Priya in Heels (Entangled Embrace) by Ayesha Patel

yourself.
    Priya: I have to shower. Is that okay?
    Ty: As opposed to smelling rank like diseased patients, please do! :P
    I laughed and rushed through a shower. Afterward, I blow-dried my hair while I pondered if it needed trimming. Then I made an effort with my face, though why I needed to impress Ty…uh, Ty’s friends, I didn’t know.
    My friends were, for the most part, very successful and educated women. I didn’t know anything about Ty’s crowd, but I wanted to be cool enough for them, not just another stereotypical Indian doctor.
    Blow-drying made my arms ache. Mental note: get a haircut. Astringent, moisturizer, primer, foundation, bronzer, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss! Boy, no wonder I hated makeup.
    I threw on a dark blue, quarter-sleeved ribbed shirt with a square neckline. Though the neckline didn’t plunge like the V-necks Tulsi often wore, the square shape offered more skin with less cleavage. Blue jeans to be casual, and sneakers. I was comfortable and presentable, although if I really wanted to be comfortable, I’d wear gym shorts.
    A young man opened Ty’s door after two knocks. He swept his gaze down my body and back to my face before a smile curved his lips. “You must be Pree.”
    “It’s Priya, and yes, that’s me,” I said, trying to finish on a friendlier note than what I had begun with.
    “Damn,” he said. “Tyler was right.”
    “About what?”
    “About you being fine as hell.”
    My cheeks flushed, and my face and neck turned red hot. Ty had talked me up, apparently.
    “What exactly did he say?” I just had to know!
    “Something about you being brainy, a little crazy, in shape, beautiful eyes a man could get lost in, and oh yeah, definitely edible.”
    I turned even warmer, if that were at all possible.
    “Who’s at the door, man?” Ty asked from inside.
    “Your friend, Pree…ya. Come in.”
    I didn’t expect such enthusiasm from Ty’s crowd when they met me. A beautiful, willowy blonde jumped up from a chair and shook my hand. She beamed, setting off a deepening dimple, and her blue eyes sparkled. “You must be Pree!”
    “It’s Priya,” the man who’d answered the door corrected her.
    “Oh, sorry. Tyler always calls you Pree.”
    “It’s okay.” Just how often did he speak of me, exactly?
    “I’m Terrie. That’s my boyfriend, Steve.”
    A tall, dark-haired, golden-skinned man stood beside her and shook my hand. “Hey there, Priya. Lovely to meet you.”
    “So nice to meet you, too,” I said.
    “Jackson.” A dark-skinned man in slacks jumped up and shook my hand next.
    “And you met Mike,” Terrie said, indicating the man who had opened the door. He raised a beer bottle to me.
    The group, who must’ve been in the middle of a hand, returned to their seats around the table.
    “Come on over.” Terrie waved.
    Ty walked around the counter and approached me. “Hey, glad you made it.” He gave me a light, unanticipated hug that did all sorts of weird things to my body. “Come on, we’re almost done with this hand. There’s pizza in the kitchen and drinks. Help yourself.”
    I placed my keys and cell phone on the counter and loaded a plate with two slices of pepperoni pizza. I was a bit puzzled when I walked to the table because there wasn’t a chair for me. There were four chairs for six people. Terrie propped herself on Steve’s lap. I expected Ty to grab a chair, though the only other one I saw was a heavy recliner in the living room. Maybe he would offer his seat to me.
    Ty patted his thigh. Maybe not.
    I made a face. He couldn’t be serious. “Really?”
    “Really. Best seat in the house.”
    “You don’t have another chair?”
    “Oh, come on!” Terrie said from across the table. “You might like it.” She winked and the guys chanted, “Sit!”
    My face turned warm again, which it seemed to do a lot around Ty. Peer pressure was harsh, and I didn’t want to make a scene by demanding Ty relinquish his seat or by storming to