"He actually also sent me to tell you something," Tamika's eyes softened.
"So are you here as Valentin's messenger or Reema's friend?" Selena asked.
"I just want to get the message delivered to you is all," Tamika put a sympathetic hand on Selena's shoulder. "He said he's sorry, for everything."
"Get out, Tami," Selena said. Tamika flinched at the tone of her voice.
"Selena…"
"Get out, and I'm going back to work," Selena said. Without waiting to see if Tamika would leave, Selena headed back up the stairs, her feet stomping in rage at every step.
She had blocked him out of her life, yet he still managed to find a way back in. But she was not going to fall into his traps ever again.
Over the next few days, Reema's release was granted. She arranged to fly back to the States after, shortening her vacation. Upon her return, the rest of the friend's group decided that it would be best to converge at Nancy's fashion store after closing hours. No one had the time to plan anything with work bearing them on them. Selena had deals to close, Nancy had a big project to design dresses for a bride back in Italy, someone from a royal family, and Tamika was overseeing some construction projects affiliated with her family company.
It was evening, and the sun dipped low in the sky to welcome in the moon. The three of them sipped champagne. The store was closed so quiet reigned, and that was only until Reema stepped into the store, bags filled in her hands.
"Namaste bitches!" She greeted them with a holler. Tamika and Nancy rose to hug her, both squealing with joy, while Selena remained seated, legs crossed, scrolling through her phone and sipping champagne.
"Selena!" Tamika made eye gestures at Reema. "Come on!"
"Can't. I'm too comfortable where I'm seated." Came Selena's casual reply.
Reema pouted. She looked tanned and wore a lot of gold bangles on her wrist. Other than that, she looked pretty normal.
"Selena's mad at me," Reema said.
"I can't be mad at stupid people," Selena said.
The three girls were taken aback. Selena set her phone down at looked Reema square in the face.
"You put us through a lot trying to get you out, contacting this and that person. Your parents were in a mess," Selena recounted. "And all you had to do was not take pictures of a ritual you were specifically asked not to take pictures of."
"And how does that make me stupid?" Reema narrowed her eyes. She kicked at one of the bags she brought and stepped closer to where Selena was seated. "I was just curious is all. Why did that festival have no coverage? It was a breakthrough for my career."
"What career is that again?" Selena asked.
"Selena…" Nancy's voice held a warning for her to take it easy. Selena flicked her eyes over to her and returned them to Reema.
"I'm not doing this with you," Reema said. "I just came back from an experience I definitely need therapy from," her voice broke as she said this, and Tamika's hand came over her shoulders in an act of comfort. "And you sit there insulting me."
"I wasn't insulting you, I was just telling you what everyone else here was too afraid to," Selena said.
"Everyone?" Reema looked at Nancy and Tamika. "Nancy, do you think of me as stupid."
"None of us think so," Nancy said, her eyes glowering at Selena. "She's just angry you got yourself into that mess, is all. But Selena didn't mean what she said, and she's going to apologize."
"I said what I had…"
"Right now," Nancy folded her arms. "Aren't you, Selena?"
Selena remained seated. Just before Reema's arrival, they had all agreed that Reema had done something "utterly stupid" and suddenly she was the bad person for saying it to her face.
Selena pushed herself to her feet. She opened her arms to Reema, and her friend ran into it.
"I can't believe I missed you the most," Reema whispered into her ear. Selena couldn't help but smile at that.
As they sat, Reema brought the bags forward and handed them their gifts ranging from locally made goods to food and pieces of jewelry. She spoke about the ritual she had photographed with no remorse and mourned her smashed camera. The only reason she had been arrested was that she had punched the man who smashed her camera, who turned out to be the son of a high-ranking officer.
"I'm heading over to Kenya next," Reema's eyes shone. "I've been wanting to go there for a while."
"Or…" Nancy looked over to Selena. Selena knew what she wanted to say, but didn't help her out, not after they had thrown her under the bus earlier.
"Or…you could stay and we'd look over some of your business plans with you," Nancy suggested.
Reema frowned. "Did my parents put you up to this?"
"We're trying to make you see this as more of a business than a hobby," Tamika said carefully. She put a hand on Reema's knee. "We love you, but we also have to let you know the necessary truth."
Reema bit her bottom lip. "Speaking about truths," she looked up to Selena. "I didn't say but…I got into serious trouble with what happened back in India. It involves my passport, but it's being sorted out, I can't get into the details now," She added quickly. "Just…it's Valentin who promised to sort it all out for me, but he asked for a tiny condition to have it back."
Selena had a feeling she didn't want to hear this "condition."
"He won't hand it over to me directly when he gets it, Selena," Reema said. "He wants you to come over and collect it."
All three pairs of eyes were trained on Selena, all waiting for her to say something. Selena sighed and sipped her champagne again.
"What did I tell you when you stepped in earlier, Reema?" She asked. Reema shrugged. Selena put down her champagne glass, her jaw hard.
"That I can't just bring myself to be mad at stupid people."