“Of course,” Olivia murmured.
“It’s better for everyone this way. You should take some time off. Have a holiday. Learn watercolor painting. Whatever you’d like to do.”
She bit her lip hard. This was not the moment to scream at her father and tell him what she really wanted to say. What she’d always wanted to say.
“Perhaps you’ll meet a nice man. It’s not good for you to spend all your time in the office, you know. You should settle down.”
“Right. Actually, I’ve met a nice man already.” A tear she hadn’t managed to suppress escaped and rolled down her cheek.
“There you are, you see. Now you can stop worrying about the business and spend some time with him.”
“I don’t think so. It’s a bit complicated.” She didn’t try to explain. “I’ll be back this evening, Dad.”
“Good. It’ll be nice to have you home, Olivia.”
She hung up and blinked back more tears. She definitely wasn’t getting drunk again if it meant she spent the next day wallowing in her own self-pity. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d cried this much.
Coffee. That’s what she needed, and maybe something to eat. Then she needed to pack, to say a formal farewell to Khaled, and a more cordial one to Jemimah and Jamil. One of them would arrange a car for her to the airport and then she would be free.
Olivia dragged her suitcase out and opened the wardrobe. She dumped a pile of business suits in dark, plain colors into the bottom of the case. If she wasn’t welcome at the office anymore, why bother taking care of those? She stuffed in her underwear any old how. The red bikini top that had worked so well for her out on Khaled’s yacht hung out over the edge. She pulled it out and packed it properly. Maybe there should be more bikinis in her future. More yachts, too. And definitely more kisses.
She drew in a breath at that thought. Maybe no kisses just yet. What would be the point of kissing another man while she was still in love with Khaled? Even if he was busily choosing Mrs. Damn Bastard Bloody Khaled Saqat.
…
“Thank you for all your help. It’s been a pleasure to meet you both.”
She had tracked Jemimah down to Jamil’s office to say good-bye in person.
“I hope we shall see you here again,” Jamil said politely.
“Yes,” Jemimah said beaming. “I’m sure we will.”
Olivia shook her head. “Now that Sheikh Khaled has decided not to do business with my company, there’s no reason for me to visit Saqat again.”
“No, of course not,” Jemimah said, with a wink.
“Tell her the other thing,” Jamil said.
“I almost forgot. Here.” Jemimah produced a slightly crumpled envelope addressed to Olivia in childish handwriting.
“What it is?”
“Sadiah passed it on to me.”
It was a thank-you letter from the teenager who had won Olivia’s computer. In painstaking English, she promised to make the most of her prize and to do something that would make Olivia proud.
She put the note carefully in her bag so that she could write to the young girl when she was back home. At least she had done one good thing for someone in Saqat.
“May I see the sheikh?” she asked Jamil. “My flight leaves in a couple of hours and I want to say good-bye.”
“I am afraid he has been in a meeting with the council since eight o’clock this morning, and I do not know when they will be finished.”
“Can you let him know that I’m going? He might want to see me.”
Jamil shook his head apologetically. “Regretfully, the council cannot be disturbed, Ms. McInnes.”
He was in a meeting? He knew she was leaving this morning and he hadn’t made the time to say good-bye. Damn Bastard Bloody Khaled Saqat. That was starting to sound rather good.
“In that case, can you arrange a car to take me to the airport, Jamil? I’ve done everything I need to here.”
She told the driver to take her the long way round. If this was going to be her last visit to Saqat, she wanted to make the most of it. They paused near the beach for Olivia to get out and run down to the water’s edge. She stood with her feet in the cool water for several minutes, imprinting the scene on her mind, relieved that whatever happened, her company would not be the one to spoil this little bit of paradise with an ugly oil rig.
There was time to stop briefly at the radio station, where Sadiah warmly embraced her. They exchanged email addresses so they could keep in touch, and Olivia promised to write to the girl who had won the laptop.