Samira covered her face with her hands and rubbed her eyes several hours later. She didn’t think there would be so much added to her plate. Never had she realized how much work Andrea had been doing. She always assumed Andrea just did enough to keep busy because she liked feeling involved. She couldn’t figure out how she was doing all the additional work on top of whatever responsibilities she carried as the owner.
“Have I lost you?” Andrea asked.
“No. This is just…a lot.”
“It seems like more because I’m giving it all to you at once. Most of this stuff only needs to be done monthly. Some things are weekly. Only a handful are daily tasks. You’ll be fine,” Andrea explained. “Now that you know what everything is, why don’t you get started with whatever needs to be done now. Once you’ve finished that, you can schedule when you’ll get the other things done, and we can go over it together.”
“Am I missing something?” Samira asked after a few minutes. “Why are you suddenly in such a hurry to unload all of this responsibility onto me?”
Andrea finished what she was doing on her computer before she stopped to answer the question. She folded her arms and studied Samira for a long moment before addressing it.
“I wasn’t going to say anything this soon. Will you keep whatever I tell you to yourself?”
Samira squinted her eyes at Andrea. “I’m annoyed that you felt the need to ask me that question.”
Andrea sighed hard enough that her entire body joined in. “We just went under contract for a building in Baltimore that will become our second location. I’ll be busy for a while trying to get everything situated over there.”
The only response Samira could think of was to gape at Andrea. What exactly did she mean by that?
“I would like you to run this hotel while I’m busy worrying over the new one. I would like to make you a partner. After all your hard work and dedication, you deserve to be more than one of the other managers. Take a few days to think about it and let me know.”
Samira continued to gape at Andrea. She understood having more responsibilities since she had been there since the beginning, but she did not expect Andrea to consider making her partner. She couldn’t even wrap her head around what it would mean to be a partner in the hotel business.
“Partner?” she asked once she recovered her ability to speak.
“Yes. You know…part owner without the financial responsibilities. You’ve been here nearly from the start. I wouldn’t trust anyone the way I trust you.”
Samira once again lost her ability to speak. She had worked hard for so many years, but never did she imagine her hard work amounting to this.
“I can’t believe this,” she said finally.
“You’ve earned it. Take some time to think about it, even though the decision should be easy.”
Samira felt like time stood still. The decision would have been easier had she not reconnected with Andy. Just when things were finally starting to fall in to place with him, her career sent her for a loop. No way could she balance her time between her life in the city and her life down home if she took on the partnership.
“I don’t know what to say,” she said after a long moment.
“Like I said, take some time. When you’ve finished up for the day, why don’t you take the rest of the week off and let me know on Monday?” Andrea suggested. “Meanwhile, I’ll be in my office if you need anything.”
Samira watched her walk out the door in disbelief. She definitely planned to take her up on the offer to take a few days to think about it. She had already broken out in a cold sweat at the very thought of taking on the new position. The decision should have been simple. Andy was just supposed to be around while she had no choice but to split her time. But she already knew life was never simple when she needed it to be.
***
Andy leaned back in his chair and scrubbed both hands over his face. It was the end of the week, and his time was nearly up. He could only take about a week off from the boat before he would need to give his mother an explanation. He hated the administrative part of his furniture business even though, more often than not, it was the only side of the business he was able to be a part of.
Business was steady, but the thought of no longer having another source of income was terrifying. Following his heart waseasier said than done. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath.
“Need some help?”
Andy looked up to see Samira standing in the doorway to his office. She had on a pair of relaxed jeans and a plain white shirt, but she couldn’t have looked any better.
“I didn’t expect to see you today,” he said after a moment.
“My boss gave me a long weekend. I’ve been down here since yesterday.”
Andy studied her expression. “Is everything okay?”
She walked the rest of the way into his office and leaned against the desk. She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m good. You want to take a walk? I could use some fresh air.”
