Reluctantly, she answered it.
“You didn’t read my email, did you?” His voice was clipped. Annoyed? Still, though, it made her shiver.
“Hello to you, too.” She had to force the deadpan tone in her voice.
“Kamila, I know you hate me, but I really need to speak to you. Can we meet before the party tonight?”
She exhaled slowly. “I don’t hate you, Rohan.” She didn’t. She loved him. But she was so angry. Hopefully the anger would help the pesky being-in-love-with-him thing to go away soon. “And I can’t come early. I’m emceeing the canine couture show in ten minutes.”
“The what?”
“The dog fashion show? It’s one of those silly Kamila things that I do. I’ll have a ton more time to do things like this soon, thanks to you.”
“Kamila…” She heard him sigh. He sounded…wounded. He clearly wanted to explain himself. To fix things. Because that was his nature. This was just guilt. He was a stand-up guy.
But there was no way to fix this. Not now, with Dad so happy.
“Look, I need to go, Rohan.”
“Are you coming to the Aim High party at all?” he asked.
“Of course I’m coming. I made a commitment. I’ll be there to help set up the room with you at six.” As much as she didn’t want to, she’d be at that damn party. Then she wouldn’t have to see Anil, or the rest of the Aim High team, ever again. That was one benefit of Emerald being absorbed into HNS.
It hit her again. Emerald, as she knew it, wouldn’t exist anymore. She shook her head—she just did her makeup. She couldn’t cry again.
“Okay. We’ll talk while we set up the room. If you get a chance before, take a look at the email, okay?”
“Fine. If I get the chance. Bye, Rohan.”
Kamila touched up her eyes, put on a bold-red lipstick, and headed back outside to emcee the fashion show.
Because the show must go on.
***
After the dogs all finished walking the catwalk (dogwalk?), Kamila rushed out to her car in the shelter parking lot. She had to get home and change as quick as possible to make it downtown by six.
“Kamila!” A voice behind her said. Kamila turned and saw Maricel running toward her.
“The woman said I should apply!” Maricel said breathlessly when she reached her. “It’s due Monday morning, but she said that if I send her my application tomorrow, she’lllook over it before submitting it to the board by the deadline. She’s really nice! She loves dogs! Are you free to go over it now? It’s kind of confusing.”
Kamila checked the time. She really needed to get home, like, five minutes ago. “How about tomorrow morning? The prom’s not till three—I’m completely free before that.”
Maricel shook her head. “I won’t be free. I’m working the Dogapalooza all morning until the prom. Thankfully, I’m on photo booth duty instead of the dog wash, so I’ll be drier. It’s okay—I’ll try to figure it out myself.”
Kamila knew these grant applications were complicated. She almost offered to come by after the Aim High party to help Maricel…but she stopped herself.
Why?
Why was she still busting her butt doing what everyone wanted her to do? This fancy cocktail party for an Emerald client didn’t even matter anymore, did it? She was tired of pretending to be someone she wasn’t to impress Anil and the rest of the Aim High board. And for what? To help an adulterous philanthropist look good and show her family she could be serious, even though they would never change how they saw her anyway.
Because no matter how hard she worked for people, people would only see her as Kamila. And clearly for some, Kamila wasn’t enough.
But Kamilawasenough for her own clients. For people like Maricel who trusted her to make her dream come true.
Kamila relocked her car with the key fob. “Let’s do it now, Maricel. My party can wait. Let’s get you your business grant.” They headed back into the shelter so they could use Asha’s computer to fill out the grant application. She texted Rohan from there, telling him that she’d been held up with a client, and hopefully he could manage setting up without her. She didn’t get a response.
***
