Page 50 of Shâhzâdeh

“You disturb my peace and I don’t want to set you ablaze.”

“It is because the warmz you have for me ignites zhe soul not to consume it but to transform it. And again, I am part of zhe first category of people so I am not worried about myself.”

“Mighty arrogant.”

“If zhat is how you will sleep easier tonight, I will be zhat. I want to help you,jameelah, please. Tell me what I can do.”

“You don’t know me to help me. I don’t know me to help me. So how can I tell you something I haven’t been able to figure out in decades? I don’t know who I am or what I need to ask for help. How can you begin to heal someone you don’t even know?”

“Because zhat is what love does, Vanya. It is zhe power to heal no matter zhe circumstances.”

That was days ago. The last time I’d seen or talked to Xerxes since the stupid night at dinner. After he got me calmed down, he left the office letting me know he had an appointment out of town. He requested that I still put together ideas for his house despite how many times I’d tried to get him to work with a local designer. Xerxes said he didn’t trust many people and having a strange woman picking out items of this house wasn’t what he wanted. When I pointed out that I was a strange woman he just smiled in thatmy sweet summer childkinda way and hadn’t reached back out to me.

“Are you okay?”

I glanced up at the agent I’d hired, something else that had been a recent change. Her name was Maanavi Sutton and she’d been a recommendation from Xerxes to help assist me with growing my business while he had me underneath the exclusivity contract. Navi, as she requested I call her, was a beautiful girl. She had long hair that fell in waves down her back and she voluntarily told me that she was biracial Indian and Black. She clarified that she wasn’t like southern Black folks who claimed they had Indian in their blood to avoid admitting to being assaulted by massa. Her mother had apparently been from India. Odd thing to clarify, but I could also understand that she was trying to clear up confusion.

Xerxes recommending her had initially irritated me, but when I took my ego out of it, this was how he showed he cared. I was still mad at him about the shit he pulled at dinner, but I enjoyed the fact that he wanted to ensure I got paid while also reaching my personal goals. Navi would handle new client intake and showings while I worked with Xerxes.

“I’m good. There’s one house that I need to check on since my exclusive client is apparently out of town.” I must’ve been far more transparent about my lack of communication with Xerxes because a look of surprise spread across Navi’s face.

“There seems to be something there.”

“Not a damn thing if I can help it.” I was muttering but it wasn’t low enough that she didn’t pick up on it. Since today was just office work, we were both dressed down in jeans, loafers and t-shirts.

“Oh, denial of emotions? Yeah, I’ve borne witness to that for a minute. You’re done for.” She said it so lightheartedly that I didn’t take offense to her getting in my business.

“What do you mean?” I closed my laptop because I wasn’t getting anything done daydreaming about that man.

“You don’t strike me as the type of woman that’s going to let a lot slide. Like you do your best to keep people away from you. Which, again, I’ve witnessed. But your thinking about him means you care. Although it’s obvious you don’t want to.” She summed me up and now I was studying her far past her credentials and sales achievements.

“Why do you think that?”

“Damage recognizes damage.” She responded so easily and honestly that I leaned back in my seat speechless.

“Well, shit.” If this girl I’d only know for a few weeks could read me so easily, Xerxes was probably a Vanya Kennedy expert by now.

Navi shrugged as though she’d long accepted she was damaged and it no longer bothered her. “Not a bad thing, just honest. Besides, I came to talk to you about a few things.”

“What you got for me before I go?”

“There’s an agent that called in and said he has a player that he’s going to send your way. Because they are so high profile, they only want to work with you. It’s about eight weeks before the deal is done, but he thinks he’s definitely going to be traded here.”

I was supposed to only be working with Xerxes but I should be able to find him everything else he needed to live here happily in two months. I’d already been working diligently on getting the rest of his house decorated. I’d suggested he hired someone and he simply smiled, looked at me pointedly and told me he already had. “I’ll handle him. That should be plenty of time to get everything done that we need to.”

She nodded her head and pulled out her tablet to send me the client information link. “I figured. There’s four property inquiries that I’ve fielded and will be out looking at gauging the price.” I was happy that she was keeping busy since I didn’t have as much time to show her around as I would’ve liked. But she’d done an incredible job of learning the city in the few weeks she’d been here and already had two closings in the works.

“Which areas?”

“One is an estate in Indian Trail, two are condos and then there’s a home in Eastover.”

“Are there any you need help with? I’m going to grab that sign for you later so I can scout whatever you might need.” Not like I had anything else to do since the man who wanted all my attention was elsewhere.

“The one in Eastover I can’t get to today and I know it will be the most extensive. You’re heading that way later, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll be happy to look at it and see if it’s something we could sell. People are buying up those houses to knock them down and build those contemporary monstrosities I hate. Hopefully, this one will be in great condition and someone will just want to modernize it. I can see the one in Indian Trail as well. I have to head to Xerxes’ home to ensure the certificate of occupancy has been approved.”

He’d wanted to get moved in as quickly as possible but there had been a slight delay with getting some of his flooring completed. If it were complete the city could sign off on the house and he could start to enjoy his home.

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