Chapter 1
ANYA
I pulled my blue Audi A3 Sportback into the restaurant’s parking lot, finding an open spot and slipping into it perfectly. I let the car continue running with the air condition on full blast while I pulled down the visor mirror to touch up my make up.
These monthly lunches with my perfectionist mother were mandatory ever since I moved out of my parents’ house three years ago. But my mother’s need to continue to control every aspect of my life, was starting to wear on me. I was planning to talk to her about it today and wasn’t looking forward to the argument I knew would ensue.
Opening my clutch, I pulled out my favourite red lipstick and gave it a quick swipe over my full lips. The rest of my makeup was simple with a nude eyeshadow enhanced by the Kohl eyeliner and thick mascara. I popped the lipstick back into my clutch and switched off the car before grabbing it from the passenger seat to meet my mother who was already waiting for me at our usual table inside.
A low whistle followed me as I passed a table of three old men who looked like they’d just finished golfing in their polo shirts and khakis.
They were also regulars like we were, so I felt comfortable giving them a wink and a flirty wave as I passed by their table before meeting the disapproving eyes of my mother.
“Was that really necessary, Anya?” she commented when I pulled out the chair opposite her at the small square table and took the seat.
I rolled my eyes, a habit that I knew annoyed her, before I replied.
“It’s harmless.” I returned then snapped my napkin open to drape it over my knees before giving her my full attention.
Zoya Chopra’s shrewd brown eyes took in every inch of my appearance. Unlike myself, dressed in a strapless navy sundress with four inch heels, she was dressed in a fuchsia sari, which was traditional wear of our Indian culture, complete with thick gold bangles and earrings.
“Your dress is too short.” she added, before taking a sip of her wine. I’d noticed she’d already ordered the wine and appetizers even though I was barely five minutes late.
“The hem almost reaches my knees Ma.” I replied, giving her a bright smile as I also reached for my wine. I had a feeling I’d need the fortification to get through this lunch.
“You won’t find a good husband dressed like that Ani.” she continued, in that disapproving tone.
As if I was looking for one, I thought.
I took a large sip, then another.
“How’s Pa?” I asked deliberately changing the subject and quickly changing my mind about confronting her today.
Both my parents were doctors, but my mother stopped practising when I was born to stay at home and raise me. I always thought she would go back to work when I got older, but she’d focused on doing charity work instead. Not that she needed to work strictly speaking. My father was a well respected heart surgeon so I grew up in an upper middle class neighbourhood and went to private schools. I’d always planned to follow in my parents’ footsteps, but very early on in medical school, I’d decided that being a medical doctor wasn’t for me and changed my major to psychology instead. My parents only accepted the change because they’d insisted that I complete my Doctorate. Which I did about a year ago.
Since then, I’d taken my trust fund and bought a town house in the City. I’d renovated the bottom floor which held my practice and occupied the other two floors as my permanent residence. I absolutely loved being on my own. I had no plans to settle down in the immediate future, but I wouldn’t tell my mother that. If I did, she would take it upon herself to get me into an “arranged marriage” like the one she’d had with my father.
“Busy as usual.” my mother said, giving me her standard answer.
Growing up, I’d rarely seen my father because he’d always been so busy, so I was used to it. You would think that spending so much time with my mother growing up and with me as an only child, that it would make us close. When in fact, it was quite the opposite. We’d never formed that close bond between a parent and child. I think over the years she’d realized that and was now trying to make it up to me with these lunches.
“Has work picked up now that you’re in your new office?” she asked, as she motioned the waiter over to take our order.
Since I’d started my own practice, things had been pretty slow. But I’d just signed a contract with the court to be on their panel of mediators if an independent one was needed for matters such as child custody battles, divorces, stuff like that. Since then, my practice has gotten extremely busy.
We placed our orders with the waiter before I responded casually.
“Yes. In fact, I have a session this afternoon with the soon to be ex-wife of a very successful businessman. I read the case file this morning, quite interesting. I think they both may be involved in the mafia.” I told her, intrigued.
My mother shook her head and her nose turned up in disgust.
“I don’t know how you do it Ani. These people could be dangerous.”
I was used to my mother’s overprotective nature so I merely smiled at her.
“The court would not assign anyone to me if they thought they were dangerous Ma. You don’t have to worry.”
She looked unconvinced, but didn’t push it. The last time she did that, I cut our lunch short because I couldn’t take having to continuously defend myself and what I did for a living to her. I liked helping people, no matter what they did for a living. Being a doctor as well, you would think she’d understand that and be less judgmental about it.
