The Singles Table by Sara Desai

Author:Sara Desai [Desai, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2021-11-16T00:00:00+00:00

• 15 •

It wasn’t easy to find potential matches for Jay in a hotel ballroom that held over five hundred guests, but after four days of radio silence, and having convinced herself that a kiss was just a kiss, Zara was up to the task.

“His name is Jay Dayal.” Zara crouched beside Mara Bedi and her mother and flashed a picture of Jay that she’d scraped off his website. “He was a captain in the air force and now he’s the CEO of a successful security company. He’s tall, very fit, intelligent, and well educated. He owns a condo and a car. No pets. No siblings. No family but—”

“No family?” Mara’s mother shook her head.

“It’s just him and his mom.” A mom she’d barely had a chance to meet because she’d been so spooked by her sudden arrival. What had she been thinking? She was supposed to be finding Jay a match, not seducing him when he was lying injured and vulnerable in a hospital bed. His mother must have been appalled by her behavior, and Zara couldn’t blame her. At least she’d been able to put some distance between them and get her head back in the matchmaking game. But despite her best efforts, things weren’t going to plan.

“I’m sure he’s a nice boy, but marriage is about family,” Mrs. Bedi said. “Without family he’s not—”

“Of course. I understand.” Zara stood quickly, trying to fight yet another inexplicable surge of relief. Three attempts. Three failures. Her matchmaking mojo was off. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, something had changed after their kiss, and it was making it almost impossible for her to hold up her end of the deal.

She walked away, her legs stiff beneath her soft net ivory lehenga. She’d decided to go full scandal by wearing a long, white, layered chiffon skirt and a sleeveless red embroidered choli with spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline, baring an auntie-gasping expanse of middle. An arm full of bangles, giant silver and red earrings, and a thick matching choker completed the look along with a sparkly pair of red stilettos.

“Beta!” Her father stopped her on her way to the bar. Parvati had just texted to say she was waiting with two mojitos and some gossip she was desperate to share. “You haven’t come to visit since the show. I was getting worried.” He gave her a warm hug and a peck on the cheek.

“Just busy with work.” She swallowed her guilt. How was she supposed to visit him after seeing that display? She needed more time to process it. Maybe in another few weeks she’d be able to get over her fear of what he planned to paint next.

“My show was a tremendous success.” He beamed. “I sold most of the paintings and I have commissions to do ten more. And Indra said when your friend Jay stopped by the gallery this week—”

“Wait. What?” Her heart leaped in her throat. “Jay went to see Indra?”

“Yes. She said they had a nice dinner and talked about art long into the evening.

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