Chapter Six: Can you say something nice about me? #

Neu arrived Friday but was too tired from all day’s work and jet lag. Alex took him to a new bar on Saturday. There was a lounge area across the bar, and there were tall tables next to the bar. Alex sat on the tall table so they could see the entrance.

“This is not how I pictured Seattle. I mean, look at the women, look at the drinks, look at the prices!” Said Neu pointing at the menu.

Alex laughed. “Tell me how you have been.”

They began talking over drinks. They had just ordered their second round.

“Whoa. This drink is really getting to my head. Is it just me, or have the girls gotten even hotter?” said Neu looking at a group of girls.

“It is Saturday night.”

“Look at her. Man, if I weren"t married! Oh, look now, the hottest girl just walked in.”

Alex smiled and said, “That’s Aliya.” Alex waived, and Aliya joined them. Aliya was wearing a white knee-length ensemble. The pencil skirt had a flowery lace over a satin bodice that ended over the knee. Two spaghetti straps supported the top at the front that formed a v at the back with a bare midriff. Her hair was open in waves at the bottom, and she wore blue Louboutin heels with a blue clutch. Alex introduced them.

“How was your flight?” said Aliya taking a seat.

“Bumpy.” Said Neu. He looked a little shaken and a little embarrassed.

Alex smiled. “I think you need to eat something.”

They ordered some food and a drink for Aliya.

“How did you meet?” asked Aliya.

“We met at a party. Alex was the shy one, and I was the rowdy one. Alex had the responsibility of making sure I got home. We were both at MIT. Don"t go by my looks. I am much older than him.” Answered Neu.

Aliya laughed. “Alex told me your name has a story.”

“My great-grandfather arrived in New York from Ireland. He was playing poker on the ship and had won quite a bit. When registering for the name, he was so drunk that he said, “Poker Niles” instead of Duffy McCallan. The name became an icebreaker for his deals, and he did very well. It became a tradition in our family to have unusual names. I already have a name for my kid, Nylon.”

Aliya laughed.

“His family owns casinos, and he designs games for them.” Added Alex.

“When I was a kid, I wanted to change my name to Aliya Hunt Von Neuschwanstein. Von is ‘from” in German, and Neuschwanstein is a castle in Bavaria near Munich." Said Aliya confessing.

“Sounds royal.” Said Neu.

“Outside of Germany. In Germany, I would be considered nuts. I just love the expression of people when I tell people my name. I could have had so much fun at Starbucks.” Said Aliya.

“My name is butchered at Starbucks. Most of the time, it is just No. I will be right back.” Said Neu getting up.

“Did I make an entrance?” Aliya asked Alex.

“Oh, you made an entrance. You look mesmerizing.”

Neu came back with three shots of tequila. “All right, let’s begin the night.” And they did the shots.

“I heard he hacked your network. Why didn"t you kill him?” asked Neu. Alex placed his head on Aliya’s shoulder in dismay.

“Because I like him too much. And he promised never to do it again.” She said, running her fingers through his hair.

“Seriously! This is your opening conversation.” Said, Alex.

“What were you expecting?” Said Neu to Alex. “Anyway, that was very mature of you to understand his side of the story. He is good at heart but has been hurt very badly. We had given up on him. Finally, two years later, we got the call that he had met someone. And his description did not do you justice.”

“Thank you so much for your kind words. Alex is the amazing one.” Said Aliya.

“Really? So, let’s spill some of Alex’s secrets. Do you know he loves Star Wars?”

“Yes. We watched the movies together.”

“Do you also know he dressed like the Jedi guy every Halloween?”

Aliya was smiling. “Really, tell me more.”

“We need more drinks.” Said Alex ordering more drinks.

“We couldn"t figure out why his dates weren"t working out. He is good-looking and smart, and that accent is sexy. So, we suggested he watch Friends to learn about American culture. That gave rise to a phase where Alex was Joey. Alex, could you please say your pick-up line?” Said Neu.

“I thought you didn"t have any pick-up lines?” asked Aliya.

“I don"t,” said Alex. “I never used it.”

“Say it.” Said Neu.

“How you doin?” said Alex in the worst possible manner.

Aliya and Neu burst into laughter. “All right, you don"t have any pick-up lines,” said Aliya.

“I know. We heard it and were like, that is just wrong.” Laughed Neu. “It took six months for him to do his Ph.D. and three-something years to discover himself. Time for more shots.” Said Neu getting up.

“We are going to be very drunk.” Said, Alex.

Neu got the shots, and they downed them.

