by Leslie North
“You never have time!” she shouted. She was so upset and angry; she could feel her cheeks turning red. She started fanning herself. He was only here for a night? She felt used.
“I have work to do,” Joshua's tone was serious and flat as he dressed. Walking up to him, she took his face in her hands and searched his eyes.
“When we first met, you had come to the hotel because work was stressing you out. Obviously you need to work less,” Rene said to him. He had been stressed and wanted to get away from it but here he was now spending all his time in the office. It did not make sense.
“I love my work. Everyone needs a break from time to time,” Joshua replied. Rene bent down, picked up his suit jacket and helped him put it on.
“We were so happy at the hotel. Don't you see that you are happier when you are not at work?”
“Rene, stop,” Joshua said. “I have to go. I have no choice.” Rene growled in frustration.
“You are a prince for goodness sake. You can delegate the work to others, you don't have to do everything by yourself.”
“I can do whatever I want to do and how I want to do it,” he told her coldly.
“Do you even care about me at all?” she asked.
“Why do you have to make this about you? My work has nothing to do with you!” he shouted. That was the loudest he had ever raised his voice at her. He took a deep breath, “I have an important meeting to go to and you are delaying me. I need to go,” he said but this time he had lowered his tone.
“I know how this will end. I just thought… Just go, GO!” she shouted and turned away. She did not want to see his back again.
Joshua threw the doors open with so much force the frame splintered before he stormed out of her bedroom. She was hurt by his callous behaviour. It seemed as though he did not care about her and she was angry at herself for following someone she had only known for a short time.
She hated that she had fallen for him so quickly and now he was breaking her heart. She had not thought everything through. It should have been nothing more than a fling. Rene dropped to the floor and started sobbing.
Chapter 13
Joshua climbed the steps and entered the jet’s cabin. His brother was furious with him for disappearing. He was only supposed to be gone for the night, but he had stayed far longer than he intended. He had spent two days with Rene and completely lost track of time.
He hated that she had such an effect on him. Never in his life had he allowed a woman to come between him and his work. He was disappointed in himself because if they weren't able to renew this contract because of him, then the company would be affected by that loss. Not to mention what his father would say.
When he arrived at the meeting site, he rushed past reception and went straight to the conference room. He found his brother waiting for him outside. James wore a worried expression. Seeing his twin like this shot a pang of guilt through him. He had never let anything distract him from work, especially a woman. It was very unlike him.
“Where have you been?” James demanded as soon as he approached him.
“I know, I messed up, but I am here now,” Joshua replied.
“The Russians are really angry. It took a lot to calm them down and keep them here.”
Joshua could not fathom just how angry they were. It had taken him three hours to get there from the palace, which meant they had been waiting for him for much longer. Had the shoe been on the other foot, he would have left.
He was not that patient and hated people wasting his time. One thing he had learnt out of this situation was that the Russians wanted this contract just as much as they did. Because if the contract was not important to them, they would have left a long time ago.
“I understand, brother,” Joshua said and walked into the conference room. The stone-faced Russians looked up as Joshua walked in. They really did not look happy.
“Prince Tazeem, this is most unprofessional!” one of the Russian businessmen said in his heavy accent.
“If it was not for your brother, we would have left,” another added.
“I understand, gentlemen, and I make no excuses for myself,” Joshua replied and bowed his head. “However, I am here now.”
“Why should we even continue with this contract if we cannot rely on you?” the Russian at the head of the table asked.
“You can rely on me, on my brother and our company. Even though I was not here, James was still here. There will always be someone available to you. I also believe that you want this contract as much as we do, otherwise you would have left,” Joshua said unapologetically.
He was never apologetic for his actions, he always found a way to make it work in his favour. It came across as arrogant but that was part of his charm. The Russians were not pleased by his words as the six men exchanged sceptical glances.
“Young man, your disrespect is appalling,” said Mr Kashnikov; the owner of the Russian company.
“Mr Kashnikov, I am not being insolent, I am simply pointing out an observation,” Joshua replied. James was leaning against the door watching it all unfold. He raised his eyebrows and shook his head. Joshua did not have a soft touch and it always pushed people over the edge. However, he was good at seeing what people wanted and was able to reel them back in using that.
“It is because we respect King Tazeem; that is why we are still here.”
“Tazeem Petroleum using your pipelines is why you are still here. As you are aware, our company drills, refines and exports a lot of oil.”
