“He still doesn’t know what it means when you call him that.” I fold my arms on the table and rest my head.

“He doesn’t know he’s Tall, Dark, and Fuckable?” She nudges me. “What kind of girlfriend are you?”

I shut my eyes. “A tactful one?”

“Overrated. Later, lover.”

The metallic shifting of rings on the curtain rod announces Ming’s departure, and I let myself enjoy the quiet for a few minutes, the dull murmur of the crowd at the front of the house providing a white noise that threatens to put me to sleep. A vibration on my wrist brings me back from the brink.

C: WE GOT IT! I’m a Brooklynite, baby!

I smile and reply with a confetti emoji. The last-minute apartment posting is why Chloe had to bow out of tonight’s scouting mission. She and Gales got here two weeks ago, and while the rate on the Airbnb they booked isn’t totally gouging them, Chloe and Gales are ready for a home of their own.

I’m about to rest my head again when Momma’s pink bouffant pokes through the curtain.

“The deejay isn’t back here, is he?” Her voice is low with annoyance, far from the playful lilt of her stage persona.

“Sorry. Just me.”

She lets out a huff, then raises a champagne flute. “Your fella’s a generous one. Got me a glass of the house’s finest.”

I arch a brow.

Momma purses her lips, like I’ve called her out for waxing her nose hairs. “So I signed on to sing at Pemberley a couple of times.” She points a claw at me. “You’d better wow me at that opening.” She backs away from the curtain, then leans in again. “And if the deejay shows up, tell him I’m gonna skin him.”

I sit up, stretching. “Y’know, Momma, that’s exactly the kind of energy we’re looking for. This bodes well.” She disappears from view with a mischievous cackle that could rival Ming’s.

Another yawn overtakes me and I stand, fishing my phone from my purse to check my email. The contractor sent photos of the day’s work at Pemberley. I pace the room and scroll through the shots, noting where he made the changes we discussed to the floor tile in the entryway. Chrome veins extend from the base of the doors, radiating over the floor like the rays of the sunburst over Pemberley’s entrance. It’s even better than I imagined.