samira is the older of two daughters that the iyer family had in los angeles. her younger sister diana passed away from cancer nearly 20 years ago, after being married to kian lawson. samira was a very studious child and studied for her mba at stanford before settling in san francisco. had a long term relationship in her late 20's to early 30's which resulted in the birth of her daughter maya iyer who is currently seven years old. she worked at different hospitality brands in their marketing and pr sectors before joining the fairmont brand and becoming their external affairs manager, dealing with seeing where there is a demand and how they can bring in other companies for partnerships and collaberations. moved to wilmington just about three weeks ago. spent a week in the four seasons hotel before purchasing a home in carriage falls thanks to her trust fund from her family and her high salary.
BIOGRAPHY ;
Samira Iyer was born to American citizens Aparna and Venkatesh Iyer. She was their first child and they were over the moon as in their culture, they believe a daughter being born is like the Goddess Lakshmi entering your home. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity and that is precisely what she brought as soon as she entered their household. Her fatherâs business had been doing okay for the past couple of years but within the month of October right after she was bornâeverything changed. Her fatherâs luck shifted and he was getting large contracts for his textile importing company and her mother who decided to pursue her life long dream of becoming a nurse actually made it happen once Samira was old enough to go to school.
When Samira was barely a year old though, her parents had another childâŠDiana Iyer. A very unconventional name it wasâbut it was all thanks to Samira. Her parentsâwho had an easy time deciding on her name could not find one for their second daughter until one day little Samira saw Princess Diana on tv and kept pointing to the baby, âDianaâ. From that moment on, it became her sisterâs name. Diana wasnât like her little sister, instead they were both closer than thatâalmost twins really. They did everything together.Â
Her childhood was pretty much perfect in her eyes. She had high expectations from her parents and she excelled in school thanks to their reminder of how important education was for her future. She had a lot of friends in school and was always pretty outgoing and taking part in most extra curriculars as well to make sure they looked good on her resume. She got into Stanford upon graduating from High School and spent the next years of her life there. Given that she was born in Los Angeles, the shift wasn't extreme by any means but she absolutely loved her life at Stanford, a big reason why she ended up moving to San Francisco after getting her MBA.
It was while she was at Stanford that her little sister had decided to go to UNCW and while it kept the girls far apart, they met up as often as their college schedules allowed. Of course while there Diana met her future husband, Kian Lawson someone that Samira had approved of pretty quickly. But when Diana got sickâthings changed. Samira had flown out there instantly and had been with her sister while she came to terms with the diagnosis. When the couple decided to marry, she was standing there proudly as her maid of honor. But she had resentment buried in her heart. Of course she desperately wanted Diana to be happy, but her choosing to marry Kian and spend the rest of her remaining time with him as opposed to the family stung her.Â
She had gone back to school then, needing to focus on her studiesâsomething Diana forced her to do and when the time came, she was there by her sisterâs side. Taking a bereavement leave from college wasnât something Samira had ever believed sheâd have to do but such was life. Her bond with Kian from then also shiftedâgone were the fun conversations theyâd had because they both lost the most important person in their lifeâŠthe one person they each loved in a way that would never be replaced.Â
When she returned to Stanford, she threw herself into her studies, ensuring she did the best she could, graduating with honors. Once in San Francisco, Samira worked her way up as a PR marketing manager at various hospitality brands located in there in the city and itâs surrounding areas.. She landed this current job with Fairmont as part of a natural promotion and when they told her she needed to move to North Carolina to see if the area would benefit from another Fairmont hotel in the region, sheâd taken the opportunity.Â
Of course she was moving there with her young daughter Maya. Maya is the product of a long term relationship sheâd had while she was in her late 20âs, a relationship that sheâd believed was heading towards marriage. They had been engaged when sheâd gotten pregnant but he hadnât been able to deal with the pressure. It was unfortunateâfor him, since Maya was pretty much an angelic baby and honesty he missed out on having her in his life. Sheâs currently just celebrated her seventh birthday and is very excited about this move especially at the prospect of seeing a new place. Often the mother-daughter duo take trips across the United States, their goal is to visit all 50 States and have so far completed 12 states in Mayaâs seven years of being born. North Carolina will be their 13th state together.
