Aaliyah and the Billionaire's Lamp

by Catelyn Meadows

  “Clear his schedule or we’re finding new representation.” The dial tone sounded.

  “What was that all about?” Zayn asked.

  River sighed as Norris’ threat resonated in his ears. He knew Zayn had a date with Aaliyah that night. She’d already seemed skeptical of him enough as it was, with how aloof he’d been about the arranged marriage. She’d probably rescind the arrangement altogether if Zayn didn’t show up to their date.

  Still, the decision belonged to Zayn, not him.

  River slumped against the column. He opened his mouth to speak when several people congregated at the store’s entrance, not more than five feet away. This wasn’t something for listening ears. River gestured, and Zayn accompanied him through the resort’s automatic, revolving glass door.

  The Florida heat was stifling. Humidity made an instant sticky trap of River’s skin. Sounds of distant traffic provided white noise, and the lack of people on the sidewalk offered the privacy he was hoping for—or the sense of privacy, anyway.

  “He wants you to fly out to Fiji tonight, man,” River said. “He demands your immediate, personal intervention.”

  Zayn exhaled. “Tonight? I can’t. What about Aaliyah?”

  River slipped his phone into his back pocket and shrugged. “You know Norris. He was really insistent. He said you needed to be there or he would find different representation.”

  Zayn wiped the sweat beading at his temple. “He’s one of my biggest clients.”

  “I know.”

  A pause lingered between them. Zayn crooked his head back to take in the resort’s full height. It towered over them, the windows staring out at the parking lot and the ocean beyond like hundreds of eyes.

  “What should I do?”

  River gripped the lamp in his pocket. “Explain everything to Aaliyah. She’ll understand.”

  Zayn nudged a nearby palm tree with his designer shoe. “Will she? She seemed inclined to find other representation too.”

  River laughed. He gazed out at the traffic crawling beyond the parking lot, then panoramically past the spearing palm trees toward the visible snatch of ocean. This really was an amazing vacation spot. Any other time, he would have been eager to unwind in a swimsuit and improve his tan.

  He could never relax, though, not really. His phone still rang on vacation. He still had Zayn’s problems to sort out.

  Zayn broke the silence. “I’ve got an idea. You could go in my place.”

  “What? Not a chance.”

  Zayn rapped him on the arm. “Come on, all you have to do is keep her company. Talk about me. Tell her how amazing I am.”

  River couldn’t believe he was hearing this. Eavesdropping earlier had been bad enough. Standing in on dates? “That’s the epitome of awkward, Zayn.”

  “I can’t cancel on her, and I can’t bring her to Fiji with me,” Zayn argued. “I can’t send you to Fiji in my place. And I can’t make it to the dinner if I have to fly to Fiji. Just meet her for dinner, River. Please?”

  River rubbed his forehead. This was insane. Completely ludicrous. He voiced his thoughts aloud. “This is not in my job description.”

  “Fine then. I’ll pay you a little extra.”

  “Perfect. What if she found out I was paid to take her on a date?” That sounded awful too.

  Zayn flinched at the insinuation. He paced a few feet away and then turned back. Sweat started to drip down River’s spine.

  “Come on, man,” Zayn said. “Just dinner. Help me out. I’m not CEO here yet, and if it doesn’t work out, I’ve got to maintain my own clientele.”

  River stated the obvious. “She may not go for it.”

  “If anyone can convince her to give me a chance, it’s you, Riv.”

  River gritted his teeth. As any good lawyer would, Zayn was deflecting every single one of his arguments. “You know you’re nuts, right?”

  “You know I’m right,” Zayn said. “I’m stuck. Just do it, man. Please?”

  It was all River could do not to roll his eyes. “Fine. I’ll meet with her, but she’ll form her own opinions, sir. And a no-show on a first date isn’t going to look good for you.”

  “She’ll get over it when she knows it’s for work,” Zayn said, shrugging it off. “You’re the best.”

