sure. I had a late lunch.’
And his troubles would be a very sweet dessert!
He walked around the desk and took his place and Felicia ran a tongue over her glossed lips as she waited for him to reveal the salacious truth.
‘You come highly recommended.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Ms Hamilton?’ he checked. ‘Or can I call you Felicia?’
‘Felicia’s fine,’ she offered. ‘How would you like me to address you?’
‘Kedah.’
She nodded.
They went through the formalities. He told her he was an esteemed architect, which of course she already knew.
‘I used to sell them off, but now once I design a hotel I tend to hold on to it,’ Kedah explained needlessly.
She just wished he’d get to the point.
‘So I have a fleet of hotels across the world, which in turn means I have a lot of staff...’
Felicia nodded and wished they could lose the charade and get to the good bit.
‘Do you have much experience in the hospitality industry?’ he asked.
Felicia frowned. She’d expected a confessional—to sit, seemingly non-judgmental, as he poured out his past—yet he seemed to be actually interviewing her.
‘Not really. Though of course I’ve stayed in an awful lot of hotels!’
Oh, she had. And if Kedah was going on word of mouth then he’d know that she worked for just a few weeks a year.
He didn’t even deign to smile at her small joke.
‘As I hope Anu explained, the role would involve extensive travel. If you work for me the hours will be very long. Sometimes there are eighteen-hour days. If we are away you would also work weekends. Do you have other commitments?’
‘My current employer is my only commitment,’ Felicia answered. It was the truth—whatever his crisis, it would have her full attention.
‘Good.’ Kedah nodded. ‘How soon would you be able to start?’
‘As soon as the contract is signed.’ Felicia smiled. ‘I trust Anu gave you my terms?’
‘Indeed she did.’
Felicia Hamilton commanded quite a fee.
‘What about your personal life?’ he asked.
‘That’s not your concern,’ Felicia answered.
‘Be sure to keep it that way,’ Kedah said. ‘I don’t want to hear that your boyfriend is upset because you missed his birthday, or that your mother-in-law has surgery next week and you need some time off. Care factor? Zero.’
Felicia’s response was to laugh, and for once it was genuine. Honesty had been somewhat lacking in her life, and she would far prefer the truth than a dressed-up lie.
And now she waited—how she waited—for that cool facade to crack and for Kedah to admit that he had royally stuffed up and needed his past to disappear. But instead he spoke of hotels and designs, and she stifled a yawn as he told her about Hussain, a graphic designer he regularly used.
‘He’s excellent. He actually studied with my father many years ago. We have worked on many designs together—mainly in the UAE.’
Felicia stifled another yawn.
‘Why don’t I show you some examples of my work—as well as a few of the hotels we shall be visiting in the coming weeks?’ Kedah said, and then dimmed the lights.
Felicia wondered for a brief second if refreshments might be in order after all. Was she about to get a private screening of the trouble Sheikh Kedah was in? A steamy sex tape? The Crown Prince bound and gagged in a seedy encounter, perhaps?
Kedah watched that tongue pop out and moisten those lovely lips as she sat straight in the chair, giving him her full attention.
Then he smiled unseen as her shoulders slumped and she sat through the forty-minute presentation that took her through some of his luxury hotels. She fought to keep her eyes from crossing as she watched it.
What the hell...?
‘Do you have any questions?’ Kedah invited as he flicked on the lights.
No! She just wanted him to cut to the chase and reveal the truth. ‘Not at this stage,’ she said.
‘There must be things that you want to ask me?’ he invited. ‘Surely you have come prepared? You will have looked me up?’
‘Of course I have.’
‘What do you think your role might entail?’ he asked as he went through her file.
Maybe he was shy, Felicia thought. Though that made no sense. He looked far from shy. But perhaps he needed a little help revealing his dark truths, so she decided to broach things gently. ‘I would guess, from my research, that I’ll be running a dating agency with only one man on the books,’ Felicia said, and watched him closely for a reaction.
Kedah merely looked up from the papers and stared back at her as she continued.
‘Though of course rather more discreetly than my predecessors.’
‘Discreetly?’ Kedah frowned.
‘You tend to hit the glossies rather a lot.’
‘That’s hardly my staff’s fault.’
‘Well, they should monitor what’s said. If a woman’s upset...’
‘As far as my sex life goes, you would just have to deal with the bookings and the brochure, Felicia...’
‘Brochure?
He didn’t enlighten her. ‘What I am saying is that you do not police comments or apologise on my behalf. I am quite grateful for “the glossies”, as you call them, for if women expect anything more from me than a night in bed, possibly two, then that is their own foolish mistake. They cannot say they haven’t been duly warned.’
No, not shy, Felicia decided as he continued to speak.
‘But I do expect discretion from all who work for me. Naturally you will have to sign a confidentiality agreement.’
‘I told Anu yesterday that I shan’t.’
Kedah, who had gone back to going through the papers, glanced up.
‘Nobody would employ a PA without one.’
‘If you look through my references you’ll see that they do.’
