by Ashley Blake
The office was in a high tech, state of the art building with glass windows all around. Joshua introduced me to the people I would be working closely with while we were in Dubai, and I also met his assistant Samira. I liked her the second I met her. She was an older lady, around 50, and she had a very warm personality.
“It is so nice to meet you Sarah. I have heard wonderful things about you. You have made quite an impression on Mr. Hunter.” She beamed at me and I was instantly drawn to her kind personality. “Come, let’s get you set up in your office. There are a few tasks that I know Mr. Hunter wanted you to complete before next Wednesday’s meeting.”
“Next Wednesday? I thought it was this Wednesday.”
“Both meetings this week have been pushed back a week. There was some sort of conflict with one of the partner’s schedules.”
I had to admit I felt a bit of relief knowing I had more time to prepare.
We started walking to my office and Samira was very chatty with me. “So how do you like Dubai so far?”
“It is absolutely breathtaking.”
I thought she was going to launch into a bunch of small talk but as soon as we reached my office she closed the door.
“There is quite a bit of buzz about you around here.” She raised her eyebrows, holding back a smile, and almost looked like she was fascinated by me, as if I were a celebrity or something.
I looked at her, totally perplexed. “About me?? Why?”
“Mr. Hunter has never brought anyone with him to Dubai unless they were a partner. There is something very special about you.” She gave me a look that said she was excited about finding out more.
I was a little bit uncomfortable with her reaction because it made me feel that he had big expectations for me. My plan was to work hard, do a good job, and make partner in five years. I didn’t know what he expected beyond our agreement and my hard work. And it made me nervous.
“Your files are in the cabinet behind you and everything has been scanned to your computer so that you can access everything there as well. If you have any questions I am just a phone call away.” And with that, she smiled and left my office.
I took a minute to sit and take it all in. The view my office was beautiful. I was starting to get the feeling that every view from every window in every building was going to be beautiful in Dubai. I smiled a bit to myself because I was so proud of how far I had come. I won’t let you down Joshua. I dove into the research on the Jameson file so that I could prepare a spreadsheet for next Wednesday’s meeting.
The rest of day was grueling as I barely had time to get acclimated before diving right into work. By the end of the day I was exhausted. It had been a long nearly 24 hours and all I wanted to do was go sit in the bath and relax. I was just finishing up the first draft of the spreadsheet when Samira came to my door.
“The car will be here for you in five minutes to take you back to your hotel. Tomorrow is a day of shopping for you. Mr. Hunter would like for you to have a specific wardrobe while here in Dubai. Your personal shopper, Asima, will meet you for breakfast at the Sahn Eddar restaurant at the base of the atrium of your hotel at 8:30 a.m. Have a nice evening.” She smiled as she left my office.
CHAPTER TWO
My butler woke me at 7:00 a.m. and I dragged my exhausted body out of bed. Ugh. Do I really have to go shopping ALL day today? Most women would have loved to shop all day, but I would rather be in the office working. However, Joshua wanted me to have a specific wardrobe while in Dubai, so there would be no push back from me on this. But, I did ask him to cancel the glam squad for the day. I was more than capable of making myself look presentable and, thankfully, he agreed.
At 8:25 I went down to Sahn Eddar to meet Asima for breakfast. She was extremely lovely and we had a nice chat about the types of clothes I like to wear. Normally, I was told, a personal shopper gets a sense of your style and then does the shopping for you so that you can spend your time doing other things. Joshua wanted me to go with her and try everything on so that we would not have to waste any time sending things back for different sizes. Asima was able to decipher my style personality and we ended up having a nice time shopping together. It was a long day and most of our time was spent at shops in the Mall of the Emirates and the Dubai Mall. I think I purchased something from every major designer boutique in the malls, including jewelry. By the end of the day, I had to admit that I enjoyed myself. It was fun to be able to buy all of those expensive things without even blinking at the price tags. I had spent more in one day than I had made in the last five years. All of my new things were going to be delivered to my room the following day and Asima and her team were going to take care of putting everything in its place. I didn’t have to do so much as hang up a shirt. It was all going to be taken care of for me. This was the life.
That night I ate dinner alone at the Bab Al Yam in the lobby of the hotel. It was so peaceful to sit there and take in the gorgeous views of the sea. I still felt like I was in fairytale dream, and one day I would wake up and it would all be over. But until that day came, I wanted to live in the moment.
The rest of the week was arduous as I dove into my project. There was an urgency in the air as everyone worked to meet deadlines. Jameson was a huge client and the entire office was working on something for them. The big meeting was coming up and many people were a bit on edge. By Friday I didn’t even have the energy to go have coffee with Samira after work. I went straight to my hotel room and slept until Saturday without eating dinner. I did a bit of sight-seeing over the weekend. I didn’t feel strange walking around by myself,f but I would have much rather gone sight-seeing with Joshua. I had only seen him a couple of times at the office since we arrived. He was swamped with preparing for the big meeting with Jameson. Both Saturday and Sunday I took a bunch of pictures and went to a couple of souks to find souvenirs for my brothers.