As a womanâSamira is cold to all those she regards as strangers, building a friendship with her takes time. She wonât blame any past trauma for this but in reality itâs a way to protect both her child and herself from growing attached to anyone who may not remain in her life. But once you get to know her, once you break down through those high wallsâsheâs truly a very warm person and will often show off her dimpled smile otherwise you get the raised eyebrow that is a very non-verbal way of her saying that youâre wasting her time.Â
HEADCANONS;
was on the basketball team in school, was also an avid badminton player and founded the woman's cricket league at Stanford ( a fact she's quite proud of)
will always have an iced coffee on her--if she doesn't, there's something wrong
has a couple of standard perfumes that she's always rotating between, some are floral (ie. jasmine, lavender, lilic, frangipani), some smell like sandalwood and then some are like the classic chanel no.5 scents.
her daughter is pestering her for a pet but so far samira hasn't relented but now that they've moved to a different type of city--this might change.
she has a special prayer organized on her sister's birthday every year to pray for her soul.
she swears her daughter has the same mannerisms as diana and often feels like her sister's returned to her life in the form of her daughter.
she loves lush bath products and will always do little bathbombs for her daughter whenever she's having a bad day
has a sibling tattoo that she and her sister got when they were both 18, a little infinity on her wrist with her sister's initials.
Being vulnerable was not Gwendolynâs forte, but that was something she was trying to work on with each passing day, year, or decade that went by. Although she continues to keep her wall up, she did give herself grace by being selective with the ones she can trust the most and Samira was someone that she was willing to confide in. Therefore, hearing her response and how sheâd always be in her corner, not only warmed Gwenâs heart, but she had a deep appreciation for their friendship and the support that both women share. âYouâre someone I trust and respect Samira, so your support is always appreciated.â she sincerely replied. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she took in the advice that was given to her. âSo Iâve been told. Ah, you think so too huh? I find these positive reviews to be in his favour.â she mused with a laugh. âThank you for the encouragement, Iâll definitely give it a shot.âÂ
Samira could not help the smile that spread across her face at Gwendolynâs words because coming from her, it truly meant a lot. She liked the friendship that both of them had built together and it really was something that gave her a lot of joy. âOf course,â she smiled at the other before nodding and grinning at her friend perhaps a little too conspiratorially than intended. âIâm just glad to hear that because Noahâs definitely been a great parent friend for me and his kidsâMaya adores spending time with them." She paused for a moment before continuing on, "so you just knowâyou can tell when someone is a good human and Noah justâŠbleeds that energy to me. But someone with your instincts can probably figure that out a mile awayâŠso hopefully just donât let you guards keep you from finding thatâŠhappiness.â
Noah found himself smiling from cheek to cheek at how Samira got the whole perfectionist thingâfinally someone who understood his drive for excellence. When she brought up Gwen's stubborn streak about taking breaks, laughter bubbled over. "I've got my ways of convincing her. The twins are my ace in the hole, no one can resist those puppy dog eyes, especially not Gwen." The jab at his shopping skills stung in that funny way that made him want to defend himself. "Come on now, give me some credit. Those light-up sneakers I got for my nephew? Total win. Sure, it took three stores and I nearly lost my mind, but I got them." The smell of cinnamon buns wafting through the cafe brought back sweet snapshots of Saturday mornings, sticky faces, and pure joy. "I'm copying your order. Also, I've been known to snag a bite or two when my friends aren't watching." His curiosity about her life kicked in and he found himself asking before he could stop himself. "So, how's work been treating you? That caffeine craving makes me think you've had your hands full lately."Â
It was nice to be able to spend time like this with someone who she regarded as a close friend and even better when they found themselves connecting on little things like this. It had her grinning as he even mentioned using his kids as his aces for convincing Gwen to take some time for herself. She was glad to hear it honestly and knew that if there was anyone the other woman wouldnât say no toâit would have to be those adorable kiddos. âListenâwhatever works, Iâm grateful for.â She told him earnestly before moving along into the cafe before sighing at his need for some praise. âCome now Noah, I didnât know you need appreciation that often, and that too from me,â she grinned before nodding. âBut yesâlight up sneakers for a kid are definitely among the elite gifts,â she said as they took their seats in the cafe. When he spoke about copying her order she only chuckled and nodded along with him before smiling. âYou feel free to steal some bites, Iâll turn the other way,â she told him before looking up at him when he spoke about work. âItâs beenâŠ.okay?