“What is your point?”
“We generate vast profits for you.”
“So do other companies.”
“Not as much as we do. We are also expanding our company into other countries. You definitely will want to be aligned with us.”
Joshua and Mr Kashnikov went back and forth; as Mr Kashnikov asked every question he could think of to challenge Joshua who stayed in control of the situation. He answered every question thrown at him, addressing every issue thoughtfully and concisely. He was determined to win him over and in the end he did. By the end of the meeting, Mr Kashnikov knew that he was a man he could trust.
The Russians were also impressed by James’ calm demeanour and reliability. He had calmed them down when Joshua was late and he was equally as knowledgeable about the company and was able to field questions until his brother arrived. The Russians finally signed the contract with the Tazeem Petroleum Company.
“Do not let us down,” Mr Kashnikov said to the twins before he and the other businessmen left.
“We will not,” Joshua replied. James sighed with relief when the Russians left before turning his attention to his brother.
“We did it.”
Joshua pushed out a breath, “We did.”
James and Joshua did their secret handshake and laughed. James leaned against the table and sighed heavily, “So tell me exactly why you were back at the palace?”
Joshua frowned. He knew that his brother was not going to let it go. He too did not know why he went back. The fight he had with Rene still resonated with him.
“Never mind that,” said Joshua as Mirena walked in and collected the paperwork.
“Congratulations, your highnesses,” she said to the twins and bowed to them.
“Thank you,” they both said at the same time.
“Keep up the good work,” Joshua said to her.
“Thank you, sir,” she smiled and left the room.
“You went to see Rene,” James said.
Joshua grunted in response. He definitely did not want to talk about it now. “Let’s go home,” Joshua spat out and walked out of the conference room. He really did not want to discuss her. Because of her, they nearly lost the contract.
*****
The twins arrived at their parents’ residence in time for dinner. They were eager to let their father know of their success. Their older brother and the crown prince; Talim, was seated at the dining table with their parents when they arrived. The twi
ns bowed their heads to their father and then greeted their mother with a kiss on both cheeks. They sat down at the table while the maids quickly brought them plates and cutlery.
“How was the trip?” the king asked.
“It went well,” James said enthusiastically.
“You renewed the contract?” Talim asked with his eyes widened.
“Yes, we did.” James answered with a smile.
“Why so surprised?” Joshua asked Talim.
“Because the Russians are tough to please.”
“It was easy,” Joshua said, stretching out his legs. His parents both laughed joyfully.
“That is good,” said the queen. She asked one of the maids to bring some Champagne. “We have much to celebrate,” she added with a smile.
“Well done,” the king said. That was as far as he went with the compliments.
The twins had wanted to please their father; however now that they had accomplished what they wanted, it was not as sweet as Joshua thought it would be. The maids brought in the Champagne and glasses.
“Let us make a toast,” the queen said, but Joshua did not hear what she said. He could not help but wonder how Rene was doing, as he had not spoken to her since their fight. Joshua smiled as his family started clinking their glasses. He sipped his Champagne and ate his food anxious to check on her.
Talim and the king asked more details about the contract but only James answered. Joshua wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Their mother also asked random questions but James did all the answering. Joshua barely paid attention and when he answered, he gave one-word responses.
After dinner, the twins returned to the palace and Joshua headed to Rene's quarters. He wondered if she was still angry with him or if she had forgiven him. When he walked into her living room, her maids greeted him with deep bows. He stood there with his hands in his pockets.
“Announce me to Rene,” he said to the maids. They looked at each other awkwardly. Muna played with her fingers nervously.
“What?” he asked them.
“Your highness, Miss Rene has left,” Maria said softly.
Chapter 14
“Left where? She took a walk?”
“No, your highness, she returned to the States.”
“What are you talking about?” Joshua barked. Had he heard correctly? There was no way she had left and returned to the US. He looked at Maria, impatiently waiting for her response, “Speak now!” he shouted.
“Miss Rene said that she was returning back to her home,” Maria quickly replied.
“Impossible!” Joshua for the first time in his life felt nervous. He rushed to her bedroom and threw the doors open. Maybe it was a joke, she wanted him to feel bad for the argument they had that morning. He searched for traces of her in her bedroom but there were none. It was as if she was never there. He rushed out and returned to the living room. “When did she go?” he asked them.
“Not too long after you left this morning,” Muna replied. Joshua pushed the vase with the purple roses aggressively causing it to crash to the floor. The maids gasped and took a few steps back.
