32. Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Beau
B aby fucking steps! That's how Mira and I were working through our relationship. She'd talked to a very excited Pari over the phone. Roxy and I told Pari that Mira had been busy with work, but she'd be coming home soon. I really hoped I wasn't going to break my little girl's heart.
"What are you doing here, Beauregard Bodine?" Nina Davenport cornered me before I managed to get to the brand-new cafeteria at Savannah Lace, holding a box of rasgulla , a Bengali sweet, which was Mira's favorite. I'd had them shipped from Nathus Sweets in Atlanta.
"Hi, Nina."
"What's in the box, Beau?"
"None of your business."
She narrowed her eyes and sniffed the air. "It smells Indian."
"Maybe."
"Are you going to bother my cafeteria manager?" she demanded.
"No, ma'am. I'm gonna make her day." I sighed and opened the box to show her the goodies inside.
Nina crossed her arms, glancing down at rasgullas like I was holding some kind of contraband. The syrupy white orbs sat nestled in their tray, soaking in a pool of sugar syrup. They were soft, delicate, and sweet as sin. During that amazing month we'd spent together, wrapped in each other, Mira had told me about her favorite Bengali dish. I hadn't forgotten. Like I could forget anything that had to do with her.
" Rasgulla ?" Nina lifted an eyebrow, her sharp blue eyes flicking up to mine. "Where'd you get these?"
"I'm impressed you know what these are." I let my amusement show. "Had 'em shipped from Atlanta."
"How thoughtful," she said, not hiding the skepticism in her voice. Nina knew me well, and she sure as hell knew this wasn't just about being thoughtful. I was trying to win my girl back.
"I'm full of surprises." I snapped the lid shut. "Now, if you'll excuse me."
"Beau." She stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "What makes you think Mira's gonna be impressed by a box of sweets?"
I stopped, focusing my gaze at her. "It's not about the sweets, Nina."
She gave me a long, hard look, like she was trying to figure out if I was serious or just running another play. "Then what's it about?"
"It's about showing her I remember. And that I give a damn." My voice was low. I was trying to sound confident, but I was sure Nina could tell I was scared shitless.
Nina stared at me for a beat longer, then sighed, stepping aside. "I sometimes feel like I'm running a matchmaking agency instead of an architecture and design firm."
I grinned. "I could say somethin' highly inappropriate, but since I like my balls where they are, I'm goin' to go find my girl."
Nina sighed. "Everyone in my firm is hookin' up. It's a disease."
"Come on, Nina, we'll probably have a big, fat Indian wedding, and you'll be invited."
Nina was laughing as she walked away. "You're one optimistic, son of a bitch, Beau, I'll give you that. Good luck with your balls, the ones in syrup and those in your pants."
With Nina out of the way, I headed toward the cafeteria doors. The brand-new space smelled of delicious food and spices. I knew that Mira had helped design this, and she'd built something that was warm, modern, somewhere people would actually want to spend their time. Maybe I should have her come and assess the cafeteria in my company. That place could use a shot of cozy.
I adjusted my grip on the box, my palms sweating just enough to piss me off. It wasn't the sweets that had me worked up, it was Mira. I was afraid she'd put up walls, shut me out like I didn't exist, and it was driving me out of my damn mind.
She was behind the counter, humming.
I stood for a long minute and watched her.
She was in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. No one should look so fucking good in such basic clothes, but my Mira did. Her hair was tied up and she wore a bandana, chef style, to hold the silken strands away from her face.
I cleared my throat, stepped up to the counter, and set the box down in front of her like it was some kind of peace offering.
"What's that?" she asked.
I let my breath out in relief. She was in a good mood. Since our chat at the bar, she was letting me in. She talked to me. She let me talk to her. "Hello, darlin'. How are you doin' today?"
She cocked an eyebrow. "Beau, I was doing just fine until you came along. What's in the box?"
"It's for you to find out."
She didn't move, didn't reach for the box. "Beau?"
"Come on, darlin', work with me here."
She held back a smile, but I knew it was taking her some effort to do that. She opened the box and gasped. "No!"
" Yes ." I loved that this made her happy. I wanted to do nothing but make her happy for the rest of our lives, if she'd let me.