â Samira was so used to not sharing things about herself with anyone that it felt like that was her automated answer. But somewhere she knew Noah wasnât the type of person who would hold it against her if she was honest with him. âHonestly thoughâI do have my hands full. We have a new acting CEO and I justâI feel like Iâm babysitting him, you know what I mean?â She shook her head with a small smile. âWith the construction of the actual hotel just being completed a couple weeks ago and now this headacheâŠitâs just a lot, you know?â She didnât mention to Noah that she had been fielding offers from competing hotel brands lately but it was nice to know how badly she was wanted by different companies around the country.Â
Neo resisted snarking back when asked if he knew about the children's hospital. Like he could forgetâthose white walls and antiseptic smells were burned into his brain from all the times he'd visited his sister there. "Let me be real with you," he said, pushing aside the sticky memories. "The issue isn't the cause or even last year's success in San Francisco. It's how these events play out. They become this weird flex-fest where people compete over who can donate the most while sipping overpriced champagne." His fingers itched to grab a pencil and sketch out what he was seeing in his head. God, he missed his studio right now. "You want to know what's hard for me to believe in? The fakeness of it all. We stick sick kids' photos on display boards while people in designer suits network and pretend they care about more than their tax write-offs."Â
But damn, that Four Seasons idea had potential. His mind started racing with possibilitiesâthe kind that usually hit him at 3 AM when he was deep in a painting. "What ifâhear me outâwe flip the whole thing on its head? Instead of another fancy cocktail party, we create this whole experience. Have the kids who've been helped tell their stories. Maybe do an art installation where each piece tells a journey of healing. We could partner with Four Seasons for something bigger than a suite donation. Split the event between properties, make it this progressive experience. Get local artists involvedâhave them create pieces based on real stories from the hospital. Those become our auction items." His hands were moving as he talked, like they did when he was explaining a new piece. "And yeah, we'll still have the presidential suite as part of it. But what if we made it into this whole 'weekend of healing' package where donors actually connect with the families they're helping?" It was a crazy idea, but he finally felt like he could make a real difference.
Samira was an employee of the Fairmont Group of Hotels which meant that while she knew of some things privy to the public, she wasnât aware of absolutely everything. However she did know some of the background to Neo and his family and how his sister had been in and out of the hospital often. After allâthat was why this particular cause had been chosen for the charity event of the year for numerous years. She watched as he went into what his main issue was with the event at hand. She could see where his frustration came from and to some extent, agreed at the same time. People often forgot about the reason they were coming together and made it into another show about how much money they all had which did put a foul taste in her mouthâone that had her deciding to back out year after year and yet here she wasâstill at the company, still on the board to help with the event.
âYouâre right, Iâm not going to pretend not to notice all of thatâŠI just donât normally confront it anymore when the people who brought me onto the team donât want to hear it.â She didnât mean his family members but rather the other VPâs who would be tossing around tasks like it was their job without paying any attention to the actual core of the event. She listened though as Neo clearly had another brainstorm. She inched closer just slightly on the desk as he spoke, feeling captivated by the vision he was sharing. It sounded like a really great idea, one with a lot of merit. âI love the idea of the kids telling their stories,â she told him honestly, knowing how much more likely people were to pay attention to the kids who were at the center of it all.
âBut we can definitely make this a proper collaborative effort. Iâll talk to my contacts at Four Seasons and see what they come back with. As for making all this happen thoughâweâre going to have to push the timeline. Because we can find the local artists yes, but having them spend time with the kids and then letting their creativity strike to create the piecesâŠdo you think we can do it in time for the holidays?â Samira had seen events being pulled off successfully within a few weeks before so she wasnât completely against it, but this was Neoâs first real big project and while he had the entire company at his sideâŠshe knew it could be daunting.