“How did your date go with Anand?” my mother asked, referring to the “nice boy” from her temple that she’d tried to set me up with last week. Anand was a lawyer, one of the approved professions of possible husbands my parents wanted for me. He was also ten years older than I was and even though he looked like the Bollywood superstar, Shah Rukh Khan, I didn’t feel any attraction towards him at all, nor did we have anything in common. The date had been absolute torture.
“It was fine.” I told her with a grimace, “I doubt I’ll be seeing him again.”
“Ani! You went out with him one time!” my mother’s whispered reprimand had my back stiffening, “In my time, we could have never dated like you do now. We had to ..”
“..sit in a room with your parents and have your date.” I finished for her sarcastically.
I let out a long sigh, having heard this all before. Multiple times. Sometimes I wondered if she thought I wasn’t grateful for the life I had which was so different to how hers had been.
“Tell me about your week..”
My mother was only too happy to talk about her latest charity event, as I pushed around the food on my plate and pretended to listen.
Two hours later, I kicked off my heels at my apartment and was about to get ready for my session in half an hour with Melina Costa, by changing into a more work appropriate outfit, when I got a text from her saying she had to cancel last minute.
That was fine by me, I was exhausted after that lunch with my mother and just wanted to change into sweats and settle down with a cheesy movie and a bottle of wine. But first, I had a few emails to send out. Deciding to just head down to my office and deal with the emails before changing, I slipped on my fuzzy house slippers with little bunnies on it and went downstairs to my office.
I was still typing out my emails when there was a knock on my office door.
Frowning, I got up and went up on my toes to look through the peephole and gasped when I saw three large men standing on the other side of my door. They must have heard me, because one of them spoke up then.
“Miss Chopra?” came a husky masculine voice, that caused every hair on my body to stand at attention, “I’m Marco Costa. I have an appointment with you today.”
Marco Costa?
I pulled open the door and found myself looking up into a pair of shrewd aquamarine eyes. I was certain my jaw fell to the floor. He was so beautiful I couldn’t help staring. I was sure he got that a lot too. There was no doubt in my mind that any man that could carry around that face every day wasn’t totally full of himself.
Jet black hair and slashing eyebrows bordered a face that would make angels weep. His full lips were framed by a neatly trimmed beard and his lips slanted as if he was amused by my inspection of him. Those blue green eyes deliberately slid down my body, all the way from my wavy brown hair, to my fuzzy clad feet.
“Um..” I had to swallow so I could find my voice because my jaw was still probably somewhere on the floor, “I had an appointment with your wife but she texted me to cancel.” I said a little too quickly.
A frown of irritation crossed his features then.
“Soon to be ex-wife and she told me that you wanted to meet with me first.” he sighed then and rubbed a thick finger over his forehead, “Melina likes playing games Miss Chopra. My apologies for the inconvenience.”
I glanced at my watch and saw that he’d come right on time. In his designer suit and watch, he looked like someone who always had somewhere to be. Someone who didn’t have time to waste and he’d deliberately made an effort to come to this session unlike so many of my other clients who thought it was a waste of time.
“You’re already here Mr Costa.” I told him, glancing at the two men standing discreetly at his back, “We can still have the session if you want. You can swap with your wife this week.”
His features smoothed and a small smile tilted his lips.
“Thank you.” He nodded at the men who stepped forward, “I hope you don’t mind, Miss Chopra, my men just need to do a quick sweep of your office.”
I frowned at the heavily tattooed men in black suits and wayfarers.
“Why?”
He shrugged.
“You never know who’s listening.”
Not really having a choice, I stepped back to allow the men in.
While my office was being searched for bugs and who knows what else, I stood in the doorway, acutely aware of his eyes still on me.
“Nice slippers.” He murmured, and I had the feeling he was laughing at me, even though his face remained impassive.
I turned crimson.
“I wasn’t planning on seeing anyone today.” I tugged the hem of my dress nervously, “If you give me a few minutes, I can go upstairs and change-” I made a move to do just that but he put a hand on my arm stopping me.
My body jerked as if I’d pushed my finger into a socket and by the way his hand moved back to his side, I could tell he’d felt it too.
He frowned down at me and standing next to him, my head barely reached his chin. His men came back out and gave him a quick nod.
“No need. Let’s get started. I don’t have much time.”
I motioned him in with my hand, while his men chose to remain outside. Then closed the door, very much aware that we were all alone and my heart rate had just skyrocketed.
