Love Delivery: 9th Floor

Chapter 1

Sachi Jones anxiously looked at the 24-karat gold rimmed clock on their living room wall. If she knew convincing her parents to let her sit in on a live taping of Fast Food Rush! would take so much, well, convincing...she would've went without a word. But alas, having parents who owned the very hotel they lived in meant rules and a lot of them. Like right now, rules of not interfering with business that had nothing to do with theirs and on a day where they had a business meeting of their own. It was just a no-no. "I just don't understand why you want to go." Her mother chided. She was a medium built Japanese American woman. She sat cross legged in her thousand dollar black cocktail dress and thick eyeliner, casually taking a sip of her cranberry grape juice like it was some exotic tea. Her mother always managed to make anything look fancy, even her pinky was raised with everything she drank. Sachi on the other hand didn't seem to catch the fancy gene. She was more of a pick-something-and-go person. That was how she used to be, until her mom forced etiquette classes and beauty regimes down her throat. Now, on the outside she was a carbon copy of her mom: fine, pristine, ladylike. But on the inside, she'd always be just Sachi Jones and that would eventually be okay..

"Mom, you're literally drinking juice that I made, learning how to cook from cooking shows like this. How can I not go? Plus, all the famous food critics-

"I've already made my decision. If you were on that show, it'd be nothing but trouble!" "But mom!" Sachi whined pathetically. In part, she knew she didn't really need her mother's permission-she was 22 years old- but being a hotel heiress meant having to run everything by her parents for the sake of the family reputation- something her younger sister seemed to get away from. "Dad!" Sachi looked up as her father walked in with a whistle and pep in his step. He was dressed to the nines-uh, tens, as her father liked to call it. We don't do odd numbers. Her father would joke. "Ah, there are my two lovelies!" He embraced Sachi as she ran to his strong arms. He wasn't the tallest man in the world but at 5 foot 10, he still managed to tower over both wife and daughter. He was tall, dark, handsome and...bald. Many people would give theri family stares when they went out due to how rare it was to see a Black man with an Asian woman but, they got used to it. Sachi was proud of her mixed heritage but sometimes wished to pick one."Don't listen to anything she has to say Mark, all conversation must be avoided." Sachi rolled her eyes and smiled. If that was her mother's attempt at being funny, she failed. "Nonsense," her father pulled back from the hug and looked down at her, "now what can I do for my honey bunch?" "Um, Can I attend the show tonight?" Just then, her sister, Traci slugged into the room, her hair a big frizzy mess from flat ironing her bouncy black curls and her pajamas rumpled. The family partially ignored her as she went to the fridge. She was always like that. Trying to rebel. "There'll be a live audience and everything. You'll get to see me on TV!" "That's what I'm afraid of." Her mother mumbled behind them. Her dad frowned. "Well honey, it's booked from what I heard. The only way you'd be able to get on is if you faked it onto the show." He squeezed her arm and let go. "Besides, the four of us have a meeting this morning with a potential merger. We can't afford to miss out." He turned to his younger daughter. "Enough playing around. Go get dressed." Sachi looked away, her eyes dropping in sorrow. So much for meeting her online crush in person. Her heart fluttered at the thought. Donte Murphy was one of the food critics that would be there that night. She'd supported him from his beginnings and he appreciated her unwavering support hence the ticket he gave her with a promise to meet up this morning after the taping. Face to face. She pictured looking into his chocolate brown eyes and swooned. "Anyway," her mother stood, "your father and I will get a head start. I'll leave you to wait on Traci. Don't be late girls." Sachi nodded and plopped down onto the sofa. They exchanged a few words with Traci then went to the door. "See ya." Traci said, closing the door. "Alright you two." She waited until she heard the lock click closed and scrambled up from her seat. Traci's eyes bugged out at her but then a knowing look crossed her face. "Is this about that guy?" Traci grinned. "You're still going to meet him, aren't you?" "Yes I am. But", Sachi paused to think, "do you have any wigs I can use?"
"Yes, but what for?" "If mom and dad don't want to see me on TV, then they won't have to." Traci rubbed her hands together."Let's do this."