Chapter 8 #4
At around four o’clock, he pulled on a fresh shirt and set out to look for Kaavi.
He decided to stop by the hotel bar first for a drink because the day had dragged on longer than expected.
Being CEO came with the kind of pressure he thrived on, but his personal life felt like a weight he couldn’t shake.
It pressed on him in quiet moments, especially now.
He needed to sort it out. Needed clarity. Needed her.
The bar at The Grand Meyer was what you’d expect from a five-star hotel: polished, dimly lit, all dark wood and leather, shelves stacked with top-shelf bottles that gleamed under golden light. It buzzed with the low hum of business travellers and tourists.
Neel stepped in, scanning the room out of habit. Then he froze.
There she was. Sitting at the far end of the bar, laughing lightly at something some guy beside her had just said. The man was leaning in, clearly trying his luck. Neel didn’t move. He just stood there, pulse suddenly hammering.
Jealousy surged through him, but he kept his face straight. No drama. He wasn’t going to walk up to Kaavi. Instead, he picked a stool two seats down. Close enough to catch the conversation, far enough to stay in the shadows. She wouldn’t notice him unless she turned her head.
The guy beside her was mid-sentence, going on about Cape Town and how he’d always wanted to see the mountains.
Neel pegged the accent immediately. American.
And clearly trying hard. He was talking like he knew the place, but every sentence sounded like something pulled from a brochure.
Neel couldn’t make sense of it. Why was this guy trying to impress her with a place she actually knew?
Then again, Neel hadn’t flirted in years.
Maybe this was how things worked now. Maybe the rules had changed and he’d missed the memo.
‘I bet you’d look sexy as hell on that mountain in a bikini,’ the man said, grinning like it was charming.
That did it. Neel stood, slipped his hands into his pockets and walked straight over.
‘Ah, there you are. I’ve been looking for you.’
The man gave Neel a slow once-over. ‘And you are?’
‘Her husband,’ Neel said, cool as ever.
The guy blinked, looked at Kaavi. ‘Really?’
She nodded. Neel nodded.
‘Well, guess that’s my cue to go. It was nice meeting you and yeah, I’ll check out Cape Town on my own then.’
He picked up his drink and slipped away.
‘Am I going to have to describe Cape Town to get my way with you?’ Neel teased.
Kaavi shook her head, still a little thrown.
‘I have no idea what just happened. I was sitting here waiting for four o’clock because I thought you might be finished working by then and I could come knocking on your door.
Then this guy just came up to me. I mean, can’t people see I have a wedding ring on? ’ she said, holding up her hand.
Then she paused.
She’d said ‘wedding ring’. Talked like they were married.
Yes, they were. On paper. Technically. But had they really been married, properly married, in the last couple of years? No. Not even close.
Neel didn’t say a word. He just smiled and took the stool beside her. ‘So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?’ he asked.
‘Well, I was hoping I could show you Rally if you want me to.’
‘I’d love to, but what’s there to see, Kaavi? I’ve been to the supermarket. I’ve been to your cousin’s place. I’ve been to Riya’s. I’ve been to your apartment. I’ve even been to the doctor’s rooms.’
‘The doctor’s rooms?’
‘Yeah. I visited Sven yesterday. Just to check in, see how he’s doing.’
‘Oh. Right. Sven. Your best friend,’ she said with humour in her eyes.
Neel chuckled. ‘But seriously, what’s there in Rally I still need to see?’
‘There’s the famous statue,’ Kaavi offered.
‘The ugly one in Town Square?’ I’ve seen it.’
‘Okay … then how about I show you …’ She stopped, thought for a moment, then sighed. ‘There’s nothing to see in Rally.’
Neel laughed.
‘Well, why don’t we do this instead? We order in because I’m not taking any chances with us cooking and we watch a movie. Room service, something easy, no pressure,’ he said.
‘That actually sounds like a plan,’ she replied.
Simple. Normal. Comfortable.
Neel sat back, smiling, but inside he felt ridiculous.
He’d been married to this woman for almost three years, yet somehow it still felt like he was asking her out on a date.
A first date. And not the smooth kind, one of those nerve-twisting, second-guessing ones where you’re not sure where you stand.
