The Sheikh’s Instant Family (The Safar Sheikhs 2)

A certain sparkle came to Calla’s dark eyes. “Could you?”

“Oh, yeah. I played a big role in purchasing the looks each season. I love this stuff.” Vanessa laughed nervously when she found all eyes on her. She was suddenly being assessed for aptitude. She made it a point to look good—it was one holdover from her upbringing that she’d never been able to conquer, she supposed—with flawless makeup and well thought out outfits. Heels were her work boots, she always said during her boutique years. Waitressing had gotten in the way of that recently, but she always made sure she had her war paint perfected prior to every shift.

“Maybe you should join the ranks, then,” Calla said, slyly crossing her legs. She set the mug down and reached for a planner at her side. “I’m serious. We could use someone like you on the team.”

Vanessa couldn’t deny that her heart rate picked up a little at the offer. She was ready to say yes the second Calla proposed it, but she felt like she should weigh it out first. Take some time to think about it. But really, she was dying for a job. An occupation. Some way to earn her keep while under the luxurious wing of Amad. She just needed it.

“Are you sure you have room for me?” Vanessa asked as she glanced around at all the beautiful women in attendance.

“We could use three more of you!” One of the ladies spoke up.

Laughter rippled through the room. Calla nodded. “It’s been a challenge to get all the loose ends tied up. More links to America don’t hurt, either. I promise you—there’s room for you, and I think your skillset would be a natural fit. But only if you want to.”

Vanessa swirled the tea in her mug. Two days in Amatbah and already she had the offer of a lifetime. It seemed serendipitous—and Amad might just have to deal with the fact that she wouldn’t be kicking back and relaxing like he wanted her to.

“I think it sounds perfect,” Vanessa said with a grin. It felt good to say those words. Really good. And maybe that was just the sign she needed.

This could really be the start of something great in Amatbah.

8

Amad was a man of progress. Of forward motion. Of getting things done.

So after his third consecutive meeting with the tribal women without a clear direction forward, he was ready to tug his hair right out of his head.

He wasn’t very good at covering his frustration, either. But since his brother’s wife was at the helm of this project, he tried his best.

This is why women stay out of the bus

iness realm. He tapped his pen manically against the edge of the table as one of the tribal ladies wrapped up her monologue about sourcing fabrics from Indonesia. These meetings tended to get off track, and he was used to laser-focused action points. Walking away from business meetings with a plan and a to-do list. But these ladies insisted on talking through everything a hundred times. It was enough to drive him up a wall.

Besides, this fashion line needed to get moving and fast. He’d gambled the tech holdings, and if this line didn’t start generating income soon, the tribe would be in trouble.

Once the rambling production coordinator wrapped up, Amad knew he needed to help this group get back on track. He leaned forward, lifting his pen.

“Can we re-route the fabric supply? I’d like to see what we can do to move the brand forward immediately.”

Calla nodded, glancing at the planner in front of her. “Maybe some international outreach would be good right now.”

“Let me go to Paris.” He glanced around the table. “The center of the fashion world. I’ll see if I can’t reach some business contacts there, catch a few fashion shows, see what crops up in the networking.”

“That’s a great idea. And while you’re out making progress abroad, we’ll finish hammering out these final details back home.”

“Perfect. I’ll leave tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you take Vanessa? She’ll be an asset.”

Amad paused, his mouth parting. “Why would I take her?”

Calla cocked her head. “She has contacts in the fashion world from her years managing boutiques in Vegas. She should be involved.”

Amad didn’t necessarily think that involving Vanessa was a great idea, but he’d at least managed to snag some forward motion in this meeting, so he’d run with it. Besides, he didn’t want to admit that he had no idea she had a fashion background. That just highlighted the fact that they’d gotten married without truly knowing each other. “Fine. Sure. I’ll make sure to schedule in some vacation time.”

The meeting adjourned, and Amad took his leave quickly. He’d been grinding his teeth during the entire meeting, a frustration reflex that he couldn’t control. He massaged at his jaw as he hurried back to his room. Vanessa was waiting there, and after a long afternoon of drawn-out meetings, he was ready to unwind.

He pushed into the room and found Vanessa on the chaise longue reading a book. He loved that just the sight of her could ease his tension and take away his frustrations.

“There you are.” She set the book down, bending a knee as she sat up a little. “How was it?”