It took Nayna a moment to realize his name was being called. He was still trying to decide if his mother-in-law was really trying to talk to him or was just fucking with her unwanted son-in-law for not being a nice French doctor. She was the sort to do that. Sacha liked to tell him it was God’s way of testing their marriage and her mother’s way of testing all the men in her life. She assured him she would stop it eventually and to just be patient. “Also,” she would add hotly, “am I not worth the trials?” And twitch her nose impertinently. (He couldn’t understand why he found that sexy.)
“Sorry,” he said wearily, hanging up and turning off his phone. He stood up and smiled at the pretty woman who’d spoken – detected a touch of stiffness in her smile – and said apologetically. “The last of real world stress I assure you.”