  River fought against his irritation. This wasn’t fair to Aaliyah, but he would do it. His personal assistant brain clicked in, jumping onto the next To Do. “I’ll schedule your flight. Your pilot should still be in town.”

  “Good deal. I’ll go get my bag. Have a car ready, would you?” Zayn was already inside and halfway to the elevator before River managed an answer.

  “Will do.”

  River allowed the July heat to bake him a few seconds longer. He tried to think of a different solution, but his mind was coming up blank. There was no other option now, not when Zayn had made up his mind.

  River followed through with the arrangements for the car and Zayn’s pilot while concerns continued to unsettle him. He glanced at the clock. A few more hours before dinner. Before he had to break the news to Aaliyah.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Aaliyah slid the long, silver chain over her head. It set off her olive maxi dress perfectly. Whenever she went out, cameras seemed to tail her. She wanted to make a good impression tonight, but that was hard to do when her insides were doing loop de loops. She tried to find the most comfortable, yet most stylish thing she could. A soft, flowy dress with pockets? Yes, please.

  She slipped into her sandals and headed out to the elevator. Zayn had one chance to prove himself to her. Maybe deep inside he was considerate and kind, as good at handling his personal life as he claimed to be professionally.

  The lobby hosted what appeared to be a newly arrived crew of surfers. Dozens of men with washboard abs and swim shorts of various colors propped surfboards along the tile and exchanged peals of laughter. Aaliyah lowered her head and scampered past the central fountain and seating area to the Crystal Sands.

  She rarely ate here, opting for more private places like her suite or her father’s. Neither of those were options tonight. She had considered the rooftop, but she wanted something more public. Somewhere she and Zayn could talk and yet not be completely alone. She didn’t want a repeat of the emotion that swept over her earlier.

  It wasn’t Zayn waiting at the entrance, however. It was River, looking fierce in a gray suit and black shirt set off by tan shoes. Clean cut, razor-sharp, and oh, so brutal, River’s caramel eyes met hers, and the corners of his lips kinked. Her pulse kicked. His tractor beam locked in, luring her straight to him.

  “River?” She glanced around, wondering if Zayn was with him. “You meeting someone for dinner?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “You.”

  Her confusion contrasted his statement. “I’m sorry,” she said, gripping her golden clutch. “Maybe you didn’t hear, but I’m actually meeting Zayn tonight.”

  “I heard,” he said, lowering his head. “Believe me.”

  She grimaced. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I know it probably wasn’t appropriate to have you there for all that this morning, but I just—”

  “It’s okay.” He flashed a smile and a shrug. “I mean, it was awkward, don’t get me wrong, but I think I understand why you asked me to stay.”

  Her insides perked up. “You do?”

  A couple passed them and entered the restaurant. The receptionist greeted them as they requested a table for two. She directed them to follow the waitress and then paused to gauge whether or not Aaliyah and River were going in. Aaliyah shook her head in a silent answer.

  “Yeah,” River said. “You’re in a tough situation right now.”

  She released a chuckle. “That’s putting it mildly.”

  River licked his bottom lip. “I’m sorry to say it’s about to get tougher.”

  “Oh? How so?”

  “Zayn had to leave town on business. Looks like you’re stuck with me as your date.” This time, his grin was forced, as he wasn’t
sure how she’d take the news.

  The anticipation inside her burst. “He left?”

  “It was a pressing matter. He wouldn’t have missed this, missed being with you if it weren’t.”

  “Unbelievable.” She was a twist of emotions. Her father’s returned cancer. Losing any fleeting hopes of CEO. She’d even been talking herself into accepting this marriage only to be confronted by a no-show?

  Aaliyah scratched the back of her neck, casting her gaze away from River. She steeled herself, tossing her hair from her shoulders and doing her best to remain impassive. “Thanks for telling me. Would you please inform Mr. Hassan that his services are no longer required?”

  “His services…?”

  She probably shouldn’t have worded it like that. “Meaning I can see that he has no interest in my father’s offer. He’s obviously too busy to undertake another company or to devote any time in getting to know me.”

