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circumstances. This...
this changes everything!"
She got up and ran into her bedroom, closing the door. She collapsed onto the
bed, tears running hot and copiously down her cheeks as she acknowledged the
truth.
Ahmed had been amusing himself. There was no other excuse for it. She had been a
diversion while he was forced into hiding to escape being assassinated.
The telephone rang when she was a little more composed. She went into the living
room, shaking her head when Tad answered it. He got the message at once,
punctuated as it was by her red-rimmed, swollen eyes.
"Yes, she's... she's fine, thanks. Yes, so am I." Tad sounded nervous. It must
be Ahmed. There was a long pause. "Of course. I'll tell her. Sure. You, too." He
put down the telephone.
"He said to tell you hello. He wanted to know how we were. That's about it." He
grimaced. "Oh, sis, I'm sorry!"
She bit her lower lip, hoping that the pain would help stem the tears. "Me,
too." She got control of herself again. "Is that all he said?"
"Yes. I don't think he knew we'd seen the broadcast. He didn't mention it."
"That was a BBC feed," she said. "He probably thought it was being shown in
England instead of here, if he saw the cameras." She went to pour herself a cup
of coffee. It was cold. She grimaced and put it in the microwave to heat up.
"He didn't tell us," he said.
"I know." She glanced at him. "Maybe he didn't know how," she added. "It must
have been very hard for him, trying to live like a normal person when he was
used to servants and luxury."
"I've never seen a king before," Tad said, trying to lessen the sad atmosphere.
"It will be something to tell my friends when I start back to school, won't it?"
"Yes."
"You didn't take it seriously, did you?" he asked worriedly.
"Me?" She forced a laugh. "Don't be silly. I liked him a lot, but then, I didn't
really want to have to live in some foreign country and learn another whole way
of life, did you?"
"No." He shrugged. "Well, I would have liked the horses," he had to admit. "And
Ahmed was a neat guy to have around. He liked talking to me about science. He
knows a lot."
"He has degrees in chemistry and physics."
"Well, that explains it. I'd like to go to college one day," he said wistfully.
She heard the microwave buzz and went to take out her heated coffee. "You will,"
she promised. Her eyes swept over his pale face. "You're a walking miracle, did
you know? I'm so glad that I still have you."
He looked embarrassed. "Yeah. Me, too." He searched her face warily. "You
feeling better?"
She nodded. She sipped the hot coffee. "If Ahmed calls tomorrow, I, uh, I'd
rather not talk to him. Okay?"
"Okay."
But he didn't call the next day, or even the next. Affairs of state, Brianna
decided, must have claimed his full attention since his return. She tried not to
listen to the news channels, but the temptation was too great. She suffered
through political news and medical news and disasters just for an occasional
glimpse of the king of Saudi Mahara. Once they showed him in his robes of state
with a falcon on his arm. There was a very pretty young Arab woman in a designer
suit with him. Brianna saw her take his arm, and she felt sick all over when the
newscaster added that the woman was the widow of Ahmed's eldest brother, who had
died many years ago in a yachting accident. Her name was Lillah, not Yasmin, so
Brianna knew that it wasn't his sister. He was smiling at the woman, and she
seemed very possessive of him. That was the last newscast she watched. She knew
then that she was being an idiot. Ahmed had made it quite clear that he wanted
nothing else to do with her. She might as well start living her life again.
The first step in that direction was to get her old apartment back. Now, with
just herself and Tad to share it, there was no need for elaborate living
quarters. Fortunately it still hadn't been rerented, and she was able to obtain
it at the old rent.
Tad liked it better, mainly because there was a young man who lived on the same
floor who became his shadow and idolized him―Nick, the boy whom Ahmed had
befriended.
Brianna was still sad, but as the days passed, she began to enjoy life again,
although not in the same way as before. She couldn't complain, she told herself.
She'd had an adventure with a king, and she had her beloved young brother back.
She really couldn't ask much more of life.
At work, she was promoted to assistant status and given a job working for one of
the vice presidents. She'd hoped she might get to work with David Shannon, Meg
Shannon Ryker's brother, who was a live wire and a delightful person. But
instead, she was shifted to the office of the vice president of finance, Tarrant
Blair, a rather crusty older man with a wife and four kids and a mind like a
math calculator.
She didn't enjoy the job very much. Even less did she care for the way Mr. Blair
treated her. He had no consideration for her time. He would think nothing of
asking her to work overtime, despite the fact that he knew her young brother was
home by himself, and when it wasn't read necessary. He had plenty of time to get
his work done during the day, but he came in late quite frequently and spent an
unbelievable amount of time on the telephone with his stockbroker.
"How are things going, Brianna?" Meg Ryker asked her one day when she'd stopped
by the office to meet her husband Steve for lunch.
"Oh, fine, just fine," she lied. "I'm very happy about my raise in salary."
"How's Tad?"
"He's doing very well."
"I suppose the two of you are having a lot of fun catching up on the time you've
missed together?"
Brianna grimaced. "We were. This new job requires so much overtime that I'm
pretty well worn-out when I get home. It's challenging, though, and the extra
money is wonderful." She smiled.
She didn't fool Meg, who continued to converse merrily until Steve showed up.
Once she got her husband out of the building, she pulled him to one side.
"Why does Blair have to keep Brianna after work so much?" she asked bluntly.
"Doesn't he understand that she's only just gotten her brother back from the
dead, not to mention what she went through when Ahmed was being guarded so
closely? And she still has not recovered from the aftermath of that situation,"
she added meaningfully.
He scowled. "Blair shouldn't require any overtime at all. He isn't the busiest
man on staff."
"Couldn't you check?" Meg coaxed, tracing a button on his suit coat.
He smiled, bending to kiss her softly. "Yes," he said, "lean check."
She smiled back, her eyes adoring his face. "That's why I married you."
''Because I kiss so well," he agreed, bending again.
"Because you're so concerned for the welfare of your employees," she corrected,
the words muffled against his mouth.
''Exactly." He forgot what they were talking about for ±>s rest of the lunch
hour.
But when he returned, he had a private conversation with Mr. Blair, one which he
challenged the other man to repeat on pain of firing. After that, Mr. Blair no [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]