Episode 9: NARI

Scene 1: The Dragon

Nari woke slowly, as was her habit on Saturdays.

For a few precious moments she simply lay there enjoying the warmth of her bed and the silence of the house.

Then her eyes landed on the golden crystal dragon sitting on her bedside table.

A smile immediately tugged at her lips.

Morning sunlight streamed through the curtains and struck the crystal, scattering tiny flecks of gold across the room. For one ridiculous moment, it looked as if the dragon winked at her.

Nari snorted softly.

“Snap out of it, Nari. It’s just a statue.”

The smile remained.

She rolled onto her side and continued staring at it.

Nothing more.

Riiight….

Except every time she looked at it she remembered the man who had given it to her.

The way his confidence had slipped when she hesitated at the door.

The sincerity in his apology.

The relief that had flooded his face when she accepted it.

And that smile.

Lord have mercy on all womankind.

“Dangerous,” she muttered.

The dragon sparkled innocently.

Her eyes narrowed.

“I wasn’t talking about you.”

Despite herself, she laughed.

Then another thought crept in.

Would he really call?

Or had that simply been something he said in the moment?

Something polite.

Something intended to smooth things over.

After all, men say things all the time that they never intended to follow through on.

The thought dampened her mood slightly.

She reached out and gently touched one of the dragon’s crystal wings.

No.

Something about Ryú told her he wasn’t that kind of man.

If he said he would call…

He would call.

The realization brought a small smile back to her face.

“Now look at you,” she scolded herself. “Already making excuses and justifying things for him.”

With a groan she threw the blankets back and climbed out of bed.

An hour later she was dressed in her favorite blue jeans and a soft mauve cotton shirt, a cup of hot tea warming her hands as she stood in the kitchen looking out the window.

The peaceful morning lasted exactly three more minutes.

The front door opened.

Without knocking.

Without warning.

Without so much as a text message.

Nari closed her eyes.

“Kai.”

Her younger brother breezed into the kitchen like a category five hurricane.

“Nari!”

She turned slowly and raised one eyebrow.

“I think I’m going to take that key back from you. It was for emergencies only, not so you can let yourself into my house whenever you feel like it.”

Kai ignored her completely.

His eyes swept over her critically.

His expression immediately turned horrified.

“WHAT are you wearing?”

Nari blinked.

“What?”

“You cannot go out with Ryú looking like that.”

She looked down at herself.

Blue jeans.

Mauve shirt.

Comfortable shoes.

She looked back up.

“What exactly is wrong with what I have on?”

Kai looked personally offended.

“Nari.”

“What?”

“Nari.”

“What?!?”

He pointed dramatically at her outfit.

“That is a grocery shopping outfit.”

She stared at him.

Then slowly looked down at herself again.

Then back at him.

“You broke into my house… at eight o’clock in the morning… to insult my clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Get out.”

“No.”

“Get. Out.”

“Nope.”

Nari pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Who said anything about going out with him?”

Kai looked genuinely horrified.

“Nari. Nari. Sis.”

He pointed at her as if she had personally offended him.

“Answer the question.”

“I did answer the question.”

“No. You deflected it.”

“I did not.”

“You absolutely did.”

Nari took a deliberate sip of tea.

“What is wrong with what I’m wearing?”

Kai stared at her for a long moment.

“Nothing.”

She looked pleased with herself.

“Thank you.”

“For GROCERY shopping.”

The pleased look vanished immediately.

Kai continued mercilessly.

“For CLEANING the house.”

Another sip.

“For RUNNING ERRANDS.”

Another sip.

“For absolutely anything that does not involve a six-foot-something CEO who has apparently lost his entire mind over you.”

Nari nearly choked on her tea.

“He has not lost his mind.”

Kai gave her a look.

The same look she used on patients who diagnosed themselves on the internet.

“Sis.”

“He hasn’t.”

“Sis.”

“He has not.”

“Sis.”

“…Fine. Maybe a little.”

“Thank you.”

Nari rolled her eyes.

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“No, Ryú is being ridiculous.”

Kai dropped dramatically into the chair across from her.

“You should have seen him yesterday.”

That immediately got her attention.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

Kai smiled.

Gotcha.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Kai.”

“Nothing at all.”

“Kai Ren St. Claire.”

His grin widened.

“Oh look. Now she’s interested.”

Nari pointed toward the front door.

“I can still throw you out.”

“No you can’t.”

“I absolutely can.”

“Nope.”

“Why?”

“Because you want information.”

The smile she gave him was frighteningly sweet.

“Sis?”

“Yes?”

“That smile scares me.”

“Good.”

Then she pointed at him.

“Talk.”

Kai laughed.

“Not before we fix this outfit.”

Nari looked down at her clothes and shrugged.

He gestured wildly at her.

Nari stared.

Then took another sip of tea.

