“What the fuck did you do this morning?” She strode up to his desk and cocked a hip, arms crossed over her chest. Anger sizzled in the air around her. He gaped up at her, unsure how he could respond and keep his life intact.
“What’s going on?”
“You sealed the deal without me,” she spat, leaning over his desk. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
He leaned back in his chair, holding up a hand. “Listen—”
“No, I will not listen to you. I got an email from Mr. Thomas lauding your exceptional deal-making skills. Did he mention me even once, or all the hard work I put in? No. Of fucking course not. So why am I even surprised that you ran off with all my brainstorming and made this deal behind my back?”
“That is not how it went down,” he began.
“Oh, really? Well, it looks to me like you met with the CEO this morning and signed the deal without me. Or did it go some other way?” She leaned closer, cocking a brow.
Omar swallowed hard, formulating the most diplomatic response possible. He’d never seen her angry before—this was like reasoning with a bull. “The CEO contacted me last-minute for a meeting. He showed up so fast that I didn’t have time to get you involved. Besides, he asked for a private—”
“Bullshit. Pure. Bullshit.” She laughed scornfully. “You’d think that at the very least you could have included me in the paperwork or made some mention to my boss that I had any hand in this success.” She shook her head, mouth tugged down into an angry frown.
Omar held her gaze, no matter how much it stung. “I’m sorry.” He hadn’t even known that his father had shared the good news with Mr. Thomas already. It seemed like a cruel joke. But Marian was in no mood to hear his side.
“Well, I guess this means I can just go home now. You got what you wanted—the deal and a quick lay.” She spun, slamming the door shut behind her as she stormed out.
Omar let his head fall to his hands, her words spinning inside him like a tornado. He grimaced as the pain washed through him over and over again. Her parting shot wasn’t anywhere near the truth. That wasn’t what he’d wanted from her.
Omar clutched at his head as a headache throbbed to life, and he struggled to figure out the best next step. He couldn’t let Marian think that he had planned this betrayal. If anything, he needed to tell her just what he felt for her…and what he was prepared to attempt with her.
He reached for his phone, dialed her number. It rang once before it clicked over to voicemail, so he tried again. Same result. She was most likely ignoring his calls.
He groaned, tossing the phone on the desk. Nothing felt good or right anymore. And there was only one clear desire: to have Marian back at his side.
15
Marian fumed in the taxi to the hotel as she searched for last-minute flights on her phone. She’d be returning to NYC that evening, come hell or high water. She was sure Mr. Thomas wouldn’t mind, since in his eyes she’d been merely an accessory to the deal.
As she searched, Mr. Thomas called. She answered, trying to hide the hurt in her voice. “Hello?”
“There you are. So, are you preparing for your return?”
“Yes, I’m looking for flights now.” She swallowed a knot in her throat, looking out the window as the sights of Minarak breezed by.
“I’m glad to hear negotiations are finished. Very pleased to see that email from Mr. Almasi.” Mr. Thomas cleared his throat. “But why weren’t you mentioned?”
She pinched her eyes shut. “I assure you sir, I was there. I was at every meeting, save for today’s.” She swallowed a surge of anger. “Omar can vouch that I was there every step of the way.” And if he doesn’t, then he deserves to have his balls removed.
Mr. Thomas harrumphed from across the world. “Well, I’m sure you did a fine job. Kept everything organized, as you always do.”
Her heart sank. She’d done more than a fine organization job. She’d carried this deal…and received none of the glory. “Of course.”
Back at the hotel, she purchased the earliest flight possible and packed as quickly as she could. Peace, Parsabad. She’d be back in NYC by the following day, and it couldn’t be soon enough. In just under an hour, she was airport-ready. She breezed out of the room and down into the reception area, leaving her key at the front desk.
During the ride to the airport, she wavered between torturous memories of Omar’s sweet kisses and recalling Annabelle’s story about being detained in the name of love. Or so the story went, now that Annabelle and Imaad told it as if it were legend. How he had security hold her up at
the airport so he could offer his private jet, to get her back to her sick mother sooner.
She smiled sadly. Her story with the Almasi middle brother had turned out significantly different. Though deep down, a part of her was desperate for that romantic gesture. Maybe he’d be waiting at the airport—or maybe he’d already called the guards to refuse her passport.
You’re thinking like a crazy woman. Yet it was hard not to be hopeful. She wanted so badly to be wrong about him. But her own parting words cycled like a tornado in her mind. He’d used her for a business deal and for sex, while all along she’d thought him to be an equal, even potential partner material.
It was the greatest let-down of her life. No, worse. The greatest embarrassment of her life. She’d failed on the romantic front and the professional front, all in one blazing downfall.