9. Queenie
CHAPTER NINE
QUEENIE
RECOMMENDED LISTENING ‘HOLD ME CLOSER’ BY ELTON JOHN, brITNEY SPEARS
I am spun out, breathless in Noah’s tight and strangely comforting hold. He still feels the same. All safe and sexy and perfectly built. Even his scent, manly sweat and spicy cool cologne, feels reassuring. But how can it be when last night was a mistake and he is dangerous ?
I’m wrong. This is just stress hormones making me cling to the first thing that feels safe.
I immediately step back. Almost, elbowing him in the stomach.
His eyes glitter hectically but Noah gives me a sickly-sweet smile. He is right to be mad at me. In my haste to get away from him I made it look as if…as if…
“Queenie, bete . Are you okay?”
I almost groan out loud at my godfather’s concerned tones, calling me child. Great. I was so preoccupied with the great revenge plot I forgot Rohit Chachu, my stern godfather, will be in town for the cricket camp he’s started.
Noah puts a proprietary hand around my waist as he whirls us around. “Of course, she’s okay, sir. Why wouldn’t she be okay?” His fingers dig lightly into my waist.
I keep my yelp inside as I look at Rohit Chachu’s thunderous expression.
“Dumaine told me…” Rohit stops talking and looks at Moronica, who’s gawking at Noah and me. “Excuse me, miss. Is there a reason you’re standing here?”
“Yes.” Noah gives her the same hectic smile he gave me. “You’re not bothering my girl with that stupid video, are you?”
My eyes widen and my heart beats uncomfortably again. My girl? Did he just call me my girl?
“Because, you know, videos lie all the time. Especially silent ones,” he continues quietly. “And I have the De Rossi family’s lawyer, Calvin Dumaine, on speed dial. He’ll be happy to serve you with a defamation lawsuit.”
My eyes widen comically. The De Rossi family’s lawyer has the same two names as Noah.
“You’re Noah Dumaine,” Rohit says slowly. “You’re related to the De Rossi family?”
Noah nods. “Yes, sir. My father’s been Head Legal Counsel for the De Rossis for thirty-one years. Our families are very close. And anything harms one of the De Rossis, harms all of us.” He gives Veronica a shark-like look. “I’m sure he’ll be very interested to know of this development.”
“I was just showing her the video I took,” Veronica squeaks out. Fear leaking out of her very pores. Even Veronica knows who the De Rossis are. “Because it’s pretty funny. How she can’t get away from you fast enough.” Her smile is plasticky and stretched at the edges.
“That’s because I remembered I’d kept the hot plate on the whole night,” I answer quickly. “I didn’t want to cause a fire hazard,” I add weakly at Chachu’s questioning look.
“I didn’t know that,” Veronica whispers.
“No, you just thought you’d have some fun shooting an X-rated video of my girl and me,” Noah hits back.
Veronica juts her bony chin out. “It’s not illegal to shoot videos, is it?”
“You’re still going to delete the video, aren’t you?” Noah asks politely.
Veronica nods so hard, her ponytail scratches her cheek.
I whoop internally.
“Right the fuck now?” He prompts.
“Ye-yes.” Veronica presses buttons on her phone and shows the screen to Noah. “There, it’s all done.”
“Awesome. And because I’m a cautious bastard, you can still expect a call and legal action from my father in…” He looks at his watch. “With the time difference, it’ll be too late tonight. But I bet I can wake him up for this.”
“Look, Noah, we don’t have to—” Veronica panics.
“Actually, I’d like to check if you have any other evidence in there for myself?” He smiles thinly. “You can never be too sure nowadays, can you?” Noah extends his hand, and Veronica puts the phone in his hand. “Thanks, mate.”
He squeezes my waist again and then walks a few feet away.
Rohit Chachu looks at me inscrutably. “You’re dating this boy?” He asks me quietly.
I don’t answer him. I’m reeling from the events of the last few minutes. Noah’s rich. Like filthy rich. He called me ‘My Girl.’ He made Veronica ‘My Nemesis’ Washington delete a damaging video with a few words and that aura of power I did not know he possessed.
