Chapter 15

"What are you doing here, Scarlet?" Roy asked.

"I didn't want you to stop kissing me."

"Well, I thought that's what you meant when you said—"

"Yeah, I know what I said, but I never wanted you to stop kissing me."

"So now you want me to kiss you?" He asked childishly.

"Yes," I replied, getting impatient now.

"What if I don't?" He asked with a smirk.

God, this guy is unbearable!

"You don't have a choice," I said and leaned in to kiss him. I could say he was taken by surprise, but the realization set in fast and he was kissing me as passionately as I was him.

I jerked back, and he looked at me with a frown, confused.

"God, it hurts, doesn't it? Not finishing the kiss?" I said.

"It's unendurable." He said, leaning in again to kiss me, but I shifted my face.

"You have no idea how much I want to kiss you, Roy Malhotra. But I will wait, and so will you. And you will do as I say." I challenged.

"Ah! Aren't you too sure about yourself? One thing you should know about me is I don't take orders. You are right under my jurisdiction, given the position we are in right now. So tell me, Scarlet Gill," he teased with his lips on my jawline, "what makes you think I will do as you say?"

I never came as I did listening to that voice.

I grabbed his collar and pulled him closer to me, so much so that our lips were only a kiss apart.

"Too bad you'll be breaking your 'I Don't Take Orders' rule. And pity you can't do anything until I consent you to."

Then I pulled him closer to whisper in his ears. "So now you will get up and get dressed."

"Why?" He frowned.

"Because I just asked you to." I let go of him and got out of the sandwich.

Sighing, he got up, grabbed a blue shirt and coat, and went to the bathroom to change.

But suddenly he came out running towards the bed and grabbed his diary.

"Can't trust you with this." He gave a goofy smile.

I stuck out a tongue in reply.

"Wow. You can be wildly sexy one minute, and helplessly unsexy the next." He mocked.

"Yeah! Go get dressed!" I ordered.

"See!" He said and ran to the bathroom, and I turned away to hide my blush.

Now Rover would have fucked me if I had been this close to him this long. But Roy didn't.

He feels….right. And no matter how much in love I was with Rover, I never felt that with him.

But I was too afraid to get my hopes high, to believe in roses and rainbows again so soon.

He got out stunningly handsome, running his hands in his hair.

"Now, we will go out to have dinner," I said.

"But I thought you already had—" he began.

"No, I didn't."

"Fuck! Singh lied to me."

"No, he didn't. We ordered room service; Rosa ate, I didn't. I packed the remnants and hid them away from Singh's prying nose."

"Let's go then." He said but then stopped. " Again, why are you so harsh to Singh?"

"Because I don't like him." I shrugged.

"Bit obvious. But okay." He shrugged too and opened the door to nervous Singh strolling outside.

"Inform Rosa we are going out when she gets here from her walk, and make sure she is safe."

"Yes sir, but don't I have to come along?" Singh asked.

"No. I'll handle this one." He winked and I rolled my eyes.

We got in his Mercedes and drove to a fancy restaurant called Pale Purple Paradise.

We walked into the restaurant, and I gasped looking at its beauty. It actually looked like a purple paradise, with purple-colored flowers and a crystal chandelier over each table. A look at the people and their fancy dresses and I knew I could never afford to come to this restaurant.

A waiter greeted us at the gate and motioned us to follow him.

We walked past people, who stopped to look at the celebrity with me, mounted a flight of stairs, and entered the most beautiful terrace.

The edge was decorated with beautiful golden lights, and yellow helium balloons hung from the edge. There were clouds on the ground, and a perfect breeze greeted us.

The table was set amidst the scene with candles lit at the table.

Everything was lit by a golden glare.

And the best thing was, nothing was red or heart-shaped or anything "cheesily romantic."

It was beautiful.

"I'll text our order. Thank you." Roy dismissed him.

"You have his number?" I asked surprisingly.

"I have the owner's number. I will text him." He replied simply.

He pulled the chair out for me like a gentleman, and we took our seats.

"What do you want?" He said, looking into the menu.

I got up and walked over to his side and sat on the table near him.

"Answers," I replied. I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"Are you teasing me?" He asked.

"I am rewarding you for your cooperation," I said. "Now, throughout the dinner, I will ask you questions, and you will answer them."

"I will, if I find it suitable." He replied.

I leaned over and gave a small kiss on his lips.

"If you give me my answers, you'll get more." I said flashing a half-smile. But his expression changed.

