“Take care of yourself, OK?” Bahir’s eyes were pleading, but Nicole had no idea what for.
She nodded, unable to look at him again, and slid into the backseat of the car, slamming the door tight behind her. She didn’t look back as the car pulled away, but she imagined Bahir was watching her go. She realized instantly that that was a foolish thought. Bahir cared nothing for anyone but himself and his company.
She knew then that he had been right after all. No woman in her right mind could ever love him.
FOURTEEN
A week went by, Nicole communicating with Bahir primarily through email. On the few occasions when they did talk on the phone, it was brief and to the point, and she ended the call as quick as she could. Fighting to patch up her wounded heart and ego, she kept her silence, acting as though everything were normal and busying herself with notes and correspondence through the night until she fell asleep on her desk.
It wasn’t exactly a way to live.
One morning she was sitting in on a shareholders meeting, taking notes, when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out to check the number, and realized who it was. Excusing herself, Nicole stepped out of the room and answered the call, pressing the phone to her ear.
“This is Nicole Calvert,” she said, her voice professional.
“Nicole, it’s Will Simon, from the Simon and Jenkins Associates. How are you?”
Nicole’s heart skipped a beat.
“I’m well, thank you, Will. How are you?”
“Doing great, doing great. Listen, I’m calling because the firm has finalized its decision, and we’d like you to join us.”
“You do?” Nicole asked, then cursed inwardly. Be a professional, idiot!
Will laughed. “Of course we do! You’ve got a damn good track record, and your experience with Futurescapes International speaks volumes of your ability to get into the right places. We’d like to offer you a junior partnership with the ability to grow as time goes on. The position offers full benefits…”
Nicole listened while Will went on about the benefits of the position. She could be a lawyer again. She could be free of Bahir, and all of this personal assistant nonsense. Nicole took a breath, feeling completely and totally overwhelmed.
“Thank you for the offer Will. I’m very excited about this opportunity, but can you give me a day to think about it?”
“Of course, I completely understand. Can we expect a call from you tomorrow?”
“Absolutely.”
“Great. I look forward to speaking with you again. And Nicole?”
“Yes?”
“Congratulations!”
Nicole grinned. “Thank you, Will. Truly.”
She ended the call, her phone lowering as she stared into space. She had a lot to think about that afternoon, but at present she still had notes to take at that shareholders’ meeting. While Nicole had one foot out the door, she wasn’t one to skimp on work that needed to be done. She reentered the boardroom and continued her notes.
***
Later that day, Nicole sat in her office, thinking. She hadn’t heard anything from Bahir about a job for her brother, and she hadn’t heard anything from her brother either. Then again, she’d texted Ryan once when she’d got back from Dubai and hadn’t heard back. It was entirely possible that he was too busy to reply, but it didn’t help her stress levels.
Then, of course, there was that pesky marriage to Bahir.
As much as she’d tried not to think about it, she was tied to Bahir no matter how distant he chose to be from her. Could she really walk away after something like that? After all, he obviously had.
Seeking distraction, she stood and walked over to Bahir’s office, determined to stay busy with some files he had left for her to sort there. When she walked through the door, her heart stopped.
To Nicole’s utter shock, Bahir was sitting in his chair, looking right at her. Her disloyal body immediately reacted to him—her stomach filled with butterflies, her head swam, and her heart began racing. She fought to hide all of this as she gazed at him, and the silence stretched on.
“You’re back,” she said finally. It was all she could think of in a pinch.
Bahir rose and walked slowly up to her, facing her as he stopped a small distance away.
“I am,” he said.
His voice washed over her, and she hated herself for wanting to throw her arms around him. She took a deep breath as, instead, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her close.
“I’m sorry, Nicole. I’m so sorry.”
Nicole stood rigid for a moment, trying not to allow herself to feel, but she couldn’t help it. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close, breathing him in. God, she’d missed him.
“Why?” she asked, with tears in her eyes as he finally pulled away, keeping his arms around her middle.
“I was scared,” he whispered. “I’ve never felt like that about anyone before, and I didn’t know what to do, so I shut down. When I found out that our marriage had sped up the visa process, I hopped on the first plane I could. Nicole, I’ve had a lot of time to think about how my behavior was wrong. I should have stayed with you on that beach. I shouldn’t have run, and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Nicole allowed herself to cry in front of him then, her tears a mix of relief and joy. She’d been holding so much in, trying to be strong. All she’d wanted was him.
