Graham ran a hand through his hair, processing the news. “Wow, that’s... a lot sooner than I expected. Do you think it’s worth it?”
“They’re offering a hundred K for three months, plus a twenty-five-thousand-dollar signing bonus.”
Graham froze, the skepticism momentarily overridden. “You’re kidding.” He blinked, then ran a hand through his hair. “A hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars for three months of work? Aida, that’s... holy crap... that’s...”
“I know,” Aida agreed, feeling a rush of relief at his enthusiasm. “It’s a game changer.”
“I mean, it’s incredible, but is it legit? I just don’t want you getting involved in something sketchy.”
“Yumi’s already on it,” Aida assured him. “She’s digging into the company, making sure everything checks out. Felix vouched for them too, and you know how careful he is. He wouldn’t have sent me their way if he thought something was off.”
Graham visibly relaxed. “That’s good. I trust Yumi, and if she gives it the green light, then I’m all in. Oh man, Aida, this could make all the difference for us.” He paused, thinking.“That’s a lot of money for them to just let you walk away after three months. What if they pressure you to stay?”
Aida shook her head. “I’m not staying, no matter what. It’s a trial period to see if they like me or not, and that has to go both ways. Plus, with Yumi on the case, we’ll know before I leave if there’s anything weird.”
“All right, but, Aida... just be careful. That kind of cash isn’t handed over for nothing.”
Aida wrapped her arms around him. “We need this, Graham. It’s only three months. I’ll take the money, we’ll pay off everything, and then I’m back home.”
Graham sighed, still uneasy, but Aida felt a little of the tension leave his shoulders. “Okay, but promise me you’ll stick to your plan. Get the money, then walk away.”
“I promise,” Aida said.
He hugged her tight and kissed her on the nose. “I love you, Aida. I hate the idea of you being so far away.”
“I know. But it will make coming back and getting married all the sweeter, right? Absence makes the heart grow fonder?”
Graham lifted his hand, his thumb brushing lightly across her cheek. “I don’t think I can get any fonder of you than I already am.” He leaned in, his lips meeting hers, slow and deep, the kiss pulling them closer, as if he could imprint the moment into memory. When they broke apart, he smiled, eyes warm. “Wait... maybe I can.”
With a playful grin, he swept her up into his arms, laughter bubbling between them as he carried her toward the bedroom.
3
January 2019
New Year’s Eve came and went with no more fanfare than a clink of champagne as they watched Ryan Seacrest at the ball drop in Times Square. The day after, Yumi came by for lunch. Graham was at the grocery store, and Aida was searching the web, trying to find the best place for Graham to rent a tuxedo for the wedding.
“I think the MODA org is legit,” Yumi said when Aida opened the door.
Aida’s heart sped up, thinking about the ridiculous salary and all-expenses-paid palazzo. “It is?”
“I think so. Although there isn’t much information about the company and even less about the mysterious Lady Ozie. The problem is that in the States, MODA isn’t a corporation but an LLC. And it seems that everything tied up with this LLC is in a trust, so the owner is anonymous. But I was able to track down a few things.”
She set her bag on one of the empty kitchen barstools, pulled out her tablet, and flipped it on. She touched a few points on the screen and then began reading. “The MODA company’s headquarters are registered in Switzerland, which shouldn’t be surprising given the amount of money they seem to have. From what I could tell, they don’t have an office there, but I verified the legitimacy of their London location, where MODAhas been a tenant for the last ten years. The name on the lease is Ozie Momus.”
“Momus? Like that Scottish art musician you made me watch on YouTube?”
Yumi nodded. “The name is spelled the same, but I’m pretty sure there’s no connection.”
“Did you find anything out about this Ozie Momus?”
“No. There isn’t anyone with a name like that. I looked everywhere. All the search engines, Facebook, LinkedIn, and I dug deep into the dark web, but Ozie Momus doesn’t seem to be a person’s name—realorimaginary.”
“How could they have their name on the lease if they aren’t real? Wouldn’t there need to be credit checks and the like?”
“I’m not sure how British property laws work, but I guess that’s true. They don’t sell anything from the space, so perhaps it functions like a residence? Also, if this person has the money they seem to have, then perhaps there could be a convenient arrangement of looking the other way. I don’t know.”
“What about the South African guy who worked for them?”