" Rasgulla ?"
"I believe so."
She looked at the card in the box. "From Nathus?"
"Your favorite."
She looked at me like I'd bought her diamonds. Hell, I didn't think she'd be this happy, even if I had gotten her expensive jewelry. But this box of sweets—forty-nine ninety-nine, shipping included—was what brought that smile to her face, the one I'd missed so fucking much.
"The whole box is for me?"
I laughed. I had to. "Yes."
"You don't even want one?" she mused.
"Only if you feed me." I took a step toward the counter. She picked up one of the white milk balls and pretended that she'd give it to me, but then popped it into her mouth instead.
"Delicious," she teased.
I grabbed her T-shirt, and crushed her mouth with mine. I tasted the sweet syrup and the cardamom… and Mira.
It had been fucking forever since I kissed her, since I had her this close. She moaned softly, and I raised my head, nipped her lower lip gently. "It is delicious."
"What is?" she asked huskily.
"You, Mira. You—"
"What the fuck, Beau! I told you, I'm not runnin' a matchmaking service here." Nina's booming, sharp voice softened my erection just like that !
"Sorry, Nina." Mira stepped back, looking frightened.
"Not you," Nina immediately said. "Got a problem with Mr. Bodine here. You're doin' just fine, hon."
What had made Nina successful was seeing people—and she knew as soon as she barked at me that Mira, whose self-confidence was in the fucking dumps, would freak out, which was why she stopped to make sure Mira understood she was busting my balls.
Mira looked at me, and then Nina.
"I piss her off," I told Mira, frustrated that she couldn't see Nina was just yanking my chain—that she wasn't being serious.
We had a ways to go, I realized, before Mira would find her confidence again—or find it anew, and not fake it as she'd been doing all her young life. She was just twenty-two. So young. I was going to have to be lover and mentor, boyfriend and friend—and I would , I promised the universe.
"Enjoy the rasgullas , make sure Nina here doesn't steal a few from you." I turned to Nina. "Should we talk about the Secure Systems expansion project?"
Nina took the bait. "Yeah. Let's do that. You save one of those squishy balls for me, Mira, 'cause I love Bengali sweets."
Mira's face lit up. "You do?"
"Oh yes," Nina admitted. " Basundi , sandesh , rasmalai …you know, if you want to serve Indian desserts, I think there are several of us here who'd appreciate it."
"Yeah? I can do that," Mira said eagerly, and then looked at me as if she'd found a treasure.
"Ask her to make some of her carrot halwa …it's Pari's favorite." It hurt more than I could express that she wouldn't see our daughter because I'd fucked up so badly that she thought Pari was better off without her.
By the time I got to Nina's office, my eyes were moist, and she patted my shoulder but didn't insult me further by pushing tissues toward me.
"I need to be careful with her." Nina swiveled in her chair. "I…she's fragile."
"Yeah." I let out a slow breath. "I feel like I caused this…but I also know that I was the last nail in the fuckin' coffin. She's had nothing but responsibility. Nothing but people letting her down, especially those who should love her, all her life. And I did the same thing."
"Stop beatin' yourself, Beau, no one's got time for that," Nina admonished. "Just keep doin' what you are, and she'll heal. You know, a therapist once told me that depressed people don't create, don't cook. Mira is cooking up a fuckin' storm, and the food is amazing. She's recovering. She's not alone this time. She's got all of us. She's got you."
"She won't see Pari."
"She needs time. But it's goin' to be soon. I've seen her go from being serious and quiet to now smiling and engaging with people."
"Yeah? God, I hope so," I said, swallowing the frustration that tried to claw its way up.
"So, about your headquarter expansion project, we're going to put our new architect on it. Zahra Delacroix."
I arched an eyebrow. "I met her. She moved here from California."
"She's engaged to Lawrence Rookwood."
"Larry Rockwood is an asshole."
Nina shrugged. "Like I said, not runnin' a matchmaking agency. She's a damn good architect."
"Okay. I'll ask James to get in touch with Rachel to set up a briefing meeting." My phone beeped and I checked a message from work. I got up. "I have to get to the office. Nina, thanks for hiring Mira."
Nina smiled. "Hey, the pleasure is literally all mine."