“So you’re saying we can be together…like, for real?”
Bahir grinned. “I’d like that very much. Husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, whatever. Just stay with me Nicole. Please, just tell me you forgive me,” he said, taking her in his arms again and breathing in the scent of her hair. It was just as perfect as he remembered.
“I forgive you,” she whispered, clinging to him as though her life depended on it.
After a few moments they finally pulled apart, and they sat on a sofa together, holding hands.
“I missed you,” Nicole admitted, and Bahir tucked her head under his chin, cradling her to his chest.
“I missed you, too,” he said, stoking the back of her head.
“Have you been busy?” she asked, wanting to ask what she’d been thinking about since marrying him.
Bahir shrugged. “No more than usual, I suppose.”
“Have you had time to work out a job for Ryan yet?”
She gazed up at him, then, seeking answers in his eyes, but all she found was confusion.
“Ryan?” he asked.
She stared at him coldly, her shoulders tensing. It was clear, in that moment, that he didn’t even remember the deal he had made on his end to help her. He’d simply taken what he wanted, in true Bahir fashion, and that was that.
Nicole rose and backed towards the door. “This wasn’t a one-way deal, Bahir. You promised that you would help me, and then you come back ready to start a relationship all the while forgetting that you have to hold up your end.”
Nicole started to see red. She was infuriated. How could she have been so blind, to think Bahir could be someone she could love? He was too selfish for anyone.
Bahir rose, his expression still confused. “Nicole, I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“And that’s the point, isn’t it?” she laughed, bitterly. “You know what. Consider this relationship terminated. And while we’re at it, please accept my immediate resignation from this job. Goodbye Bahir.”
With that she stormed out of the room, leaving a shocked and confused billionaire in his corner office. She didn’t bother to take the elevator, instead plunging down flights and flights of stairs until she reached the lobby and stormed out of the building, pulling out her phone.
She dialed the number she was looking for and hit the Call button. After a few rings, Will Simon answered.
“Will? It’s Nicole Calvert. I’m calling to let you know that I would like to accept your offer.”
“That’s fantastic news! When can you start??
? he asked.
Nicole stared ahead as she strode towards her apartment. “Is tomorrow too soon?”
“Tomorrow is perfect. Just let us know if there’s anything we can do to help,” Will said, and she could tell he was trying to hide his confusion. It wasn’t at all usual—or professional, for that matter—to start a job with only a day’s notice to one’s previous employer. But at that moment, Nicole couldn’t care less.
She was done with Bahir Al-Jabbar, and everything he stood for. It was time to go be a lawyer again.
FIFTEEN
Several weeks had gone by since Nicole had stormed out of Bahir’s office. Weeks of sleepless nights, tasteless food, and a general misery Nicole didn’t want to address. The truth was, she was heartbroken over a man who was selfish and vain, who thought of no one but himself, and there was nothing she could do about it. So, rather than allow herself to think, she dove headfirst into her new job as junior partner at Simon and Jenkins Associates.
It was the one thing keeping her sane. She loved practicing law; she loved the logic, the reason. The ability to justify one’s case using facts and figures. It was so much simpler than human emotions or interactions, and she was beyond grateful for the distraction.
She was sitting at her desk poring over some files when there was a knock at the door.
Glancing up, she saw Will Simon. He was an older man, though he had retained a certain handsomeness. Though there were gentle crow’s feet around his eyes and silver streaks in his hair, Will had the essence of George Clooney—though for some reason that had no effect on Nicole whatsoever.
He grinned, flashing a dimple, and she tried not to think of another dimple that looked like that—a much younger one.
“Nicole, you are a fantastic addition to the team, and I appreciate the way you’ve thrown yourself into your work, but you do know it’s eight o’clock at night, right?”
Nicole smiled at him, her expression guilty. “I just really want to make sure I’m crossing my T’s and dotting my I’s in this case, Will. I’m not going to be the reason we lose—I know I’m just starting out, but I’ve never lost a case.”
Will raised an eyebrow at her, entering the room and taking a seat on one of the cushioned sofa chairs in front of Nicole’s desk. When they had shown her the office she would be using, Nicole had had to stifle a gasp. It was a huge corner office with a sleek wooden desk and several sofa chairs and bookcases. It was the most professional space she had ever seen, and at the age of twenty-seven, it almost seemed too soon for her to have risen to such a level.
Yet somehow she had, and she needed to prove that she deserved it.