lunch but I did promise Mom not to disappoint Grandpa and I don't see any reason why I should not give it a go. But I'm not going to try to be someone I'm not. "

"He'll probably get scared then," observed Jazzy.

Megha nodded, "I know. So, what are you planning on wearing? Aren't you meeting him today?"

Looking down at her formal navy pants and collared pinstriped pale blue shirt, Archie shrugged uninterestedly. "Yeah. I'm meeting him for lunch. I suggested an expensive restaurant. I feel like I should be pampered."

Jazzy looked down at her watch. "Isn't it time you left, honey? You did say noon, right?"

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Archie grimaced, "I've decided to be late."