Too bad he couldn’t actually create anything. Everything he started turned to dust once his hands moved.
Then he tried going to bed, only to toss and turn while wondering why Rachel hadn’t texted him back yet. “I had fun tonight. Let’s do it again.” That’s what he had texted her, expecting something else in return. Nothing. Not for two whole days. Was this what women felt like waiting for texts from guys?
Finally. Rachel had texted him back.
“Do you like movies?”
Zack scoffed. “Doesn’t everyone like movies?” No, no, that was too aggressive. He deleted it and sent, “What did you have in mind?”
“Bollywood Cinema in the Park is showing a big movie tomorrow night. It’s one of those bring your blanket and food shows. Free admission. Unless you’re intimidated by movies that are in Hindi.”
Zack reread that text one more time to make sure he got it right. “Bollywood?”
“Indian movies.’
“I know what Bollywood is.”
“You got a problem with Bollywood?”
“Not if I’m seeing it with…” Nope. Zack had to delete that too. Rachel insisted on a long game. Even if it turned out they could only be friends after all – or if, God forbid, their relationship totally fizzled out – then fuck it, he wasn’t going to ruin it right now. “Sounds fun. What time? I’ll bring more of those sandwiches you liked so much.”
“Seven. I’ll bring the blankets.”
“It’s a daaaaa…” Backspace! Delete! “See you there.”
Zack bit his knuckles before dialing a familiar number. “Hey, Gina!” he greeted his family’s favorite personal shopper. “Do me a favor and pick up more of those sandwiches for me tomorrow, would you? Yes, the ones from Luke’s Delicatessen. Same order as before. Thanks!”
He put his phone away and soaked up his good fortune. He may have currently been in flashback hell, but by God, he was going to see Rachel again. A woman he both wanted to date and get to know better. Unfortunately, Zack was still learning that he could feel both things for one woman.
Chapter 9
Rachel hoisted the rolled up blanket over her shoulder when she reached the park on the far side of downtown. Already the grass was filled with waiting families, most of them South Asian, taking up space while excitedly pointing to the large screen at the other far end of the park. A table was set up to accept donations for future shows. Rachel didn’t have the change to put anything in, but she nodded to Mrs. Kapoor who manned the table in a red and purple sari, one leg dangling over the other as she thumbed through the papers of recent mailing list signups. Her husband stood a few feet away, loudly speaking in Hindi to another man.
That wasn’t the only non-English language Rachel heard among the rabble of voices. Bengali, Tamil, Pakistani, Nepalese, Farsi… these monthly showings were such big deals for the local South Asian communities that whole families would pack up their cars for the day and drive hours to watch a free evening show before staying the night in a family member’s cramped home. But the happiness twittering through the park was enough to make it worth it.
It also meant Rachel could not find Zack to save her life. The place was so packed that she also worried that she wouldn’t be able to find a place to spread out her blanket. He better have brought that food he promised. Rachel hadn’t had dinner yet. Her stomach growled with such ferocity that she worried she would soon pass out.
“Evening.”
Was that his voice? Rachel spun around the moment she took out her phone to text him.
Sure enough, Zack stood right behind her, picnic basket back in his hand. “What?” he asked her skeptical face. “Didn’t think I was going to come?”
She pointed to the picnic basket. “Didn’t think you were going to bring me dinner.”
“Ah, come on, I’m not that heartless.” Zack shielded his eyes from the setting sun and looked around the crowded park. “But I am heartless enough to kick some people out of our way if it comes down to it.”
“I think I see a small spot over there.”
“Where?”
“Between the family on the red blanket and the screaming kid on the yellow blanket.”
“Sounds fun!”
“You get used to it.”
“This may come as a shock to you,” Zack said as they carefully dodged people already sitting on their blankets, “but I’ve done my fair share of partying with total strangers. Close contact, even.”
“Oh? Come to movies at the park often?”
Zack scoped out their small patch of grass. Rachel rolled out her blanket, letting Zack take the other end and line it up within the parameters of their allotted space. A few other onlookers gave them wary glances before going back to their conversations. Popcorn bags rattled. Glass bottles clinked together. More than one child was told to sit the hell down before they got themselves ran over.
