“And people asked me why I couldn’t be fun and easygoing like Kamila Hussain.”
Kamila glared at Jana, eyes narrowed. Finally, she sighed. “But I had more than just petty comparison as reason to dislike you…I mean, youdidhook up with the guy I was seeing when we were eighteen, and youdidn’ttell the nosy aunties that it was you, not me, fogging up his windows outside your house.”
Jana frowned. “This is all because of Bronx? Didn’t he hook up with every brown girl in the neighborhood?”
Kamila raised a brow. Was that supposed to make her feel better?
“Fine, fine. You’re right. I shouldn’t have done that. I knew you were seeing him. I didn’t think you were exclusive, though. He lured me with his Rumi poetry.”
Kamila snorted. “Really? Rumi?” Kamila and Bronxweren’texclusive—it was casual. But him fooling around with Jana stung a little more than if it had been anyone else.
Jana shrugged. “Honestly, I wasn’t used to guys paying any attention to me. Especially guys who’d shown an interest in you first. I kind of wanted to see what it would be like to be you for a moment. Anyway, that guy had a major South Asian fetish.”
“Well, yeah, duh.” ThatNAMASTEshirt he always wore gave that away. But Kamila was young and stupid back then and thought he was soooo respectful of her culture. “It wasn’t Bronx Bennet that pissed me off. It was the fact that you didn’t come clean when I was accused of being the one in his car. Even after my mom gave you my graduation party because of it.”
Jana froze. “She gave me what?”
“The party my mom threw for you for getting into Oxford, that was supposed to be my graduation party. Giving it to you was my punishment for being parked with Mr. Kama Sutra after I’d been forbidden to see him. Except it wasn’t me. And no one believed me when I told them that.” It was such a silly thing to get in trouble for—just one of many silly things that proved that no one trusted or respected Kamila. Ever.
Jana shook her head. “I’m sorry, Kamila. I didn’t know that. They told me you didn’t want a party. I didn’t realize that was all supposed to be for you.”
Kamila just blinked. It was no surprise her parents had lied to everyone. “If you’d known, what would you have done?”
Jana looked down. “I would have taken your party anyway. I didn’t like you. Mostly because you were what everyone wanted me to be.”
“I didn’t like you for the same reason.” Kamila sighed. “They pitted us against each other. I think maybe we didn’t have a chance.”
They were both silent for a while. Kamila couldn’t help but wonder if they had a chance now.
Finally, Jana spoke. “Hey, you know I’ve never even seen your office? It’s nearby, isn’t it? Maybe we can pop in next.”
Kamila frowned. “It’s not far. But why would you want to go there now?”
“Because I want to see it. I want to see the place that you say means so much to you.”
Kamila shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
They didn’t mention the past again as they finished their dinner. And after a quick stop at Boba Noodle (weirdly, Kevin wasn’t there) to get teas, they headed to Emerald. Walking in for the first time since she’d learned she was most likely going to lose it, Kamila was immediately overcome with sadness, despite the calm that came whenever she walked into her office. The pale flooring. The pink, green, and lavender geometric feature wall. The plants on every surface. All it needed was the sunlight that normally streamed in from the large window in the lobby area. She really loved this place. She couldn’t believe Dad and Rohan were closing it.
“Wow,” Jana said. “It’s stunning in here. I’d heard you redecorated, but…” Jana walked into the waiting area, running her hands over the glossy white end table. “Wow.”
“It’s really great, isn’t it?”
“I was expecting it to look more like your house. Bright and quirky is more your aesthetic. Not this.”
“Yeah, I like bright at home. But I wanted to go with pale and soothing here—financial talk is stressful, and a calming palette seemed a better fit.”
“I can’t believe this is an accounting office. It’s so…feminine. But modern, too. Show me around.”
Kamila did. First the boardroom. “We don’t use this room much, so I didn’t do a lot here. Just a coat of paint.”
“It looks a bit like a classroom,” Jana said, looking at the whiteboard on one wall.
“It used to be one. This office used to be a tutoring business.” She took her to Dad’s office next. “We didn’t do anything here. Dad insisted he liked his box-store desk. I did change the artwork, though.” The pale landscapes were a far cry from the weird motivational posters that used to hang here.
“And finally, my office.”
Of course, since she had designed the whole space, Kamila’s own office was her favorite. A glass desk and pale-pink leather office chair. Succulents in white ceramic pots. Beautiful butter-yellow armchairs for clients. A teal filing cabinet. Brass and brushed-gold accessories, and a window that let in lots of natural light during the day.