She couldn't stop the laugh bubbling up at the thought of shielding Samira from dance music zealots. Ishani was sure her cousin could handle any situation, but still, the thought was comical. "I'll recover with time and therapy. Maybe some retail therapy too." Who knew discovering they shared DNA would make their conversations flow like this? She couldn't believe how quickly they'd gone from polite acquaintances to finishing each other's sentences, as if theyâd known each other all their lives. Other than Donnie and her mom, she didnât have the same type of connection with anyone. She loved how protective the other was towards her daughterâwanting to introduce Maya to new spaces without overwhelming her. It made her want to have children of her own one day. "That's actually smart, bringing her before opening. No customers, no chaos, just your cool cousin's empty club," she said, letting pride seep into her voice. The whole 'ignoring EDM slander' thing deserved an eye roll, but she'd let it slide. For now. "Fine, ignore me. But don't come crying when you find yourself secretly bobbing along to house music." A smile spread across her face as she added, "And those dinners better include that biryani you've been bragging about. I have standards, you know."
âWhile I canât help you along with time and therapyâŠretail therapy, thatâs something I can help with.â Samira told Ishani with a grin before reminding herself to go slow. Sure she and Ishani were very happy and close cousins but she didnât want to burden the other in any way with her sibling dependencies that may have been dormant since everything with Diana. Ishani had a full family in that sense and Samira didnât want to force herself into the otherâs life. As the topic shifted to Maya, Samira nodded before taking a sip from her drink. âExactlyâŠthat way she gets to rave about her Ishu Maasi and still be protected from theâŠcraziness,â she grinned at the other before shaking her head with a chuckle at the otherâs words about her bopping along to the music. âIt will not be happening but you keep dreaming about it babe,â Samira chuckled before nodding as Ishani mentioned wanting biryani for those dinners. âPlease girlâIâm going to be blowing your standards out of the water with my foodâŠyouâll wonder how youâve survived so long without it.âÂ
Axel found himself laughing at the Jersey comparison, which stung worse than being mistaken for someone from Boston or New York. The wine was making everything funnier than it should be, including his own dark confessions about wanting to destroy the city. Her dimpled response about arson charges actually made him relax a bit. "You know what's funny? I never even got as far as figuring out how I'd actually do it. Some master plan, right? I just kept buying buildings and telling myself the 'how' would come later." The ridiculousness of his past actions hit him full force. Now that he no longer wanted to destroy anything, his filters were non-existent, letting him see the humor in what used to be so serious. "Though between you and me, I did look up the prison sentences for arson once. Pure research purposes, of course." A year ago, making jokes about his revenge plans would have been unthinkable. But now? It seemed almost therapeutic to laugh about it. "God, I really was dramatic back then, wasn't I? Trying to burn down a whole city like some cartoon villain." The words came out easier than expected, probably because he'd moved past that dark chapter of his life. Looking back, his elaborate scheme seemed absurdâbuying up real estate with no actual plan beyond vague notions of destruction.Â
It was probably not good to tell him his accent sounded like it was from Jersey, but what could she do? It was one of the first comparisons that had come in her mind. As Axel went deeper into his diabolical plans and how he planned to destroy Wilmington, Samira sipped on her wine, just listening to the way heâd thought this outâor as it turned out, hadnât fully thought it out. It amused her though that heâd had a semblance of a plan that hadnât come through. âI mean..I guess as far as good ideas go, it was getting there?â She chuckled softly before her mouth dropped open as he admitted to looking up prison sentences. âYou didnâtâoh my god, what did you find? How long would you have gone in forâif they had figured out that it was you?â Samira could not even pretend not to be a little impressed with the way he was speaking about all this so candidly now. She wondered what had prompted him to even change his mind.Â
Samira's words about parenting decisions hit harder than expected, making Hazal's cuisine dilemma seem trivial in comparison. "God, you're right, I'm here stressing about dinner when actual parents have to make life-altering choices daily." The reality of potential motherhood crashed over her, but instead of feeling overwhelmed, she found herself looking forward to it. She was sure she was born to be a mother. "Maybe I should take you up on that babysitting offer. At least with Maya, the worst decision I'd have to make is whether to let her have ice cream before dinner." Her mind drifted to Lincoln, wondering how he'd handle those bigger decisionsâwould he be the strict parent or the pushover? She caught herself smiling at the mental image. "Though knowing my luck, the moment I have Maya over for a test run, she'll be on her absolute best behavior, and then Lincoln and I will think parenting is a breeze." The idea of using her friend's daughter as a parenting litmus test seemed both genius and slightly devious, but she had to admit it beat having an awkward conversation over pasta or pad thai. "You know what? Let's do it. Set up the babysitting thing. But first, I should probably figure out tonight's dinner plans before Lincoln thinks I've ghosted him. So I'll catch you later..."
