Page 48

Excitement thrums inside my veins as I stare at myself in the full-length mirror of our one-bedroom apartment in Morningside Heights, a few blocks away from Columbia University.

This was one of the best perks of working at The Orchid, to live in the furnished employee housing in Upper Manhattan and leave the sketchier area of the South Bronx we were in.

The one-bedroom apartment is small but bright. Scandinavian designs of sleek and clean lines and furniture made with natural materials make the space appear larger than it is. The large windows let in a lot of natural light, elevating the mood immediately.

“Looking good, Grace. You excited for work?” Taylor beams at me as she saunters in from her bedroom, which is an area we carved out from the living room with a beautiful Japanese shoji screen of Robin’s egg blue, painted with delicate white blossoms. She insisted I enjoy the bedroom myself this time, since it was my job that got me this apartment.

“I am. I’m also glad we don’t have to move.”

Taylor grins. “So, things worked out between you and Steven?”

My face heats at the mention of him…the savage sex in what must have been his private apartment at The Orchid, the vulnerability in his eyes as he laid his soul bare, and how it seems like every decision in my life, every breath I’ve taken, have culminated in those moments.

Despite my fears and worries, it feels right to be with him .

He insists I’m his woman now and the feminist in me normally would recoil at that description, but the female in me who loves romance novels is screaming in glee.

I find that I don’t mind it…if it is with him.

“God, that look on your face. You don’t need to answer me anymore.” Taylor snickers.

I smile sheepishly at her. “Yes. We’re together now.”

“I’m so glad you didn’t get in trouble at The Orchid since this is all so sudden.”

I don’t know what Steven did, but he must’ve called Ryland.

All I know was, this morning, when I tendered my notice at Trésor, Sofia Kent gave me a soft smile, like she knew this was going to happen, which was no surprise given the very public manner in which Steven claimed me at The Orchid yesterday.

I broke the cardinal rule—no fraternizing with patrons.

“Go get them, Grace. I have faith in you. You never belonged here in the first place,” Sofia said with a knowing glint in her eyes.

“And don’t worry about the housing. Management said they would honor your apartment contract with them until the end of the year as long as you are on time with your rental payments.

Go show Wall Street what you’re made of.

Elias speaks volumes about your intelligence. You’ll go far, I’m sure of it.”

It was uncomfortable to accept help from Steven or anyone else.

But I knew it was necessary. My pride was a strong motivation in my life, but it would become my hindrance if I let it become the sole driver of my future.

Then, there was the cathartic release I experienced when I bared my soul to Steven last night with him wrapping me safely in his arms.

I survived. The world didn’t collapse because I accepted help.

Now, I’m looking at entering the profession I’m passionate about.

This time, I’ll start my journey as an independent consultant, something I thought I would do further down the line.

This is my way of keeping my independence, so I’m not completely beholden to anyone for my career anymore.

I can lose a client, but I won’t ever lose my job.

This way, I still get to work for Steven, but the power seems more balanced .

I gnaw on my lip as the beginnings of nervousness seep inside me at going back to Pietra, where everything began.

My anticipation mirrors what I felt all those months ago when Mom was brushing my hair and massaging my scalp during the first week of my internship.

This time, it carries a thread of bittersweetness as I think of the woman I miss so much, hoping she’s looking down from above and feeling proud of how I’ve climbed back up after falling down, how I’m finally brave enough to take a leap, to believe in someone other than myself, to let another man hold my tender heart in his care.

I think she would be proud.

Wetness mists my vision as I stare at Taylor, and I find her eyes suspiciously red as well. Irish twin sense. “You’re thinking of Mom, aren’t you?” she whispers.

Nodding, I pull her into my arms, and she squeezes me back.

Her braided hair tickles my nose. “Mom would be so fucking proud of you. And I’m so proud of you, Grace.

You’ve achieved so much with so little, and now you have found someone who can take care of you the way you’ve taken care of us.

No matter what happens, you’re my badass sister, and I’ll always be here for you. ”

She pushes me away, her cheeks pink as she gives me a once-over. “Belle would be proud too of what you’re wearing. Thank God you aren’t going back to your frumpy old granny workwear. You look like a girl boss.”

