Her Own Happiness by Eden Appiah-Kubi

Author:Eden Appiah-Kubi [Appiah-Kubi, Eden]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Montlake
Published: 2023-09-04T16:00:00+00:00

When Maya arrived, Emme met her at the reception desk, tapping her fob on various security measures as they talked. “We’re going up to Nico’s office. I sent him a PowerPoint all about you, so he knows how cool you are.” They stepped inside the elevator. It was old-fashioned in a way that felt intentional: wood panels, brass, and mirrors. The lobby had a decidedly art deco feel, too. Maya had entered through the side that used to be a Greyhound station in the 1930s.

Nico’s office rebelled against the rest of the building’s twentieth-century style. His space was all minimalism: concrete, glass, and chromophobia. The man himself was lean but attractive, somewhere in his late forties, with a full head of salt-and-pepper hair and—in Maya’s humble opinion—a stick up his butt. Maya hadn’t seen a soul since a security guard with cool nails at reception, yet here was Emme’s Nico in a full three-piece suit on a ninety-degree day. Even though Maya had to admit he looked dang good in that suit, men like him were the reason office air-conditioning was set at fifty-two and all the women in the office wore cardigans all summer.

“Good morning, Nico. Have you had your coffee, or are you going to be too grumpy to bear?” Emme breezed up to him, and they exchanged cheek kisses in such a stereotypical fashion that Maya had to stifle a giggle.

“I got an iced Americano from Dolcezza and thankfully there was no line, so I drank it there, too.” Nico had a European accent Maya couldn’t place, staccato in some places and lilting in others. “It made me realize how much I miss Chinatown Tea and Coffee. We’re losing so many good cafés.” He drummed the table mournfully. “But that is a topic for another time. Maya, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He made a stiff bow before returning to his seat. “I’m afraid our meeting will have to be pretty short. I have a Zoom with the GM of the Chicago Blaze. We’re thinking of bringing professional women’s soccer to DC.”

Maya’s eyes widened. They were gonna have to change that name! She knew her dad was not the only one who believed the rumors about Emme’s dad and the apartment fire. Emme charged in before she could say something. “You’re here, we’re here, let’s get started.”

Nico calmly proceeded to interrogate Maya about her résumé: Why did she start undergrad at twenty-five? What had she learned from her years in the art world? What skills could she bring to Vivant? Typical interview stuff. Maya gave her best responses, but both she and Emme noticed that nothing she said seemed to impress. Nico brought the same enthusiasm to meeting Maya that most tween boys brought to sipping tea with their sisters’ stuffed animals. Emme started doing damage control. She gushed about Maya in a way that was almost embarrassing:

“Nicky, did you see the mural Maya did in Seattle?”

“Nicky, did you read that Hawaiian language children’s book? Maya did

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