“I will tell you Alex’s favourite story.” Said Neu taking a sip of his drink. “We all went to Niyat’s apartment for a get-together. Niyat is my wife, but not at that time. We were playing drinking games, and Alex got too drunk. Niyat had a two-bedroom apartment, and we told Alex to lie down for a while. He went to the bedroom and fell asleep. The apartment had one bathroom. So, two hours later, Alex comes out, uses the bathroom, and returns. And we are stunned. You see, Alex likes to sleep in the nude.”

Aliya burst into laughter.

“We are all stunned until one of Niyat’s friends goes, Mazeltov.” Said Neu.

“I asked you about your embarrassing story, and this didn"t make it?” Asked Aliya.

“I have no memory of that. When Neu told me the next day, it was awkward for a while, but I was ok. I took it as a compliment and thought it would help to get a date. I was wrong.” Said, Alex.

“Tonight, I will be locking my door. Staying overnight with Alex is very dangerous. He sleeps with six pillows, and he is a cuddler. As the night passes, the pillow goes away, and he completely takes over. I had spent nights when we both started sleeping in his bed and by morning, I was on the floor. And he is a heavy sleeper. Not like I could move him in the night. After a few nights like that, we ensured Alex didn"t get drunk and returned to his place.” Added Neu.

Aliya was laughing. “Tell me more.”

“Can you say something nice about me?” asked Alex.

Neu began the story. “Sure. We went to a random bar in Boston, which was pretty full. Alex always had the job of ordering drinks because he is tall and can easily reach people. So, he is at this crowded bar, and the guy next to him starts talking to him. It has been thirty minutes, and Alex is still talking. I am looking for Alex, and Alex finally comes over and tells me that he met this cool guy and gave Alex his number to contact him to hang out. I think the guy was doing a Ph.D. at Harvard in applied mathematics.

Alex called him, and we decided to hang out with him and his friends. We went to this lovely bar at a hotel and grabbed a table. About an hour into the conversation, I realized we were on a double date with guys. Alex has no idea, and this guy was hitting on him. He complimented Alex, and Alex was flattered. I asked Alex to come to the bar for the next drink round. But Alex was showing off by calling the waiter and telling him to bring the champagne bottle and caviar. This went on for a while, and the guy became handsy. Alex still has no idea, and I tell him we should go as our paper is due tomorrow. And the guy invited Alex over to his place, and Alex told me to return alone. Alex is drunk. Finally, I was like to hell with chivalry and declared we were straight. The guy who was hitting on Alex was pissed because his whole night was ruined. He started screaming at the top of his lungs. Nothing reverses the effect of alcohol like a gay guy screaming about ruining his dream date. I apologized, paid the tab, and we ran out of there.”

Aliya was laughing.

“For a while there, I wondered if Alex’s dates didn"t work out because he was gay. His gaydar is broken. You can trust him with girls but watch him if he’s with guys.” Said Neu.

“I thought you were going to say something nice.” Said, Alex.

“I did. Both men and women want you equally.” Said Neu. “Alex, please get us some drinks and try to stay away from guys.”

Alex got up to get drinks.

“He likes you, and from what he has told me about you, you sound amazing.” Said Neu.

“Thank you.” Said Aliya.

“His last relationship hurt him badly. He loved Boston, and he moved to Seattle. He has trust issues, but at his heart, he is a nice guy. My only advice is to be patient with him. He can be pretentious and lost, but he gets the point. He likes you. He doesn"t easily connect with people unless they are gay.” Said Neu laughing.

Alex came back with drinks.

“Alex told me you read a lot. What do you usually read?” asked Neu.

“History or philosophy mostly and some novels that people have recommended.” Answered Aliya.

“What is the most interesting book you have read that someone recommended?”

“That’s easy—Lord of the Rings. I read the books in a week. I just couldn"t put them down. When I learnt that there were twelve books, I got them and started reading them immediately. And I remember my dad coming in and taking the books away because I wouldn"t sleep. They were so interesting that I was up for thirty-two straight hours reading on the weekend. I was scolded for reading too much.”

“What is the most boring book you have read?” asked Neu.

“Let me describe the book. Someone recommended the book to me, and we were going on a train, so I got the book to read on the way. The book is beautifully written. I had to read the first chapter twice to understand it until I got used to it. It is a love story, and the issue is communication. Four times, I closed the book and shoved it into the luggage. I was like, just ask him. Just ask him why you shouldn"t be with that guy. Just ask him why he is here. Just ask him if he is interested. I was frustrated, but I learnt my lesson from Anna Karenina and was determined to finish the book. I finished it, and I didn"t like one of the side endings. I was disappointed and told Mom that communication was the main issue. The writer couldn"t come up with anything better. My mom interrupts me and says, ‘You know this book is from the 1800s, right? What else are you going to fight about? The Napoleon wars!” I still disagree with the ending, but I have read that book more than once. The book is Pride and Prejudice."

