Aaliyah and the Billionaire's Lamp

by Catelyn Meadows

  Zayn held up a finger, removed the phone from a hidden pocket in his swim trunks, and checked the screen before flicking his glance to her. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this.”

  And there it was. This was a foreshadowing pattern for their future relationship. She would always be second to him. There would always be a phone call, a flight, something more important to take his attention.

  River seemed to read her thoughts. He tweaked his lips into an apologetic smile.

  Zayn stood from his bench and strode toward the left-hand pool, but the distance didn’t keep his voice from carrying.

  “You shouldn’t call me,” he said, impassioned. “I—fine. But it’s over. It’s done. I have to go. Please don’t call me again.”

  The call ended, and Zayn lowered his phone, staring at it as though he’d never seen one before.

  “That didn’t sound good,” Aaliyah said, looking to River and then her father for an explanation. Her father had praised Zayn’s composure and ability to roll with the punches, but from his shamefaced expression, she assumed this must be a somber issue.

  River scowled in Zayn’s direction. “No, it didn’t,” he said.

  Did he know something? She wondered.

  “Was that who I think it was?” River asked as Zayn resumed his seat as though nothing happened.

  Zayn’s gaze flicked from Aaliyah to her father, and to River. He quirked an emotionless grin. “I’m pleading the fifth.”

  River inched forward on the bench. “Not funny, man. What’s going on?”

  Zayn’s mouth gaped for a few moments before he slapped his leg with his free hand. “I guess it’s not within my client-attorney discretion to tell you that Norris isn’t happy I left when I did. He insisted I stay there until the matter was settled, but I left. I came here, and now he’s threatening to sue me for negligence.”

  River rose to his feet. “He’s what?”

  “I know, right?” Zayn said, sinking back. “I told him I’d be back in a few days.”

  “So you’re leaving again?” Aaliyah couldn’t help the dismay leaking into her voice.

  Zayn made a defeated noise. “I’m not holding up my fiduciary end of our attorney-client relationship. I have to be there at his request. What else am I supposed to do?”

  She didn’t have an answer for him. Maybe this was as good a time as any to tell him the reason she called him here, though she harbored tidbits of shame as well. Clearly, Zayn had put his business in jeopardy to make the trip here to be with her. How could she break things off with him now?

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Papa’s displeased expression deepened, but he remained where he was on the bench. Aaliyah longed to know what he thought of all this.

  Her gaze trailed to the direction of her towel on the vacant lounge chair several feet away. The lamp couldn’t be causing this, could it? Sure, she’d wanted a way out of this arranged marriage, but she didn’t intend to sabotage Zayn in any way. From the sound of things, that’s what was happening.

  She couldn’t help but see this from her father’s perspective as well. Papa had been so impressed by Zayn from the start. He wouldn’t have selected him to be her husband if it had been otherwise. This must be a huge let down for him. She could practically smell his disapproval.

  She knew her father would never hold the same sympathy for Zayn she currently felt. She was a tangled yarn ball of emotion as it was.

  “I suppose you should focus on your client,” she said.

  “My most sincere apologies, Aaliyah,” Zayn said. “I know how this must look to you. I know you must think I’m insensitive and calloused for not having time to spend with you.”

  The words plucked her heartstrings. This was what she’d wanted from him all along. Why couldn’t he have just been upfront with her from the start?

  “Thank you for saying as much,” she said.

  His candor made what she intended to say that much harder. She wasn’t sure how to do it now without sounding completely heartless.

  “You wanted to speak with me, and as you can see, I have no further distractions at the moment.” He tossed his phone onto a nearby lounge chair.

  “Maybe now isn’t the best time,” she said. “I can see you’re a busy man, Mr. Hassan.” She still couldn’t bring herself to call him Zayn. He hadn’t invited her to, and it felt too intimate calling him that.

  “How about a swim instead?” River offered. His voice, his suggestion, jolted into her like a lightning bolt. For a minute, she’d forgotten he was there. “You two go ahead. I’ve got some calls to make myself.”

  Aaliyah suspected from the look he and Zayn exchanged, it had to do with whatever Zayn’s last phone call had been about. This was a good thing, she told herself. It might be easier to get things sorted out with Zayn without River overhearing.

  Things might have been completely different right now if Zayn had come to her before he’d left for Fiji. If he’d told her the nature of his business and asked if she wouldn’t mind postponing their date. Instead, he’d left like a coward, brushing her off and sending his assistant in his place.

  She appreciated people being straightforward. A nudge came from her gut, pushing her. She would be straightforward as well.

  “That’s fine, River. You do what you need to. Zayn and I will go and enjoy the pool.”

  She strutted toward the pool on the left, waving to her father from his position beneath the umbrella. Papa responded to her greeting. He rose and shuffled to where they stood, shielding the sun with his hand. Sweat beaded on his temples, and tiredness drooped his brow.

  “It looks like you have the situation under control, my daughter.”

  “Papa, are you okay?”

  He shook his head. “I will be fine. I must rest now,” he said. “You have a nice afternoon, Aaliyah.”

