Chapter 5

Miranda Neela, Neela Miranda

Neela stood nervously in the front entrance hall of her apartment. Ray stood tall beside her, holding her hand in his. Neela was still reeling from that kiss they had just shared. Something happened when Ray took her hand and Neela had to see if her feelings were right. When she asked him to kiss her it had nothing to do with Ray's plan. That kiss certainly was not pretend. So here she was, holding the hand of a man she was suddenly crazy for, pretending to be his girlfriend to scare away his ex and she had no idea how he really felt.

"Neela? What kind of name is that?" Miranda spoke rudely.

Ray frowned. He wasn't expecting jealousy from Miranda. He had been sure only a minute ago she was about to walk out.

"Neela is a Punjabi name. It was my Grandmothers," Neela threw back, although the part about her grandmother was absolutely untrue. She wanted Miranda to feel bad after the woman had just insulted her name.

"Oh," Miranda's face dropped. Neela one, Miranda zero.

There was a long uncomfortable silence. "I'm really sorry if I intruded on anything. I certainly didn't know Ray had a girlfriend," Miranda spoke eyeing Neela suspiciously.

Ray pulled Neela close to him as if he were trying to protect her from some bad guy. He placed a light kiss on her forehead. "You're not intruding really. I just really didn't expect you to be here," Ray slipped off his shoes. Neela followed suit.

"So Miranda," Neela smiled, never letting go of Ray's hand. "Are you in Chicago long?"

Miranda shot a hopeful glance at Ray. He stayed secured at Neela's side and didn't offer any support. "Probably only a couple days. I'm just passing through really. I wanted to come see how Ray was doing but he seems pretty happy to me," Miranda sighed feeling defeated.

Ray nodded. "That's so sweet of you for checking up on me. I am really happy though. I guess I have you to thank. If it hadn't been for our break up I would have never met Neela."

Ouch. That was a really low blow, Neela thought. Miranda may be a nasty person but Ray said it was a mutual break up and by the looks of it Miranda wasn't all that over Ray. As much as Neela already disliked her no one deserved that.

"Miranda, where are you staying?" Neela inquired.

Miranda seemed a bit caught off guard by the question but quickly regained herself and answered, "I was thinking about just staying in a hotel."

"Of course not. You can stay here with us," Neela smiled.

Ray's head turned to look at her so fast it almost went all the way around. Neela gave him a look and Ray just nodded, still confused. "Of course you can. You can stay in Neela's room."

Miranda scrunched up her face. "Yu guys don't share a room?"

"Of course we do," Ray piped in. "It's just when Neela first moved in here we weren't really dating so she had her own room."

"Right," Neela said catching on. "And even now I don't sleep in Ray's room often," at this she shot Ray a look. "Sometimes I just need my own space."

"Um, ok," Miranda clearly didn't understand why Neela didn't sleep with Ray all the time.

Because I'm not a slut like you, Neela laughed in her head. Neela shook her head in disbelief. What was happening to her tonight? She didn't even know this woman that well. How could she say such a thing?

A silence hung between them again. "Well, I'm sure you're exhausted. How about I show you to your room?" Neela gestured toward the hall.

Miranda cast one more look at Ray. Ray tried to smiled but failed. Miranda put out her hand to shake his. Ray reluctantly did so. He quickly dropped her hand. Neela led Miranda down the hall to her room. Ray stood outside his bedroom door watching them go.

"I'll meet you in the room Honey," he called out after Neela.

Neela turned and smiled. The way he had just called her honey sent shivers down her spine. She quickly snapped out of it and opened her bedroom door. She set Miranda up and grabbed a pair of pajamas. (Which really only consisted of a pair of track pants and tank top.) "Good night," Neela told Miranda and then pulled her bedroom door shut.

Nervously she made her way down to Ray's room.