“Oh, my god.” Said Neu laughing. “You have an amazing way of telling a story. I am so reading that book.”

“I know. She told me about Anna Karenina the same way, and I am reading the book now.” Said, Alex.

“What is your favorite book?” asked Aliya to Neu.

“Berlin Game. It is a spy novel set about West Germany and East Germany conflict. I read it as a kid in one sitting. If you are looking for a suggestion, I would suggest Kim by Kipling. It is considered the first spy novel, and it is written beautifully. There is history and complicated plots and twists. It is very entertaining.” Neu turned to Alex. “What is your favourite book? Ian Fleming?”

Alex laughed. “No Hitchhikers Guide to Galaxy.”

Neu continued. “Has he made you watch James Bond movies yet? All his style comes from them. Even his drink.” Said Neu pointing to his martini.

“Could you say one good thing about me?” begged Alex.

“Ask Niyat for that. I am here to lay down the truth.” Said Neu. “Shot time.”

They drank more, and the rest of the night was a blur for Neu and Alex. Aliya decided to drop them home. Ben helped Neu to bed, and Aliya was tucking in Alex.

“I will see you tomorrow.” Said Aliya.

“No. Don"t go. Stay with me.”

“Ok, let me tell Ben.” She informed Ben and was in bed with Alex. They were fast asleep.

The following day, Alex woke up to the smell of coffee. Alex and Neu met in the upper lobby.

“Is that coffee?” asked Neu holding his head.

“Aliya stayed over. Let’s go down.” Said, Alex.

Aliya was in the kitchen making breakfast.

“Good morning. How are my MIT geniuses?” asked Aliya in a chirpy manner.

Alex and Neu grunted. “Coffee,” begged Alex.

“On the table. Neu, how do you like your coffee and eggs?” asked Aliya.

“Black and scrambled like my brain right now. Thank you.”

They went to the table, and there was French toast, bread assortment, bacon, sausages, mushroom omelet, and fruit. They were having breakfast while Aliya was drinking tea.

“I feel so much better. Did you make all this?” asked Alex after eating.

“The French toast and bread are from Macrina bakery. I was woken up early by a Melia emergency. I have to leave soon.”

“What happened?” asked Alex.

Aliya showed him the text. “Aliya, please come over. I didn"t get the internship at Bloomingdales, and I learnt yesterday that Mike likes Shireen. I am depressed.”

“Whoa. Anything I can do?” Asked Alex.

“No. Ben just picked up a bottle of Krug. Tonight, I will have a hangover. I drove your car back. It is parked in the driveway.”

“Alex doesn"t let anyone drive his car.” Said Neu.

“Sorry. I didn"t want the car to stay out all night.”

“You are not anyone. You are my girlfriend. Drive it anytime you want. Thank you.” Said, Alex.

“Why are you not hungover?” asked Neu.

“You know the shots we were doing? After the first one, the rest of mine were water. One of us had to be sober to get us home.”

“Thank you. I had fun yesterday night.” Said Neu.

“Do you even remember the last night?” asked Aliya.

“No. But that is how I know it was fun.” Said Neu. “Could you join us for dinner tonight?”

“I will try. Please hydrate and rest. It was nice to meet you, Neu.” Said Aliya shaking his hand.

“Pleasure was all mine.” Said Neu shaking her hand.

“I will walk you out.” Said, Alex. “I can ask Mum to get Melia an internship at Chanel.”

“Thanks, I will mention it.”

Ben was waiting in the driveway.

“Hey. Thank you so much for everything. I will miss you.” Said Alex kissing her.

“I will miss you too. I will call you after I am done. Drink water and rest.”

Aliya was at Melia’s place. She entered her room, and Melia was crying on a pillow.

“Hey. It’s ok. Look, I brought Krug.” Said Aliya showing her the bottle.

“And what exactly are we celebrating; my not getting the internship that I am qualified for or not getting the guy I have had a crush on for four years.” Said Melia melodramatically. “Give me the bottle.” She snatched the bottle from Aliya, opened it, and drank straight from the bottle.

“Melia, you will get a better internship than Bloomingdales. You are talented, hardworking, and le souci du détail. You are meant to be in fashion. And there is still Barneys. Don"t worry. And I can always call Mom and get you an internship in London.”

“I know. But I need to do this alone because I am awesome, damn it!” Said Melia sternly.

