Page 118 of Deeper

A light bulb went off in my head. “My best friend’s going to do my makeup. She doesn’t charge too much. She’d slay you.” I gathered my phone and pulled up Victoria’s makeup page on Instagram and scrolled through her work. This was right up her alley, and if I could get my friend a little bag, why not?

Nazanin turned so that her whole body was facing me. “That’s very sweet of you, Bianka.” For a moment, her face softened. “Don’t take it personally, my not liking you, it’s just my job to protect Saad. Our parents let him do whatever he wants, and yes, he’s an adult, but everybody needs a little guidance.

“Ishani was a sweet girl, more, she was family. I got used to Jolene, because at least she has her own career, at least she has a life outside of his bubble, and she had a great deal of his heart. You’ve heardDamage Control. Do I think he likes you greatly, yes; do I think you’re endgame, no. Somehow, someway, he and Jolene always find their way back to each other, so enjoy the ride while it lasts, but don’t bother buckling up.”

She walked on by me and left the room with her head held high.

24

BEFOUR

Ifelt like Cinderella.

Saturday had arrived and as the hours winded down, I felt like Cinderella approaching her chance to go to the ball. This was probably a one-time thing, as come the stroke of midnight, I would return to my normal status. Partying amongst celebrities wasn’t the life for me, but I was okay with that.

Zander had followed me on all social media platforms, and just as I suspected, his fans weren’t too far behind in noticing the move. My followers went from four hundred on my Instagram account to well over two thousand. My Twitter numbers spiked as well. Not to mention the DMs I was getting. Most were compliments, some from Black fans bigging me up, and then there were the comments from “Zolie” fans who felt as if I wasn’t good enough for Zander. A lot of the hate was borderline racist bullshit, something that made me uneasy.

Not wanting to soil my mood, I ignored the followers, refusing to take any of it seriously.

Rajaa had booked a three-bedroom suite at a five-star hotel named The Residence-Pasadena. It was a luxury spacious unit, complete with a gourmet kitchen with an island and appliances, a roomy living room area, and even a dining room area. There was a second full bathroom, a private balcony, washer and dryer stations, queen-sized beds in the two bedrooms, and a king-sized bed in the master bedroom along with an en suite master bathroom attached.

“Can we live here forever?” I joked as I stood taking it all in.

Zander was on the phone in the kitchen, reading something on his screen.

“Right there with you, Bia,” Paul agreed as he came by and rubbed my shoulders. “I love hotels. There’s just something about them.”

His words made me look at Zander, remembering where it all began. “Yeah.”

“Fran just sent me a text,” Zander announced as he waved his phone about. “She hopes we have a good time, but she doesn’t want any of us to fuck up.”

Paul bobbed his head. “We’re a classy folk, we’ll be all right.”

I snorted. “We’ll see.”

The guest list still had me on edge.

“It’s important that Zander networks tonight, people. He needs to mingle. He needs to be seen and heard. Fuck the socialites, just make sure every rapper, every singer, and every producer knows your name by the end of this shindig,” Paul instructed.

The itinerary was simple: get Zander in the spotlight.

Nazanin came out of her bedroom and joined Zander in the kitchen. “Did you hire hair and makeup?”

Zander glanced at me before answering. “Yes, Victoria will be here shortly.”

Nazanin was confused. “Who?”

“I hired Bianka’s friend; she’s good,” Zander said with a nonchalant shrug.

Nazanin clicked her tongue. “You’re kidding me.”

I wanted to be small, because I was so damn tired of being the bigger person. Going to a huge event was a blessing, giving me plenty of breathing room from Nazanin—if I could make it that far without punching her in her throat.

“Go natural or don’t go at all, your choice,” I said.

If looks could kill, I wouldn’t be breathing as Nazanin snarled at me. “Don’t count on it.”

Outside of Nazanin, everything was going great. The “Canvas” music video had been released on Friday, and it had been amazing. Zander’s onscreen chemistry with Shakira had sizzled. I would admit, it was hard to watch him hold and kiss her. To roll around in bed with her, and later cling to her during their shower scene. But it came with his job, so I did my best to let it go.

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