Chuckling, I dab my wet eyes with a tissue, careful not to mess up my simple makeup of a nude eyeshadow and eyeliner, paired with a mauve lipstick. I smooth my hands down a sheath dress I dug out from Mom’s old clothes. It’s a classic black tweed dress with white trim, elegant and formfitting.

I’m not going to hide myself anymore. If there’s anything I learned in my time at Trésor, I can be feminine and independent, embrace my physical attributes, and be powerful. I can have intelligence while taking care of my appearance. Things don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

“Thanks, Tay. Do you need to go to ABTC today? ”

“Nope. I get today off. I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself.

I might go bug Millie. She seems to be nervous about something but she won’t tell me anything.

But I have this.” She grins as she holds up a bag of gummy bears, the classic Haribo version that is apparently the crème de la crème of all things gummies. “I’m going to fish it out of her.”

I laugh, my voice feeling lighter than it has in ages. “Good luck with that.”

Twisting the door handle, my heart pinches and warms at the memory of myself doing the special doorknob dance at the old apartment, with Mom and Taylor laughing as I left for work.

A lump gathers in my throat again as I think of the beautiful woman who gave birth to me, who I take after, who I miss so desperately.

The happiness is threaded with sadness, all part of the tapestry of life.

Heaving out a sigh, I step out of the apartment, the sweet humid air of spring blossoms wafting to my nostrils.

“Break a leg, sis!” Taylor calls out behind me before the door shuts, and a smile appears on my face.

Sighing in contentment, my soul brims with happiness and energy when I step onto the marble floors of Pietra Capital.

Back on Wall Street once again.

My lips twitch in an effort not to smile and look like an idiot as I take in the bustling bullpen.

Traders pace in their cubicles, their hands waving in the air as they talk on their phones.

Analysts type away at their computers, the staccato sounds soothing my frazzled nerves.

My eyes widen when I see my cubicle empty and clean and I realize Steven has kept my old place for me.

But then, a chill befalls the room as I step toward the bullpen and colleagues glance up from their work. The furtive whispers begin, too low for me to hear. Hayley blazes by in a cream suit, her eyes giving me a once-over before she arches her brow, her lips flattening .

Then, I feel the leering glances of Chuck, who grunts something like, “Must be nice to be a woman these days.” I frown, but he turns around to engage in a conversation with another person.

Unease prickles my chest, crawling inside and settling around my rib cage.

Why is everyone looking at me like this?

I can feel my face heating and I brush my hand through my hair before smoothing it over my outfit, looking for something amiss, anything that’ll explain this cold reception I’m experiencing right now.

Gnawing my bottom lip, I approach my cubicle and see Jamie beaming at me, her smile blinding, the same pen perched on her ears, her black hair arranged in her usual bun.

“Welcome back!” she exclaims and gives me a friendly wink. “I’ve missed you so much around here!”

My chest warms and the earlier unease slowly melts away. First day jitters, that’s all.

“I missed you a lot too. So happy to be back.”

She blows me a kiss. “Lunch on me today, okay?” Her phone rings and she points to it apologetically.

I mouth, go ahead, and smile as she plops back on her chair and answers the call.

My fingers trail over my clean desk as elation flutters inside me and I roll my lips inward to keep from grinning like an idiot. Turning my computer on, I settle in place, eager to begin my workday and catch up on the latest happenings with TransAmerica.

The hours fly by and soon the late afternoon sun is shining its golden rays through the windows. I spent most of my morning perusing spreadsheet after spreadsheet, financial statements, and news articles. It’ll take me some time to get through everything, but I know I can do it.

Then, Jamie took me to a nice sushi restaurant a block away and gave me the lowdown on everything that happened at Pietra in the last nine months and all the corporate drama I missed.

I found myself laughing at her big expressions and truly enjoying myself over a meal—something I hadn’t done in a long time .

I stretch my arms overhead and stifle a yawn before getting up and walking to the restroom. After I step into a stall, I lock the door and complete my business. I roll out my tight shoulders, no doubt a product of my intense typing from earlier.

Just as I’m about to stand up and flush the toilet, I hear the bathroom door opening.