  “Believe me, he is still interested,” River said.

  Her lower lip began to tremble. She gritted her teeth to ward away emotion. Why was this affecting her so much?

  If he was interested, he would be here. What should she do, wait for him to return?

  “Sorry you had to come all the way down here for nothing. Have a good evening, Mr. Yevin.” She whirled, ready to make a distinct departure, to not let him see her cry.

  His voice wafting from behind had a gravitational effect.

  “Are you sure? I mean, why call it a night?”

  She halted, allowing herself to be lured in. Blinking a few times, she turned on her sandal’s heel.

  “I’m still here,” he added.

  He was definitely there. Tall and suave and lifting his brows in anticipation of her answer. How could he be so relaxed about this?

  “I can see that,” she said.

  He shrugged. “You’re here, too. Why not just go to dinner?”

  The idea of spending time with River had been teasing her since she’d mistaken him for Zayn that morning. The prospect of dinner with him now made her insides flutter in an entirely new way.

  Her palms grew clammy. It wasn’t him she was angry with. He wasn’t the one discarding her from the start. The least she could do was go to dinner with him. He had, after all, been decent enough to tell her the news.

  “Okay,” she said. “If you’re sure you want to.”

  He took a few steps toward her. “Of course I do. Do you?”

  His question had the impact of emerging from being under water. Gasping and refreshing. This wasn’t expected of her. This wasn’t required. He was asking her the way any normal guy would. When had that last happened?

  Aaliyah took a steadying breath and smiled. “Sure,” she said. “Why not?”

  “Great.” He jutted a thumb toward the restaurant. “I’ll let them know we’re ready.”

  Aaliyah gripped her clutch and held it toward him. “Actually, do you mind if we go somewhere else? I’m not really a fan of being out in public here. I get a lot of attention, and…” She wasn’t sure how to say this. What if someone took a picture of her on a date with River when her father wanted her to marry his boss? How would that look?

  With that thought, she knew she wasn’t ready to write Zayn off the way she’d threatened. She couldn’t, not until she spoke with Papa.

  The Elir resort owner’s daughter’s wedding was sure to make a splash in the news, which made this situation all the worse. She’d been fine meeting here if it would have been with the man she was actually supposed to marry. If the connection she was already feeling with River turned out to be anything else, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to hide it.

  “Where would you like?”

  “How about the roof?” she suggested. “I’ll have the area cleared and order some room service to be delivered.”

  “The roof? You can clear it, just like that? I didn’t know that was an option.”

  She smirked. “Most people don’t. That’s the idea.”

  He shifted his weight. The force of his attention quivered in her stomach. His calming presence earlier completely juxtaposed the way he now sent her inner charge to high voltage in one point two seconds.

  That didn’t mean she didn’t like it.

  She led him to the reception desk.

  Tammy smiled at her. She had dark skin and thin braids woven with colorful strands. “Hi, Aaliyah.”

  No matter which resort she was at, Aaliyah always did her best to get to know as many of the staff as she could. It was how she knew Tammy, the woman on duty, worked nights so she could be with her kids when they got home from school during the day.

  “Hey, Tammy,” Aaliyah said. “We need to order some room service to be delivered to the rooftop garden. Can you also have Ryker clear the area? We’d like it to ourselves. Tell him to announce it’s closing for the evening.”

  Tammy’s attention tuned to the screen in front of her. If she was curious about Aaliyah’s date with River, she didn’t show it. “You got it. And what would you like brought up? The usual?”

  “The usual?” River asked, resting a hand on the marble countertop. “I take it you go up there a lot?”

  “To the roof? Not really, but I do order in almost every night.”

  “And you always get the same thing?”

  “Occasionally, I change it up. I know what I like,” she said with a shrug. “How do you feel about kabobs?”

  “Sounds delicious,” he said.

  Aaliyah nodded at him before turning back to Tammy. “The usual,” she said, but Tammy was already clacking at the computer again with long, pink fingernails. She lifted the receiver on the desk phone, gave a few instructions to the person on the other end, and lowered it again.