“You are exhausting.”

He began pacing.

“What if he calls while you’re shopping and wants to meet up?”

“Well, I’m going shopping, so I look fine.  IF he calls, then he calls.  If he doesn’t like what I’m wearing, then…tough Tutus.”

As usual, Kai didn’t listen to her and bulldozed right over her observation.

“No. No, no, no. This won’t do.”

Before she could stop him, Kai was already marching toward her bedroom.

“Kai…”

“Nope.”

“Kai.”

“Nope.”

“KAI!”

Too late.

Nari followed him down the hall and found him standing in front of her closet.

Or rather…

Destroying it.

Shirts.

Pants.

Sweaters.

Blouses.

All of them were being flung onto the bed, floor, and nearby chair with reckless abandon.

“Kai Ren St. Claire!” she shouted. “What in the blazing hell are you doing?!”

“Helping.”

“You are not helping!”

He held up a navy sweater.

“No.”

Toss.

A green blouse.

“No.”

Toss.

A pair of black slacks.

“Absolutely not.”

Toss.

Nari stared in horror.

“Hang those clothes back up right now!”

Kai continued rummaging as if she hadn’t spoken.

“Where do you go shopping, Sis?”

“The mall.”

“None of these will do.”

“Will do for what?”

“You know for what.”

“I absolutely do not.”

Then suddenly—

“AH HA!”

Kai emerged from the closet grinning like a pirate who had discovered buried treasure.

In one hand he held a pair of cream linen pants.

In the other, a pale floral blouse.

He brandished them dramatically.

“Found it!”

Nari stared.

Then stared harder.

Then narrowed her eyes.

“…Those. Are. My. Clothes.”

“Exactly.”

“So why are you acting like you discovered America?”

“Because,” Kai declared proudly, “I have saved you from yourself.”

Nari folded her arms.

“I was unaware I needed rescuing.”

“Oh, you absolutely do.”

He handed her the outfit.

“Hold this up.”

Then stepped back and examined her critically.

A slow smile spread across his face.

“Perfect.”

Nari rolled her eyes.

“You are ridiculous.”

“No.”

He pointed toward the crystal dragon sitting on her bedside table.

“That man gave you a crystal dragon.”

Nari’s cheeks immediately warmed.

Kai’s grin widened.

“You blushed.”

“I did not.”

“You absolutely did.”

“I did not.”

“Sis.”

“Kai.”

“Sis.”

“Kaiii.”

His grin became positively wicked.

“You like him.”

Nari grabbed a nearby pillow and threw it directly at his head.

Unfortunately, years of annoying her had sharpened his reflexes.

He caught it effortlessly.

Then hugged it to his chest.

“That is not a denial.”

“Oh my God!”

“It wasn’t.”

“Kai…”

“It wasn’t.”

“Get out of my bedroom.”

“I’m helping.”

“You’re harassing me.”

“Same thing.”

“Oh my God! Shoes!” Kai suddenly gasped.

His eyes widened in horror.

“Hopeless, Sis. Totally hopeless.”

Nari already didn’t like where this was going.

“Kai…”

“Don’t ‘Kai’ me.”

“Kai.”

“Do you even own a pair of heels?”

Nari looked at him as though he had completely lost his mind.

“To go grocery shopping?”

“Yes.”

“Heels?”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever tried walking in them?”

Kai opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

Then pointed dramatically at her.

“That is not the point.”

“That is absolutely the point.”

Nari stared at her brother for a long moment.

Then, without another word, bent down and slipped her feet into her sneakers.

Kai watched in horror.

“No.”

“No.”

She walked towards the bedroom door.

“Absolutely not.”

Nari stopped and turned slowly.

“Kai.”

“No.”

“Kai.”

“No.”

“Kai Ren St. Claire.”

His expression became stubborn.

“No.”

Nari pointed toward the disaster area that used to be her closet.

Clothes covered the bed, the chair, the floor and somehow even the dresser.

It looked like a department store had a rummage sale.

“I’m going shopping.  YOU are cleaning this mess up.”

Kai opened his mouth.

“No,” she put her hand up and said before he could interrupt. “You have spoken quite enough this morning.”

His mouth snapped shut.

Temporarily.

“I’m going shopping exactly as I planned.”

She gestured toward herself.

“In my jeans.”

Pointed at her sneakers.

“In my sneakers.”

Then pointed directly at him.

“And I am not sitting around like some stupid teenager waiting and hoping for some man to call me.”

Kai looked mildly offended on Ryú’s behalf.

Nari ignored him.

“The weekend is the only time I have to get things done.”

She turned and walked toward the front door.

She stopped, picked up her purse and keys off the kitchen counter, then continued towards the front door.

Then stopped.

Without looking back she added:

“And I mean EVERYTHING had better be back in its place when I get home.”

Kai glanced around the room.

