Picking the outfit was the most challenging part of her pre-party duties. After spending time with Anil, she didn’t think she needed to worry too much about how she dressed around him. But at the same time, she needed him to trust she was mature and responsible enough to manage his organization’s financials. She ended up picking a pair of slightly glossy slim black ankle pants, with a loose sleeveless white blouse, and black patent heels. And a shiny black trench coat. Plus, nude polish on her nails and neutral lip color. She pulled her straightened hair back in a slick ponytail trailing halfway down her back.

It was even harder to exercise the necessary restraint with Darcy’s outfit. In the end, she put the dog in a simple fall shearling coat. Darcy looked better in bold colors, but that would just clash with Kamila’s look. She swiped both her and Darcy’s bangs to the side to complete the professional chic look. Perfect.

Kamila hated driving downtown, but she drove to Rohan’s since she didn’t want to navigate the subway with the rather large and awkward gift, plus a hyper dog. After parking in the visitor parking outside the building, she walked up the stairs to the condo entrance.

Although she’d never actually been to Rohan’s place, she’d seen the exterior before. It was an old redbrick building that had been completely gutted and modernized with a glass extension taking it from six stories to twenty. Kamila took Darcy’s leash in one hand and her purse plus the large paper shopping bag in the other and headed straight up the elevator to the penthouse party room as instructed. She wasn’t exactly fashionably late but hardly perfectly punctual, either. She intended to make an entrance.

The elevator opened to a short hallway. At the end of the hallway on the right was a small indoor lounge with black leather couches, a bar, and huge windows. She could see straight to the outdoor space, and it was also perfectly presentable. Actually, quite striking—upscale black-and-gray patio furniture, large potted palm trees, and another bar where the food was laid out. Kamila reluctantly agreed to herself that the orange haze from the setting sun hitting the abundance of green plants more than made up for any lack of colorful decor out. No tzhujing required—it was already quite atmospheric. And very elegant. Almost magical.

Her friends were gathered in the seating area, including Asha and Nicole, Tim and Jerome, Maricel, Dane, and Anil, as well as Asha’s and Tim’s dogs. And Jana, of course. Always Jana.