“Yeah, me too.”
They ended up in the Japanese art atrium where they found the jewelry chest with the same floral design as the French impressionist painter.
They worked together like a well-oiled machine going from clue to clue.
Prem never trusted someone else’s instincts more than his own when it came to achieving a goal, but it was hard not to immediately rely on Rina. Because they were moving so quickly through the museum, an hour and a half flew by, and when they found the last clue, they were sweating.
“Here it is!” Kareena shouted. The second-floor patrons hushed her, but Prem jogged across the room and sidled up next to her to read the inscription on the plaque.
“I’ll be damned. It was the janitor!”
“Told you. Now we just have to make it to the rooftop . . .”
“Not so fast.”
They turned to face the group of teenage bullies standing at the other end of the corridor. They were in a V-shape with the pink-haired jerk right up front. “That final clue is ours, losers.”
“Losers?” Kareena gasped. “You’re the ones who couldn’t figure it out on your own.”
“But no one else has to know that,” one of the other kids said.
“Rina?” Prem whispered so only she could hear.
“Yeah?”
“Run.”
Without a second’s hesitation, Rina shoved her tote at him to carry, and in her three-inch heels, sprinted toward the exit. They slid across slippery marble floors and ran through one of the largest museums in New York City side by side. They didn’t know how far behind their competition was, but Prem couldn’t lose time by looking back.
Two security officers told them to slow down before they reached the rooftop. Breathless, they pushed open the double doors, weaving through groups of people, families, and strollers before they spotted Ms. Frizzle at one of the lookout points in front of the city skyline. New York was painted in a wash of orange and dark blues with hints of violet tracing steel skyscrapers.
Prem grabbed Kareena’s hand, and they raced to their scavenger hunt moderator.
Kareena slapped her answer sheet in front of Ms. Frizzle. “It’s the janitor!”
Mrs. Frizzle looked down at her paper and then back at her. “You got all the clues? In an hour and thirty-nine minutes?”
Prem pressed a hand at the small of Kareena’s back. “Yes,” he said. “Are we first?”
Ms. Frizzle smiled, then scanned their answer sheet. “Yes, you are. Congratulations. You’ve won the scavenger hunt and found our murderer.”
“Yes!” Kareena’s victorious howl echoed above the sound of the city below and the rooftop patrons. She jumped in his arms, and he twirled her around twice. Her face glowed when she slid back to her feet. “We won the coupons!”
“We did,” he said, settling his hands on her waist. “See? We make a killer team, Rina.”
Her expression turned rueful as he put her down. “Okay, I give you that much. We do make a pretty good team. I’m not ready to give up finding what my parents had just yet, but if I do switch to Plan B, I’m . . . grateful that you’re it.”
“Excuse me, winning power team!” Ms. Frizzle called. She held up her phone and gestured for them to face her. “I’d love to take your picture for our social media accounts. You two make such a striking couple.”
“Oh, we’re not—”
“Thank you,” Prem said cheerfully.
He dropped her tote bag and pulled Kareena against him until she fit against the planes of his chest and thighs. The past melded with the present, and the familiar curves under his hands gave him a high that he’d been craving for weeks.
Prem’s gaze dropped to her lips. “I didn’t think we’d be in this position again, Rina, honey.”
Kareena’s eyes widened even as she gripped his shoulders. “Wh-what are you doing?” Her pink tongue darting out to lick her bottom lip.
“It’s customary for first dates to end with a kiss. We jumped the gun a little bit, but consider this a do-over.”
“This is not a date—”
Before she could say anything more, Prem leaned in under the Manhattan sunset and pressed his lips against hers. Time slowed, and the noise faded into the background.
Kareena’s lips parted under his, and the impact was electric. They fit together. Not just bodies, but lips, tongue, touch. His hands streaked up her back, and her fingers dove into his hair. Prem felt the current shoot through the roots of his hair as Kareena gripped him hard enough for him to swallow a surprised groan. He wanted another chance with her alone. No, he wanted all of her for as long as possible.