Then glanced around again.

Then looked mildly alarmed.

“There are a lot of clothes.”

“Funny how that happened.”

“Sis…”

“You made the mess.”

“Sis…”

“You clean the mess.”

“And since you let yourself in…”

She opened the front door.

“You can let yourself out.”

“Nari, you—”

“AND leave your key.”

The front door closed.

Silence.

Kai stood frozen in the middle of the bedroom.

Alone.

Surrounded by what appeared to be a small department store’s women’s section.

Slowly his gaze traveled around the room.

The bed.

The floor.

The chair.

The dresser.

The mountain of clothes.

Then realization dawned.

“Oh.”

A pause.

“Oh no.”

Overwhelmed by the amount of work ahead of him, Kai fell backwards onto the bed.

“I have made a terrible mistake.”

Part 2:  Grocery Shopping

Nari got into her SUV and sat there for a moment.

Kai was expecting an awful lot from just three meetings.

Well, maybe two and a half meetings.  She really couldn’t count when she threw him out of her office as a meeting.

But seriously, that was all.

She wasn’t planning a wedding.

She wasn’t picking out China patterns.

She certainly wasn’t sitting around waiting for some man to call.

She glanced down at her watch.

9:30 AM.

Might as well get started.

An hour later she stood in the grocery store staring at her shopping cart.

Then blinked.

Then looked again.

Cookies.

Ice cream.

Potato chips.

Chocolate.

More chocolate.

Nari frowned.

“Why is my cart full of junk food?”

Then realization struck.

KAI!

Then her stomach growled in protest. 

That human tornado had irritated her so thoroughly, she had forgotten breakfast.

No wonder everything looked delicious.

With a sigh she began removing half the contents of her cart.

Some discipline was necessary.

Eventually, she finished shopping, loaded everything into the SUV, and stood there thinking.

Her stomach growled again.

“Okay. Fine.”

There was a little café a few blocks away.

Stone’s… something or another,  she thought, if she remembered correctly.

She had eaten there once before.

The food had been good.

Far too much food.

But good.

A few minutes later,  extremely famished now from the walk,   she pushed open the café door.

The warm smell of coffee, bacon, biscuits, and cinnamon immediately greeted her as she walked in.

A smile tugged at her lips.

Now this was more like it.

She spotted an empty table near the far end of the café and headed toward it.

For a brief moment she felt eyes on her.

Looking around, she didn’t recognize anyone.

A distinguished older gentleman was smiling pleasantly in her direction.

Then the waitress looked up from a table at her.

“Be right with you, Sug. Have a seat anywhere you like.”

Nari smiled politely and sat down.

Opening the menu, she began looking it over.

Across the restaurant, Arjun nearly choked on his coffee.

His eyes widened.

“No way.”

Lakshmi immediately turned.

“What?”

Arjun subtly nodded toward the back of the restaurant.

Lakshmi followed his gaze.

Then her eyes lit up.

A grin immediately spread across her face.

“Oh.”

“Oh, indeed,” Arjun agreed.

Pictures on Kai’s desk had not done her justice.

Not even close.

Meanwhile, the hairs on the back of Ryú’s neck stood up.

His instincts sparked.

He looked between Arjun and Lakshmi suspiciously.

They had been whispering and were grinning like the cat who ate the canary.

“What?”

Neither answered.

“What?”

The grins got bigger.

“What are you two whispering and grinning about?”  He said, still looking at them suspiciously.

Lakshmi bit her lip.

Arjun stared into his coffee.

Both failing miserably at looking innocent.

Ryú narrowed his eyes.

“What is so funny?”

Arjun cleared his throat.

“So…”

Ryú didn’t like that tone.

“How composed are you feeling these days?”

Ryú frowned.

“What kind of question is that?”

“A simple one, I hope.”

Ryú sighed.

“I think I’m calmer now.”

Both grins got wider.

That should have been his warning, but he was still too distracted.

“I’ve decided to wait until one o’clock to call her.”

Lakshmi made a strangled choking sound.

Arjun immediately looked down.

His shoulders began shaking.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m really not.”

“You absolutely are.”

Arjun finally looked up.

A wicked grin spread across his face.

“I think the GODS are on your side today, my friend.”

Ryú’s eyes narrowed at the cryptic message.

Before he could ask what that meant, Lakshmi blurted out…

“Looks like your paramour just sat down at a table.”

Silence.

Four pairs of eyes watched as every drop of color drained from Ryú’s face.

Slowly…

Very slowly…

Ryú turned around.

And there she was.

Sitting peacefully at a table near the back of the café.

Studying the menu.

He was completely unaware that half the restaurant was currently watching him have an existential crisis.

For one suspended moment, Ryú simply stared.

Then a slow smile spread across his face.

Apparently…

One o’clock had arrived much sooner than expected.