Chapter 18 #2
“Wait a few months. Then we will see which of you cock-pecks the other.” Sudhanshu waves his finger between Jimmy and me.
My jaw drops. Kenny taps my chin closed. “Don't be awed, mate. We all know what's happening between you two.”
“Leave them alone.” Brian drags a smiling Kenny away.
Sahil stands and stretches himself. “Want me to drop you off?” He is the only one who has had only one drink.
“Addy is staying with me tonight.” Jimmy squeezes me against his chest.
“Being a nice host, Mr Jimmy Narwal?” I tease him. He has never invited me to his home in the resort’s staff quarters.
“Why waste a beautiful night? We haven't celebrated in our special way.” Jimmy kisses my temple.
“I will leave you two.” Sahil is embarrassed and rushes off.
Jimmy and I take a stroll to his room on a hill down the resort, me holding his elbow as he leads the way. An occasional lamp hung from a tree branch lights the narrow, well-walked path. Crickets chirp as a gentle breeze blows across the hillside.
I look up as we round a corner. “If not for the haze from the resort lights, tonight would be perfect for stargazing. The sky is so clear.”
“Let's change first, and I will take you to a place where we can stare at the stars.” Jimmy nudges me forward.
He walks me to a quaint wood-walled hut with a sloping terracotta roof.
. Once the lights are turned on, I understand why Jimmy never invited me into his single room, only big enough to accommodate a queen-size bed, a table, and a chair.
The table is littered with a pan, a few glasses, health supplements, and a shaker.
On one wall next to a door is a wash basin.
On the opposite wall are a built-in cupboard and a window.
Over the bed is a set of three framed photos of his friends' group.
“The place is not much.” Jimmy lowers his head as he walks to the cupboard.
“Hey, this is yours. Your home is important and precious.” I walk behind him and plant a kiss on his cheek.
Jimmy takes a small breath as he grabs a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and places them in my hands. “You use the bathroom and change.” He points me to the door next to the basin.
When I come out, tying the shorts' drawstrings, Jimmy has already changed into a cute teddy-bear-print pair of white boxer shorts and a blue tank top.
He looks sexy. “I hope I won't scare the crows away at this time of the night.” The t-shirt hangs on my shoulders as I swirl with my hands to the sides.
Jimmy laughs and gathers me in his arms, swaying me around.
He scrapes his teeth into my exposed shoulder and plants a kiss.
“Adorable Addy won't scare any crows even in the morning. But, if any blackbird comes near, I will protect you.”
“What about the bears and foxes where you are taking me tonight?” I remind Jimmy of his promise.
“The only wild animal allowed near you is me. Come, let's go watch the stars.” Jimmy grabs a bedsheet and ushers me outside. We walk for a few minutes, using the torches on our phones to illuminate our path, and arrive at a flat part of the hill, away from any lights of human habitation.
“Come here.” Jimmy pulls me down on the sheet he has spread on the grass.
I stumble and fall next to him. “Cool. Is this your secret hideout?”
“I don't hide from anybody. But, yeah, when I want a quiet place to brood, this has the best views, even in daytime.” Jimmy moves closer to me, pushing his muscled arm below my head.
I snuggle and rest my head on his shoulder.
Our bodies align like pieces of a puzzle, cosy in each other's warmth.
Minutes pass, and our breaths synchronise in the companionable silence as we absorb the night, gazing at the stars.
“Jimmy, wish for something.” My excitement at the sight of a shooting star startles him. “Aww, you missed it.”
“You believe in this stuff?” He runs a finger on my arm, giving me goosebumps.
I take a deep breath and exhale. “At this time in my life, hope is all I have. Shooting stars may not grant wishes, but they at least kindle hope and help us keep our dreams alive.”
“What is your dream?” Jimmy whispers in my ear and nibbles my earlobe.
I squirm. “At thirty-seven, and after the last two years, I am too scared to dream.”
“Everybody has dreams. They change with time. Some we achieve, some we don't.” Jimmy continues his tasting of my skin. This time behind my ear.
“Hmm. Mr Jimmy the Wise, tell me, what dreams do you have for your life?”
“On one summer vacation, Bapu took me to Delhi to meet an uncle.
I saw this display of Raymond's complete man. The billboard stretched over the entire parapet wall of a high-rise building.” Jimmy draws a frame with his palms across the sky.
“I want my face plastered on a hoarding at a busy intersection of a big city.”
“Your dream is about to come true.”
“Nah. I am a teeny-weeny fish in a vast ocean. Amongst the giant whales, who will notice me?”