"Scarlet, I don't see you as a Firecracker. And if you are doing this all to get answers, then stop the charade."

Anger and admiration hit me together.

"I never wanted to be a Firecracker, but that's good to know. And I am not doing all these to get answers. I want answers so I can do all these. I want to, Roy, I want to be with you, but…."

"But you don't trust me." He finished.

"I don't know if you'll believe me or not, but I never thought I'd ever be brave enough, trust enough, to go alone with someone."

I walked over to my seat and studied my menu. When I put the menu down, I caught Roy studying me.

I cleared my throat.

"Order for me as well," I said.

"Okay." He said and picked his cell phone to type something.

"Okay." He said again, looking at me. "We'll talk. You will answer my questions, and I will answer yours. Each of us will get five passes though."

"Accepted." I nodded. "Let's start with simple ones. What do you work for a living?"

"Have you heard of Garnet Ebony?" He asked.

"Yes…." I frowned and he smiled.

"Nooooo…. seriously? You work in Garnet Ebony?" I was too astounded. His eyes widened. "Wow!"

"Rosa once told me your firsts were never good. What does she mean?" He asked. I wanted to pass, but then I realized I have to open up to him if I want him to answer.

"Well, you know Rosa and I aren't related by blood. We met at an orphanage and hit it off, so much so that we stuck together even after so long. I was in a different orphanage before. And when I was six, I had this friend Ernie, who was eight. He was nice and all but had a bad temper. And because of which, no one got close to him and he would vent it all out on me. Then I was adopted, for a week, by a poor family who couldn't even afford their own food." I saw him open his mouth to speak, "well, yes, I know that orphanages do a background check, but the caretaker didn't really give a fuck. All he cared about was the salary he received at the end of the month. The place was pathetic. And those who adopted me didn't really want a child. They wanted a maid who could do their household chores while they worked. The guy, my supposed "father," would drink and beat me. Now I wasn't loved there, and I knew once this sort of thing starts, it only gets worse. So I ran away from there. I still feel lucky that I realized this and ran away. I stayed in a public park for a few days, when I saw a bunch of children, Rosa was among them. She saw me watching them from a distance and offered her ice cream. I told her my story, and she took me to Mini, the caretaker of her orphanage, who decided to provide me safe haven right away. I was thirteen by then, a teenager. And people don't generally adopt teenagers. So my first best friend was a dick, my first adoptive family was bad news, and my first love slash boyfriend was a monster. The first movie I ever watched was total bullshit, and you might not believe it, but the first word I ever said was 'dick.'"

At that, he laughed and asked in an astonished tone, "whaaaattt?"

"Yes!" I couldn't control my laugh either.

"Man, there are some serious issues with the caretaker of your first orphanage." He said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, but I still feel lucky that I found a second one."

He rested his chin on his hand, leaning on the table.

"Now my turn. What's the 'deal' you had with Rosa?"

He seemed quite bummed by my question and retrieved his hand from the table.

"Pass." He replied.

"This one can't be passed." I said.

"And you can't improvise rules." He said.

"No, you—" but I was cut off when the door opened and the waiter entered with our food.

Both of us stayed quiet till he opened the bottle of champagne and served us lasagna.

"They serve the best lasagna." He said and I looked away.

"Come on, Scarlet, don't cheat." He said, yet I continued staring at the wind. "I just got you to sit with me, I don't wanna push you away so soon." He said in a low voice.

"Not answering isn't helping much either. Tell me about yourself, Roy, I want to know everything! Why don't you have a girlfriend? Tell me about your family. Tell me, why would you go to that hotel Magnificent, why you agreed to help me and what do you want from us. Tell me why did you buy me for a week. Tell me everything, please, I beg you." I said now, getting desperate. "This ignorance is now pinching so hard that it's beyond control. This was what I did with Rover: I started with him without knowing much and see where that landed me. I can't start that way with you. Hell, I don't know what this is, what we are! All I want is for you to answer so I can kick away this alarm in my head that's constantly blaring words, "What if he is dangerous?" And I am sorry to feel this way, but please help me trust you the way I want to." Without warning, tears trickled down to touch my cheek.

He walked over and sat on the table near me. Then he wiped my cheek of its tears, scooped a spoonful of lasagna, and stationed it in front of my mouth. Its delicious smell wafted in my nose, and I couldn't resist him, so I opened my mouth to savor the heavenly taste of that lasagna.

He repeated the process twice more, and like a baby, I let him feed me.

