Priya in Heels (Entangled Embrace) by Ayesha Patel Page A

the recliner and failing to drag it over.
    I sighed and slipped onto his lap.
    “That a girl,” he muttered. With his hands around my waist, he readjusted my position. This was definitely a first.
    “Don’t blame me if your leg goes numb, or breaks.”
    “Worth it. Do you know how to play poker?”
    “No.” I took a bite of the pizza.
    He kept one arm around me, and the other in front of us with his cards in hand. The game started as he explained the rules and goals.
    “I can’t hear you.”
    He pulled me into him. “Then lean closer. Don’t worry, babe, I don’t bite.” Then, in a voice too low for anyone else to hear, he continued, “Unless you want me to.”
    I focused on the others and silently rebuked the butterflies in my belly, the ones that became more aggressive every time Ty was around. Now that I was in this situation, the horde of butterflies took up permanent residence. Did anyone else notice? Did Ty realize the things he was doing to me?
    The guys concentrated on their cards while Terrie and Steve whispered to one another about their hand. They were all so serious and weren’t paying attention to the two of us.
    “The most important thing is keeping a poker face,” Terrie said.
    “That’s not difficult. I don’t know what’s going on,” I replied.
    Jackson slid a card across the table. “Brother, I didn’t know you changed careers over to QFD.”
    I curiously looked at him, then at Ty. Mike snickered.
    “What?” I asked, not understanding why everyone thought the comment was amusing.
    “QFD stands for ‘quantum flavordynamics,’” Ty explained.
    “Which is the theory of weak interaction,” Jackson added. “As in to say, his game has gotten so weak, he’s made a career out of it.” And with that, Jackson won the hand and the group oooh’d as if he’d just talked some serious smack about Ty’s mama.
    I smiled. I loved nerdy humor.
    “Yeah, yeah,” Tyler grumbled and checked his new set of cards. “I wouldn’t be making jokes if I still lived with my mommy.” He grinned and winked.
    Mike chortled and Jackson shot him a scathing look. “You know what’s funny? That this ladies’ man found the nerve to talk to his crush after three weeks.”
    “Shut up,” Mike interjected.
    “I wanna hear,” Terrie said.
    “The girl was munching on peanut M&Ms and when Mike asked her out, she spat out her candy and some landed in Mike’s mouth. He accidentally swallowed and swelled up!”
    “I hope you had your EpiPen!” Terrie exclaimed with a hand over her mouth. “Did she at least agree to a date out of pity?”
    “Nope.”
    The group continued to poke fun at one another and laughed. I loved the banter and enjoyed how at ease I felt with Ty’s crowd, don’t get me wrong, but I was afraid of laughing too hard and…well, farting.
    A man like Ty was great with flirting, and he did it well. But no matter how much a man liked a woman, things turned sour when that woman passed gas in front of him. People entered and left lives, and many were forgotten memories, but a man never forgets a woman who farted on him.
    “You’re so beautiful,” Terrie commented after their turn. “Do you mind if I ask what nationality you are?”
    “I get that question all the time. I’m Indian.”
    “You know who you remind me of? What’s her name?” She snapped her fingers. “The Bollywood actress with the beautiful eyes, Miss Universe?”
    “Aishwarya Rai?”
    “Yes! You look like her.”
    I almost choked. That was a first. “Wow, what a compliment, but I don’t think I look anything like her. She’s gorgeous.”
    “Who’s that?” Ty asked.
    “Don’t you watch Bollywood movies?” Terrie asked.
    “No. You mean the Indian movies where everyone randomly dances and sings?”
    “Yes. They’re so beautiful, emotional.” Terrie batted her eyelashes.
    “Okay…”
    I elbowed him. “You need more culture.”
    “I guess you’ll have to teach me.”
    “So what do you do for