“So, how was the night?” Bev was now by the door and she wasn’t about to play coy and hide her curiosity. She’d been curious about it all evening.
“The night was actually really nice. Good conversation and good food.”
“Anything else good?”
Sasha shook her head. “No, but unfortunately he didn’t do anything to make him less attractive. I’m giving him a tour of the facility tonight at 5:00.”
“Ooh, any plans for after?”
Sasha just shook her head and noticed a concerned look come across Bev’s face. “And for the record, I’m still not selling. I repeated that a handful of times.”
“And what did he say?”
“The most annoying thing he could—perhaps.”
“I don’t get it.” She puckered her lips up and shifted them to the side of her face, making her look like a fish.
“In the few hours I’ve spent with the man, he says perhaps all the time. He uses it instead of maybe, he uses it to acknowledge comments, but I’m fairly certain he must be using it to get to me. It drives me insane.”
“Well, he could perhaps me all day long.” The smile returned to her face and she batted her eyelashes like a love struck girl.
“I should have you take him on the tour.”
“Not my type; I like older men…they make me feel young.”
“Well, he has an entourage of five for you to choose from.” Sasha laughed.
“They all wore wedding bands.”
That made Sasha laugh even harder. Bev didn’t miss a beat in anything, which was why she was such an asset to her sanity, and Mason Technologies.
“Maybe they take mistresses,” Sasha suggested.
“But I don’t like to share.” She pouted and then said, “Well, I best get at it. I have a demanding boss.”
“I’ve heard she’s a real piece of work.”
With Bev now working, Sasha grabbed her pen to sign a document and then she just stared at it, tapping the tip of the pen in a gentle rhythm, which her foot soon followed. Ravi had really gotten to her, making her salivate for him in a way that she’d never thought she would—especially someone who was trying to take her baby away from her. She was selfish and knowing that nothing meant more to her than Mason Technologies had lead to her staying clear of relationships for the most part. She never wanted to have to choose between “quality time” with a guy and “quality time” with her work.
And the day went on.
It remained an off-kilter day, a rare occurrence, but she moved on and forward, still getting everything done with ten minutes to spare before 5:00 PM.
Going into the bathroom, she marveled at being in there two days in a row just to appraise her appearance and make sure it was good for a handsome, rich man. Did it really matter? And despite feeling a bit of chemistry between them, they each clearly had their own motives that maybe spurred on the rest. She wasn’t going to be a sucker, although the thought of him gently nuzzling her was pretty nice. “Mmm.”
“Mmm what?”
Sandy from Accounting was standing there, curiosity on her face and in her eyes, which were just over the top frame of her reading glasses, and she was looking at Sasha, one hand on her cane that she needed to help her walk and the other on her hip. She looked the part of a numbers woman, and maybe even a strict teacher.
Sasha shook her head. “I honestly don’t know.”
“Well I believe it; you were pretty deep in thought.”
“I suppose I was.” Sasha pulled out her tube of lipstick from her jacket pocket and put on a fresh coat, pursed her lips, and then blotted them with a piece of tissue. “Well, have a good night.”
Sasha left and walked out, lost in her thoughts again and heading toward her office. Nothing surprised her more than when she almost ran smack into Ravi. The only reason she hadn’t was he’d held his arms out and stopped her from doing it.
“I come in peace. No need to run me over.” He looked at her in amusement, wondering what she could have been thinking about to be so disconnected from the world around her.
“Ravi, I’m sorry. I’ve been so distracted today.” She blushed at what had happened and noticed how the warm touch of his hands could be felt even though there was a layer of silk between his hand and her arm.
“Pleasantly distracted, I hope.”
She chose not to answer. “I’m almost set to go. I just have to get you a badge, to sign the waiver, and to get a hard hat on.”
“Is my life in danger?” He was softly laughing as he asked.
She wondered why he was so playful and teasing. It was fun and she’d have to be careful so it didn’t lull her into too complacent a state.
“Yes. We don’t really care about that going so many months accident free thing.”
“Wild and adventurous.” He looked at her and felt this intense energy burning inside of him, longing to be set free. He felt like a caged mustang, longing to be in the open and running with reckless abandon. Then he could look over and see her there, her spirit soaring and her lust for freedom evident in her eyes, which reflected the landscape.
Walking into the lab where they did diagnostics and testing, Sasha began to explain everything she could about the operation and how everything worked. It was a speech that she had rehearsed, as she gave tours to certain individuals often enough. Benjamin and a select few others also gave tours, but she always loved being the face behind her company and talking with people about science, technology, and how it had all come together for her.
Ravi had been listening mostly, asking the occasional question when necessary, but out of nowhere he commented, “I bet you won all your science fairs.”