  “You’re good to go,” Tammy said, hanging up the receiver. “Ryker just made the announcement, so I’d give it a few minutes.”

  “Thanks, Tammy.”

  Aaliyah stepped away only to find River’s lips pursed in admiration. “I can’t believe you can clear an entire space, just like that,” he said.

  “I have to have some perks.” She slid him a wicked smile and led the way to the elevators. She pushed the button, hearing a ding in response. “Seriously, though, I hardly ever do it unless it’s an emergency.”

  “And this is an emergency?”

  “Hmm, I’d say it’s more like an opportunity. I like to keep a low profile, Mr. Yevin.”

  “Please, call me River.”

  “River.” She liked the feel of his name on her lips. It was unusual and intriguing, just like he was. “I don’t go out a lot because I don’t like all the cameras. I usually stick to my rooms unless I’m on business, which doesn’t happen as often as I’d like. Or there’s a special occasion. This is definitely a special occasion.”

  “I take it you don’t get asked out on too many dates,” he said as the elevator opened.

  They entered, and she held a finger to the door-close button, hoping no one would insert a hand and reopen the doors. She removed her keys from her clutch, scanned her card against the reader in the center of the other buttons, and then pressed a special button that would take them one level higher.

  She didn’t usually do this around other people. Tourists had to have special access to reach the rooftop pools.

  “No, I don’t,” she said, eager for a topic change. “Where are you from?”

  “I grew up in a little town in New Hampshire, but I moved to New York after high school.”

  “Did you go to law school too?” she asked.

  “No, I was going to trade school, but I needed work, and a position like mine with someone like Zayn pays the bills and feeds my addiction.”

  “What addiction is that?” she asked as the elevator opened to a blast of heat and sunlight. While she was inside the air-conditioned building, it was easy to forget July’s tendency to imitate an Amazonian jungle. The roof of this resort was one of her favorite places. Not every Elir location had rooftop pools, but when they did, she took
advantage of it.

  The rooftop was set up to accommodate dozens of guests, with white-cushioned benches facing panes of glass serving as guard rails along the roof’s edge. The transparent design was specific, to provide a glimpse of the sea below. Palm trees were potted every few feet, and bamboo set off the white finishings, giving everything a sleek edge.

  Two rectangular pools lay like parallel lovers in the center of the white benches. Aaliyah took it all in, staring up at the pink and orange, frozen yogurt-esque swirl in the sky. The color and the clouds, combined with the compress of hot air, released the rigidity inside of her like a breath.

  She forgot her question for River, and he apparently forgot to give an answer. He was struck by the view, and she was struck by his enjoyment of it.

  “It’s incredible up here,” River said. “I feel like I keep saying that since I arrived, but it’s true. It’s like paradise.”

  “Not all of them have this, but that’s why I love this one. I always feel so small beneath the immensity up here. It’s like whatever I’m dealing with doesn’t matter as much as I think it does.”

  “I can see why,” River said, removing his jacket. He unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them to his elbows. Behind them, the elevator dinged again, and a man wearing the hotel’s trademark teal uniform exited, pushing a cart laden with two trays. River hurried to help the worker place them on one of the bamboo tables.

  “This smells delicious,” he said.

  Aaliyah set her clutch on a nearby cushioned lounger. “Thanks, Tim.”

  Tim dipped his head. “Sure thing. You two enjoy yourselves.” He made his way back to the elevator.

  Aaliyah turned to find River passing one of the domed trays to her. She took it and sank onto the white cushions. He did the same, holding his tray and settling diagonally across from her.

  She placed a cloth napkin that matched the teal color used in all the Elir resorts in her lap, lifted the lid, and smiled at the serving of steak kabobs. They were colorful and mouthwatering, alternating with chunks of steak, red bell peppers, mushrooms, pineapple, and onions in no particular pattern and drizzled with tantalizing teriyaki sauce.