Aliya smiled. “Exactly. I would never dare buy a dress without your opinion.”

“Why doesn"t Mike like me?” asked Melia.

“Melia, you are the most popular girl in our school. But he has his heart set on Shireen. Do you even like Mike? You have never talked to him or paid any attention to him. He is not even a popular guy at school. Do you really like him?” asked Aliya.

“I don"t know, but he is supposed to like me.” Claimed Melia.

“You are going into fashion. Gorgeous models will surround you. You will party in Paris, Milan, New York, and Prague. Meanwhile, we will all be stuck in books. Shireen and Mike have a lot in common. They are interested in the same schools. They like to talk and listen.”

Melia scoffed. “Whatever.”

“Now, tell me all about your trip to New York.” Said Aliya grabbing the champagne bottle and pouring two glasses.

Melia talked about Winter fashion lines, and they drank champagne. Aliya went home drunk, and the week passed. It was Saturday, and Aliya wore a night blue mermaid halter gown. It had a cut from her neck to the middle of her chest. It was laced with crystals that started from the neck and outlined her curves. They had been going out for two months, and she could still take his breath away. She had let her hair down and wore the Chanel ring as her only jewelry.

They came to the restaurant and were greeted by the maître d". Alex asked if their party had arrived, and maître d" nodded while leading them to the private dining room. The room had two big vases of lilies at the entrance and a square table in the middle with two seats on each side. Everyone was seated and talking. Alex and Aliya walked in, and everyone stood up.

“Hi. This is Aliya.” Introduced Alex.

“You know Neu, and this is his wife, Niyat.” He said, pointing to them while they shook hands with Aliya. “This is Joginder, or as we call him, Yogi, and his wife, Urvi. This is Mikhail, and” turning to the girl with Mikhail, “I am sorry we haven"t met. I am Alexander Knight.”

“I am Hannah.” She said, shaking both their hands.

Everyone took a seat. Mikhail sat on the left of Aliya and Alex on the right. Hannah was next to Mikhail. Across the table were Niyat and Neu. Next to Neu was Yogi, and Urvi was sitting beside Alex.

“It has been a long time since we were together.” Said Neu.

“I know. We need to do this more often.” Said Yogi.

“How do you know each other?” asked Aliya.

“Yogi and Urvi are both doctors. They met at medical school. I met them through Niyat. Mikhail and I were in the same Ph.D. program. And Neu met Niyat everywhere.” Said Alex.

Niyat explained, “When Neu was at MIT, I was in business school at Harvard. We liked the same things and the same places, so we kept running into each other. We finally decided to talk, and here we are.”

Jacques came in with two servers and was thrilled to see Aliya. Aliya jumped up and greeted him. They went off in French, and Alex got up.

Jacques recovered, “Ah! Mr. Knight. I hope everything is to your liking.”

“Yes, thank you.” He said, taking his seat.

“Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen. Your hosts have picked the 1990 Dom Pérignon as the champagne.” The servers were opening the bottles to serve. “We will be serving the tasting menu tonight. Please let me know if there are any dietary restrictions or allergies.”

The servers were giving everyone a glass. When it came to Niyat, she shook her head in No.

“Wait, you are not drinking? What happened?” asked Alex.

“It was a cramped flight. I haven"t been feeling well since.” Explained Niyat.

Neu and Alex were insisting that she have a drink. Aliya could see that Niyat was getting uncomfortable.

“Alexander. Why don"t you say a toast?” she interrupted them. Niyat mouthed thank you.

“Splendid.” He stood up with a champagne glass in his hand.

“When we graduated, we promised we would remain friends. Even though I moved to the other coast, you guys have kept your promise. I have missed many things but have never felt a lack of friends. And today, we are glad to host you.” Said, Alex. “Aliya, would you like to add something.”

“To old friendships and new swoon; over old champagne and new food. Cheers,” Toasted Aliya.

Everyone raised the glasses “Cheers,” they all chimed in.

“You have a wonderful name. What does it mean?” said Aliya to Urvi.

“It means earth.”

“And I am the yogi who wanders around the earth for love.” Chimed in Yogi.

They all laughed.

“How did you decide to be in medicine?” followed up Aliya.

“I am from North India. And in the north, one must be a doctor or an engineer. It was thrust upon me. She chose on her own.” Replied Yogi.

“You grew up with the story of Heer.”

“Oye! You know Heer Ranjha?”

“She reads. A lot!” explained Alex.

“They are our Romeo and Juliet. (he sings) Ranjha Ranjha kardi ve main aape ranjha hoyi. Ranjha Ranjha sado mainu heer na aakho koyi”.

