different field.”
Reyna didn’t say anymore and the sudden quiet was uncomfortable after what Priya had found an easy journey so far. She was surprised by that ease between them after the accusations Reyna had leveled at her.
Priya said, “By the way, I was doing the practical research component of my PhD at the Fairer Research Company when I met Daniel. He asked me to do the interview for the job at the clinic. I didn't get the job there through my dad.”
Reyna had that smile on her lips again; the one that annoyed Priya while at the same time sent her pulse rate higher.
“I apologize if I got that one wrong. I thought your dad had helped.”
“He was the one who suggested I do a PhD in the field because he knew there would be opportunities and he gave me the idea for the thesis and pointed me towards the research company, but he didn't get me the job at the clinic. I guess he was far-sighted and made sure I was in the right place at the right time. But according to Daniel, he’d never have taken me on just because of dad; he said the role was way too important to him for any friend or family influence to play a part.”
“As I said, I'm sorry. I was wrong obviously.”
“You were also wrong about Daniel being my boyfriend.”
“You're determined to set me right about a few things, aren’t you?”
“I don’t understand why Daniel would tell you we were together. What exactly did he say?”
“Well, I don't remember the exact words, but he hinted that he was having a thing with a researcher and I got the impression he was really ‘involved’ you know, which was so unusual for him, he had always been such a lady’s man.”
“He had a certain way about him. It wasn’t just his looks or the money. He had a charisma. He could sell ice to the Inuit. I could see that for a straight woman he would definitely be interesting.”
Reyna laughed. “I think that’s snow to the Eskimos.”
“Daniel could have patented the stuff and sold it back to them in truckloads.”
“Did you like him?”
Priya said, thinking about her words, “I admired him as a researcher, and as a man who could make things happen. And yes, he could be very charming.”
“That hasn't really answered my question.”
Priya wanted to just give an answer, any answer. Reyna was glancing at her, waiting. But she found she couldn’t say anything and just turned to look out of the window.
∞
They had travelled about an hour away from Priya's house and were deep in Connemara. As the Mercedes glided over the road, now asphalt and winding, rising as it hugged the side of a mountain, they were silent, and the silence was now filled with tension. The scenery was overpowering, the fjord stretching out as far as the horizon, its blue water a hundred necklaces of diamonds in the late sun. Clumps of trees covered the shores and the occasional house perched on the surrounding hills.
“I live so close to this beauty and I never come out here.” Priya broke the silence.
“You've never been out here?”
“Oh I have. Over the last twenty odd years, any visitors were taken on the tour of Connemara. But it's been a while, and I never just get in the car and come out here.”
“You've never been tempted to paint here?”
Priya thought for a moment. “I painted from my memories. I guess I lived in my head and painted what I saw.”
“Wow. You must have a photographic memory! Those paintings were extremely detailed.”
“It’s hard to explain. I think in pictures, even numbers and code, they’re expressed in my mind like images. And when I see something, it is stored as an exact image almost. Means I can usually see when something has been moved. It annoys Michael no end.”
Priya felt uneasy as she remembered her bookshelf. And the research figures. She added, “It's not anything special, a lot of people see things in a more visual way. It’s not really like I can look at everything on a page and reproduce it or
Reyna didn’t say anymore and the sudden quiet was uncomfortable after what Priya had found an easy journey so far. She was surprised by that ease between them after the accusations Reyna had leveled at her.
Priya said, “By the way, I was doing the practical research component of my PhD at the Fairer Research Company when I met Daniel. He asked me to do the interview for the job at the clinic. I didn't get the job there through my dad.”
Reyna had that smile on her lips again; the one that annoyed Priya while at the same time sent her pulse rate higher.
“I apologize if I got that one wrong. I thought your dad had helped.”
“He was the one who suggested I do a PhD in the field because he knew there would be opportunities and he gave me the idea for the thesis and pointed me towards the research company, but he didn't get me the job at the clinic. I guess he was far-sighted and made sure I was in the right place at the right time. But according to Daniel, he’d never have taken me on just because of dad; he said the role was way too important to him for any friend or family influence to play a part.”
“As I said, I'm sorry. I was wrong obviously.”
“You were also wrong about Daniel being my boyfriend.”
“You're determined to set me right about a few things, aren’t you?”
“I don’t understand why Daniel would tell you we were together. What exactly did he say?”
“Well, I don't remember the exact words, but he hinted that he was having a thing with a researcher and I got the impression he was really ‘involved’ you know, which was so unusual for him, he had always been such a lady’s man.”
“He had a certain way about him. It wasn’t just his looks or the money. He had a charisma. He could sell ice to the Inuit. I could see that for a straight woman he would definitely be interesting.”
Reyna laughed. “I think that’s snow to the Eskimos.”
“Daniel could have patented the stuff and sold it back to them in truckloads.”
“Did you like him?”
Priya said, thinking about her words, “I admired him as a researcher, and as a man who could make things happen. And yes, he could be very charming.”
“That hasn't really answered my question.”
Priya wanted to just give an answer, any answer. Reyna was glancing at her, waiting. But she found she couldn’t say anything and just turned to look out of the window.
∞
They had travelled about an hour away from Priya's house and were deep in Connemara. As the Mercedes glided over the road, now asphalt and winding, rising as it hugged the side of a mountain, they were silent, and the silence was now filled with tension. The scenery was overpowering, the fjord stretching out as far as the horizon, its blue water a hundred necklaces of diamonds in the late sun. Clumps of trees covered the shores and the occasional house perched on the surrounding hills.
“I live so close to this beauty and I never come out here.” Priya broke the silence.
“You've never been out here?”
“Oh I have. Over the last twenty odd years, any visitors were taken on the tour of Connemara. But it's been a while, and I never just get in the car and come out here.”
“You've never been tempted to paint here?”
Priya thought for a moment. “I painted from my memories. I guess I lived in my head and painted what I saw.”
“Wow. You must have a photographic memory! Those paintings were extremely detailed.”
“It’s hard to explain. I think in pictures, even numbers and code, they’re expressed in my mind like images. And when I see something, it is stored as an exact image almost. Means I can usually see when something has been moved. It annoys Michael no end.”
Priya felt uneasy as she remembered her bookshelf. And the research figures. She added, “It's not anything special, a lot of people see things in a more visual way. It’s not really like I can look at everything on a page and reproduce it or
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