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“I was calling for two reasons. First to congratulate you on The Crown Jewel. I knew you could do it, but the price you paid was unreal! Impressive.”
Zadir was so shocked he had to take a seat in the sand. Rashid had never offered so much praise, and worst of all, it sounded sincere. “Uh, thank you.”
Rashid chuckled. “Don’t sound so surprised, Zadir. If you listened you’d hear a lot more. Anyway the other reason I’m calling is because I’d like you to come home next week for a special family dinner.”
“Aww, Rashid, anything but that.”
“It’s important, Zadir, please. I really want you here and so does Sabrina. Only for two days.”
He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Okay yes, I’ll be home next week.”
“Thanks baby brother!”
“Seven minutes, Rashid.” He disconnected the call to the sound of his brother laughing. His uptight, always business brother, laughing. At him, no less. Will wonders never cease? He turned his back to the water and walked back to the bungalow. He grabbed a pillow and a sheet, took one last longing look at Shala and went to the sofa.
* * *
The next morning dawned earlier than Zadir was prepared for as he unfolded his big body from the child-size sofa. He groaned and stretched his body, looking around the room with barely awake eyes. The sun was already shining bright, making the water sparkle like diamonds. He smiled. What a great way to wake up. As much as he loved Jovanbar, his favorite view was the beautiful greenish-blue ocean.
The bungalow was silent as he crept to his room in hopes of grabbing a shower without disturbing Shala. He didn’t have to worry about that since his bed was empty and her frantically discarded clothing was nowhere to be found. Zadir knew he shouldn’t feel disappointed over that fact, but he did. What did you expect after you abandoned her in your bed, dumbass? Disgusted with the entire situation, he closed himself into the bathroom and took a long, hot shower.
When he emerged from his bedroom twenty minutes later, the common rooms were still free of Shala’s presence. He couldn’t help but wonder where Shala had disappeared to. Was she still asleep? Did she decide to have breakfast at the hotel? Then he heard it, the sound of her phone ringing. It stopped abruptly, so he knew she was still here, yet she decided to stay in her room. “Good,” he muttered to himself. He needed to focus on Sun Energy and how he would convince them to sell it to him rather than another solar company. He wouldn’t be able to focus with Shala at his side, so he quickly sucked down his coffee and slipped out of the bungalow while she talked on the phone. He felt a pang of unease at his actions, especially after the night they shared. The gift she’d given him.
But he needed to maintain his focus. That had always been his problem in the past. He was easily distracted, by girls and parties, impromptu vacations, nightclubs and anything shiny and fun. It was why his baby sister ran the company while he had to prove himself. Given all of her hard work to help him, he felt guilty for leaving without a word, but right now she was the distraction. Shala was the reason his head wasn’t in the game and he knew she would understand.
He hoped she would.
But as the driver stopped in front of Sun Energy Makers, all thoughts of Shala fled. At least they mostly did. There were times, when he chatted with the important figureheads, that he wished for her research or a small encouraging smile. But he’d left her behind for a reason, so he got down to the business of charming them and selling them.
“Your Highness, we are worried that your interest in SEM has nothing to do with our product. Thousands of islanders rely on us for their employment.” Their spokesperson was a young Spanish man with good looks and a friendly demeanor called Fernando.
Zadir sat tall and relaxed into the people across the table from him with a smile. “First, please call me Zadir. I am a businessman first. Now, I understand your concern but you have no reason to worry. I am interested in SEM because of what it produces. It’s no secret Jovanbar doesn’t have endless oil reserves, and my plan is to look to the future, which we are standing in. Solar and wind energy are the future and since I’m not bound to oil, my future is now.” His words seemed to appease the small group gathered today. “Nothing will change except I will have one or two of my people here to oversee operations. So you see, nearly all of the jobs are safe.”
Fernando stood and gave a sharp look to the others, who quickly vanished. “I think we should tour the facility, yes?”
Zadir agreed and spent the next two hours learning how solar panels were made, new solar technology and speaking with his future employees. “I like Rafael,” he said as they returned to the conference room. “He seems like a straightforward, capable guy.” He admired hard work and intelligence and based on his input, Rafael had it in abundance.
“He is the best floor manager we’ve ever had. He’s organized, always thinking about ways to improve productivity without overworking the employees and he’s dedicated to his job.” Fernando clapped his hands once. “So, shall we talk about finalizing this deal?”
Zadir gave his best satisfied smile and it stayed glued to his face the entire ride back to the bungalow. The contracts were in the hands of the lawyers now, but soon Sun Energy Makers would join the Alzari Holdings family. He couldn’t wait to tell Shala and his father, but her reaction would give him more satisfaction.
He was still smiling when he opened the door and entered the bungalow. “Shala! I have great news,” he walked into the living room and found it empty. “Where are you, we need to celebrate!” He checked her room and his, the pool area and the beach. Empty.
Shala wasn’t there.
* * *
Shala was angry. She was pissed off and she wanted to scream. It was her own stupid fault for letting her hormones and her feelings get the better of her. She should have kept her clothes on and her legs closed and she wouldn’t feel like a discarded article of clothing. That was the primary source of her aggravation and anger. She’d woken up in the middle of the night and reached across the bed to find it not only empty, but cold. A quick trip to the kitchenette for water and she was surprised to find Zadir asleep on the couch. He hadn’t just fallen asleep, as evidenced by the pillow and sheet. She’d known right then what was happening. Zadir had gotten what he wanted and he was done.
Well, she was done too. She’d marched back to his room, grabbed her clothes and went to her room where she washed away all traces of his scent. She got rid of every trace of him, except for the aches in her muscles, and fell into a fitful sleep.
When the pesky sun decided that her closed eyes were the perfect spot to shine, she got up and got dressed for their meeting with Sun Energy Makers. Refusing to have any type of conversation with Zadir, Shala stayed in her room and took a series of calls from the office with an eye on the clock. She’d caught up with her boss and sent the Sheikh a report on their newest acquisitions. Thirty minutes before the meeting she finally exited her bedroom only to find Zadir had already left.
Without her.
She shrugged it off and changed into a sundress with canvas shoes and a large brimmed hat. I guess all that time I spent alone in childhood would finally come in handy, she thought as she set about sightseeing on the island. It was a beautiful place, so full of vibrant colors and kind people. She’d eaten lunch at a seafood restaurant where she was befriended by an American couple on vacation, and then strolled through the street market and purchased several trinkets and mementos.
She hadn’t minded the alone time, only resented the reason behind it. By the time she’d finished walking around, her skin was a toasty brown color and she was feeling sun fatigue, and decided to head back to the bungalow. Her wish for Zadir to be anywhere but the bungalow went unanswered. He sat on the sofa, flipping channels.