On Monday it was back to the grind at work. Tuesday was even more grueling than the day before. I was working on a spreadsheet when Samira came to my office.
“I wanted to stop by and tell you your schedule for this evening.”
“This evening?” I hope I get to see Joshua tonight.
“Yes. You are scheduled to have dinner tonight with Mr. Hunter, his younger brother Jake, his companion Vivienne Worthington, and Mr. Hunter’s business associate, Conrad Winthrop III at 8:00 p.m. The attire is business attire. Something similar to what you are wearing is fine.”
She hesitated for a moment and then leaned in and whispered to me. “Mr. Hunter’s brother is a bit quiet and serious. He’s kind enough but he’s not overly talkative. That girlfriend of his is something else. I don’t want to fill your head with any pre-conceived notions, but you will see for yourself what I’m talking about. Mr. Winthrop is a bit of a ladies’ man. The eternal bachelor is what they call him around the office. He may be a bit flirtatious with you, especially since there is so much buzz about you around the office. But he’s very kind. He tends to be a bit competitive with Mr. Hunter. He’s the Vice Chairman and Global Head of Growth Markets and he is one of Mr. Hunter’s closest allies. So there is your mini summary of who you will be meeting tonight. Have a wonderful time at dinner this evening.” She shot me a mischievous smile before retreating from my office.
I was deep into compiling numbers when I heard a light tap on my door. I looked up to see Joshua casually leaning against my door, one hand in the pocket of his beautifully tailored suit, and I had a sharp intake of breath. Damn it, that man is gorgeous.
“You startled me.”
“I didn’t mean to. I see that you are submerged in a project. Jameson, I presume.”
“Yes, I am preparing the spreadsheet. It will be ready by tomorrow.”
“I know it will. I have no doubts about your work. I assume Samira told you about dinner tonight?”
“Yes, she did.”
“OK, good. You will meet my brother and his girlfriend. She is what is known as a busy body. She will probably try to get inf
ormation out of you regarding the nature of our relationship. I trust you will remain discreet about us.” It was definitely not a question.
“Of course.”
“Good.”
“I didn’t know you had a brother. In fact, I don’t know very much about you Joshua.”
As his gorgeous dark eyes held my gaze, a wry smile touched the corner of his mouth. “In time you will know all you need to know. You will also be meeting my business associate Conrad. He can be overly spirited at times.”
I could have sworn I saw a glimmer of fire in his eyes when told me I would be meeting Conrad.
“The car will pick us up at the hotel at 7:45 p.m. and I will meet you in the lobby.” He started to walk away and then stopped, half closed the door, and leaned in my office. “Sarah?”
“Yes?” My eyes met his.
“Wear something sexy underneath your clothes this evening. I want to think of you wearing something only for me.” He winked at me and walked away.
I sat there speechless, butterflies fluttering in my stomach. How is it possible that this man still affects me this way? I had to push that thought out of my head and focus on the task at hand. I wanted my work to be flawless.
CHAPTER THREE
The Rolls Royce dropped me off at my hotel at about 5:30 and when I returned to my room, waiting for me were my makeup artist, manicurist, and hair stylist. I quickly showered, and then was able to sit and be pampered for a couple of hours. Initially I thought about telling Joshua that it was not necessary to have all of this provided for me. But then I caught myself and thought, why not? I had never been pampered like this before and I certainly could not afford to have a makeup artist, manicurist and hair stylist at my beck and call. So why not enjoy this temporary luxury? When my nails were dry I got dressed. I wore a pair of black dress slacks and a beautiful red, short sleeved YSL blouse. I had never had my makeup done professionally before and when I looked in the mirror I barely recognized myself. I actually looked pretty. I thanked everyone and went downstairs to the car that was waiting for me. I could feel myself holding my head up a little higher filled with confidence, as I received admiring glances from several men in the lobby. I hate to admit it, but I could get used to this lifestyle.
Joshua was already waiting for me in the Rolls Royce. My heart was pounding as I was about to get in. Would he notice the difference in my appearance? Why do I care anyway? Because you do. When I answered my own question, I was startled by the honest answer that I did not want to admit. I was still focused on my ultimate goal to make partner in five years, but it was getting harder to quell the feelings of excitement I felt whenever I saw Joshua.
My Prada perfume permeated the Rolls Royce as I entered. I hope he likes the scent. Joshua had an approving gleam in his eye when he saw my transformation but there was a hint of something else there. He almost looked worried.
“I see your personal salon workers did their job this evening. You look lovely Sarah.”
It was difficult not to blush at the compliment as I felt my cheeks flush. He looked so regal in his black suit, not a hair out of place. I was definitely living a fairytale and I was starting to want it to never end.
“Where are we having dinner?”
“Reflets, a lovely French restaurant. I hope you like French food.”
“I have never tried it but I am sure I can find something on the menu I like. We’ve never gone out to dinner together.” I straightened my shirt and fluffed my hair and gave Joshua a small flirtatious smile.
He seemed a bit uncomfortable with that. “Sarah, I think I need to make something clear to you. I want you to know that I enjoy your company. If I didn’t, you wouldn’t be here. We are going to be spending a lot of time together on this trip and you are going to meet some very important people in my life. But, I don’t want you to mistake this for anything other than what it is. This is strictly a contract, nothing more. I offered you something and you accepted. I don’t want you to have any misconceptions about us. We are not a couple.”
