It all started with a ........Truck - Page 7

I chewed on the end of my pencil, occasionally tapping my lower lip with the eraser. I hadn't thought this hard since college. I had even stalled by putting my name and the date on the top of the paper in formal class heading. I almost wanted to put class number or professor's name up there too. Okay, Gunjan. Focus. This should not be this hard.

Pros: He smells good. He looks like Adonis. He has a tattoo of his mother's name. He's flirtatious and fun. He made people think Adhiraj was gay.

Cons: He's immature. Nothing bothers him.(Seriously that can not be healthy!) He's flirtatious. He's cocky. I can't be around him for more than five minutes without thinking of the ways I could kill him and make it look like an accident.

I sighed, leaning back in my chair and stretched my shoulders. Alright, so it looks like... five pros and five cons. You've got to be kidding me! So I half way like him?

"Stupid, confusing, gorgeous man!" I said aloud.

And then I jumped because as soon as the last word was out of my mouth my phone beeped. I checked it with my eyes half closed. Don't let it be Samrat. Don't let it be Samrat.

Nupur.

Of course it wasn't Samrat. Just because I was thinking of him I automatically thought he would be thinking of me. Ridiculous.

Emergency! Meet me in the meadow. - Nupur

I rolled my eyes. Everything was an emergency when it came to Nupur. Me thinks the Girlie is a tad bit dramatic.

What's going on? I texted back.

The phone beeped again not even two seconds after I hit send. Wow. Someone's high off mountain dew again, huh Girlie?

Don't ask questions! Just meet me there! -Nupur

"Fine, fine." I grumbled under my breath.

The meadow was well... a meadow. I found it when I was growing up here and I'd go there when I just needed to escape. Don't get me wrong. Dad is great. He's a really good dad as far as Dad's go but he was a single parent and there are somethings you just need your mom for. Bra shopping for the first time. Tampon runs. Boy advice. Most of our fights revolved around those topics. He was a trooper but sometimes I just needed to get away from him before we both died from embarrassment.

Then when me and the gang moved back here after college I showed them and it became our meeting spot. It was quiet and peaceful, a nice place to think. Well, before Adhiraj got there anyway.

I grabbed my keys and shoved on some black ballet flats before walking out the door.

On my way.I texted Nupur as I hoped into the car.

I don't know what could constitute as an emergency. Undoubtedly it had something to do with the wedding but we had most of the planning done. The wedding was only two weeks away now. The hall was booked. The flowers were ordered. The dresses were all chosen and hanging in the back of my closet. The guys had their tuxes. Adhiraj had been threatened multiple times by multiple people about embarrassing toasts or comments during the wedding. Really the only thing that was left to do was getting ready and decorating the hall where they were having the wedding. And if she thought we were decorating two weeks ahead of time I was going to have to have the girls head checked.

I fiddled with the radio in my decrepit truck almost the entire twenty minute ride to the meadow before finally settling on Changes by Candlebox. I smiled as I rolled the windows down and let the wind blow through my hair. Nothing helps my attitude like good music. Of course this was NY so along with the wind blowing in my hair so did the bone chilling cold and I rolled the window back up with a glare at the offending clouds.

"Nupur, if this is something less than an emergency I will strangle you!" I called as I walked through the small tree covering that surrounded the meadow.

"And I mean that in the most loving way possible!"

It was silent for a moment and I frowned as I entered a desolate meadow. There was nobody here.

"It is an emergency, Gunj." Someone said in a high pitched voice.

I followed the phony voice to a nearby tree and looked up, my eyes widening when I saw what was waiting for me. I went to scream but it was too late. A gallon of paint was splashed down on me.

"Adhiraj!" I screamed, balling my fists up into a ball.

He laughed so hard that he couldn't keep his hold on the tree branch and almost fell out. I wish he would.

And then I spotted the other bucket of paint.

"Don't you da-"

But he'd already tipped it over onto me with a devilish smirk.

"I am extending the ad to three months." I sneered up at him. His smiled fell and I nodded seriously.

"They're having a special you know." I said conversationally, shaking the excess paint off of my arms and looking down to study the rest of me. I was completely covered in blue. Oh, he was going to be getting calls for as long as he lived. I would make sure of it. His grandchildren would doubt his straightness.

"Three months for thirty dollars."

His eyes widened.

"You wouldn't."

I cocked my head, contemplating before reaching behind me to ring out my hair dramatically.

"I most definitely would." I said affirmatively.

He cursed under his breath.

"Oh yes." I said ominously.

He cringed, hopping from branch to branch before landing in front of me.

"Come on, Gunj." he said, pouting. "It was just a little prank."

I smiled, understanding.

"Manuel still calling?"

He sneered and I stifled a laugh. There's my answer.

"It's just a little prank." I mimicked in a sing song voice.

He narrowed his eyes at me before shrugging.

"Call me when you're hair stops blinding people." he taunted. "I've still got Sammy to repay."

A smirk appeared on my face and I ran to catch up with him.

"Now that sounds like fun." I enthused. "What can I do?"

