Chapter 8: Cookies

She missed Neil terribly! Between her practice and his new job at IICA's hotel's cafe, they hadn't met or talked in a while! She had seen him from far once or twice but nothing like before.

Avni didn't know when it had started, but it seemed like her heart had always longed for Neil. Now along with her feelings for Neil, she felt something for her Secret Admirer as well! Right now she felt like her own feelings were two-timing themselves!

She was grasping at straws here, but since the candy floss a few days ago, she hadn't received anything from her Secret Admirer like she hadn't seen Neil!

More than anything though, Avni wanted Neela maa's instincts to be true! She was fervently wishing for Neil to be her Secret Admirer!

Exhausted from untangling her emotional loops & tired of waiting for Neil/her Secret Admirer to make a move, Avni determinedly entered her tiger's den, the cafe, to unmask his dual identity, once & for all!!

The cafe had an open kitchen where you could actually see your food being prepared by professionals. This gave Avni the advantage of observing Neil throughout!

As per her plan, she ordered an extremely calorie-rich Chicken steak with all the works! Keeping her fingers crossed, Avni waited expectantly for her meal to arrive!

Since starting this job, Neil had been extremely busy. The easy days of being a student were forever over!

He missed Avni! It had been so long since they had talked, laughed, or just been in one place long enough to exchange a simple hello!

Seeing her here suddenly, at his place of work, had made him inexplicably happy!

In a blush pink tank top, frayed denim shorts, and her long hair snaking down her back in a simple plait, she looked adorable & far too sexy for his own peace of mind!

She had quietly sat at the table nearest to the kitchen yet hadn't looked around or noticed him in there.

Neil didn't mind! She was here, in front of him, and would eat the food he cooked! That was enough for him!

Good thing he had rushed to intercept her order though, because her selection made him frown. He had looked towards her, but she had seemed oblivious to his stare & confusion!

So he had taken an executive decision! He knew what her dietary requirements were and therefore, prepared her order accordingly!

If Avni thought he'd let her cheat her diet regime, that too this close to her championship, she needed to think again!

Because as long as Neil Khanna was in the kitchen, he would never let her jeopardize her health and her years of hard work for a whim like this!

He was prepared, in case Avni decided to create drama once she realized he had deliberately switched her order!

But that didn't happen! Instead, on seeing her plate, her face split into the most beatific smile ever, baffling Neil.

The moment the server removed the cloche from her smoked chicken with steamed vegetables, Avni's face split into a huge radiant smile, stunning the poor guy momentarily!

Neela maa was right! Neil was her Secret Admirer! This meant that she didn't need to feel so guilty anymore! The guy she had fallen for was also the guy who was secretly trying to make her happy!

And this time, she had caught him in the act! She had seen Neil receive her order, frown at it, and then glance at her in confusion, before turning to his workspace purposefully!

Her heart finally at peace, Avni sat down to enjoy her chef's creation to the fullest!

In her happiness, Avni hadn't realized that along with her meal another small cloche covered plate had been delivered to her table.

Her joy knew no bounds when she found another gift from her Secret Admirer waiting underneath!

Nesting above the now familiar envelope was half a Cookie!

Mystified, Avni looked at that half cookie and then removed the note from the envelope.

It read:

'Avni,

Two halves make a whole! Without you in my life, it feels as fragmented as this cookie!

Waiting for you to complete me,

Your
Secret Admirer!'

The tears came unbidden into her eyes, but Avni didn't shy away from them this time.

With Neil's truth now out in the open for her, she could finally appreciate and accept the sentiments behind those words.

She saw Neil clocking her reaction to his 'gifts' and decided that it was time Chef Khanna too felt a little of what she had been going through since he began his little game of 'hide & seek'!

It was time for a little payback! A devilish plan had already begun to formulate in Avni's mind! "Neil Khanna", she thought, "beware! It is time for some sexy revenge!"

Before starting, from the corner of her eye, Avni made sure that Neil was watching the entire show that she was so thoughtfully' about to present, for his benefit!

With calculated intent, Avni placed her elbows on the table, leaned in a bit, and picked up the cookie delicately. She brought it slowly to her mouth and began nibbling on it...small little bites with an occasional slow swipe of her tongue, out catching the sprinkled cookie dust off her lips!

Seeing Neil gulp in mouthful of air gave Avni the courage to take up her act a notch higher!

Noticing that some cookie crumbs seemed to have stuck in her spaghetti top, she began dusting them away leisurely, making sure that her fingers lingered a little longer than necessary at some strategic places!!

Neil felt thunderstruck! His capacity to think had evaporated the moment Avni had begun eating that cookie as if it was the sole source of Nirvana'!

Neil was sure he was coming down with something! He was burning up, his skin felt stretched on his bones, sweat was trickling down his forehead, his tongue was stuck on the roof of his rapidly drying mouth, and he was having difficulty breathing!

Coming to his senses with difficulty, Neil looked around to see who else had witnessed Avni's little stunts & his reaction to it!

With shaking fingers Neil removed his apron & carefully walked over to Avni's table.

Unsurprised, she looked at him with those big doe shaped eyes, and placed the last piece of the cookie in her mouth.

Before she could...Neil used his thumb to gather the fallen crumbs from her lips, and before he could...Avni caught his hand, looked straight into his eyes, and licked his thumb clean!

To be Continued..

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So thats a wrap for this part.!

I hope u enjoyed Avni's little Stunt.!

I am so Proud and Happy to Announce the Recent Highest Rank of this Story.

Rank #47 in Short Story.!

Yayy.! Cheers.!

Love
Riyal