  She placed a hand on his shoulder. “Want me to walk you inside?”

  “No, no. You stay, see to your guests. You can tell me later how things go. I think I’ve seen enough.” His lips thinned to a weary smile.

  Aaliyah leaned in for a hug. “See you later, Papa.”

  He patted her cheek before rotating and trundling his way to the elevator. She waited until the doors closed behind him to return her attention to River. To Zayn.

  “Sorry about all of this,” Zayn said again, walking beside her. She joined him on his way to the pool, pausing at the handrail leading into the deep end. The water seemed so blue, so clear and inviting.

  “You’re busy, I get that,” she said, trying to be gracious. “Your situation sounds pretty serious.” She couldn’t bring herself to apologize for her part in it, or to thank him for returning. The way he’d mentioned it earlier almost sounded as though he was blaming her for it.

  She’d never forced him to agree to her father’s arrangement.

  She could be wrong. She decided to allow him to prove she was.

  Zayn shrugged. “If it’s all right with you, I’d rather not talk about it.”

  “Fair enough. I wouldn’t mind cooling off myself.” Without another word, she dove into the pool. The water mushroomed up, spilling out over the pool’s edge. Aaliyah plunged, relishing the coolness of the water, and kicked with her feet to bring herself back to the surface. She emerged with a jubilant gasp and pushed her hair away from her face.

  Zayn stood at the edge, smirking at her.

  “Aren’t you coming in?” she asked.

  “I don’t know, the view from here seems pretty good.”

  She splashed water up at him, and he laughed. “That’s it,” he said, stepping feet first into the water.

  He plunged in. While waiting for him to surface, something gripped around her ankle. Aaliyah squealed before finding herself pulled under as well. She sculled her hands, pushing through the water, making for the surface once more.

  “That was a rotten trick,” she said, swiping wet hair from her face again.

  Zayn grinned. This was the most relaxed she’d ever seen h
im. “You asked for it.”

  She swam a few feet away from him, loving the silk of the water across her skin and trying to figure out the best way to say what she needed to say. The bitterness she’d felt toward him during the past few days was seeping out, being replaced by something like curiosity. Zayn was pleasant to be around. He seemed kind when he wasn’t distracted, arguing on cell phones, or blaming her for his problems.

  Would a life with him really be so bad? Was she being hasty in her decision? Ugh, why did her father have to push her like this?

  Aaliyah propped herself near the pool’s tiled edge and glanced to where River sat. He was in a heated conversation with someone on the phone, barely paying attention to her and Zayn. Somehow, it didn’t seem fair for him to tackle Zayn’s problems while Zayn was enjoying a leisurely swim with her. Sure, it was River’s job, but still. She thought of their conversation during their drive.

  River had stepped up and offered to help Zayn. She hoped he would be all right handling whatever this latest crisis was without his lamp.

  That same nudge in her low belly returned, and Aaliyah rotated to face Zayn in the water.

  “Looks like your assistant needs some assistance,” she said.

  “Riv’s all right. He does this for me all the time.”

  “So he told me. He seems used to cleaning up after you.” Her statement wove an awkward strain between them. Aaliyah attempted to disentangle it with a pointed statement. “You know, he took me to dinner the night you left.”

  “I—I know. I asked him to.”

  “We had a wonderful night,” she said. “We ate right here, on this rooftop.”

  Water dripped from Zayn’s chin. “I see.”

  “It only made sense,” she explained, kicking her feet in the water just enough. “I was already dressed and ready to go. You gave me no inclination that you wouldn’t make an appearance like you said you would.”

  Zayn stared at the water, nodding his head before returning his gaze to her. “Aaliyah, that was wrong of me. I should have talked to you. I should have let you know in person instead of leaving it for River to handle.”

  “You’re right,” she said. “You know, suddenly, I don’t want to swim anymore.” She pulled herself from the pool and sat at its side, still hearing River’s commanding voice waft from the umbrella they’d all sat beneath.

  Zayn lifted himself from the pool as well and sat beside her. He kept his feet in the water. Aaliyah stiffened and slid away just enough.

  “Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to tell me something?” he asked.

  “Because I am,” she said. “That’s why my father called you and River both here. You had your chance, Zayn. I was hesitant about it, but I was ready to get to know you. It really stung to think I was heading down for a date with you only to find you’d left the country and couldn’t even bother to tell me.”

  “I’m truly sorry I did that,” he said. “I’m not used to telling anyone else but River what I’m up to.”

  “I know my father was doing what he thought was best for me. I’m not sure what your motivations were in agreeing with this arrangement, but I wanted you to know, I think you’re a nice person.”

  “Nice?”

  “Yes. But my father has given me the freedom to choose who I marry, Mr. Hassan, and I’m taking it.”

  “So you’re saying—”

  Why couldn’t he just read between the lines? He was a lawyer—weren’t they supposed to be good at that? She steeled herself and said it. “I don’t think a marriage between us is going to work.”

  Zayn blinked before lowering his head. “Wow.”

  “What? What were you expecting?” she asked.

  “To spend time with you?”