Neo wanted to cringe at her insistence on first names. Heâd prefer not, thank you very much⊠Samira's suggestion about the contingency folder made him want to laugh. Those cookie-cutter press releases and generic speech templates wouldn't cut it for what he needed. "I've read through those guides. They're fine for standard situations. But this charity event needs something different." The words came out more dismissive than intended, but his frustration wasn't with herâit was with this whole situation. Being forced into this role, having to play nice with people who probably saw him as nothing but the boss' artist son, truly sucked. He took the offered seat, if only to appear cooperative. "I need someone who understands both the corporate speak and the human element. These aren't just wealthy donors we're dealing with, they're people who need to believe in what we're doing. And right now, I don't even believe in it myself." He paused, letting out a small sigh. "So yes, you're right. I don't think those processes will work. I need something real, something that doesn't sound like it came from a PR handbook." God knew if he were to take charge, that was exactly how it was going to come out sounding like.
She listened as he explained how this situation didnât warrant any of those premade guides they had in the contingency folder and how he needed something different. This charity event was one they did host annually and it was quite important to the Fairmont Brand in the entire time Samira had been associated with them but what she didnât understand was the way he was almost trying to push it all in another direction. Or maybe that was her interpretation of it? She still watched him take the seat across from her and clicked the pen in her hands a few times, a habit that she had while thinking deeply about the situation at hand before she sighed as he expressed what he was looking for. âOkayâso you know this charity event is for the childrenâs hospital right? We raise a lot of money every year by hosting the cocktail party followed by the auction and normally weâve had no issues in ensuring we have great things up for bid,â she murmured before looking down the file in front of her, a debrief from last yearâs event. "What part exactly is hard for you to believe in?"
Samira knew very well that a lot of people on the management team at the Fairmont felt like Neo was way in over his head and while she agreed to an extent with that statement, she knew they had to give him a chance. It's not like they could declare a mutiny or something and take over for themselves. If they wanted to keep their jobs, they'd have to work with him rather than against him. âHowever last year this event was held in the San Francisco hotel so yes we had better attendees but I still think if this is marketed correctly we could pull in a good crowd.â She looked back at Neo with a shrug before tossing out the idea sheâd been toying with. âI wanted to try a tie in with the Four Seasons since itâs a charity event here in Wilmington and see if theyâd be willing to sponsor a two night stay at their presidential suite as well. Some of the amenities they haveâwe havenât managed to get in the new property yet.âÂ
"I am very glad you two have adjusted so well." Amos told her slowly. It had been surprising that she'd made the move, after all, he always figured that the loss of her sister had made her stay away from Wilmington. But now he felt like Samira fit right into the small town, which always mattered when you made such a big move. "Thanks for meeting up with Cece and I, she really seems to enjoy her time with Maya and you're not bad company. Lately it feels like a lot of things are changing for me, for everyone really, you know?"
