Innocent Temptation

Chapter Ten: I can handle him

“Hey there! You must be the new volunteer,” a cheerful voice called out from across the room.

Aira turned to see a young woman with bright eyes and a warm smile approaching her. “I’m Riya, nice to meet you.”

Aira returned the smile, noticing her short hair and the purple hairpins on both side. She was wearing a black jeans and a purple blouse, and Aira instantly felt that she liked her vibe. "Hi, I’m Aira. It’s great to meet you too. Ginny is not here?”

“Oh. Ginny comes in a bit late. But she told us about you. It’s so nice of you to join us. Today, it’s going to be me, Dan, Joey and now, you.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. Come, let me introduce you to the others.” Aira followed Riya inside and they first encountered an elderly woman that Aira recognised. “This is Mrs Weaver—”

“Oh, I know…” Aira said, grinning.

“Is that you? Little one?” Mrs Weaver said, adjusting her glasses on her face.

“Yes. How have you been?” Aira asked, walking upto her and giving the old woman a hug.

“Better. Better, now that I see you.” Mrs Weaver took hold of her arm and said, “You rushed off to that country of French so fast, no one could guess why you left. But I knew, I knew it was because you were running away from that boy.”

“Mrs Weaver!”

“What? Did I say wrong?” She waved her hand before Aira could answer and said, “Now, tell me you’ve forgotten about him. See, I have such nice boys here for you to choose.”

Just then she heard the footsteps behind her, she turned around to see two men coming up behind Riya. “Hey, Mrs Weaver,” One of them said but trailed off when his eyes fell on Aira.

The other one asked, “Are those strawberry cupcakes?” Before Aira could answer, he almost snatched the box from her and said, “Thankyou so much. You are the best person I have met today.”

“And, that’s my grandson,” Mrs Weaver informed her before yelling at her grandson, “Joey! Come back here, stop behaving like you don’t get enough food at home!”

With a sheepish look, finishing the half cupcake in his hand. Joey returned to the small group and held out his hand for Aira, “Hi.”

“Hello,” She replied, noticing that he looked a bit like a boy next door with wavy hair that were slightly longer and a loose shirt over baggy jeans. He looked in his early twenties and it was confirmed when Mrs Weaver commented, “You are twenty four years old and you behave like fourteen.”

“Hi, I am Dan. And, you are beautiful.” The other one extended his hand and looked more put together as he shook her hand. Aira felt her cheeks flushing as she looked at him and especially when he took a moment longer before he released her hand.

She cleared her throat and replied, “I am Aira.”

“Beautiful name.”

“Hmm. We all know she’s beautiful, my boy, say something new.” Mrs Weaver harrumphed and then patted his arm before walking out.

Just then the bell rang outside and Riya said, “That must be Ginny.”

Oh. Thank God. She was starting to feel a little warm with Dan's gaze on her. It felt excitingly appealing to have a man admiring her after so long and not feel the unwanted surge of nausea creep up on her when she felt threatened by the leering gaze of some men. But Dan's attention wasn’t malicious in anyway and after the indifference and the cold shoulder of a certain someone, this attention was welcome.

And, as the day passed with the new company, she felt better to have taken Ginny’s suggestion to volunteer in the shelter.

“So, what does your weekend look like?” Dan asked as she picked up her bag.

She turned to face him, her blue eyes smiling as she answered, “Nothing. Probably will spend it in my room watching another kdrama.”

“Oh, I was hoping—”

Suddenly, Riya was pushing between the two. “Hey, guys, we planned to meet this weekend at the retro bar just outside the town. You two will be joining us, right?”

“Of course, otherwise it’d be just us. And I need my man here to be my wingman!” Joey said, wrapping an arm around Dan.

Dan shook his head but waited for Aira to answer first. Aira said, “Sounds nice. Did you guys inform Ginny?” She had to leave in the afternoon because her daughter wasn’t feeling well.

“Yeah, she said she’ll try to make it and will come if her daughter is feeling well by then,” Riya answered. Then, slipping her arm in hers, she said, “By the way, tell me from where do you shop. I love your style. Very cutesy and princess like.”

As they chatted and walked down the street, she heard Dan call her name. She paused and looked over her shoulder to see him. He said, “Do you mind if I call you?” He shook the mobile phone in his hand that he was holding up.

“Do you have my number?” She asked.

He rubbed the back of his head as he answered, a bit sheepishly, “I might’ve pestered Ginny to give it to me.”

Aira couldn’t help but giggle and nodded. “Yes, you can call me.”

“He so likes you. I think it’s love at first sight,” Riya said in her ear.

Aira turned to face her and said, “He seems like a nice man. How’s he here to volunteer?”

“Oh, remember he said he was an architect. He is working on a project nearby and he decided to volunteer on his free days.”

They parted on the next curb with a promise to meet tomorrow. And Aira waved at her as Riya turned to catch a cab on the other lane. Instead of calling her brother to come pick her up as he had suggested, she decided to walk as it wasn’t too far.

She was only five minutes into her walk, when she felt like someone was following her. But when she turned around to look, she didn’t find anyone there. Thinking that she must be mistaken, she forgot about it until the next turn where she definitely saw the shadow of someone. This time she didn’t have the nerve to look over her shoulder, instead she quickened her footsteps and was almost running.

When she saw the familiar road leading to the supermarket near her house, she took in a shuddering breath of relief only to shriek out loud when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She blindly started to hit the person, yelling to leave her alone when she heard the laughter and a familiar voice, “Aira, it’s me! Oh my god, stop hitting me!”

She paused, looked at her brother and scowled. “Why were you following me?”

“I wasn’t. I was about to call out when you started to run…” And then he broke into amused chuckles that irritated her enough that she started to hit him again.