He felt silly. He also felt a little excited. Nervous, even.
For a grown man that was a strange kind of thrill.
When they got to Neel’s suite, Kaavi kicked off her strappy sandals and sank into the couch.
She glanced around, taking in the sleek furniture, the oversized windows, the kind of décor that screamed wealth.
It was a ridiculously expensive suite. And it made her wonder why Neel was really staying here.
Yes, he could afford it. His company could.
His family definitely could. But why for an entire month?
The questions built up inside her. She knew she should be happy that he wanted to spend time with her.
But instead, she felt like she was on edge, waiting for the moment one of them would say the wrong thing.
The thing that would break whatever fragile thing they were holding onto.
And then there was the clock. In less than two weeks, he’d be on a plane back to Johannesburg.
She still hadn’t told him how she felt. So now they were stuck, together, alone, unsure.
Neel sat down beside her, close but not touching, picked up the remote and broke the silence.
‘What do you want to watch?’
Kaavi shrugged. ‘Whatever you feel like.’
But he didn’t switch on the TV. Instead, he placed the remote gently between them like a boundary.
‘So, this thing between us,’ he started.
Kaavi swallowed hard. So this was it. They were going to talk about it.
‘Yeah,’ she managed, barely above a whisper.
‘This thing … it’s weird. I mean, when we first got together, we spoke about it. But we never really got to the bottom of it. I just don’t get it. The attraction, the chemistry … it’s always been intense. I look at you and I want you. I want to be near you. I want you.’
He looked over at her, his expression soft but sure. ‘And I know it’s not one-sided. It never was.’
Kaavi nodded, slowly, eyes locked on her fingers curled in her lap.
But as the words hung in the air, something became clear to her.
He wasn’t talking about a future. He wasn’t talking about building something, trying again, asking what comes next.
He was talking about wanting. About the pull between them that never faded.
About the way their bodies spoke even when their lives were a mess.
It had always been like that. And it still was.
‘But I think sometimes … it’s not a good thing,’ Neel said. ‘I mean, wanting you, who wouldn’t want a supermodel?’
He winced the second the words left his mouth.
‘Wait, I’m saying this all wrong, Kaavi. I don’t mean that I married you or that I’m with you or that I slept with you because you were a supermodel, or because you’re hot—’
He groaned, ran a hand through his hair. ‘No, wait, you are hot. God, that’s not what I meant either. I’m butchering this. I can see why I sound like an idiot sometimes.’
Kaavi burst out laughing. ‘Neel, who said you sound like an idiot? You’re one of the smartest men I know.’
‘But it’s not coming across like that, Kaavi!’ he said.
‘Okay, I agree,’ she said, trying to hold back a grin. ‘I have no idea what you’re trying to say, Neel. All I’ve heard is that you want me, and boy do I want you right now too.’
She paused.
‘Is that what we’re talking about now? Because I’m not sure. Are we … like … is this foreplay? I’m honestly not sure what this conversation is anymore,’ she continued.
Neel dropped his head back against the couch and let out a laugh. ‘God, I don’t know either. I started with feelings, ended up sounding like a horny teenager, and somewhere in between I think I offended you, complimented you and made no real point.’
‘So does that mean we’re headed to the bedroom?’ Kaavi asked.
Neel groaned. ‘Kaavi, you’re not making this easy.’
She smirked, twisting the strap of her floral summer dress between her fingers.
‘I think I know what I want to say. I just need to get it out the right way.’
‘Spit it out, Neel. For God’s sake.’
‘Let me make my point,’ he continued, shifting closer.
‘Here it is: this thing between us, this urgency, this pull, it’s always been there.
Always will be. It doesn’t fade. I don’t know how to explain it, and maybe we don’t need to.
It just is. But I need to know … is there something you want to say?
Anything you want to tell me? Or do you …
why are you looking at me like that, Kaavi? ’
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, breathless. ‘I can’t concentrate. You were saying something about … wanting? Need? Chemistry?’
Neel let out a half-laugh, half-growl. ‘You know what? Forget it. I can’t do this right now. This conversation will have to wait …’
He leaned in.
‘Because I want you. Right now.’
And then his lips were on hers.