He glared at her from the desk, phone to his ear.
She sat down in the chair and crossed her legs.
He grumbled an apology for the interruption to whoever was on the other end of the line.
Unperturbed, Katie pulled out a piece of paper and scrawled out a message before holding it up.
I have something to say.
His eyes narrowed and he held up a finger.
She ignored it. You hired me because of my experience. I’m here for you to use me, so use me.
Khalid’s expression became openly angry.
Katie quickly wrote out another message. Just because I look amazing in a skirt doesn’t mean that my head is empty. I’m good at this. Let me prove it to you.
“I have to go. I’ll call you when I’m on my way to the airport,” Khalid growled suddenly and hung up. “Katie, if you want to keep your job, you need to leave my office.”
Disappointed, she stood and tossed the portfolio on his desk. “You claim that you want your gallery to be different. To take it away from the stifling rich aristocrats and into the hands of the public. But you’re doing nothing to change things, Khalid. You’re all talk and no action.”
Standing, Khalid reached for his jacket. “I’ll be gone for a few days while I appraise a collection. Have Nadira call me if there are any problems in my absence. You do not have the authority or my permission to make any changes while I’m gone.”
“That’s fine. I don’t think this place is worth my ideas anyway,” Katie said coldly.
At that, Khalid froze. “You will still be here when I return,” he said softly.
“What makes you say that?”
“You have too much integrity to slink away while I’m gone.” He gathered some of the papers on his desk and slipped the stack into his briefcase. Tucking his phone into his pocket, he walked toward her, stopping only inches away. “In regard to your little messages, be very careful what you wish for, Katie. If you want to be used, I’ll be more than happy to oblige you.”
A little thrill trailed down her spine, and her breath caught in her throat.
He walked out of the office like he wasn’t even the least bit affected, and it wasn’t until he was out of the building that she realized he’d taken her portfolio with him.
A slow smile crossed her face. Maybe things really were about to change.
The gallery was closed, and Katie was alone. She liked the quiet. Even as the light flickered overhead, she was able to focus as she finished typing up the reports for the previous week’s ticket sales, which were abysmal as always. She was so absorbed in the computer screen that she didn’t even realize that she wasn’t alone.
“Are you charging me overtime?”
“Holy crap!” Gasping, she jumped and knocked the empty coffee mug off the desk. It crashed to the ground and shattered, and she swore. “Khalid, you scared the crap out of me! When did you get back?”
“A couple of hours ago. We need to talk. When you finish up the paperwork, join me in my office.”
Her heart fluttered. Was this it? He’d read her presentation and loved it? She was finally going to get the chance to prove herself to him?
She tried to remain calm as she picked up the broken pieces of the coffee mug and then finished updating the data files on the computer. Finally, she stood and tugged on her skirt to make sure that there were no wrinkles.
Feeling confident, she strode casually into his office. “How was your trip?”
As always, his expression was enigmatic. She could read nothing on his face as he looked up. “Uneventful. There were no unpleasant surprises, and everything went to plan.” His next words confused her with the sudden change in topic. “Are you unhappy working for me?”
“Unhappy?”
“Yes. Unhappy. You haven’t been here long enough to warrant a raise, let alone a different position in this gallery. I thought I made myself clear when I hired you.” He threw her portfolio down on the desk.
Katie pressed her lips into a thin line. “Nothing in that portfolio should surprise you. I’ve been trying to get you to see my ideas for days.”