Chapter 25

Manik texted Nandani that night.

Want to come over and watch a movie tomorrow?

What movie, Manik?

Something romantic?

So... um... Titanic?

Anything you say, Nandani.

Nandani laughed despite herself. She had missed Manik. All the obsessing over their recent... interactions had glossed over the fact that she had gotten used to seeing him. Going more than a few days without hearing him was hard. Despite whatever had happened between them, they were friends.

Maybe they can be friends who have sex? The unoriginal thought had occurred to her. The best of both worlds. But she did not think they would be able to pull it off. Even if there were no real feelings to start with, they often surfaced. Not to mention she was pretty sure Mukti would lose her mind if she found out.

She was about to text back yes to the movie, still arguing with herself about the merits of friends with benefits, when a warning light went off in her head. Instead, she asked him,

Do you mean like a date?

Maybe, Nandani.

Uh-oh. Yellow alert. This was not part of the plan. This was exactly why one should not go sleep with people on an impulse, Nandani thought.

Manik...

Nandani...

I cannot

Cannot do Thursday or cannot go on a date with me?

Cannot date you.

Did I tell you I play rugby?

Cute, Nandani thought. But she was not buying what he was selling. The price was bound to be way more than she could afford. She thought about how to tackle this and decided directly what was the best.

We talked about this, I am not looking to date

And if she were, it would not be him. Couldn't be. She thought.

Alright then as a non-date?

The first rule of negotiation; don't give away your end game, Manik thought.

No. But nice try *************

Over the next week, she saw Manik twice on the way to school. He was even more charming than usual, but he did not ask her out again. He was back to being relaxed and a chill Manik, laughing and joking and arguing with her and Mukti like he did not have a care in the world. Nandani actually started to wonder if he had completely gotten past their night together, and if him asking her out was just a whim or something he felt obliged to do. It was probably hard to hold a guy's attention for long; especially when the entire cheerleading squad was probably lining up to do just what she had done.

Nandani was still struggling to reconcile his multiple personalities in her head. There was the friendly, sweet Manik who would do anything for her. Then there was dangerous Manik. The one who was sexy as hell and made her dream of him doing things to her she had never even thought of before, and he had pretty much blown her to pieces a week ago.

The worst part was that both were the same person. If they had not been, it would have been easier to stay away. The first had been a great friend to her this fall. When she needed him he had been there. The second might wreck her but despite her best intentions, she craved him. If it had been just sex she could have put this off. But she was not ready to deal with cutting him out of her life entirely.

Tuesday Nandani and Alya were in the library working on a term project with two other classmates, Jenny and Stuart. It was a case study on a company that had filed for bankruptcy. They had to work through the legal implications, recommend solutions, and present them back to the class.

Nandani was the team leader on the project presentation.

"We need to do something different, something that will make it stand out," she said. They had booked a bigger room for their work, with a table that seated eight. Nandani's study room would have been way too cramped.

Stuart leaned back and put his feet up on a chair across from him, looking cynical. "How are we going to make bankruptcy exciting?" he asked.

Alya inserted. "Trust me, Nandani could sell sand to the Coastal Commission. She is the right person for the job."

Alya was working on the recommendation part of the project. Since she was actually going to be a lawyer, they had decided that she would be best equipped to tackle the most important part.

They had thus divided up the work when Nandani's phone buzzed, with Manik's text messages.

Nandani?

Yeah.

How is studying going on?

Good. I am trying to make bankruptcy sexy

You make everything sexy

Nandani flushed a little, then mentally chastised herself for it. She had to be more careful with her words while talking to Manik.

Is that a line?

Yeah, I have been hanging around Ryan He is not a great influence.

Nandani turned back to the task at hand and had just gotten her head back into things when her phone lit up again.

So here is the thing, I have been having some trouble with my studying lately

This came as a surprise. She thought studies came easily to him.

Do you need a tutor?

Yep. Wanna tutor me?

I know zero about engineering

It is not the subject matter that is getting to me Think I need some new study strategies

What is the problem, Manik?

Nandani realized she should not have asked. The constant texting meant she was having a hard time getting down to the business on this project. She was about to ask him if they could pick this up later when his response beat hers.

The problem is that every time I sit down to read I keep picturing you on top of me

Nandani nearly dropped her phone. She looked up at the bent heads around her. Alya glanced up and tilted her head inquisitively. "Everything OK?" she asked Nandani.

"Yeah, no worries, Alya." Someone was bound to notice her blushing, the way her thoughts had suddenly taken a track that had nothing to do with the law.

Good thing they were texting and not talking. Her throat was suddenly dry. She had some water.

Sounds like you need to diversify your inspiration... Try porn

No. I don't want porn girls. I can't get you out of my head

Well. Nandani took a deep breath. Tried to think about unsexy things. Like bankruptcy, which she incidentally was supposed to be in the process of making sexy. Life evidently had a sense of humor.

Try harder Manik

I have tried EVERYTHING Believe me

Without her consent, her mind conjured an image of Manik, touching her. She felt a flush creep up her neck and swallowed hard. The others had gone back to work.

This thing with us just can't happen Manik.

What thing? The thing where you moan when I make love to you?

Holy crap. The library was cold but she was sweating.

Manik clearly was a lot of things, but he was not stupid. In some areas, he might have been a rookie, but he caught on fast and was an expert at getting what he wanted. He had figured out the charming routine was not working and had upped the stakes. He had zeroed in on her weakness. As much as she cared about friend Manik, it was his alter ego that had her lying awake at night.

Manik, I have to get back to work.

And she did. But later at home in bed, she re-read his messages. It was not as good as being with him, but it was better than nothing. And she slept better afterward.