Free The Girl He Left Behind by Shilpa Suraj

her hair up into a loose bun.
    ‘Are they gone?’ She called out as she heard Minty enter the room.
    ‘Yes.’
    Freezing in mid-motion, Sia turned to see Ryan lounging against the doorframe. ‘Why are you still here?’
    ‘Adarsh gave Minty a ride into office in my car. She said something about a meeting she’d forgotten about and needed to be there for. I got left behind to escort you when you’re ready.’
    ‘I don’t need an escort.’
    ‘Of course not. You’re super woman.’ Leaning casually against her dresser, he shoved his hands into his pockets and watched steam practically pour out of her ears. Flushed, sweaty and covered in grease, she still managed to arouse needs and wants in him that the supermodels in his last campaign hadn’t so far. And it had nothing to do with the fact that her bra was still flirtatiously peeking out at him.
    ‘Today’s just not my day. I have a flat first thing in the morning and now I’m stuck with you.’ Anger and frustration dripping from every word, she turned away from him to walk into the bathroom and check the water.
    ‘Way to make a guy feel welcome sweetheart.’ The lazy drawl had her gritting her teeth.
    Ignoring the fact that the water was tepid as compared to the boiling hot she normally preferred for a bath, she opened the tap and started to fill the bucket. The bucket was half full when someone started to lean on the doorbell.
    Yelling over the rush of water, she said, ‘Ryan, could you get that?’
    ‘Who me? The unwanted guest? What would your nosy, conservative neighbours think if I opened the door, Sia?’
    Coming out of the bathroom, she found him sprawled comfortably on her bed. ‘Probably that I haven’t had time to callthe pest control guy over as yet.’ Muttering under her breath, she loosened her hair to cover her gaping front again and went to answer the door.
    Feeling like she had walked into her own version of the Twilight Zone, she stared with her mouth open at the sight of Ryan’s parents standing on the other side of the door. Wondering what inauspicious moment she’d opened her eyes at this morning, Sia managed a cautious smile and stepped back holding the door open in silent welcome.
    Sia shut the door firmly after they entered and swallowed the bubble of hysteria clogging her throat before leading the way into the drawing room. Gesturing for them to be seated on the couch, she carefully perched on the chair opposite them. Very aware of the fact that Ryan was lounging in her bedroom at that very moment and of the unsavoury connotations the elderly couple in front of her would attach to it, Sia wondered how she was going to let him know that they had unexpected guests. Frankly, alien invaders would have been a more expected sight than the two people sitting in front of her.
    ‘Mr & Mrs Mathur. Good morning.’ Regretting her impulsive decision not to change her shirt and put on a clean one before opening the door, Sia fiddled with her hair and subtly shifted more of it in front. That was going to have to be her best shot at respectability for the moment. If she’d know who’d been at the door, she would gladly have sacrificed a dozen shirts.
    Inclining her head in stiff lipped acknowledgement, Ryan’s mother said, ‘I’m looking for my son. I assume you know where to find him.’
    ‘Yes, of course.’ Aware that there was no politically correct way of handling this situation, Sia gave up hope and just called out loudly, ‘Ryan?’
    ‘Yup?’
    Praying that his parents thought the voice came from the direction of the kitchen and not the bedroom, Sia yelled again, ‘Could you come into the drawing room, please? Now?’
    Turning to his parents, she murmured, ‘I’ll leave and give you all some privacy.’
    That got her a nod of his mother’s head. His father was too busy staring at a spot over her shoulder. His father looked exactly the same barring a few extra strands of grey hair. A big, stern man who rarely smiled, he