“Do you know how scared I was? Damn you!”

Jay wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders and said, “There is nothing to be scared of in this small town. Everyone knows everyone and I am here to keep my big sister safe.”

She elbowed him. “I need protection from you!”

He laughed. “Wanna have ice cream?”

“Strawberry cone, please,” She answered.

“Be right back.” He said as he walked to the supermarket.

She was standing there waiting for her brother to come back with their ice-creams when she heard the sweetest voice. “Auntie, Aira!!”

She turned around just in time to catch Cara running towards her. She gave the little girl a hug and looked up to find a very serious looking Mac coming towards them.

Cara said, “We are here to eat ice cream. I ate my dinner.”

“That’s very good of you. I am having ice cream too.”

Grabbing her hand in her small ones, Cara turned to her Uncle and said, “I will have the same ice cream as Auntie Aira.”

Mac looked at her and then around, he asked, “Who are you here with? And, why are you standing all alone outside?”

Just then Jay came outside with the ice creams in his hands answering his questions. When he saw, Cara he said, “Hello, Munchkin. Come here, help Uncle Jay to hold these ice creams.”

Cara left her alone with her mean Uncle and Aira wished that like the little girl she could run away too. After that day at her house when he had saved her from falling down the stairs and then put the ointment on her ankle they hadn’t had the chance to talk, not that she wanted to as she was still unable to process that strange heat that had consumed her with his touch. And she hated how he had behaved like it was her fault that his giant dog was like him, always ready to bite her head off.

And, now as they stood there in the middle of the street, she was once again reminded of that sensation of his hands on her. And she wondered what his hands will feel like on other parts of her body. “It’s so hot these days, right!!” She blurted out and found him frowning down at her.

He said, “It’s the end of November.”

She blinked up at him and then realised what she had said, and she instantly felt an embarrassing flush take over her face. Thankfully, she didn’t have to say anything else and make a joke out of herself as Jay and Cara came back with two ice creams in each of their hands.

Cara handed one to her and Jay handed one to Mac who responded with a, “I don’t eat ice cream.”

“Of course, not. He probably drinks the blôod of virgîns,” She muttered under her breath.

Jay sputtered, looking at her with wide eyes. Mac paused, stared at her and questioned, “What did you say?”

She gulped down the first bite she had taken and said, “Nothing.”

But Cara, ever so helpful, turned to her Uncle and said, “She said that you drink the blóôd of vîrgins, Uncle.”

Aira choked. Jay laughed like a maniac in the middle of the street and laughed more when she glared at him while she avoided looking at Mac. Cara tugged on her dress and asked, “Auntie Aira, what is vîrgîns?”

Aira swallowed, looked uncomfortable. She gave Mac a look for a help but he shook his head telling her that she was on her own. Aira said, “Well… they are like rabbits?”

There was a cough from the hulking figure beside her. “Rabbits?” Cara asked.

“Are they furry?”

Aira wanted to disappear and she was sure now Mac was trying to hide his amusement too while her brother had become a candidate for bedlam. “Sure. White. Furry. They live in the forest.”

“Oh. I want to see one!” Cara turned to her uncle and asked, “Can I see one, uncle?”

Her uncle, finished his ice cream in a few bites and then picked her up. He said, “I think they are extinct nowadays. But if I find one, I’ll let you know, sweetheart.”

“Okay.”

Aira’s shoulders relaxed when Cara didn’t ask anymore questions on that topic but she felt Mac’s eyes on her. When she looked at him, he said, “Next time think before you say such things in front of her.” And then he added, “Also, stop calling me mean in front of her. I am not mean.”

“Yeah. You are just rude to me. Got it,” She answered and quickened her steps to not walk beside him.

“Are you two fighting?” Jay asked coming up behind her.

“No.” She and Mac answered at the same time.

But Cara also added, “Yes! Uncle Mac is mean and rude to Auntie Aira.”

“I am not,” Mac grumbled.

“See, man. I appreciate you helping my sister but stop being mean to her.”

“Jayden!!!” She yelled and went back to where he stood beside Mac. She grabbed her brother by his shirt and started pulling. “Stop talking like I am not here.”

“But I was just taking your side.”

“I don’t need you taking my side. I can handle him on my own.”

“Okay, Miss strong independent woman, I got it.” He held up his hands in a surrendering gesture, then added, “Now, can you stop pulling at my clothes.”

Aira let her brother go and patted his chest to press out the wrinkles in his shirt. He said, “Now, that he is here to accompany you home, I am going to go back. I need to finish practice that I left halfway.” And then he turned around to leave before waiting for her answer.

They were actually turning to the street of their house so she didn’t need anyone walking her there but now that she was alone with Mac and Cara, she couldn’t escape him. So she slowed for him to catch up to him and they walked in silence.

It wasn’t until she was at the gates of her house that he said, “Wait." She paused, looked at him expectantly. "Well... I.." His eyes dropped to her lips and unconsciously her lips parted and she watched as if in a trance when he lifted his hand. "You have some..." His thumb brushed her bottom lip and she sucked in a breath.

He took a step back and said, "Well, what I wanted to say was... I am sorry.”

“What?” She blurted out.

He looked at her and then around them. It felt like he'd like to be anywhere but here. He said, “About that day. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” She stood there perplexed and in shock as she stared at him. “Okay, then.” He said, “Good night.” And then he started to turn, but paused and said, "And, actually, you can't handle me." Then he walked to his house.

In a daze, she walked through the front yard of her own house and she was about to enter inside the house when she heard Cara say, “Yes, Uncle Mac. I like you again. Thankyou for saying sorry to her. Auntie Aira is so nice.”

Aira smiled, now understanding why he had apologized when he had never in the past even when he had so mercilessly broken her heart.

.

.

A. Gupta