Owen had warned me that as a woman, and not party to the negotiations going on through DS Oil and Gas, I would largely be ignored. I chose not to be slighted as the sheik only nodded, but never spoke to me. As the two men conversed, I followed them into a large dining area. A table big enough to feed a small city dominated the center of the room, and delicious smells were wafting off of covered plates waiting to be devoured.
As the three of us entered the airy room, a young man stood and gracefully padded over to greet us. He wore a western outfit of gray slacks and a white short-sleeved shirt with a collar. He couldn't have been more than a year or two older than I was, with perfect olive skin, dark eyes, and eyelashes that seemed to go on into infinity. He broke into a bright smile as he held out his hand to greet us.
"This is my son, Rashid." The sheik introduced the young man, a proud smile lighting his creased face. It was easy to see that Rashid was his father's pride and joy. Owen shook the younger man's hand, and then followed the father toward the dinner table.
"Please, call me Roger. It's so much easier that way," the young man said without a trace of his father's accent. He reached out his hand to shake mine. I took his hand, surprised at the strength and heat in his fingers. He stared into my eyes, making my cheeks flush when he didn't release my hand. The blush only seemed to amuse him, and he gave me a crooked smirk, knowing that he had flustered me.
I withdrew my hand and hurried to the table. I sat down next to Owen, and Roger took his place across the table from me with his father. The two business men jumped into a conversation regarding their oil dealings almost immediately, using the dinner as a sort of informal business meeting. Roger and I sat quietly as they spoke, his eyes catching mine as often as he could. I shifted in my seat. I was unable to put my finger on it, but something about him made me anxious.
Roger grinned at me, making sure he had my attention as he licked his lips suggestively. I felt the blush start again, but I tried to ignore the flustered feeling rising in my stomach.
I was with Owen. I thought it was fairly clear that I was taken, but Roger didn't seem to care, flirting openly with me across the table, even with Owen right there. I didn't want to do anything that could jeopardize Owen's business dealings, and making the sheik's son unhappy would not indenture any good will, so I sat quietly and focused on the food in front of me, avoiding his smiles.
It wasn't hard to concentrate on the food, though as I had never experienced anything quite like this. There were roasted scallops with black truffles, pan-fried sea bass in a zesty lemon caper sauce, freshly sauteed dandelion root with onion salad, and for dessert something called la sfera. It was a beautiful creation of vanilla cream, violet crème brulee, and cassis sorbet that resembled an edible Faberge egg.
We ate until I was sure I couldn't eat another bite. As a waiter quietly picked up the empty dessert trays, Sheik al-Saffar leaned back in his chair, musing over something Owen had said. He and Owen had spent the entire meal debating various points of the contract that Owen was attempting to secure for Jack's company. This dinner was never meant for me, so I didn't mind the two of them talking shop the entire time. From what little I could understand of their oil jargon, it seemed to be going well.
I was slightly unnerved, however, by Roger's constant attention. He hadn't said a word over dinner, but his eyes had never left me. I felt like he wanted to have me for dinner instead of the sea bass, and he was just waiting to find the opportune moment to catch me. I shivered slightly, but not from cold.
The sheik and Owen stood as soon as the last plates were cleared away, and they walked somewhat sedately toward an attached room with a large TV screen. They wanted to look at one of the advertising campaigns Owen had created for selling al-Saffar's oil to new markets. I smiled for a moment as I knew that meant Owen's task was going well, but then frowned as I realized it meant that Roger and I were left alone at the table.
"Have you ever been to Paris?" Roger asked, playing with a water glass. There was something to the motion that made me uncomfortable. I pushed aside my feelings of discomfort, determined to do my best to help Owen out. If I was going to be traveling with him, I would have to get good at being a well-behaved guest.
"No. This is actually the first time I've been out of the country. Well, other than to the Caribbean, but that almost doesn't count." I gave him my most diplomatic smile and hoped he wouldn't see right through it. I didn't really want to talk to him.
"Would you like to?" He dipped his finger into the glass.
"Um, maybe someday. I've never really had the opportunity to travel, so I've never really thought about it." I gave myself a mental pat on the back for the smooth answer.
"I meant, would you like to go there with me?" He raised his wet finger to his lips, sucking the moisture from his fingertip. I swallowed hard.
"As long as Owen gets to come too," I answered. I hoped that reminding him that I was here with Owen would make him back off. I didn't like how this conversation was going.
"I was thinking just the two of us. It is the city of love, after all." He smiled suggestively at me. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. My brain was scrambling for a diplomatic answer, one that wouldn't make the situation more awkward. Something that would help Owen land this contract.
He laughed, delighting in my discomfort. I played with my water glass, biting the inside of my cheek. If I had been back home I would have told him off. I would have walked out or found someone else to talk to, but I couldn't here. I had to be polite and not do those things for Owen's sake. I couldn't let him down.
"That's a kind offer, but I'm afraid I'm not interested." I finally managed to get out the words, even punctuating them with a smile. His eyes narrowed on me and I felt like a bug caught under a magnifying glass.
"What would you like to do tomorrow, then?"
Nothing with you, I wanted to scream. I glanced over to where I had seen Owen last, glad to see him heading back my direction.
"I'm afraid I have a very busy schedule." That sounded diplomatic enough to me.
"You and I are going to see each other. I'll see to it. I think we could do some amazing things together." The way he said it almost sounded like a threat.
"You'll have to clear that with Owen. He is the one in charge of where I go and who I see." Owen and the sheik paused in a doorway, talking like old friends. I hoped Owen would come back to the table soon. This conversation was making me very uncomfortable, and I wanted it to stop. I didn't want to be diplomatic to Roger anymore.
"That won't be a problem. He and my father have business meetings all day tomorrow. It can be just the two of us." I was an ant again under his magnifying glass.
"I'll still have to clear it with him. Thank you again for the offer," I said hastily, standing up and stepping away before he could say any more. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was see him tomorrow. If I had my way, I would have set him down hard, told him in no uncertain terms that I wasn't interested, but I needed to be tactful for Owen's sake. His contract negotiations hinged on the sheik's favor, and thus, the sheik's son's favor as well.
Owen's brows tightened for a moment as I walked over to him, but he quickly relaxed his face before the sheik could see it. He put his hand on my back, his touch feather light but sending a bolt of security through me. I was safe with Owen. I could see Roger still lounging at the table, a frightening grin on his face. He knew I had fled because of him, and he liked it.
"Thank you for the wonderful dinner. I will make the adjustments you suggested and get back to you in the morning." Owen gave the sheik a perfect businessman smile. I liked the one he gave me better, but I knew the effect that smile could have on people.
The sheik barely batted an eyelash as he reminded Owen of a key point he wanted changed. No wonder the man was worth a fortune if he could evade Owen's charms. The two of them shook hands one final time, and Owen guided me out toward a waiting car. The night air was cooler than I had expected, but the shiver that went through me wasn't from the breeze. It was from Roger's eyes following me out the door.