“Maybe no more champagne for you?” said Alex.

“Give me back my glass.” Said Yogi to Alex. “Loosely translated, Heer says I feel one with Ranjha, so no one should call me Heer. They should call me Ranjha.”

“How did you meet? (Pointing to Mikhail and Hannah)” asked Alex.

“We met a month ago in Miami at a club.”

“How is your job going?” asked Alex.

“It has been good.”

“Don"t fall for his demeanor. He is sneaky. Niyat was at Harvard, and they were building a new science center. On the top floor, there was a telescope, and you could further climb up the roof. It was summer, and we all went out clubbing. In Boston, bars/clubs close at 2, but we wanted to party on. So, Mr. Strastovich decides to “borrow” a bottle from the club. And we go from Boston to Cambridge at 3 am. We were on the ground, crawling on all fours to sneak past the guard. We went up the stairs to the telescope, and there was a ladder to the roof. Neu asked the ladies to go first so he could look up their dresses. The roof was beautiful. We took pictures and spent the night drinking. Honestly, I have no idea how we got back.”

“I hate you guys. I got so drunk that I passed out. Mikhail brought me home. I thought he was Niyat, and I tried to make out. Not my shining moment.”

Some stories were told, some food was eaten, some champagne was drunk, and it was midnight.

“How about moving this party to my place? There is vodka.” Said Alex to Neu with a naughty smile.

“Oh, God. No vodka.”

They went to their cars and followed Alex, and soon there were three cars in Alex’s driveway. Alex got some glasses and scotch and cognac.

“Where’s the bathroom?” Asked Niyat.

“Through the hall, to the right.” Replied Alex.

“Maybe Aliya can show me.”

Aliya was helping Alex serve the drinks. She put the bottle down and walked with Niyat.

“I need help. I might be pregnant.” Said Niyat to Aliya as they walked over the bathroom.

“Okay.” Said Aliya with surprise and not knowing what else to say.

“We have been trying for a year, and I felt so uneasy on the plane,” Niyat said, closing the bathroom door behind her. “Thanks for getting Alex and Neu off my back.”

“No problem. Alexander should not be forcing anyone to drink. I am sorry about that.”

“No, need to apologize. They are idiots.” Niyat turned her purse inside out on the sink counter, and a bunch of test sticks dropped. “Will you wait with me?”

“Sure. I will be right out, and call me when you are done.”

A minute later, there were six sticks on the counter. “How long do we have to wait?” asked Aliya.

“I think a minute.” Aliya looked at her watch while Niyat was fidgeting. “It’s time.”

“Oh, I can"t look. You tell me.”

Aliya looked at each of the tests and then looked at Niyat. Niyat was holding her breath.

“It’s positive!” Said Aliya with excitement. “They are all positive!”

Niyat screamed, and they were both holding hands and jumping. “Shh shh shh” said Niyat. “We can"t tell anybody till the first trimester, at least till I get a check-up.”

Alex knocked on the door. “Is everything ok in there?”

Aliya opened the door just enough to show Alex her face. “Yes. We thought we saw a mouse, but it was a loofah.”

“Ok, Maybe no more alcohol for you too.”

“What to do with the sticks?” asked Niyat.

“You should wrap the sticks in tissue paper. I will be right back. You want to keep one for a scrapbook?”

While Niyat was putting that in her purse, Aliya went out and got a zip-lock bag. Niyat placed the sticks in it and then in another colored plastic bag. “I will throw them down the garbage chute. No one looks in there.” Aliya was about to exit when Niyat held her hand. “You are awesome. Alex is so lucky.” Aliya smiled and left.

Niyat joined the others.

“You ok?” asked Neu

“Never better.” Said Neu smiling and sitting next to him.

Aliya came back, and the stories started. Soon it was 4 am, and everyone was leaving.

“Thank you so much for coming.” Said Alex.

They were hugging in the driveway.

“I think I forgot my pills in the bathroom. Aliya, could you please check?” said Niyat.

“Right away.” And Aliya left.

“Aliya, when are you coming to Boston to see us?” asked Urvi as Aliya came back.

“I think it will be soon.” Replied Alex.

Everyone hugged her, and they left.

“Your friends are nice.” Said, Aliya.

“They loved you,” Alex said, kissing her. “I am so happy and so tired. Let’s go to bed.”

They slept till noon on Sunday. The week was uneventful. They went to the symphony on Saturday, and it was Sunday. When Aliya woke up, Alex was still asleep. She got up and grabbed a t-shirt, and walked down the stairs yawning. She saw someone sitting on the couch, and she screamed.