She stopped and looked at him, her eyes raising and growing instantly suspicious. “Did you research that about me?” Although she was a public figure, the thought of being researched so intensely was disturbing to her.
“No. It’s easy to tell.”
“Why?”
“Because the way your eyes light up and your cadence quickens when you talk about what you do. It’s the look of passion; it’s a look I know well.”
“How?”
“I see it every time I look in the mirror.”
“Oh.”
He put his hand out and placed it on her forearm and held it there, softly enough that it wouldn’t have been noticeable if she wasn’t staring at it. “What are you most passionate about, exactly?”
He tilted his head and pondered the question, in no rush to answer it. “I think having an open mind and heart to pave my own path and make the right decisions.”
His answer was not what she would have ever guessed and it was nice. Perhaps even perfect, pun intended.
The moment was distracted by the buzz of her cell phone, which was in her right hand. She looked down.
“Just one second. I have to take this. It’s about the tech conference this weekend.”
Ravi nodded and took a few steps back, allowing her to respond in privacy. As she did, he looked around and was actually in awe of her facility. It was state of the art, no corners cut, and its bright, energetic feel showed the type of positive excitement that everyone had who worked there. She was definitely a good leader and motivator, a woman able to get people to latch onto and believe in her visions. Executives such as that were hard to find, regardless of their sex or what country they were from. He silently snickered at the thought, thinking about how his father would react to it. His father wasn’t necessary a chauvinist, but he was definitely from an old world mindset, despite not even being sixty years old.
She walked back over, barely making a sound despite wearing a pair of heels with a slight spike to them—something she didn’t do on your average day, but that day was anything but average.
“So, you participate in technology conferences?” he asked.
“Yes, they’re great opportunities.”
“How so?”
“To share ideas and solutions, seek out good talents, and keep
an eye on the competition.”
“So, this conference would be a good place for me to go since I can’t have Mason Technologies and as you suggested, I could just make my own company.”
“Yes.” Her answer was slow. Maybe she shouldn’t have given him the tour. “But you said that wasn’t the best use of your time. Why create what already exists…that kind of thing.”
“I referenced that, but this conference’s timing is beyond just a coincidence, wouldn’t you say? Can you forward me the details? I wish to attend this, as well.”
Sasha was in disbelief. Was he inviting himself along to be near her, or going as an independent tech conference attendee? “I can forward those things, but there isn’t a lot of lodging in the Catskill Mountains, which is where it’s held. I am not certain you could find something suitable to your discriminating needs.”
“Perhaps.” He grinned wickedly and stared at her, curious to see how she’d respond to that. He’d noticed that she fought against a slight twitch when he said that.
“Or perhaps not.” She turned around and frowned. She wanted to shove that word right up his butt; it had gone beyond annoying and right into the fast lane of aggravation.
“May we dine together again tonight?” he asked.
She turned back around. “Well, I, uh—” She gave up trying to form an intelligent sentence.
“I didn’t mean to presume. Do you have plans?”
The answer was painful. “No, not other than a little work.”
“Must it be done?”
“No; I’m always ahead of schedule. That’s kind of my thing.”
“Well then, that is my good fortune tonight, assuming you agree to dine with me, of course.”
“Okay, but something a bit more casual than last night.”
“Any ideas?” He loved a woman who could quickly decide on a place to eat; it was an act of confidence and authority that appealed to him.
“I have the perfect place. I’ll tell you about it when we get there.”
***
Sitting on a bench just on the edge of Central Park, Ravi looked down at his battered hotdog on a stick, a squiggly line of yellow mustard going down it. “This is perfect? Imagine the time and money I could have saved in life had I only known.”
“They don’t have corndog stands in Dubai?”
“No, mostly falafels, although I’ve never ate one from a stand.”
“Why not? Scared or too good for that.”
“Just never thought about it, really.”
“Well, these are the best corndogs in the world—and this stand, the only place you can get one.”
“This is really your favorite place?” He felt like she was teasing him and trying to get him to believe something that couldn’t possibly be true.
“It is. It has sentimental value, too.”
“How so?” He leaned so he was closer to her and put his right arm on the backside of the bench and looked at the corndog again, still hesitant to take a bite.
“Take a bite and I’ll tell you.”
He looked at it and tilted it to the side, trying to figure out how to eat it tidily so the mustard wouldn’t drip and land on his white shirt.
“Just go for it.” She was having fun goading him. He looked completely unconfident, which was refreshing to see. He was a human being, after all.
Finally, Ravi took that bite and began to chew, evaluating it, and then smiled as he swallowed. “Amazing. You’re right. This is quite delicious.”
“One of my favorites.”
“So talk, why is this place sentimental to you?”