He looked at me over his shoulder, an amused expression on his face.

"Nope,Gunj." he said happily. "This is all me. You already had your fun."

I slowed my pace, letting him continue by himself to his jeep parked on the other side of the road. Talk about hiding in plain sight!

He honked as he passed me, waving happily out the window- oh so proud of himself. I glowered at his retreating jeep- angry and blue.

I sneered at the caller ID when my phone rang, startling the silence inMayank and Nupur's living room. After trying to get as much blue paint off of me as I could, meaning three showers with almost painful scrubbing, I had come over here to see if Nupur could help somehow. She was the queen of make-up after all. Although it wasn't really my skin that was the problem. Most of that came off with the third brutal shower but my hair... Oh, my hair was a completely different story. Of course Mayank and Nupur needed a detailed explanation of what happened and that's what I'd been doing when my phone started ringing.

Suhu.

"Hey." she said in greeting. "I just looked out the window and saw the chumbucket. Are you at Nupur's?"

"I'm blue." I told her, skipping pleasentries. If she had helped that oaf in any way, shape, or form she was going down. I already had a running list of things that I could do to my friend if she had helped.

"What?" She asked, sounding confused.

"I. Am. Blue." I repeated, enunciating each word.

Silence.

"Don't worry, Gunjan." She said finally. "Everyone has their days."

I rolled my eyes. She's been spending way too much time with Adhiraj.

"No." I said slowly. "I don't mean the-last-chocolate-eclair-was-gone-at-the-bakery blue or an I-accidentally-dropped-my-phone-in-the-toilet blue. I mean you idiotic husband called me to the meadow, hid in a tree, and dumped blue paint on me."

My voice rose with my agitation as I spoke and Suhu must have been walking across the street during my tirade because as I finished with a loud huff the front door was thrown open.

"Oh my god!" Suhu gasped, still holding her phone to her ear. "You're blue. As in blue!"

I nodded, sweeping my hand down my form like one of those girls on the price is right, just less slutty and alluring.

"Blue." She babbled, laughter bubbling into her voice.

I narrowed my eyes at her in warning. If she laughed right now that list was going to be getting a whole lot longer.

She must have read my mind because she composed herself, clearing her throat.

"You didn't know he was going to do this?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"I had no idea." She grumbled, sounding upset by the fact. She even sounded a little offended.

I sighed, my list dissipating.

"So... he poured paint on you?"

I nodded.

"Two buckets." I confirmed.

She frowned.

"Why did you meet him?" she asked. "I thought you'd be on your guard around him now."

I switched my phone to the other ear, my right one beginning to ache now.

"Because he-" I started to explain but then I frowned. "Wait. Why are we still on the phone?"

Suhaani blinked as if she had just realized we were.

"I don't know." She laughed.

I chuckled despite myself.

"I'm hanging up now." I informed her.

"Okay."

"No, you hang up first." Mayank trilled from the sidelines, amused at the show.

Suhu and I both rolled our eyes at him as we snapped our phones shut. Nupur giggled.

"So why did you meet Adhi at the meadow?" She asked, getting us back on topic.

"Oh yeah." I remembered. "Because he texted me from your phone." I pointed at Nupur. "I thought it was you."

It was quite for a moment and then Nupur exploded.

"What?" She shrieked. "He has my phone? I've been looking for that all morning!"

I was about to respond when something outside the window caught my attention. A silver Volvo. Oh, you've got to be kidding me!

I must have said that last part out loud because all three of my friends gave me questioning looks. Mayank chuckled when he followed my gaze and saw what I was sneering at.

"Who invited truck-napper?" I asked, gazing at them in turn.

Nupur sighed.

"Stop being childish." she chided. "Samrat is our friend."

I opened my mouth to retort but Mayank cut me off with a stern look.

"He's my cousin, Gunjan." he reminded me. "Be nice."

"Fine." I grumbled. Truth be told I wasn't even really mad about the whole Houdini truck thing anymore. I mean, I pulled pranks. I had just helped him prank Adhiraj after all. No, what aggravated me was my own indecision. One minute I was swooning over him- the next he's one of the most annoying people on the face of the earth. He was confusing me like no other and I hated being confused. I was one of those people who liked everything to be black and white. This man was all shades of gray.

"Lucky, I'm home!" he called as he opened the door while knocking.

Rose moved from the entry way so that he could come in and he grinned in thanks.

"See anything odd?" Rose hinted, tilting her head in my direction.

I rolled my eyes. Stealthy she was not.

"Odd?" he questioned curiously, his eyes scanning the room. "What's that supposed to-"

His eyes landed on me and they widened in surprise. His eyes were big anyway. Big and wide and expressive. And they were this deep shade of Black , framed by the thickest lashes. And there I go again with the swooning.

"Holy pissed off smurf!" he exclaimed, those swoon-worthy eyes still wide.

I sneered. And back to despising him at a whiplash speed. Do you see what I mean?

The others all thought this was hilarious however and Samrat was left looking at them- confused while they laughed.

