The whole time at work I'm in a daze. I cleaned the place, arranged the books for four hours. Then the next shift arrived. Jay and I left for home.
"Your boss..." He starts. "Likes you, doesn't he?"
I close my eyes for a moment. He doesn't like me. He...I couldn't explain.
I think about him for just a second. What he said today was ridiculous. Why would he suddenly ask me to marry him?
The situation was unreal.
"No." I say. "But..."
"But what."
"It's weird." I start. "He asked me to marry him. He said he'll wait for the answer tomorrow."
"Wait what?" See it was ridiculous. Even Jay was shocked.
"This sounds like something I read once." He says. "A novel actually."
"You read?" I ask. He didn't seem the type to. I mean I couldn't judge. Even the innocent Mira reads smut.
"Of course. I love romance novels." He beams. He'd get along with Niya. A writer and a reader. Or Mira. Both readers.
"So..." I clear my throat. "What happens next in your novel?"
"They get married." He says simply.
"What?!" Both my girls scream in shock. Good. This is the right response.
"Yeah." I nod to confirm the news.
"He asked you to marry him?" Mira asks in horror.
"And not to make out?" Niya asks.
"Shut up." Both Mira and I say at the same time.
That night I think about it. It was ridiculous but it was still a proposal. A marriage proposal. I'd never received one.
The next morning, I take extra care in dressing up. I had gotten self conscious. And if this would be my last day then so be it. I'd say farewell in good clothes.
I wait in the parking lot. For fifteen minutes I think over and over again until I see the car park in it's usual place. The same car that I saw drive away that day. Right the little kid. Whose kid was he? I mean of course Mr. Oberoi's. But he said he wasn't married. God this was confusing.
His expensive car parked in it's usual spot and he got out. Our eyes met and his powerful gaze almost made me take a step back.
He walks towards me swiftly. And this time I do take a step back.
"You look beautiful." He says as he touches my cheeks.
I blush. Sure he had made me blush many times but he'd never been so direct about it.
"Th-Thank you." I stutter.
He smiles smugly. He knew what he was yet he played with me like I was a worthy component. I might not be into love and bullshit but my harmones would react to such a sexy thing. Shit did I call him sexy? I did. It was not a lie but it was not what i should see him as.
"Let's talk in my office." He says.
I follow him to his large office. He leans on the his desk as he crosses his arms.
I clear my throat. "Yesterday." I start. "You asked me a very...surprising question."
"I did." He confirms.
"Okay so...I wanted to ask if you were by any chance joking?" I bite my lower lip in anticipation. On a side I wanted this to end as a joke but on the other side I wanted him to be dead serious.
He stands straight and walks towards me. Again he's so near that his fresh cologne smells delicious from here. His round pretty eyes tell me he didn't joke around.
"Do you want me to prove how much serious I was?" He asks as he leans down. My eyes go wide and my heart beat is over the limit but it's not only me. It must be the same for him.
He takes my hand and places it right on the top of his heart. It was uneven. Like his breathing. Our breathing.
He leans in slowly making me desperate. I wonder if his lips will feel like what I imagined yesterday night. And for a moment I can see us married and kissing and doing things like this everyday.
"No." I stumble backwards and would have fell down if not for those strong arms catching me. He lifts me up and pulls me closer to him. I close my eyes. This is it. Our kiss. My mind wasn't sane under him now.
"Open your eyes." He whispers.
And I do. I obey him for some reason.
"Answer me." He says.
"What?" I ask barely audible.
"Marry me." He says.
It's hard to avert my gaze but I have to. I have to answer him.
I try to free myself from him. I try moving all the parts of my body but he doesn't let go.
"Ouch." He says stumbling back. I feel terrible for doing this every time. Headbutting him.
"I'm so-"
"Yeah I know." He waves me off.
"I know it doesn't feel like it but I am sorry." I say.
I need to tell him the truth. Not the full truth but still the truth.
"I can't marry you, sir." I tell him straight. If I delayed it even a bit longer, I won't be doing it.
He nodded liked he understood. He did not. He had a kid that meant he'd once been in love or maybe many times. But I had never loved. So we didn't understand each other.
Love was not for me.