& Then They Wed (Ampersand Love #2)

17. Friends Know Best

17

Friends Know Best

Aditi

I f Aditi had had any apprehensions about meeting Kaya Rathore, they vanished the moment she came face to face with the curly-haired beauty.

Warm and inviting, Kaya had shyly introduced herself before turning to the two men who’d been waiting with her.

Arjun Rathore and Vihaan Oberoi.

Men blessed with good looks, manners and evidently, a lot of money. Arjun was one of the most sought after businessmen in Asia, with his company recently going public. Vihaan, on the other hand, was on track to becoming the next media mogul, having recently acquired a new broadcasting channel in addition to the print press work his publishing house already excelled at.

Speaking with them should have been a daunting experience, but neither seemed to show any awareness of how important they were.

Seated between Rian and Vihaan at the circular table they were sharing, Aditi was forced to accept that Mumbai’s water contained something special. Not only had this city produced three beautiful odes to masculine beauty, but had also blessed her with the opportunity to be seated with all of them at the same time.

She watched the four friends bring each other up to speed, each ensuring that Aditi felt included in their discussions.

Arjun, she noted, was a gentleman who was clearly besotted with his wife, Kaya, and vice versa. Vihaan in contrast was a complete rascal who’d begun flirting with her immediately, much to her amusement. He was charming, and she was flattered. She’d laughed at his dramatics when he complained about having to work when there was so much life to enjoy, half wondering if this lazy persona was a front that hid something deeper.

Out of nowhere, she felt a strange sensation creep up her neck. She glanced beside her to find Rian watching her, a small smile playing on his lips. That was all it took for any flicker of curiosity about someone else to switch into an awareness of him.

With his piercing eyes—sometimes silver, sometimes stormy—his wavy hair, his chiselled jawline that looked like it would cut her if she ran a finger along it, Rian was breathtaking.

Yes, Arjun and Vihaan were distractingly handsome. For Aditi however, it was only Rian who caused her body temperature to rise and her panties to dampen at the mere thought of kissing him again. His height made her feel like a delicate doll, and there was not much about her that could be considered delicate. The recollection of how easily he’d lifted her, her weight no barrier, had her bringing a hand to her cheek.

She let out a quick breath, warning her brain and her body to behave through dinner.

“Doc, how long are you in town for?” Vihaan asked her, continuing their conversation.

Before she could answer, Rian interrupted them.

“Her name is Aditi. ”

“So?” Vihaan grouched. “She’s a doctor, isn’t she?” Without waiting for Rian to respond, Vihaan looked at her, tilting his chin in question. “I can call you, Doc, right?”

“She has a name. Call her Aditi. Not Doc,” Rian stubbornly demanded.

Aditi and Kaya stared at Rian, both women blinking at him in confusion. Hadn’t he himself called her ‘Doc’ multiple times already?

“I can give her a nickname. Friends give friends nicknames. You can call me V,” he told Aditi. “These fools do.”

“Hey!” Kaya protested sadly, her lower lip jutting out in a pout.

“Not you, Kaya.” Vihaan immediately consoled her, a hand on his heart in apology. “Never you. You’re my star. You’re the best thing in—”

“Careful,” Arjun warned, a single brow raised. “She’s my wife.”

Arjun’s serious remark confused Aditi. Weren’t these men friends? Rian must have been watching her because he leaned towards her just as she looked to him for help.

“He’s possessive because Vihaan once had a crush on Kaya,” Rian teased.

Aditi’s jaw dropped open. “What? Really?”

That’s when Aditi noticed that in contrast to his tone, Arjun’s eyes were twinkling with mischief.

“Yep,” Rian nodded. “Flirted with her and everything. Of course, he also is the reason why they found each other so I guess Arjun can't hate him too much.”

Vihaan puffed his chest up with pride, tugging on his own collar. “I was instrumental in bringing these two together.”