“My grandfather claimed this corner, as a fifteen year old guy who arrived with his family from Ireland. He had a lot of insight and saw an opportunity, worked hard to get the cart from an elderly man who’d owned it previously and passed away. That guy’s spot wasn’t as ideal, though—in the pathway of wind gusts. But this spot, as my grandpa had always said, ‘is the most perfect spot in the city for a corndog stand’.”
“Is there a lot of money in corndogs?” Ravi couldn’t imagine how many would have to be sold to make it highly profitable.
“Enough for someone who doesn’t want more than a good job, the freedom of being his own boss, and the joy of watching others smile.”
“Does a family member still own it? The man behind the cart didn’t seem to know you.”
“My cousin does, but he has help and another full-time job. He also has a wife and three kids—hence why he has to do more than just sell corndogs.”
“Which is why I don’t have those things. They interfere.”
“Agreed.” Sasha held out her corndog and the two gently toasted with them, then each took a bite afterward.
As their hour and a half corndog dinner date wrapped up, Sasha had to admit that she was impressed by her dinner companion. Ravi had somehow managed to coordinate his assistant getting a room for him at the tech conference, along with an exclusive pass to all the private sessions that the CEOs and engineers liked to attend.
Sasha found it interesting to get the casual look into the way a high roller operated, just asking or stating his wants, and then getting him. No wonder why her rejection of his offer had thrown him for a loop. He hadn’t brought it up all night, aside from the one joke, which was nice, but it made him even more appealing. She didn’t know how much more she could take, and if he made any offers other than business, she felt like she might just be willing to say “yes”. A tryst with a sheikh was definitely diary worthy. She didn’t keep one, of course, but what a grand entry to start one with, should she choose to.
***
Ravi was in his penthouse, talking on the phone with his father, who was angry that he’d sent back his entourage and remained behind.
“There are many things to do here, Ravi. If you are done with your business meeting, why stay?”
“Opportunities are endless here, Father. The area is over twenty-four million people strong, and many of them are very smart entrepreneurs. This weekend I’m going to a tech conference to further explore drone technology and meet the experts in those fields.”
“Is this Sasha Mason going to be there?”
Ravi had to tread carefully. “Yes, that is her industry.”
“So this is personal, not professional.”
“She’s a wonderful woman, both in personality and intelligence. You’d like her.”
“Pfh. There are endless women here in Dubai. Surely you haven’t worked your way through all of them yet.”
Ravi was silent, because if he spoke it would be tense and the conversation would grow even more unpleasant. “There’s no need to worry about me, Father. I’m in control and this is a very beneficial business trip for Infinity Investments. Now, I must be going. Send my love to Mother.” The he hung up, hearing the “pfh” from his father has he did it. The disconnection of the call was a bit too abrupt, but had fewer consequences than allowing a possible battle to ensue. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how hard his father tried, they clashed as much as they connected. That was the nature of their relationship—rockier than the bay just outside of their vacation home in Qatar.
***
Sasha had been shocked at how much she’d missed seeing Ravi after not talking for him for three days before leaving for the tech conference. She was looking forward to knowing that he’d be there and also hoping that he wouldn’t leave her tongue tied and distracted during the focus meetings and such. How he’d managed to get into them was beyond her, but the event coordinator was no dummy, and international exposure from a billionaire sheikh was a smart move to gain broader notoriety for the tech conference.
That morning the small bus that was rented for the ten staff members of Mason Technologies that attended the conference was going down the interstate, making its way north to the Catskill Mountains and Menla, the place where the conference was being held and where they were all staying. She looked forward to this event every year since it started seven years ago a
nd this year she was a keynote speaker, which was also exciting, a step in the right direction and the onset to her eventually getting around to writing that book that she’d been putting off. Not in the mood to talk, she went over notes and was lost in her thoughts, only snapping to when the bus slowed down, its brakes squeaking slightly as it stopped.
Sasha looked up from her tablet and out the window and noticed they were there. In front of the bus was a sleek black Mercedes S600 parked just ahead of her. A man hustled around and opened up the passenger door and Ravi walked out, sunglasses on although it was shady there, and he fastened the single button on his sports jacket and walked through the doors without skipping a beat. It was like the doormen magically opened them for him. And the bell hop was already over by the trunk, carrying his bags in. He was an impressive cat, she had to give him that.
She stood and faced everyone behind her on the bus. “Okay, let’s go check in to our rooms. We can meet at 1:00 and start putting together the display. That’ll give everyone time for lunch.” Then she rushed off the bus, not leaving a second for a single question or any other chatter and walked into the building, too. Unlike Ravi, she had to dodge a few people and pause to wait for a gentleman to open the door. Dang, he had made it all look so effortless and easy. How did he do that?
SHEIKH'S SURPRISE BABY: A Sheikh Romance Page 3