"My mom, she was young when she fell in love with a guy who was too old for her, Amir, who was soon going to die with cancer. They met each other, she began to like him, and he too enjoyed having a young chick to fuck till he died. But to both of their surprise, he too fell for her. And when he died, he left everything in her name. He was quite rich and my mom has a great mind. She knew exactly how to handle such a big business. After him, she could never love. She was always fun-loving, sexually. Actually, it was pretty much the reason how she and Amir met. So when he was gone, she juggled men, having fun. My brother and I were the fruits of such fun. She helped us set our businesses, taught us great things. She really made us fuck when we were fifteen. And she would say, 'love is for fools.' I grew up watching her. I grew up watching how much fun she had with those random men she would bring home every night, and we would never get a glimpse of those men ever again. I wanted that. I wanted that fun, and I got that fun. With the pickup lines she taught me and her lessons on how to charm ladies, I would always get laid. But then they expected more, and I never thought of providing them with it." He kept feeding me. "And it was just bizarre, the expectations they had. So I started to go to hotel Magnificent, to 'enjoy.' And the ladies were all great. And I never pushed them or forced them into doing things, Scarlet. Yes, I won't hide the fact that at times, the sex would get crazy, but there were always two people in it, sometimes three, but voluntarily. I never went beyond their endurance. Then I saw Rosa, and she is pretty and sexy, and I heard her mention Rover. So I went to her and asked about the matter. At first, I thought she was crazy, given what allegations she was imposing on Rover, but yet I agreed to help her, and in return for my help, I asked her—" he looked away and closed his eyes, inhaling as if collecting his courage. "I asked her to be my sex buddy for a year, be present whenever I want." Suddenly I stopped eating, and he opened his eyes to look at the spoon that would never go in my mouth again. I froze right in my seat, finding it hard to even breathe.

"But that was long ago, Scarlet. That was when I had only just met her. I thought she was sexy and it would be fun to have her in bed with me. But then I met you and…. And things changed. That day Rosa came to my room, and I felt nothing. No urge to be with her or look at her the way I did the first time I met her. That day when we fought in your room, I was getting so crazy with what you said and thought having sex might help me. And I went to the hotel Magnificent to a beautiful woman, who was ready to give all of herself to me, but for the first time, I felt nauseated, and a strong urge to return to my house. That's why I was so angry the next morning. I was literally going crazy! Yesterday I convinced myself that what I was feeling was foolish, but then I saw those Stamp Men strangling you and I had never felt such rage. I wanted to crush their bones and tear their skin. And I realized you spoiled me, Scarlet Gill. You made me yearn for happiness instead of fun. You made me yearn for you against the thousands of beautiful girls. You made me yearn for impossible." His eyes were glistening with tears and his breaths were hasty. "I don't expect you to believe me, but—" I never heard what's beyond that but, because I had already got up to kiss him. Kiss him to tell him I believe him, and I meant it when I kissed him.

He grabbed me, tightly, yet comforting, as if to never let me go. He stood up and picked me up in his embrace, without parting his lips on mine. Gracefully he sat on the chair and put me on his lap, kissing me. And then stopped, looking at me, breathing wildly.

I touched his cheek and whispered, "yes."

He kissed me again, more passionately, and then let his hands run wild over my body, and not just my back or my hair, but the curves of my collarbone, my breasts, my waist, my ass.

Light flashes emerged in my mind, but I immersed myself in the heaven of kissing him.

Then he slid his hand under the gown and trailed it along my leg. I got goosebumps. The flashes had become more vivid and fast now, too hard to dismiss. And as he finished feeling my thigh and began to proceed, I jerked back, hit my back to the table, and fell on the floor, and heard the glasses collapse with me on the floor.

I was suddenly there, in the scene in my head, and my eyes wouldn't stop flowing with my pain and helplessness.

"Scarlet! Scarlet! Are you okay?" Roy seemed hysteric, who too was crouching on the floor in front of me.

"I am sorry. I really am sorry. But I can't. I'm so sorry, Roy, but I can't." I said.

"It's okay." He said, tucking my hair behind my ear. There was the ghost of disappointment on his face, but it was quickly concealed by worry. "It's okay, Gill. Whenever you are ready." He said.

Then he sat there with me, clutching my hand.

"How far did those Stampmen go with you? They spoiled the beauty of touch for you, didn't they?" He asked with utmost concern.

I shook my head.

Even saying it burns.

"Rover did."