“Oh yeah?” Arjun drawled, taking a sip of his drink. “That’s why you planned to ask Kaya out on a date?”

Aditi couldn’t hold back her reaction. She turned towards Vihaan, asking for confirmation, watching him scratch the back of his neck in an endearingly embarrassed move. “I didn’t know Kaya was Arjun’s wife."

“That’s the only reason I didn’t knock you on your ass,” Arjun barked from across the table.

“Stop that!” Kaya swatted her husband on his arm. She turned to Vihaan, addressing him in a sorrowful tone.

“V, I’m so sorry you had to deal with my husband and his mood swings when I wasn’t around. If it is any consolation, it was you I wanted to work with. You were so sweet compared to this guy.” She threw a sassy look at her husband, squealing and giggling uncontrollably when Arjun threw his arm around her and crushed her to him, pretending to be annoyed. His smile told everyone how much he enjoyed being teased by his wife.

“Get a room, the two of you,” Rian grumbled, shaking his head.

“Tell us where. I’d rather not see your ugly mug anyway,” Arjun shot back.

“You’re just sore because I beat you at basketball this morning. You’re out of touch. Honeymooning for forty-five days straight will do that to you.”

Arjun sniffed the air loudly. “I smell the jealous stench of a single man, Shetty.”

“See what I have to deal with?” Vihaan sighed, turning to Aditi and then Kaya. “We have beautiful women with us and these two buttheads are talking about basketball. No wonder I don’t have a decent wingman.”

Aditi giggled, patting the back of his hand with mock sympathy. “It’s okay. You can talk to us, V. We’re listening.”

He held her hand, all desolation lost in moments.

“So, if I feel unwell, can I come to you? Like my heart, that's been extra active since you stepped into this restaurant.” He winked, shooting her a grin that she was certain had had women throwing themselves at him. She blinked, blinded momentary by his prettiness .

“I’m not that kind of doctor, V, but if you're hurting, I will hear you out.”

Something shifted in his expressions, his overly flirtatious grin gentling into a genuine smile.

“I like you, Doc. Where did you say you were from again?”

Aditi felt a heavy arm land across the back of her chair.

“She’s from none-of-your-goddamn-business. Stop calling her Doc!” Rian clenched his teeth, reaching over to break their hands apart.

Aditi frowned at him, wondering if he’d gone crazy. He thrust a glass of juice into the hand that Vihaan had held, rendering it occupied for the near future.

She looked down at the glass and back at him, confused.

“Drink,” he instructed, clearing his throat. “You’ll like it. It's pomegranate and orange.”

“What’s with you, today?” Vihaan snorted after a long pause.

“Yeah, Rian. What’s with you today?” Kaya asked in a low voice, leaning towards him. Their eyes met, and she slowly slid an inquiring gaze towards a distracted Aditi, before looking back at him.

Caught, Rian glanced away immediately, thankful for his staff having shown up with their meal just then. But try as he might, he couldn’t stop his ears from turning red.

Kaya almost screamed in glee. She had never seen Rian look at a woman like this, ever. Like he was afraid, in awe and completely enthralled by her, all at once.

Having met her now, she could see the allure. Aditi was vivacious, friendly, and sweet-natured; perfect for Rian, who was so soft at heart and lonelier than he’d ever admit. She could smell a love story brewing and the only thing better than writing romance was witnessing it.

With dinner drawing to a close, and a popular night club just down the block from his restaurant, the group of friends made plans to continue their evening out with a change in venue. They made their way to the exit when Rian was stopped by his manager. Whispered words were exchanged, and Rian’s smile dropped.

“Everything okay?” Aditi inquired. She could sense the tension rolling off him, but had no idea why.

“Yeah, just business,” Rian answered. “Why don’t all of you go ahead?” he said, opening the door for them as if he couldn’t wait to usher them out. “I’ll join you in a bit.”

Before anyone could protest, he turned and stalked away, steeling himself for what was to come.