I sat there stunned. What an arrogant ass. We’re not a couple? I know that you jerk. Well then I guess that means I am free to flirt and mingle with whomever I’d like. Let’s see what the night has in store.
I gave him a cool stare and told him I understood.
“No need to worry Mr. Hunter. No misconceptions here at all.”
I saw him wince when I called him Mr. Hunter. I don’t think he liked the reinstatement of formality between us.
We rode in silence the rest of the way to the restaurant.
We were escorted to our private dining room and everyone was already there, waiting for us. Joshua walked over to his brother Jake and gave him a hug. It was nice to see him show affection for someone he loved. He kissed Jake’s girlfriend on the cheek and he shook Conrad’s hand.
“I would like for you all to meet our newest associate, Sarah Vaughn. She was the star intern and we are very excited to have her aboard.”
They each shook my hand and Conrad gave it an extra little squeeze. “It’s wonderful to meet you Sarah. I have heard many good things about you.” He gave me a little wink while holding my chair out for me.
“Thank you.” I flashed him an appreciative smile. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw Joshua grimace. We were at a round table so it was easy to see and talk with everyone. Jake sat on my left, Vivienne was next to him, Joshua was next to her, and Conrad sat on my right.
“So, Sarah, where are you from?” Jake dove right in with the question.
“I am from a suburb of New York City. I hope to get an apartment in the city soon so I won’t have to commute anymore.” I flashed Joshua a look and he was visibly irritated. Good.
“Do you have a long commute?”
I tossed my hair over my shoulder. “It’s relatively long and it’s very boring.” I held Joshua’s gaze as the biting words rolled off my tongue.
I saw the flash of anger fly through his eyes as he clenched his jaw.
“Jake, you are the Chief Financial Officer of the company, is that correct?”
“You’ve done your homework. Yes, I am. Joshua and I inherited the company from our father who inherited it from his father, and it goes back down the line several generations.”
I noticed that Vivienne looked visibly annoyed that Jake and I were having a conversation. Then she decided to chime in.
“So, Sarah, are you enjoying Dubai?”
“I am. It is beautiful here.”
“Was it difficult to leave your significant other back home for 30 days?”
Very clever Vivienne. You’re not getting that information from me so easily.
“I was able to put everything in order that needed to be in order.”
Then Conrad chimed in. “My dear, you look very lovely this evening. How nice to have a smart and beautiful woman on one of our long business trips. I must show you around Dubai on one of your free days, if you will allow me.”
“That would be lovely, thank you.” I flashed him a smile and glanced at Joshua to see him trying to mask that he was seething. No misconceptions here buddy.
The conversation was pretty lively during dinner and I found that I really enjoyed talking with Jake. He reminded me of my younger brothers. The conversation between Jake and I was very easy and natural. I think it was because there was zero sexual tension. We just clicked as friends. Neither Vivienne nor Joshua seemed happy that the two of us hit it off so well. She shot me death stares anytime I spoke to him. But I didn’t care. I felt I had made a new friend.
We were all saying goodnight when Conrad pulled me aside.
“Sarah, it was so nice to meet you. Let me take you to dinner this week. Does Wednesday evening work for you?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the disapproving look on Joshua’s face as he watched us. Joshua did make it clear in the car ride to dinner that we were not a couple. I knew he would not be pleased if I spent time with Conrad, but I didn’t care. He did not
own me and I was free to see whoever I wanted.
“That sounds wonderful Conrad. I am looking forward to it.”
He brought my hand to his lips, planting a light kiss, as he bid me goodnight. I exchanged goodnights with Vivienne and Jake and then Joshua and I went to our waiting car.
The tension in the air was palpable when he closed the car door.
“What did Conrad say to you?” Fire danced in his eyes.
“First of all, I had a very nice time meeting everyone at dinner tonight. Your brother seems to be very kind.” I gave him a cool stare.
“I asked you a question. When I ask you a question, you answer me.” There was no mistaking the anger in his voice.
“He invited me to dinner Wednesday night.” I held his gaze daring him to tell me I couldn’t go.
I thought Joshua was going to explode right in front of me. Lights were shining in through the windows of the Rolls and I could see that his face was beet red.
“What did you say?” His voice sounded strained.
“I told him that sounded wonderful. I’m looking forward to it.” I held his gaze as he glowered at me. “No misconceptions about our relationship at all Joshua.” I controlled the sneer that wanted to curl my lip.
We rode in silence the rest of the way to the hotel and Joshua would not look at me. When we arrived at the hotel, Joshua followed me to my room. I gave him a curious glance and he gave me a terse response.
“I’m walking you to your door.”
When I opened my door he followed me inside and closed it behind him. I put down my purse and took off my shoes. I was exhausted. It had been a long day. Just as I was going to ask Joshua if he minded if I retired for the evening he grabbed me around the waist and pinned me against the wall with his hard body. I could feel his thigh muscles through his suit as he pressed against me.