Chapter Three #2
“Well, I think you and Jonah like each other, and you’re making excuses to see him.”
Yaya laughed. “And I think you just want me to move on and are trying to push Jonah into my arms.”
“Is a girl wrong for trying? You deserve the world, Yalina. Jonah could give it to you.”
As usual, she ignored me and went right back to business.
“Listen, you have the support, and every investor wants a piece of what you’ve built. The city location is going to be huge, so it only makes sense to keep expanding. And stop turning down interviews. Do those, as well––but baby steps.”
“I’m going to kill both you and Jonah,” I muttered.
“Yeah, well, you’ll have to come to the meeting to do that. See you in a few hours––and kiss Zira for me.”
“Whatever,” I smirked and ended the call.
Hush was my second child. After endless conversations with Karim about having another baby, I realized he wasn’t going to change his mind, and I needed something to channel my energy into.
My mom came over one afternoon, talking about how one of her friends was selling her spa and moving out of the country.
She went on and on about how it was the only black-owned spa in the area and how she hated going to the other spas because no one ever treated her skin properly.
I listened to her for weeks before finally deciding to visit the spa.
The moment I stepped inside, I knew. My body relaxed as the scent of santal drifted through the air.
I’ve always been into skincare and self-care.
My mother had been taking me to spas since I was seven, teaching me early the importance of pouring back into yourself.
When my treatments ended, I met the owner, and what started as a quick introduction turned into us chatting in her office like old friends while sipping champagne.
She shared her dreams of traveling, which she had put on hold to raise her children, and how she had missed out on love twice because she had chosen her career instead.
She spoke with so much wisdom, being transparent about her sacrifices and regrets.
I used to have a plan for my life too, but when I got married, that plan crumbled.
I had gone from wanting an exciting life in New York City to living in the suburbs with a husband and a child.
Before becoming Tatiana Sterling, I wanted to be someone––a woman with her own plan and her own money.
I had been kept my entire life, and I swore I’d never become a kept woman.
We talked until closing time, and that’s when I offered to buy her spa.
She laughed, thinking I was joking, until I pulled out my checkbook and asked her number.
It took her a moment to realize I was serious, but once she did, she told me the amount, and I wrote the check without hesitation.
The next week, I shadowed her at the spa and learned everything I needed to know.
We signed the papers, and she hugged me with tears in her eyes.
Her dream had come true––she was able to sell her home and travel the world.
While Jennifer was ending her chapter as a spa owner, I was starting mine. I rebranded everything, from the name to the interior, added new treatments, and hired the best of the best. Besides loving being a mother to my baby, this was what excited me and motivated me to get out of bed each morning.
Like always, Karim was right there to offer advice and support.
Raphael covered the entire cost of renovating the space and even bought the wellness store next door to expand the spa.
My mother was excited that a Black-owned spa would stay in Greenwich, and everyone was happy about it.
Except my father. He didn’t understand why I was starting a business when I had a husband.
Malcolm couldn’t understand why Karim was so supportive of his wife having something of her own.
Hush Spa was opened, and our clientele doubled overnight.
We were the most talked-about spa in Greenwich, and we still are.
Expansion was something Karim and I discussed before he passed away, but after his death, I shut down all talk of that.
Growing something we built together without him didn’t feel right.
Jonah––Karim’s best friend and Nazira’s godfather––was also an investor in Hush.
Since the day we lowered Karim into the ground, he had been there for me.
I could count on him to show up with takeout because he knew I didn’t cook, or to send a random text just to check in.
Throughout this grieving process, I honestly don’t think I could have managed any of this without my family, my girls, and Jonah.
My phone chimed, breaking my thoughts.
Jonah: What did the fucking chicken say to the duck?
I chuckled at his text message.
Me: What?
Jonah: Answer the fucking phone and take it off DND.
Jonah: The Valora wants to talk about opening a Hush location in their Vegas resort.
I chuckled again, closing the screen to focus on the rest of my workout––though my nerves were getting the best of me. Maybe this was the next chapter God was pushing me toward, whether I was ready or not.