Page 32 of Rich and Rotten

She yawned. “Too early to be getting names correct, too.”

I watched as she pulled the covers tighter around her arms and walked toward me.

“Safe drive into the city. Everything here is handled, so you don’t need to worry or call a million times.”

“Aja will be picking her up from school on Friday, so you have the weekend free,” I told her.

She shrugged while walking to the fridge. “Not like I have much of a life anyway. I’ll either be here or at my loft asleep.”

Once I gave Bloom the rundown again, I finally stepped out of the house and got into the black SUV that would take me to the city. Ralph was back in his rightful place as my driver, and all was good in the world. That was until the door on the opposite side of me opened, and Nazir stepped his tall ass into the back with me.

“Um, what are you doing?”

“Security, Mrs. Sterling,” he smartly replied as he checked his watch and nodded at Ralph to go.

As Ralph pulled out of the gates, I stared at Nazir as if he might suddenly jump out of the car. I actually wished he would jump out while it was moving because I knew sitting in the car with him for an hour would be unbearable. I rummaged through my purse and pulled out my headphones because the last thing I wanted was to hear the awkward silence between us. He stared at me for a few moments, but when I didn’t make eye contact, he turned his attention out the window.

As soon as we hit the city, I was on the go with different meetings. We were launching new products in the spa, and we wanted to ensure the formula remained clean, as Yaya had requested. She was obsessed with having products that did more good than harm. Everything, from the bottles to the formula, was green and clean. The bottles were made of recycled glass, and we always encouraged people on our social media platforms to reuse the glass from our products. Yaya had suggested offering refillable options so the bottles could be used more than once, which I thought was a great idea.

While it was nice having my best friend as both a business partner and my assistant, I had been telling Yaya to find her replacement for a year, but she refused. She claimed no one could do what she does for me. That may have been true, but I often felt guilty for relying so heavily on her. Even with me tossing anything her way, she was capable of handling it because she always got it done.

Nazir had been with me the entire day, doing his job and offering no conversation. I appreciated that. I already had a lot that I was dealing with today and didn’t want him following me around and begging to have a conversation.

He held the door open as I entered what would become the second Hush location. Our realtor, who was currently out of town, had given us the code so we could tour the place.

“This is perfect. I feel so calm just walking into the space,” I said out loud, while Yaya followed behind me.

“I’m thinking we can add some walls there to block the view to the back. Being that this used to be a boutique hotel, we can utilize so much. The plunge pools can be down here on the main floor toward the back, and the infinity pool on the rooftop is perfect,” Yaya suggested.

Her excitement made me even more excited because I could see our vision right in front of us. It would take some time to get everything how we wanted it, but once everything was done, it would be perfect.

It also gave me an excuse to delay telling Karim’s mother and mine that I would be moving myself and Nazira to the city. Nazira would adapt, and our family could always visit when they missed us. It was only an hour away, not twenty. Being in the city had always made me feel alive, and I had stayed away for too long, only experiencing it in doses. Losing Karim reminded me how short life is, and I refused to sit and not do what I wanted.

“We need to move fast and make an offer. Somebody will snatch this up quickly.”

“It’s a miracle he hasn’t received an offer yet,” Yaya said as she sat down on a piece of furniture left behind. “You think we can negotiate these chairs? They’re quite cute and expensive, too.”

When Nazir stepped outside to join the other security guard, I whispered to Yaya, “He found out about Nazira.”

“I’m not surprised,” she replied casually.

“Why do you say you’re not surprised?”

She crossed her legs. “Pictures didn’t do him justice. In person, I can see Nazira in him. That little grin she does? He does the same one–– been doing it all day whenever you walk into a room.”

“Really? Never mind.” I stopped myself from blushing.

Yaya laughed. “How did that conversation go?”

“What conversation?”

She stared at me, confused. “You didn’t have a conversation with him about it?”

I stood up and walked behind the front desk. “No.”

“Why not?”

“It was chaotic this morning, and I didn’t need to be in my feelings. Plus, I haven’t even fully processed how I feel my damn self, Yalina.”