The Sheikh's Virgin Bride(44)

“Perhaps next time, then. This place has an exceptional tiramisu.”

The Sheikh pulled out his wallet and handed a black credit card to the waitress without even getting the check. She returned quickly, and when Kaye saw the bill, followed by the generous tip Amir left, she nearly gasped. Was this really how the other half lived?

They stood and made their way back outside, where Chris was quick to fetch Amir’s sports car. He pulled the car in front of them, jumped out and opened Kaye’s door for her once again. She slid in, listening to more witty banter between Chris and Amir before the latter slid another large bill into Chris’ hand.

“Consider that my donation to struggling artists for the day,” Amir joked, and Chris waved goodbye as the Sheikh pulled away from the restaurant.

Kaye considered the deal she had just made, and doubt seeped back into her mind.

“Are you seriously going to give me a million dollars to do this?”

“Why not? You have to spend money to make money.”

“You do realize that is a lot of money, right?”

“I think you’re worth it, Kaye. Will you prove me right?”

It was a question and a challenge, and Kaye found herself determined to show him that she could be the best working partner he had ever had.

“Let’s see what that contract says, and then we’ll talk,” she said, not wanting to give him too much power.

He nodded.

“Smart girl,” he said.

A few minutes later, they pulled back into the warehouse lot, where Kaye’s busted-up little car was the only one left, sitting abandoned and alone. The Sheikh pulled up next to it.

“I see we both have an affinity for yellow,” he noted.

Kaye did her best not to feel embarrassed by the sad wreck of a car she was driving around. Compared to his, it looked like scrap metal left on the side of the road.

“It’s my favorite color,” she answered, trying to hide her blush.

“Mine, too. How’s that Beetle run? I used to have one, in my younger days.”

“You still look pretty young to me,” she said.

“At thirty-two? In Hollywood terms, I’m ancient!”

“But you’re a man. In Hollywood terms, you can be as old as you like.”

He was about to respond when Merle came charging out of the warehouse, his face beet red, sweat trickling down from his thinning hair.

“It’s about time you got back! I hope that this little side trip was fruitful. I don’t like wasting time.”

Kaye glared at the little man as she walked toward her car. Amir stepped out of his, reaching Merle’s side.

“I think Kaye has a much better idea of the project, and she’s on board, pending further review of the contract and other documentation.”

He turned to face Kaye, then.

“Do you think you can get everything read over and signed by the end of the week?”

“The end of the week?!”

Merle looked as though he was about to implode. Kaye ignored him, her eyes solely on Amir.

“Yes. Thank you for taking the time to behave in a professional manner.”

The remark didn’t seem to register with the intended target. Merle continued to glare at Amir.

“This better be worth it, Amir. We’re losing time.”

“We have plenty of time. Just relax, Merle. We’ve got this covered.”

He looked back at Kaye once more.

“I’ll send you the updated contract once I’ve edited it to specify your salary. You should be hearing from me soon, provided that the email on your headshot is accurate?”

“It is,” Kaye said, giving the Sheikh a small smile. “Thank you for the opportunity, and for your time.”

“It was my pleasure,” Amir said.

Kaye got into her car, then, not wanting to be privy to the tirade Merle was launching into. She peeked in her rearview mirror as the tiny man completely lost his cool while Amir just looked down at him with a bemused expression, waiting for him to get it all out of his system.

As Kaye drove back to her apartment, she went over the events of the day in her head, working to convince herself that this was reality. What had started as the beginning to a horror film became one of the most lucrative offers of her professional life. All she had to do was act alongside Amir.

That wouldn’t be difficult at all. The man was one of the most pleasant, funny people she had ever met. The fact that he was serious eye-candy helped, too.

She pulled up to her building and turned off the engine. Patting the steering wheel, she spoke.

“Great job starting at the end, there. If you had choked up in front of Amir, I might have died of embarrassment.”

Predictably, the car had no response. Kaye stepped out and made her way up the stairs into her apartment once again. Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out to see an email from Amir.



Hey,

Great meeting you today. You’ll see the updated contract attached. Let me know if you have any questions.

A



Kaye opened up the documents, combing through until she found the part where she got a million dollars at the end.

There, in nice bold lettering, it was spelled out perfectly. If Kaye could successfully complete this project, she would have more money than she’d ever seen in her entire life.