“Your aunt did an amazing job of preempting the staffing situation,” Wilfrieda said with the kind of worshipfulness Ashna was totally used to when it came to Mina Kaki. Her assistant held out her hands to display a pink glittery manicure. “She gave Khalid and me gift cards to her friend’s spa. I can’t remember the last time I got a manicure or a massage. You’ve been working so hard, boss, you should totally get one too.”

Ashna touched a shimmery nail. “That does sound great and I’m totally coveting that color.”

Smiling, they went back into the bustling kitchen. The Curried Dreams kitchen hadn’t bustled in a very long time.

Baba had hated the idea of making people wait for food, so he had built his restaurant to be large enough to avoid that. He had underestimated his own abilities, because under him there had always been a wait despite the hundred tables. Ashna had never experienced the thrill of customers waiting.

At this rate, she would have to open the patio seating again.

“Where have you been hiding?” Mina Kaki said as Ashna put down the bag of flour she was carrying.

Ashna knew her aunt didn’t mean she was actually hiding, it was just a figure of speech, but still she cursed Rico again for filling her head with things she had no time for.

She started measuring out the flour for the naan dough and Mina Kaki stopped her. “Freddie, you can take over the dough. Ashna, I think you need to do the rounds and say hello to the guests. You’re what they’re here for. Well, you and that hot partner of yours. You should ask him to come by.”

Ashna made a face.

“We might need to put in an extension if he came by,” Wilfrieda said, cheerily fanning herself.

“I’m sure Khalid appreciates that sentiment,” Ashna said, throwing a pointed look at Khalid, who was blooming spices in a huge kadhai of ghee for the dal fry, with one eye on Wilfrieda.

“Khalid has a bigger crush on Mr. Silva than even I do, right, Khalie?” Wilfrieda said, her round face shining with humor, and Ashna looked around her kitchen.

Mina Kaki’s magic was everywhere. It was like one happy family working together.

“No kidding,” Khalid said, pouring the hot ghee into the pan of dal and making it hiss and give out the kind of aroma that caused them all to emit appreciative sounds. “The staff have been all over social media getting our friends to vote. In fact, our Facebook group just hit a hundred thousand followers. Bless Mandy for starting it!”

The smile on Ashna’s face froze.

Wilfrieda glared at Khalid, who returned his attention to the dal.