"Thanks Amos," she gave him a genuine smile. Sometimes it still surprised her how they'd managed to end up so cordial with one another when way back when things had been so tense. But then--they were all really young when they'd first met. And besides--being thrown together that way didn't fit with either of them so it made sense. Now she could truly admire him not only for the friend he'd been to Kian but just generally as a person as well. "Of course--I'm happy to do it. The girls are almost obsessed with one another, Cami and I often have to pick them up from each other's place so of course I'm good to have them spending time together," she told him with a smile before nodding at his words, wondering if this was where she could tell him how much she knew about his changes. "So--I've heard you've had a fun little blind date situation happening? Don't shoot me--I'm friends with Malia and she'd mentioned it...don't worry I talked you up, like a nice person would do."
Noah knew exactly how spite could drive someone. When Samira started talking about workplace expectations, his brain went finally, someone gets it. "Sometimes the best way to lead is by setting high expectations. Makes everyone step up their game." The conversation turned toward Gwen, and there went his cool factor, right out the window. Seeing her with his twins had changed everythingâthey'd practically inducted her into their exclusive club, and it felt absolutely perfect. "Yeah, she works too hard. Between you and me, I've been trying to convince her to take more breaks." Thank god she knew her stuff about gift shoppingâhis brain was about ready to explode from stress. "You're definitely the shopping guru here. I usually end up panic-buying at the last minute, so having backup is a game-changer." The mall actually made sense with her leading the way. "Next time I need gift ideas, you're my first call. Youâre a parent, if anyone knows how to shop for kids, it would be you." Small clouds of cinnamon-scented steam drifted through the cafe's open door, and his stomach growled loud enough to the point where anyone could hear it. Turning to his friend with a smile, he asked. "Okay, drink options, we've got sugar with coffee, coffee with sugar, or their special which is basically a liquid dessert with coffee somewhere in the vicinity. Choose wisely."
âMy point exactly!â Samira was honestly glad Noah understood it because some people would take the otherâs reaction and allow it to drive them to do a worse job but that wasnât what Samira liked. She rather exceed her own expectations as much as possible. When the conversation moved back to Gwen, she found herself smiling as he spoke about trying to get her to take more breaks and nodded right along with him. She knew it would do her friend a world of a difference if she could take some more time for herself. âI hope she listens to you more than sheâs listened to me,â she admitted with a soft chuckle before looking back at him when he spoke about her being a guru of shopping with him. âYouâre welcome,â she grinned before nodding along with him, âthat works for meâI mean Iâm not only good at shopping for kids but yeah otherwise youâll call me up for everything and that wonât work with this friendship,â she chuckled with a teasing tilt to her voice. As they made their way into the cafe, she was smiling at the scent that wafted around them. This place was truly a little piece of heaven in her mind. âOkayâI think coffee with sugar will be good for me because I need that cinnamon bun, otherwise Iâd go with that liquid dessert option.âÂ
She had to admit, Samiraâs teasing about being stuck with her had a certain charmâlike a playful nudge that reminded her how much she valued having someone who could joke around without taking things too seriously. If anyone would be sticking around, it would be her cousin. âOh, donât worry, Iâve got your back. Angry ravers wonât know what hit them.â The thought of actually stepping in to shield the other from EDM purists made her laugh internallyâwhat a ridiculous visual. When she brought up the frat-house disaster, Ishani winced slightly at the memory. âThey do clean it up. I made sure of that. But the emotional damage? Irreparable,â she joked, though the frustration of that night still lingered faintly in the back of her mind. âMayaâs always welcome, you know that. But Soundwave? Might be a little much for her. Letâs ease her in with those random dinners youâre planning to spring on me,â she added with a cheeky grin. âAnd Iâll hold you to working on that EDM slander.â
It was nice to connect with someone that Samira hadnât known much about while growing up but the way she and Ishani had connected and justâŠclicked in this way made the transition easy from partners to cousins easier. âOh thank godâwhatever would I do without you?â Samira asked with a teasing smile knowing that nothing of the sort would luckily be happening. As they spoke about the surprise party Ishani had to deal with, Samira found herself chuckling before shaking her head. She would have thrown a fit especially at the thought of having to clean it all up but it was good that they did it for her and she didnât have to lift a finger. âEmotional damage,â she tsked before giving her cousin a look. âHow ever will you recover from all that? There must be some way.â She grinned at her cousin before nodding at her words, âsheâs determined to make it at some pointâIâm thinking of bringing her by before you open so that she can see it and then I can take her home,â she murmured before nodding at the otherâs words. âSounds good to me. Dinners are a goâand that slanderâŠIâm going to ignore you now. Thanks very much.â
Samira would easily take someoneâs indifference of her or their hatred if she deserved it. She found emotions to be quite powerful and if that was the energy she was putting outâshe deserved it back. But with Axel, clearly the man had been having a moment of weakness when sheâd jumped the gun and overreacted so that was why she didnât want him to despise her for whatever sheâd put him through. âYouâre welcome,â she nodded at his gratitude once more. He was mostly just lucky that she was a rather tall woman which meant she could help him and not cower under his stature. âNoâI was actually going to say Jersey so I guess this is better,â she chuckled with a grin before taking another sip from her wine. When she asked what brought him over to Wilmington, Samira still hadnât expected that entirely truthful answer but found herself nodding and smiling as he said it. âI guess itâs a good thing it didnât work outâŠthe amount of arson charges that wouldâve come your way wouldâve been brutal,â she said with a hint of a dimpled smile, trying to find the humour in an otherwise difficult topic.