"She knows-" He cleared his throat. "She knows that she's blue, right? I mean this wasn't a case of falling asleep around the wrong company was it?"

I rolled my eyes. Did I realize I was blue? Of all the stupid-

God. I was practically blinding myself in the reflection from the glass front door.

"Wait!" I gasped dramatically, feiging surprise. "I'm... blue?"

I dropped the act- crossing my arms over my chest.

"Why is it that every time you have an idea for a prank I get the short end of the stick?" I demanded. The whole Adhiraj-is-gay thing was all his idea in the first place.

He still looked confused.

"What?"

"Adhiraj dropped paint on Gunjan." Nupur explained helpfully.

"In retribution for the gay prank." Suhu added.

He studied me for a long moment and then one side of his lips turned up. Then the other and then he was laughing.

"Oh, shut up!" I grumbled. "He's after you too."

He smirked.

"Thanks for the warning, sexy smurf."

I narrowed my eyes at him as he waggled his eyebrows at me and everyone else bust into a fresh peal of laughter.

After a couple of minutes of 'good natured' teasing from my so called 'friends' they continued on with their previous activities. Nups and Suhu started to discus the wedding. How they can find interest in a topic they've already gone over a million and two times is beyond me. And Mayank turned back to the game he was watching on TV. OoO- The Colts! I wanted to go sit beside him and watch it but that would mean spending more time in the same room with those alluring eyes and obnoxious comments so I walked into the kitchen. To avoid the man that owned both.

If I could just somehow(perhaps surgically?) instal a different personality into that fine body of a man- keep those eyes without the eyerolls and those lucious lips without the sarcastic comments... well, I'd probably have gotten him drunk and married that fool already.

"Classy!" I chided myself, shaking my head as I reached for an apple.

"What did we say about the first sign of insanity?" a voice from behind startled me.

I shrieked and spun around- pelting the intruder with my apple. Truck-Napper looked surprised by the onslot of hazardous fruit but he managed to catch the apple and held it out to me with an angelic smile.

I blushed, embarrassed of my over reaction and my thoughts, and snatched the apple from him with a kurt 'thanks.'

He chuckled.

"You're welcome." he answered pleasantly.

I just fiddled with the apple, unsure of what to say next. I just couldn't escape him.

"So, that color blue looks lovely with your skin."

I pressed my lips into a thin line. Smart ass!

He laughed, seeing my expression which just pissed me off further because amusing wasn't exactly what I had been going for.

"That was only about 50% obnoxious comment." he told me.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Well then I'm only about 50% thinking about taking you outside for a public flogging."

He pressed his lips together but it wasn't in anger as mine had been. He was trying not to laugh at me again. He had better try real hard or I'd skip the marrying him part and just leave his drunk butt naked in the middle of the downtown mall.

"Public flogging, Ms. Bhushan?" he smirked. "Someone's a little over zealous."

I shurgged indifferently.

"If you're going to do something do it good." I said easily.

He nodded seriously.

"Well if I'm ever transported into Oliver Twist with you I'll remember to watch my back."

"Ha ha." I said dryly. "And just so you know, Oliver Twist sucks."

He looked hurt.

"It's my Mom's favorite." He said. "It's not that bad."

I scoffed.

"He's one of the most pathetic characters ever written." I told him truthfully.

He managed to look offended for about 0.5 seconds before reaching behind m to the fruit basket on the counter- snagging an orange.

"Well, what do you like better?" he asked, tossing the orange up into the air a couple of times. "Because I knowyou've got to have an oppinion."

I ignored his comment on my being opinionated and answered with a casual crunch of my apple.

"Wuthering Heights." I said. "Pride and Prejudice, Sherlock Holmes, The Tale of Two Cities, A-"

"You've made your point." he cut me off, chuckling. "Nice see food by the way."

I stuck my tongue out at him, proudly displaying my apple chunks. Usually this would have embarrassed me to no end but frankly it didn't bother me with Edward. He wouldn't hold it against me.

He made a disgusted face but I could tell he wasn't really upset. He debated for a moment before sticking an orange slice into his mouth and smiled huge with it wedged in between his lips. An orange smile!

"I haven't seen anyone do that since the third grade." I giggled.

Here was this gorgeous, muscular, EMT- waggling his eyebrows with an orange slice wedged between his perfect lips. It just made me laugh but I think that was kind of the point.

"Hey, Blue- you want some orange?" he asked, his speech garbled around the orange.

I laughed harder. He swallowed the orange, looking very proud of himself.

"You have a beautiful laugh." he told me, smiling.

I blushed, looking down at my feet.

"Thanks." I said quietly.

After I got home that night I added to my pro/con list.

Con: He doesn't hesitate to make fun of me. He likes Oliver Twist.

Pro: He does stupid things to make me laugh. He made me feel beautiful standing in Alice's kitchen in sweat pants and a grungy sweat shirt, covered from head to toe in blue paint.

Note: I'm sorry again for the late update. . Please leave me a Comment. I'm sorry for any mistakes. I didn't have time to edit before I left for work but I wanted to get this out there for you guys. Much Love!