“Jimmy, everyone starts small. This is the beginning. Raymond is considering you for their next print campaign,” I reassure him.
Jimmy dismisses my words. “Okay, I told you my crazy childhood dream. You tell me yours. What did you want to do as a child? What drove you to become a history professor?”
There were so many. Finding a loving partner. Travelling the world. All collapsed. One did come true, though, at least in part. When archaeology became untenable after Ma fell ill, becoming a history professor brought solace.
“I wanted to discover and explore. Our country is so ancient, and there are so many cultures, cities, and towns. Some survived. Others changed. I want to unearth something—a historical monument, a statue.”
Jimmy smirks at the mention of a statue. I pout and move away from him. “Forget what I said. I will not make a fool of myself sharing my childhood dream.”
“Aw, sorry. Stay. I will be a good boy. Please. Pretty please.” He pulls me into him.
I huff out my protest and stick my tongue at him. “In sixth grade, a documentary on Greek history hooked me like a fish. Whenever alone, I would play the role of a great explorer in my imagination.”
“Let us do it.” Jimmy’s eyes brighten.
“Let us do what?” I am puzzled by his sudden excitement.
“Let us go on a quest. You are a history expert. I have walked the trails in Uttarakhand. When we are free on any Saturday or Sunday, we pack a bag and go off to a location, speak to people, and explore.” Jimmy shakes my shoulders, pleading with his eyes.
My laughter bubbles over with happiness at sharing a dream with him. “Yes, Mr. Jimmy Indiana Jones, we can go explore together.”
“Am I sexier than Harrison Ford?” Jimmy wiggles his eyebrows.
I am surprised he caught on to the reference.
“What?” He stares at me.
“You are so much more.”
Jimmy plants a kiss on my cheek. “So, Mr Starwatcher, as a future explorer, teach me to read the sky. Maybe one day I can help you find our way through the forests. Show me the Saptrishi.”
“Easy.” I survey the sky and locate the Ursa Major. “There, at seven o'clock. Four stars aligned in a sort of square with a tail of three stars.”
Jimmy reaches out to my extended finger and brings the tip to his lips. “The only twinkle I have eyes for is right next to me.”
“Aww, has the romance book rubbed off on you?” I shove Jimmy's shoulder.
He turns over and crushes me below him, kissing me hard.
I open my mouth and allow his tongue in, relishing the connection.
Our hips rub against each other, making me whimper.
The moan is loud in the silent night. “Jimmy, we are outside.” I remind him.
He plants a soft kiss and lies on his back, gazing at the sky. “Addy, do honest, kind-hearted people become stars after they die?”
“Hmm, perhaps. Or they are only stories to keep our hopes alive, a way to connect to the people we love long after they are gone. A memorial in the sky.”
“Like Col. Wilfred.” Jimmy tickles me.
I squirm away from his touch, giggling. “No, not like Col. Wilfred, dummy. I did not know him in person.” I use the distraction to take my revenge on Jimmy.
We grapple on the ground, finding places to tickle.
He, of course, overpowers me, pinning my arms above my head.
He licks a trail of wetness from my wrists down my arms before capturing my mouth with another kiss.
Unfortunately, his lips part too fast, leaving me panting for more.
I gaze into his eyes, filled with desire.
An ache builds in my chest, longing gripping me tighter by the second, but confessing my love at this moment is early.
Jimmy is too young for me. His entire world is only opening now.
And I am unsure how to undo the lie on which I have built our relationship.
So, I say the next best thing. “Jimmy, you are my star.”
He stares at me. A fleeting emotion passes over his face. “What's wrong?” I blurt out. His silence worries me. I try to cover my tracks. “What I meant was, you will be a star someday. A star in this world.”
Jimmy stiffens and falls by my side. Shit, I have made this worse. He moves my hand over his chest. “Addy, I am not sure if this Delhi gig will work for me.”
“Why?” I try to hide my worry by resting my head on his chest. Did something happen in Delhi?
He sighs. “At the recording studio, everyone was welcoming, but in a calculated way. The eyes and the words had no warmth — only professionalism. I worry the world of glamour will change me. I will lose my friends. Lose my connection to Almora.”
God, this sweet man. What is a devil like me doing with this angel?
“No, you won't. Remember where you came from. Where you started? Jimmy, you have faced a dark phase in your life. The memory of those painful days will keep you rooted.” I trace the contour of his muscled shoulder, firming my resolve to pick every thorn in Jimmy's path.
He rakes his fingers in my hair. “Addy, will you keep me rooted? Will you be with me on this journey? Not let the success go to my head.”
Oh boy, am I in deep trouble?