And the vein in Rohit’s forehead, which pops when he is angry at a bowler for sledging, is close to bursting.
“I—”
“I thought you’re on a special intensive study this semester, Queenie. Not hanging around out-of-town cricket players.”
Noah is a cricket player?!
Will the surprises not stop?
“I didn’t know about the cricket thing, Chachu.” I step closer to him and hold his hand. He’s the closest thing to family for me, right now. And I am so glad to see him even if he looks pissed. “You look amazing.” I lie to him because I want him to stop going purple. “I thought you were coming next week.”
“Forget about me, Queenie.” He squeezes my hand. “And tell me how long this thing with Dumaine’s been going on? Is it serious? Because he said?—”
“I said a lot of things a man who’s with a girl like Queenie would say. All of them true.” Noah shows up noiselessly next to me and this time tries to put a hand around my shoulder.
But I step away from him and give my godfather-slash-uncle a hug. “I’m so happy you’re here, Chachu. I missed you so much.”
Rohit hugs me tight and briefly. And, weirdly, I feel the same sense of safety and affection from him that I felt in Noah’s hug. Which is impossible because I don’t like Noah and I just…
“I missed you too, Queenie. And we have to catch up for dinner now that I’m here but, for right now, I just need to know one thing.”
“What thing?”
“He means if we are for real, Queenie.” Noah turns me to face him and winks cheekily. But I can see the flat expression in his pitch-black eyes. “He wants to know if you’re my girl.”
There’s the phrase again. My girl. What in the hell is he talking about?
“Don’t presume to speak for me, Dumaine,” Rohit barks at him. “Did you sort the situation with the other girl?”
Noah nods briskly. “Yes, sir. Absolutely. Veronica and the video won’t be a problem anymore. She’s deleted it from her phone and her backup accounts. She’ll also be writing a profound apology to me. For this breach of privacy.” He squeezes my hand.
“Will she?” I murmur, my head reeling again.
“Yes,” Noah replies.
The relief I feel at the word almost makes me barf again. This time from an excess of stress.
“And you really are with him ?” Rohit emphasizes roughly.
I smile wanly at my uncle. “Define ‘with’, Chachu.”
“Just tell me you’re fine, Queenie. I need to know you’re fine,” Rohit says quietly. And then goes in for the killer move. “Your parents would expect me keep an eye on you when they aren’t here.”
“I’m fine, Chachu.” I break free of Noah’s hold and hug my uncle again.
He’s so fine and handsome in the designer threads, a polished version of international athlete. I am so proud of him. And I love cricket because Chachu brought me a little red season ball for my third birthday and spent hours playing catch with me. He’s been insanely busy with his skyrocketing career over the years, but he’s always made time for me, especially.
“I really am fine.” I reassure him and watch as some of the skepticism melts from his face. “I hope…” I bite my lip and look at Noah uncertainly. “I hope everything’s fine for you too.”
“Everything is fine,” Rohit murmurs. “For now.” He rubs a hand over the back of his neck. He shoots Noah a hard look. “But none of this means shit on the pitch, Dumaine. Hope you understand that.”
“So, you’re not kicking me out of the camp then, sir?” Noah asks easily.
But I see the slight trembling of his fingers he hides by tapping them against his sweatpants.
This matters to him , I realize . This cricket camp is important to him.
“Not yet, no. Not for dating my goddaughter.” Rohit frowns again. “But, Queenie, when I spoke to the dean and asked about you, he said you don’t live in the dorms anymore. Is that true?”
Oh shit. My godfather is tight with Thorndon’s authorities, because of the honorary engineering doctorate they gave him fifteen years ago. Rohit actually came to Thorndon with my dad and studied for a semester before he was selected by the Board of Cricket India and never went back. It’s how I was able to score an interview with the admissions department too. Because he made a phone call.
“Yeah –”
“About that, sir—” Noah begins slowly. With the same hectic smile that scares and annoys me.
“What?” Rohit spits out.
“Queenie’s staying with me now, sir.” Noah slides his hand into mine and squeezes our palms. “We live together.”