Hazal had grinned at Samiraâs quip about Mayaâs short-lived interest. âSounds about right,â she said, fully aware of how kids operated. They were all in for the fun parts but conveniently disappeared when the real work kicked in. The mental image of Samira managing both a kid and a puppy was enough to keep her amused for a moment, though she didnât envy her friendâs potential chaos. Still, as the conversation shifted, She found herself thinking on her friendâs suggestion. Babysitting as a trial run? That was actually kind of genius. It wasnât like she could just sit Lincoln down and say, âSo, kidsâyay or nay?â without it feeling like a pop quiz. But this? This felt less like a spotlight interrogation and more like a casual way to gauge where he stood. Then her phone buzzed, and she almost rolled her eyes at the timing. Of course, Lincoln would text right as they were dissecting her relationship. âBabysitting Maya wouldnât be a problem. Sheâs probably less of a handful than Mungo when heâs in one of his moods, so thatâs saying something.â But she knew she couldnât keep dodging the topic forever. âYeah, maybe tonightâs the night. I canât keep stalling.â She peered down at her phone again, debating. âItalian or Thai... I hate deciding about food. I can never make a choice.â
Samira chuckled at Hazalâs agreement about Maya not pitching in if she did end up getting her a pup. It was honestly the only reason she was determined to make her daughter wait it out a bit more. Still they both began speaking about the dilemma that Hazal was dealing with and it got Samira thinking about how her situation couldâve turned out if she and her ex had actually discussed it a little before getting engaged. âYeah I meanâŠshe can be pretty extreme depending on the situation," she chuckled at her friendâs suggestion before nodding along about how she could be a great way to help the other two approach the conversation. âHonestly itâs better if sheâs in one of her moods that way you can both get an honest reaction of how youâd be together as a unit,â she smiled at the other before chuckling at Hazalâs words. âYou canât decide between two cuisines? Yikes babeâŠthatâs the least of your worries if youâre serious about becoming a motherâŠthe decisions youâll have to make are going to be much more extreme from really the moment you have your first appointment.â Still she gave the other a smile before continuing, "but yes--have your dinner and then let me know how it goes, or if you'd rather take Maya for the evening and go from there."
Neo stood in front of Samira's desk, hating every second of this. Everytime the external affairs manager look at him with that smileâthe one that made him question if anyone could actually be that chipper at 8 AM on a Mondayâhis eyes would roll. Her perpetual sweetness had to be an act. No one was this nice without wanting something in return, right? But here he was, acting CEO of Fairmont Hotel Group, needing her expertise for the upcoming charity gala. His dad's voice rang in his ears, âYou need to learn from the ground up.â What a joke. The universe had a sick sense of humor, making him dependent on the one person whose sugary demeanor set his teeth on edge. âGood morning, Ms. Iyer, I need your help fixing this mess with the press," he said, channeling every ounce of corporate pleasantry he could muster. The words tasted like paint thinner in his mouthâand he'd accidentally swallowed enough of that during his artist days to know. And there it was, the reluctant CEO act, coming to her for help while looking like he'd rather eat glassâshe had to admit, his obvious discomfort was becoming the highlight of her mornings.
