AYAD

Chapter 6

The next day was a Friday. Gracie woke up full of excitement, it was a Friday and Gracie had the day off, she wanted to finally carve out some time to get started on some wedding planning.

And what better way to do it than with her best friends? She was planning to have them over in the afternoon for brunch out in the outdoor cabana and some light-hearted wedding chat. Gracie got dressed in her cutest, beige, sweat suit and put her long hair into a bun on the top of her head. She hurried downstairs to start on some food for her friends and herself. In the kitchen she saw Mrs. Ayad drinking tea.

Mrs. Ayad looked Gracie up and down, she was still trying to get a read on her. On the other end, Gracie was doing the same. She didn't sense the same warmth that she typically got from Mr. Ayad. "Good Morning, how was your night?" The two hugged.

"Oh it was nice. No work today?" Mrs. Ayad always spoke slowly and calculatedly. The words rolled off her tongue like a knife going through butter. Smooth and precise.

"I don't work Fridays, usually just Monday through Thursday. The option is there, but I just find that I feel better if I have one extra day to my weekend" She leaned against the marble counter. "Oh! I am having some friends over today to help with wedding planning. I don't know if you are free or not but I'd love for you to join us for a bit. Saheed did mention that you would probably want us to do a more traditional wedding."

A smile spread on her face. "Just let me know when and I will be there. Why don't you have Raamatu prepare some food for your guests?"

"That's okay, I was planning on cooking, I don't mind it at all."

"Darling." She placed a hand on Gracie's shoulder. "If you want to be an Ayad, you need to start living like an Ayad. The help cooks."

Gracie and Mrs. Ayad stood there in silence, eye-to-eye. In that moment Gracie realized that she didn't like Mrs. Ayad and it seemed that the sentiment was mutual from Mrs. Ayad to Gracie. Mrs. Ayad gracefully put down her teacup, turned towards the hallway and began to yell for the staff. Gracie couldn't understand Arabic, anyone could tell that Mrs. Ayad was speaking harshly and condescending.

Raamatu, the head cook, ran into the kitchen flustered. She began to pull ingredients from the fridge and robotically dicing vegetables. Gracie gave a small yet uncomfortable smile to her future mother-in-law before leaving the room. The encounter didn't sit right, Gracie mentally questioned what kind of family she had gotten herself involved with.

Especially since Gracie's mother used to be a cook for a rich family. When she was pregnant with Gracie, she worked as a nanny for a wealthy family. She shared with Gracie the horrors of the family's treatment towards her. That alone encouraged Gracie to treat everyone well always, regardless of status, wealth or supposed glory.

Within the hour, Gracie was outside with Leni, Becca and Alexis enjoying the ridiculously elaborate breakfast spread of shakshuka, various fruits, fresh flat breads and more.

Leni took a big bite of her food and washed it down with fresh orange juice, "Girl, you have GOT to be kidding me! You're living like this now?!"

Gracie shrugged her shoulders, she saw the appeal to the glitz and glamor of it all, but she still was ruminating over the way Mrs. Ayad yelled at Raamatu. Gracie couldn't get the fearful look on Raamatu's face, out of her mind. The memory was turning her off the lifestyle. "I'm trying to get used to it."

"I could get used to it." Alexis snapped her fingers. "Just like that. Be sharp mama, there's probably a wait list of girls gunning for your place."

Becca rolled her eyes, she couldn't stand Alexis. She looked back to Gracie, "What's meant to be, will be. Don't let the money trick you, YOU are the catch here, not him."