“Yes.”
Ms. Purple began making notes on her pad. "Gatsby is diamonds, crystals, champagne towers, and gold everything.”
“Yes.” I nodded. “Excess so beautiful it almost makes you cry, butIn the Mood for Love. . .that's the soul underneath it. The intimacy.”
The man tapped his chin. “Rich colors like reds, dark greens, and deep shadows.”
Ms. Purple widened her eyes. “That’s my favorite movie. Slow, yet every single minute matters because someone might leave and never come back. Two people who can't look away from each other."
The man turned to her. "I'll make some calls. We'll need crystal installations, lighting design, floral. I know people."
She nodded. "Whatever you need. Whatever it costs."
Ms. Street Smart looked at me. "And the dress code?"
"Luxury black."
We were still carrying grief, but we would carry it in style.
We went over more plans, and then the team left.
The kitchen kept moving. New assistants came in to help.
The sous chefs chopped, plated, tasted, and adjusted. I joined the preparation and stayed busy.
Miles played on too, shifting intoBlue in Green,then laterFlamenco Sketches.
Hours passed, and then the kitchen doors swung open, and Zo walked in, tall for no damn reason at all, slightly disheveled, and definitely still wearing yesterday's clothes.
His hair was a mess and his smile was enormous. "Good morning, beautiful people. Where’s Nyomi? Aww. There you go. I just wanted to give you a quick hug and kiss before I venture off to Hiroko."
Oh shit.
I froze.
I still have to tell him.
Chapter five
The Worst Kind of Truth
Nyomi
How do you tell a person that someone has died?
How do you blow their happy reality apart with the devastation?
Do you cower and hide? Let someone else do it?
Do you soften it with careful words? Gentle pauses? Lies rooted in kindness?
Or do you just say it? Say it plain and fast and let the cruelty of the truth do what it was always going to do anyway.
Zo stood in front of me, happy, relaxed, and still carrying a version of reality where Hiroko was alive. It seemed unfair to shatter that.
I swallowed. "Zo. . ."
He winked. "Nyomi."
