Page 23 of Out of Office Nights
Nope. Not him. Not here.
She was saved from further rumination about her ex when their food arrived. Fragrant couscous with a thick chickpea sauce made her mouth water. Fishchermoula,keftatagine and a heavenly chicken pie dish made with thin pastry and saffron. Andzaalouk, a platter of chips with an aubergine purée and hummus.
Sabeen was forced to shake her head firmly when Farah tried to foist more dishes on them. At this rate, they’d only manage to eat a fraction.
Teo tucked into it with gusto, his groans of appreciation making Farah beam. And Sabeen squirm in her seat.
Surprisingly, a companionable near silence passed, Teo occasionally asking the origins of a dish. But she couldn’t let her guard down.
When their meal was cleared, she ordered gunpowder and mint tea. He ordered the thick Moroccan coffee.
Then he sat back, all bridled power and intense focus. She knew her brief reprieve was over when he tossed back the first tiny cup of coffee.
‘For this to work, we need a few rules in place. We will work for as long on this as I deem fit. And you will do it all without attitude. Agreed?’
His domineering, boundless confidence should’ve been infuriating, but Sabeen couldn’t forget that it was the reason he was who he was. Never mind the royal blood running through his veins. He had reached the pinnacle of his profession by honing his passion into creating countless masterpieces, some of which hung in museums across the world. A chance to refine her own design skills under his tutelage was why she’d originally applied to be part of his team.
And why, since she’d asked for his help, she needed to swallow her pride now. ‘Okay.’
His eyebrow rose. ‘Justokay?’
She shrugged. ‘Would you rather I nitpicked the issue with you just for the sake of it?’
‘No. But feel free to bring up any opinions you feel strongly about.’
‘Don’t worry about that. It may be your line, but when I succeed, it will be my name on the collection as well, no?’
He reached for the coffee-pot, poured himself another cup and tossed it back eyeing her the whole time. ‘What you created for Eden for the wedding and the coronation was exquisite. What has happened between then and now?’
Her insides clenched hard. Yes, she’d lost her grandmother and that’d been devastating, and for a brief few days she’d had her mother around for comfort before she’d returned to the other side of the world.
But Sabeen couldn’t honestly lay all her problems at grief’s door. Especially not when her emotional compass kept pointing to one man…one issue.
Playboys and everything about them spelled disaster for her and yet she couldn’t seem to distance herself from this one in particular. She shook her head. ‘Why does it matter?’
His nostrils flared with a hint of displeasure. ‘Because until you confront what it is that’s standing in your way, you’ll only be courting further roadblocks.’
Irritation and slivers of panic whistled through her. ‘I didn’t realise this was a therapy session. Are you saying that your every collection has been born out of carefree abandon?’ she challenged purely, she knew, out of self-preservation.
Shadows drifted across his face before he effectively banished them. ‘No. But I’m a master at compartmentalising. Clearly you are not.’
It wasn’t an insult. It was a fact confidently stated, infuriatingly accurate. Because for as long as she could remember, her every emotion had bled into a well of sensation that she’d tried hard to suppress over the years. Until recently she was sure she’d succeeded.
Now it felt like all those bottled-up emotions were threatening to explode. ‘Does missing a loved one count?’ she asked then cringed a little at throwing her beloved grandmother up as a shield to hide behind. She could already feelJida’s disapproving glare.
‘Who?’ It came with that sharp edge she’d heard a few times now.
‘My grandmother.’
He watched her closely for several seconds, his gleaming gaze telling her he knew she was hiding more. Surprisingly, the edge softened. She exhaled with gratitude and relief.
‘When we get back, you will tell me what about your grandmother you feel when you look at the sketches.’
Another knot inside eased but didn’t fully disappear because she knew it wasn’t as simple as that. There were other layers to her problem. Nothing came easily, not like it had for the Playboy Prince.
The Playboy Prince who’s currently helping you.
She ignored the flip in her chest and examined him closer, attempting to see beneath the surface.
