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Tiffany rushed into the bedroom with her tablet tucked under her arm. The screen showed an email from Rip City. She walked on her toes like she had her heels on. The floorboards creaked. Her ponytail was loose and unraveled down her back. She hadn’t finished tying it up yet.

She and Aliyah shared one of the guestrooms upstairs. That corner of the house faced the lake, letting in the morning sun through a skylight. The rafters absorbed the warmth with a dark luster. A small wood statue stood between the beds. It depicted an elderly man playing the harmonica. At night, it creeped Tiffany out.

Aliyah sat at her desk, applying some lip gloss. A mix of perfume and hairspray fragranced the room. Their eyes met in the mirror.

“It was a no last night, Tiff. It’s a no today.”

“They doubled the offer.”

Aliyah flinched. Her lip gloss fell onto the desk then rolled off.

“I know, right. That’s like A-lister money, baby. We are so back!”

She tapped her screen to reopen the email. It was the biggest offer they’d ever had for a one-day gig. Somebody over there must’ve wanted her bad.

Aliyah sighed, picking up her lip gloss. “We can’t, Tiff. He just got here.”

“I know, but it’s not like we’re kicking him to the curb. Their coordinator said we can all get in. I’m sure that means him, too. Let’s be real. He’s the reason you were in that video in the first place.”

Aliyah pinched her bridge and cursed. “We can’t, Babe. This trip might be the last thing I have with him. Once the show starts, that’s it. I’m supposed to drift, remember?”

Her tone stung. Tiffany gritted her teeth. Afterward, she took a second to collect herself. It was like Laura said. To be Aliyah’s manager, you had to know when to pull back. And when to push forward.

“What if we ask him?”

Her client spun around. “You wouldn’t.”

Outside their room, the house bustled with people getting ready to leave. Bags and suitcases cluttered the hallway. Kids raced up and down the steps.

Tiffany didn’t want anybody to trip, but she knew if she hurried, no way would Aliyah catch her. She could make it to Kelvin and ask him herself before her client even knew what hit her.

The curling iron on their desk beeped.

Downstairs, Kelvin ate breakfast in the kitchen. A marble countertop wrapped around the room and separated it from the dining area. He and Markus sat on the outside, finishing the eggs and bacon. Jamal made himself an omelet with what was left of the ingredients. A set of bamboo blinds hung over each window and gave the room a honey tint. The plants added a touch of green. Vines stretched across the cupboards and dangled over the sides. Dominique’s cat lay on the counter, batting at a leaf.

The rooms on the first floor connected in a loop. Tiffany cut through the living room as Aliyah chased her down the stairs. She swung into the dining area while Kelvin was hunkered over his plate. He turned around with a piece of bacon sticking out of his mouth.

“We need to talk,” she said, “Something came up with your skate video.”

“Tiff, no,” Aliyah shouted from the hall, sliding into the doorway. The two women cornered him. “We’re not leaving.”

“Li, please. We need to include him in this. You said it yourself, remember? Back at the studio? I held my tongue last night, but he’s a part of this now. He should at least have a say.”

Although Aliyah didn’t answer, her silence was good enough. Markus and Jamal grabbed their plates and headed outside. They closed the door behind them so it wouldn’t slam.

“Am I in trouble?” he asked.

“No, it’s not bad.” Tiffany placed her tablet on the table. “We got an offer yesterday. A company called Rip City reached out. Do you know of them?”

“Yeah, it’s a skate shop.”

She opened the email. Her nails clacked on the screen. “Well, apparently, your video caught their attention. I guess the owner’s a fan of Aliyah, and he’s hoping to book her for their skate festival this year.”

“For real?” He perked up. The stool wobbled under him. “A skate fest? That’s huge. Like, would she be a judge or something?”

“That, among other things.” Tiffany scrolled through the message. “It says here she’d kind of have her pick. Essentially, she’d be the face of the event. She’d likely be in the booth for most of it, but if she’s comfortable, she could interview the athletes or present awards. There’s also a meet-and-greet.”

“That sounds awesome.”

“We’d have to leave right away,” Aliyah interrupted, “That’s why I said no. I didn’t even want to bring it to you, but she insisted we at least ask. The event’s tomorrow, so we’d have to fly out this afternoon. Our trip would be over.”

The words echoed in everybody’s ear. Kelvin slumped, exhaling like they put a hole in him. More than one heart sank in that moment.

“You could come with,” Tiffany said, “It’d be VIP treatment for everyone. I’d make sure of it.”

Aliyah stepped forward. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. It shouldn’t be your decision, anyway. Just say nothing, and it’s a no, okay?”

He nodded, keeping his head down. His hands fidgeted in his lap. He ripped off a hangnail then picked at a callus on his palm. Tiffany breathed a sigh of relief when he finally spoke up.

“In Triple Flip,” he mumbled, “I was just thinking. I really liked her look in that movie. Obviously. Do you think she’d look like that for the event? It’d be dope to see her dressed like a skater again.”

Tiffany smiled. “Yeah, they have it in the contract, actually. They got a few brands they want her wearing. We could probably pull some stuff for you, too.”

He lifted his head.

“That reminds me.” She turned to Aliyah. “We need to get your measurements. Their clothing’s pretty baggy, but they said they can tailor it and make it more flattering.”

Her client glared at her. “Are you serious right now? He hasn’t said yes, Tiff. What the hell?”

Kelvin put his hands up. “Whoa, wait a minute. I don’t want anyone fighting. I was just saying… I don’t know. I mean—”

“We don’t have to do this, you know? I still have three days planned for us here.”

Outside, a cloud passed overhead, darkening the room.

“No, I know.” He clenched his fists. “But there’s something about that day I’ve been meaning to tell you. I wasn’t lying when I said it was the best of my life. Hanging out with you like that, it was honestly perfect. Minus the trouble you got in.”

Tiffany pursed her lips.

“After the video, though, something changed. It’s like there’s this stain on it now, and the whole thing feels ruined. It sucks. I’m so angry about it, which just makes it worse because I remember how much fun it was.”

Aliyah winced. A tear rolled down her cheek.

“I guess what I’m saying is, if something good could come out of all this, like, if I knew the video actually helped your career, rather than hurt it, then maybe I wouldn’t feel so bad anymore, and maybe that day could be perfect again.”

They both choked back tears.

“Does that mean it’s a yes?” she whispered.

“Yeah. One hundred percent. Let’s do it. Let’s go crash a skate fest.”

Aliyah might’ve disagreed, but she ran over and gave him a hug, nonetheless. He barely stood up in time to catch her. The stool tipped over and scared Dominique’s cat.

In her head, Tiffany celebrated. She grabbed her tablet and began drafting their response immediately. The screen was blurry.