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Chapter One
Apparently, bored withpressing the side of her face and ear against Tasha’s incredibly thin apartment wall, Nisha sighed, turned around and dropped from her knees to her butt on Tasha’s equally thin couch cushions. “Have you met your new neighbors yet?”
Sitting in the reclining chair across from Nisha, Tasha didn’t look up from the laptop perched on her lap. Although winter was approaching fast, she was already working on the upcoming spring line for her small boutique. She’d started selling her current winter’s line two months ago and business was doing well.
And the main reason business was doing so well was because she didn’t rest. Rest was a luxury a small business owner couldn’t afford.
When Tasha didn’t answer right away, her friend cleared her throat. Then, after a few seconds when Tasha still didn’t acknowledge her, Nisha cleared her throat louder.
“You’ve asked me that question, like, twice already,” Tasha finally said, not lifting her head from her work.
“Three times today, but who’s counting? Me. I’m counting.” Nisha grabbed the bag of sour cream and onion potato chips from the coffee table and pulled out an unhealthy amount. “Even though I’m posing it as a question, it’s more of a suggestion. Meet your new insanely hot neighbors, chica.”
At this, Tasha finally glanced up to stare at her oldest and dearest friend in the world who could make stuffing her face with chips look hot. They were both around the same height, five-foot-four, but that’s where their similarities ended. Tasha was lighter skinned, and Nisha was darker. Tasha kept her straight hair cut and styled in layers while Nisha wore her naturally wavy hair free and wild.
Tasha raised her eyebrow. “Then what?”
“Then what, what?” Nisha responded with a mouth full of chips. Her large and expressive brown eyes were lit with confusion as she stared back.
Tasha lifted a shoulder. “Okay, so I go over there, knock on the door and say—”
Nisha’s perfectly pink lips stretched across her face in a wide grin as she waved a hand. “Hi, I’m your smart and sexy entrepreneur next door neighbor—”
Tasha rolled her eyes. “That statement would never leave my mouth.Ever.”
Nisha pointed a chip at her. “We gotta work on that, because it should—often.”
Tasha shook her head, not wanting to take this already ridiculous conversation down another path. Aside from being her best friend—almost like a sister—Nisha was her biggest supporter. She thought Tasha should tell everyone she met that she owned a boutique, was single and ready to mingle.
Only one of those things was true. The other two,eh. She didn’t have time for a man and definitely didn’t have time to mingle.
Tasha let out a breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. She’d been staring at her laptop screen for the past three hours and her eyes were on fire. On top of that, she could already feel the headache coming on from engaging in this conversation.
“Nisha, they moved in like two weeks ago and I’ve only seen them a few times in passing. They stay in their apartment and keep to themselves. I don’t think they want to meet any new friends or new neighbors.”
Nisha scooted to the edge of the couch and rested her elbows on her knees. “Didn’t you say they have an accent and speak a different language? Ask them where they’re from.” She shrugged. “That’s a good icebreaker.”
“They haven’t spoken to me directly. I’ve only heard them talking through the vents.” Tasha nodded toward the vent directly above Nisha’s head by the ceiling.
Nisha waggled her eyebrows. “Girl, why were you letting me waste my time with my ear to the wall?”
“I didn’t—” Tasha stopped speaking when she realized Nisha wasn’t paying attention.
To her shock, her friend stood on the couch in her sock clad feet and stretched her neck toward the vent. “All I hear is a whooshing sound. Turn off the heat so I can hear better.”
“What? Turn off the heat? In November? In Minnesota?” Tasha let out a snort. “Yeah, right.”
Nisha positioned one leg to brace her weight against the back of the couch to give herself extra height.
