Incense and Sensibility (The Rajes #3) - Sonali Dev Page 0,72

team being stuck somewhere between excitement over this unexpected gift and sadness over the tragedy. He just couldn’t relate to the gift half.

“Your face right now, mate.” Rico pointed his beer at Yash’s face as though Yash didn’t know where his own face was—which was fitting, because Yash didn’t know where most of him was. “That is not the face of a man who wants to win. It’s the face of a man who’s questioning his path.”

“Why would I be doing that?” That was it. That was all Yash could say. Winning was something he’d always wanted. Wasn’t it?

He walked to the French doors that overlooked the backyard lined with trees. On the other side of the trees was India’s yoga studio. From between the trees Yash could see the red-brick facade.

“You haven’t been to campaign HQ since the shooting.”

He knew. He was aware of everything he wasn’t doing. In great detail. “I’ll go soon. I’ve been responding to texts and emails. They’re holding up great.”

Rico’s face said he wanted to tell Yash that his staff were not holding up great. That they shouldn’t have to hold up without him. But he said nothing and they moved to brainstorming their strategy for the upcoming debate. The two candidates had agreed to two debates, one next week and one four weeks after that. Debates were Yash’s strength and Cruz had obviously wanted to get them over with a good month and a half before the election, so he could recover if he messed up, which Yash had planned on and now didn’t know how to execute.

By the time they had covered all the debate topics, the front door sounded and Rico went to the door with the excitement of a boy expecting a visit from Superman or whatever superhero was cool these days. Yash’s favorite superhero would always be Clark Kent, the perpetual outsider.

Instead of just Ashna’s voice, a collection of voices wafted into the kitchen.

“I hope it’s okay if we join you. It’s like there’s no privacy left at my place anymore.”

“Hi, China,” Yash said, joining them in the entrance foyer.

He’d never seen the uber-confident China Dashwood look embarrassed. But there it was.

“Hi, Yash,” she said sheepishly, as a somewhat familiar, very beautiful woman who’d been hanging on her arm hurriedly pulled away from her.

“I’m so glad you’re still here.” Ashna threw her arms around him, taking care to avoid his hurt shoulder, which barely qualified as hurt any longer. Then she examined his face like a mother hen. “You’re looking good. Better than the last time I saw you.” She locked her arms around him and held on as though she weren’t planning on letting go anytime soon.

He patted her hair. “I’m fine, Ashi.” But he was glad to be held.

“You know Song?” China said, still a little embarrassed about her opening line when she didn’t need to be. Yash should be the one embarrassed. He was the one who’d invaded China’s home.

Song bounced on her heels in that way of those who were exceptionally excited about everything and grabbed both his hands. “We met on China’s set last month.” Right, she had been on a Food Network cooking show China produced that Ashna and Rico had been on.

“Of course I remember you, Song,” Yash said. “Great to see you again.”

She bounced on her heels some more and turned to Rico. “You look as handsome as ever. Love suits you.”

“You as well. You look even more beautiful than I remember.”

Song blushed and China grinned like she’d swallowed the sun.

Ah.

So Rico and Ashna weren’t the only ones who’d found each other on that set. Must’ve been something in the studio water.

China winked at him when he smiled at her and slipped her hand back into Song’s as though she couldn’t help herself. Something ominously like fear flashed in Song’s eyes.

“Everyone here is a friend,” China said, and Song relaxed a little. “Yash is Ashna’s family, and Ashna and Rico already know.”

“Song is a huge television star, one of the biggest in the world,” Rico whispered to Yash as Ashna rushed to assure Song that everyone here was good at keeping secrets.

Yash had always prided himself on being perceptive, but it didn’t take much to see that Song was not ready to go public with her relationship with China. Whether it was a celebrity thing or a being-in-the-closet thing, Yash didn’t envy her struggle. He made a zipped-lips action at Song. Putting people at ease was what he did, and she