“Agreed. Do you have numbers with you, how much you need right now?”
She pulled a binder from out of her briefcase and held it up as Hakim’s phone chimed.
“Good,” he said. “My lawyer is going to be here in a just a minute; he’s only at the opposite end of the floor. Would you rather I invest as the Khalif Group or as myself? I can loan you the money directly, or we can create a business arrangement.”
Lauren’s head was spinning. She hadn’t expected it to be quite this easy. Did this mean there was a catch?
Hakim moved back around his desk to sit next to her. He leaned over and took her hand.
“Lauren, it’s going to be okay. However we structure the agreement, I’m not going to let you fail. You can have the money, but I’d like one thing in return.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t expect you to offer the funds without some kind of deal,” Lauren said. She meant it, too; she didn’t want a handout, and she fully intended to pay back his investment.
Hakim ran his thumb over her hand in a caress. “The only thing I want from you is for you to defy your mother for one night and go on a date with me.”
Lauren was stunned, but she didn’t pull back.
“What happened to it being easier to not see each other?”
He shrugged and gave her a devil-may-care grin. “Oh, that would definitely be easier. But I don’t want that. I want to see you, even if it’s for a single date. A real date. I won’t ask for more than that, just one evening.”
Lauren thought about it. She wanted that date with him. She wanted more, if she was being honest. And if he were willing to defy Patricia, to risk her wrath, could Lauren do any less? Her heart leaped at the thought of spending more time with Hakim, especially on a real date. She made up her mind.
When she smiled and nodded, Hakim looked both joyful and stunned. The kind of feeling when you get everything you’ve ever wanted, but aren’t sure what to do with it. So, she grinned at him mischievously. “You know, I don’t have any money, so you’re going to have to pay for everything.”
That surprised him into a laugh. “I would insist on doing so anyway.”
There was a knock on the door and Hakim let go of her hand so that he could stand. “Now. Let’s get this money transferred and save your company.”
Chapter 17
Lauren
Lauren left Hakim with his lawyer and his accountant, handling the transfer. He knew that Lauren wouldn’t be able to access the money until the next day, but promised to call her anyway just to let her know when everything on his end was done.
She got his call just as she pulled back into the garage under her office building. After earnestly thanking him again, she hung up the phone, leaned her head back against the headrest, and closed her eyes. This had been bad. Over the three years BingeWatch had been in operation, Lauren had dealt with her share of crises, but this one was by far the worst.
The moment of quiet helped her. A tiny part of her wished she could hide in her car for the rest of the day, but it was her company and her responsibility. And she relished fixing problems, even bad ones. She was going to fix this, and she was going to make sure it couldn’t happen again.
There was a knock on her car window and she jerked her eyes open to find Kayla standing there giving her a worried look. Lauren waved at her, and Kayla walked around to the passenger side and climbed into the car.
“Hey,” she said, sounding as tired as Lauren felt.
“Hey,” Lauren replied. “I got the money. We’re going to be fine.”
“Oh, thank goodness. Can I ask who we owe our everlasting fealty and first-born children?”
Lauren snorted. “You’re going to love this.”
Kayla gave her a puzzled look and Lauren took a deep breath. “Hakim Khalif.”
Kayla’s mouth fell open. “The billionaire that bought you at the auction? The one who’s mortal enemies with your mother?”
“That’s the one.”
“Oh. Well. Of course. That’s makes perfect sense.”
“No, it doesn’t. But it’s making it possible for us to live to fight another day, so I’ll take it.”
“What do we owe him for it?” Kayla asked, her voice filled with concern.
“He’s now an investor in the company, using his personal fortune instead of his company’s money. I plan to pay him back, but there’s an option in the contract for us to open up talks about some sort of long-term agreement. He knows we’re turning a profit and that we’ll be even more solid with his financial backing, so it’s a good deal for him.”