The Billionairess

Chapter Ten

The water dripped down my face, the steam warming my face. A hot shower always felt amazing, especially after a long day of work. My mind went back to the same thing it had been going back to for days, the awkward encounter at the coffee shop. What the hell was wrong with Tyson? Is he really a nimbskull? As brain dead as I actually thought?

And I noticed that Nick was the slightest bit bitter towards him...jealously maybe?

No. No, that—that can't be.

There was no way he was jealous, he didn't seem like that type of person. Then again, I still didn't know much about him. Nevertheless, I knew what I saw. And the fact that it possibly might be jealously conflicted me even more. Every time I was around him, I felt good, peaceful, away from the drama that was my life. But at the same time it felt like I wanted to shield him from the other side of me, the business mind, cunning tactics, and immoral decisions; the part that his humble self might not like. Instead of working in his calling field, he's cleaning counters to stay next to his mother—for a reason I didn't know. I didn't want him to think less of me, I really didn't, and that's why I never made a move.

And the whole modern day arranged marriage thing.

The faintest of a melody played outside the bathroom door, the sound cutting through the bathroom that was incredibly silent. My ear focused at the tune, recognizing that it was my phone ringing.

I groaned in annoyance, who could that possibly be?

Oh I don't know...your clients, associates, business partners, PA, secretary, family, friends—oh wait, you don't have any. The list is endless you dumbass.

The corners of my lips turned up into a smile as my mind roasted myself. With a sigh, I ended my shower early, wrapping myself in a warm towel, walking to the bed, and picking up my phone.

Mom.

I went into recents and clicked her name. She picked up in a second.

"Hello?" I heard my mom's slight Indian-British accent sound eerily chirpier today.

"You know you don't have to say that, you can already see my name pop up."

My mother laughed, "Formalities darling, formalities. Anyways, I need to tell you something urgent."

I padded over to the large closet, opening it up and pulling out a pair of pjs. "Can it wait until tomorrow? I was just about to watch a movie."

"Oh stop it with your movies. I was going to tell you before but I kept forgetting. There's this benefit for a new exhibition at the museum and I need you to go to it."

I dropped the clothes on the bed. Putting her on speaker, I went into the calendar app and checked for the times I was available. "When is it? I have this project in the Upper East Side so I'm going to be on site a lot. And tell me the exact time, not the one-hour-Indian-late time."

"Rani, it was one time. And why do you have to stereotype me?" Rani was the nickname that my mother gave me when I was born which meant Queen in Hindi.

"Mom, you do this all the time. This isn't a stereotype anymore, it's your reality."

I heard her sigh dramatically. "You're my daughter, you're supposed to be nice to me."

"Just tell me."

"Oh—don't be mad—it's...today. Now. Like at eight. I already sent the stylist your way."

I blinked at my schedule. "Wait what?! Mom! Seriously? You couldn't tell me before?"

"I told you I forgot. So can you make it or not?"