“You ever go to a big party on a little yacht?” Zack plopped down onto the blanket. “Shoulder to shoulder with people you’re probably never going to see again.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever been out on a yacht before.”
“Oh, no, those kinds of parties stay at the dock.” Zack placed the picnic basket firmly between them. “You should come check out my yacht sometime.”
Rachel shuddered. “No thanks.” Boats were bad. Boats went out on the water, and Rachel was not fond of the damn water. But of course Zachary Feldman had a boat. He was young, rich, and not the kind of person Rachel needed to be entangled with. Fuck him, right?
Before Zack could ask why she had a problem with yachts, the last two members of their party arrived. Two people Rachel conveniently forgot to tell Zack were coming.
***
At first, Zack assumed the lovely young ladies standing behind them were merely on their way to another group somewhere in the field. Then he recognized Parvati.
Then he realized that both women were sitting down, specifically between the pair that claimed to be nothing more than friends.
“Uh…” Zack closed the lid on his picnic basket. “Hello there.”
“Hello again!” Parvati didn’t seem to realize that she was intruding on a “friend” date. Silly her for not recognizing this for what it was! Silly Zack for thinking this was going to be a nice, quiet evening with Rachel! “Zack, right?”
He defaulted to his natural charms. Best to keep the annoyance in the back of my mind. That’s it, buddy, swallow it down and pretend nothing’s amiss. Could they at least let him sit next to Rachel? Sheesh. “Yes.” He leaned forward and gave Rachel a sideways glance.
“That’s right! I forgot to tell you, Zack, but I invited Parvati and her sister. This is Sita.”
The other woman, who looked like an older, more sophisticated version of Parvati down to the conservative blouse and long, black skirt shyly waved at Zack. “Nice to meet you.”
“She’s getting married in August.”
Sita blushed. Isn’t she a lovely woman? All three women were lovely in their own way, from Rachel’s tomboyish looks to Parvati’s youthful jeans and T-shirts, but Sita was usually the kind of woman Zack flirted with. I have a thing for shy women, all right? They were the most fun to take out and spoil. Even more fun when they finally took off their clothes and let Zack have his way with them.
Not that he was planning on asking out – or even flirting with – Sita. She was engaged, for fuck’s sake. And this is a date with Rachel. She’s my focus.
Damnit. He thought of it as a date again. Zack was really not good at this whole “just friends” thing.
“Rachel did forget to mention that you were coming.” Zack knew how to spin this so the social onus was off him, however. “I only brought enough food for two people.”
“That’s okay.” Sita plopped her knapsack onto the blanket and pulled out two Tupperware containers filled with food Zack couldn’t recognize. “Brought some leftover curry from our lunch.”
“Ooh!” Rachel slammed her hands against the blanket, her smile so big that Sita had to laugh. “Happen to bring an extra spoon? I’m assuming this is your homemade curry.”
Tongue clicking, Parvati produced another spoon from a Ziploc bag. “Somehow I knew you were going to do that. That’s why I brought more of everything.”
Including people. Zack continued to smile.
“Sorry,” Rachel said with the fakest sincerity Zack had seen since his last date told him she might call him again. “I meant to tell you that I invited them, but it was sort of a last minute thing, you know? I mentioned the movie we were going to see and…”
“And I invited myself.” Parvati lowered her sunglasses and leaned toward Zack. “By the way, you smell awesome.”
Zack couldn’t smell anything but the homemade Indian curry unveiled in Parvati’s container. That’s intense. Zack loved him some curry, but only when he was in the mood for it. He was not in the mood for it right now.
He was in the mood for some alone time with Rachel. Foiled again.
“Thank you,” he said.
“You ever seen a Bollywood movie before?”
Zack turned his attention back to Rachel. Why the hell is she all the way over there? One thing when there was no one else between them. With two people, though? She might as well have been on the other side of the field! “Not that I recall, no.”