While she'd been recently prompted to VP of external affairs, she still didn't understand how her boss had decided to appoint his son, who had absolutely no experience in the tourism hospitality world to be the acting CEO. It was ludicrous but she was adamant on being welcoming to him like she was with everyone else and avoid thinking about how someone more qualified should have that position; not her though--she definitely didn't want that responsibility.
"Ah--I believe I told you to call me Samira, Neo." She was not going to be calling him Mr. Fairmont--that was reserved for his father and just didn't feel right with him. "But yes--what exactly do you need help with? The speech transcripts are in the contingency folder. Along with some guides on media processes," she mused with a smile before gesturing for him to take a seat. "But since you've come all the way here to my office...I bet you don't think any of those processes will work, do you?"
ââOhâŠIs that so?...â Gwendolyn laughed at Samiraâs response as she found it adorable that Noah may have been the more obvious one out of the both of them. She felt like she was a close second, especially when she wasnât the type to let her guard down as easily. Shaking her head, the Chief of Police relaxed in her seat and proceeded to give a bit of background, âWe knew each other since highschoolâŠHe dated my best friend at the time.â Her gaze suddenly softened as she thought of her time with Ellie and a pang hit her heart as she remembered their memories together. âAfter we graduated I left to pursue my career in the BureauâŠDuring that time, she passed and well the last time I saw Noah was during her funeral. Now weâve reconnected and itâs such a new yet familiar feeling.â Hearing that Samira supported her regardless put a bright smile on Gwenâs face as she nodded in understanding, âThank youâŠI appreciate you alwaysâŠTruthfully, I feel like because Iâve already gone through a divorce and other things, I donât even know if this is worth pursuing. However, thereâs the other half of me that is curious and would want to tryâŠItâs tough.âÂ
Samira smiled at the way Gwendolyn laughed at the mention of Noah being obvious. She had no qualms in admitting just how adorable she found this for her two friends and was glad to see how thankfully theyâd both let down their guards with one another and had her luckily become privy to the growing relationship once more. She listened intently as Gwendolyn explained their history a bit more. It sounded like the two of them were always essentially a part of one anotherâs life and as she listened to the way Gwendolyn explained how Noah had dated her best friend at the time, she found herself sighing as the feelings mightâve gotten complicated then. Still she nodded as Gwen explained how her path had led her away and how they ended up reconnecting now. âYou donât have to thank me Gwen, Iâm just in your corner always,â she told the other with a smile before reaching over to squeeze her hand. âI just feel like you wonât know if itâs worth pursuing until you do. PersonallyâŠwith someone like Noah, I feel like youâre doing yourself a disservice if you donât actually give it a shot.â
âItâs true but sometimesâŠas bad as it sounds, it can almost help them out.â Samira mused with a grin before looking back at the man she was walking with. Her friendship with Noah had begun very organically and she was very thankful not only to have a friend for herself but even for Maya who had quickly become friends with both Zephyr and Lyra as well. âI hope they enjoyed the accidental pep talk because in the workplace, I refuse to compromise, you know?â She knew it sounded bad but now that sheâd been promoted to VP of External Affairs she knew she had a big job to do and wanted to ensure it happened without a glitch. It was very cute to see Noahâs reaction to Gwenâs name and mention and she could not stop grinning at the other before nodding as he mentioned her deserving it. âThatâs what weâre forâright? Making sure she knows to take time for herself.â Samira grinned at the other man, knowing heâd be sure to do it for the other woman. As they continued walking toward the cinnamon bun place, she glanced back at Noah and shrugged. âI amâplus Iâm also a great gift giver so any time you need help, you just ask okay?â She grinned at the other man before nodding and patting his arm, âyeah you probably wouldâve been stuck here for hours. Now you get to actually relax so definitely a bonus.âÂ