“This is bullshit,” Joshua said. He was angry and frustrated. Just because they had argued did not mean that she had to up and leave. “Did she say anything before she left?” he asked them.
“Nothing, your highness. She only said that she wanted to go home,” Muna replied.
Joshua loosened his tie. She did not even leave him a note. He grunted and stormed out of her quarters and headed to his own. His maids tried to greet him as he marched past, but he did not bother to stop as he headed straight into his bedroom and slammed the door shut behind him.
He paced up and down as he loosened his tie and threw it to the floor. He had been successful in achieving his goal of renewing the contract with the Russians but all he could think about was Rene. She made him happy. She was beautiful, funny and she made him forget about work.
She was the one thing that he looked forward to each day. When he was with her, he felt so calm and relaxed. As much as he wanted to let her go since she had abandoned him, he could not help but realise that he could not live without her. She had brought colour and fun into his life. He would not let her go just like that. He had to do something.
Chapter 15
Tanya's jaw dropped open when she opened the front door to see Rene standing there with her suitcases.
“Rene?” she asked as Rene pushed past her and walked into the house dragging her suitcases behind her. She stood in the small living room looking around at the furniture; nothing had changed. She kicked her shoes off. The house was no palace but she had missed it dearly.
“What are you doing here?” Tanya asked her.
“I live here,” Rene replied and threw herself on the sofa. It had been a long day and she was tired. It was well past midnight. Tanya perched on a chair across from her and stared at her friend.
“What happened?” she asked. Rene looked at her friend. She had missed her so much. Jumping up she hugged her. Pulling out of her embrace, she held Rene by the shoulders. “Tell me what is going on,” she demanded.
“My caramel bunny,” Rene said and hugged her again. When they were younger, Rene had gotten drunk and called her that and the nickname stuck. Tanya laughed and pulled out of her embrace again. “What happened?”
Rene sighed before she responded. “I decided to leave.” Tanya raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
Rene sat next to Tanya and told her everything that had transpired since the last time they had spoken. Tanya raised her eyebrows. “And of course, I missed you and your freckles,” she said to her as Tanya narrowed her gaze.
“Don't change the subject,” Tanya said.
“Well, I did miss you,” Rene said.
“Yes and I know that. I want to know what is going to happen with you and Joshua.”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing, it's over.”
Tanya frowned. “What is over?” she asked. Rene stared at her with an expressionless face.
“Joshua and I are over,” Rene replied.
Tanya’s eyes widened. “What? How can it be over when you left before he came back? You need to at least talk about it.”
“Talk about what, T? The man never listens when I try to speak with him. He doesn't care about me.”
“If he did not care, then would he have asked you to come back with him? Or returned part way through his business trip?”
“He only wanted sex.”
Tanya burst out laughing as Rene raised her eyebrows. She did not know what was so funny. “I'm sorry but I am sure that is not it,” Tanya said and carried on laughing.
“What does that mean?” Rene asked her.
“You are not freaky enough or adventurous enough to make him sex crazed. He would not want you for sex only. I refuse to believe that. And he taught you golf!”
Rene shook her head. “I need something to eat,” she said and stood up to walk into the kitchen. Fortunately, Tanya had gone shopping. Normally, it was Rene who did the shopping because she had such a big appetite. Opening the freezer, she took out a huge tub of vanilla ice cream. Opening the cabinet, she pulled out a large bottle of chocolate syrup; one of the things she really missed when she was in Al-Qalta.
“So that is what you call food,” Tanya said to her when she reappeared in the living holding ice cream and syrup.
“They had everything but chocolate syrup in the palace. I really missed it.”
“But you had your own quarters and maids.”
“Honestly, T, I always tried to help with the chores but they did not allow me! They were so uncomfortable about it.”
“You should have put your feet up and enjoyed yourself. I know I would have.”
Rene shook her head. She opened the ice cream and dug her spoon into it. She kept digging into it. She started digging faster and harder. Tanya looked at her. “Rene, relax.”
Rene stopp
ed, her shoulders slumped forward. Tanya grabbed her arm and pulled her into an embrace as she sobbed into her chest.
“Why does my love life suck so much?” Rene mumbled through her tears.
“We all go through it, honey. It will get better.”
“I fell in love with a prince, what a stupid move. Of course it was never going to be a happy ending.”
“He loves you, he probably just does not know how to show it.”