Page 144 of 12 Years
‘We have to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Once we do, Max will get his client in.’
‘Fine, let’s do it,’ I said.
We went back to the conference room. Max and Alan looked up at us questioningly.
‘Guys,’ I said, ‘we’re interested. But we have some conditions.’
‘Sure,’ Max said. ‘What conditions?’
‘I’ll discuss them with the buyer. When can I see them?’
‘There’s an NDA that needs to be signed first …’ Max said.
‘Send it to me. I’ll e-sign it,’ Mudit said.
‘I’ll fix the meeting for next week,’ Max said, grinning from ear to ear.
I hadn’t met Tania in a week because work had been insane. Finally, on a Saturday evening, we decided to meet for drinks at Li’Brasil, a stunning sea-facing Lebanese-Brazilian fusion restaurant at the Address Beach Resort.
‘You don’t have time for me,’ Tania said, pouting. ‘Don’t you like to see me now?’
‘That’s not true, baby,’ I said. ‘There’s just too much going on at work. Now, what would you like to drink?’
‘Aperol spritz,’ she said. I decided to have the same drink.
‘I wanted to talk to you about something,’ Tania said after we’d placed our order.
‘Oh? What happened?’
‘I have a cousin, Paulina. She’s just finished her graduation in Kyiv.’
‘Okay … What about her?’
‘She wants to move to Dubai.’
‘To work here?’
‘Yes, maybe. I thought I’ll ask you, for help …’
‘To help her get a job?’
‘No. To make her your girlfriend.’
‘What?’ I sat up, startled.
‘For a little while, baby. Until she figures out what she wants to do.’
‘Tania, what are you even talking about?’
‘You know, like you gave me an apartment and an allowance because I’m your girlfriend? Like that. It’s out of love only, right?’
‘Well, yeah …’ I said, trailing off mid-sentence.
‘If you can do that for Paulina too …’
‘But I already have you.’
‘You can have both of us.’