  He sounded disappointed enough, but she couldn’t tell if it was genuine. If he was, she couldn’t allow herself to feel sorry for it.

  “It’s too late for that, I think,” she said.

  “You sound like you don’t believe me.”

  “I don’t know what to believe about you. Aside from essentially blaming me for your current problems with your client, you haven’t shown me enough of yourself to even know who you are.”

  “But it’s a fact that I wouldn’t have had to leave my responsibilities in Fiji if it wasn’t for the situation with you and your father.”

  “I didn’t force you to agree,” she argued, incensed. “My father didn’t force you.”

  “No, he just twisted the words enough to make me think I wanted this.”

  She knew all too well Papa’s ability to sweet talk a person into doing what he wanted. He had the ability to make it sound like he had the other’s best interest at heart, and she still couldn’t tell if he always did or if he was just that clever.

  “I’m really sorry,” she said. “I know I’m saying this when you’re already dealing with some other frustrations. I just didn’t want to lead you on. I figure that would only make things harder later on.”

  “Then why this whole swimming façade? Why not just tell me?”

  “I’m telling you now,” she said.

  He pushed to his feet, slicked his hair back, and began pacing with his hands on his hips. Aaliyah rose as well. She wasn’t about to let him stand over her.

  “You know, Aaliyah, I’ve got to say, this entire engagement scheme has been completely disconcerting.”

  “Scheme?”

  “First, your dad presents an arranged marriage to me, telling me if I want a part in his company I have to marry you first. Fine. Now you won’t even give me a chance?”

  “I gave you a chance, Zayn. I just finished telling you how much it hurt my feelings to have you stand me up for our first date!”

  “What am I supposed to do now?” he asked. “I would like that CEO position, Aaliyah.”

  “Is that the only reason you were willing to go through with this?” She folded her arms. The sun was already warming her wet swimsuit. “Doesn’t it seem strange for my father to have to bribe you to be with me when River did it because he wanted to?”

  “That’s right. Riv told me about all this time you’ve been spending together. But it wasn’t because he wanted to.”

  “What does that mean?” she asked.

  Zayn’s expression slipped into a scowl. His voice turned nasty.

  “River was only there to take you to dinner because I told him to. I wouldn’t be so sure of anything between you. River wants money, Aaliyah. He’s been asking me about investments for a while now, so I wouldn’t go getting any romantic notions about the two of you after such a short time either.”

  Her mouth gaped. “How dare you?”

  “Thanks for the swim,” he said, turning his back on her. “But I think we’re done here.” He headed toward the towel cart, retrieved the topmost towel, and then headed for the elevator.

  Aaliyah’s ears were ringing. It couldn’t be true. River wasn’t only interested in her for her money, was he?

  She thought back to their dinner. He’d made it clear he was only there to deliver a message. But then he’d asked her to stay with him. She’d thought he was just being sympathetic and kind, only to find she’d enjoyed his company. She’d thought they’d had an attraction. A connection. Had she been completely wrong about the nature of his intentions toward her?

  His admiration for her car, for a lifestyle like hers. Most men would chomp at the bit for extravagance like she enjoyed. River had never given her any kind of indication that was the case, but men could be good liars. Had he said something like that to Zayn?

  The thought struck her like a sucker punch. It tightened in her chest, rendering her a trembling mass as remorse and humiliation settled in.

  Zayn was right. She’d only known River for a matter of days. Her father’s push for marriage had caused her to rush and make hasty decisions. She’d been a complete idiot. Zayn only wanted her for the CEO position. And River only wanted her for her car.

  River had his back to her, still in conver
sation. She retrieved her towel from the lounge chair and stormed past him toward the elevator as well. Right now, she didn’t want to be around either of them. She inwardly cursed her father for ever getting her into this in the first place.

  And as for River? He could find his own way down.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  River ended the call with Zayn’s lawyer and turned toward the pool. He assumed Zayn and Aaliyah were talking where he couldn’t overhear, but his gaze swept one direction, then the other. The pool water was settled. Every chair was vacant. Even Aaliyah’s towel was gone. Where had Zayn and Aaliyah gone?

  A stone sank into his stomach. Had something happened between them?

  His head pounded from the heated conversation with Zayn’s lawyer. From the sound of things, Zayn admission was right. He was about to be served for negligence while he’d been in Fiji. Papers would either be mailed here to the Elir Clearwater Beach Resort or would be served in person the minute Zayn returned to New York.

  Just what had he been up to while he was there? It had something to do with Celia Shepherd as well. Zayn should have kept an ocean’s worth of distance from her during his stay. He should have focused on Norris’s case and nothing else. But no, he’d gone and stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.

  With the threat of Norris’ lawsuit, there was nothing for it. Zayn needed to get back to Fiji, as soon as possible.

  River wanted to text Aaliyah, to see where she’d gone. He told himself to get her number at the closest opportunity and made his way down to his suite.

  Zayn was pacing the hall in front of River’s door. His hair was wet, but he was fully dressed in jeans, a Hurley T-shirt, and flip flops.

  River jerked his key from his pocket. “There you are. Why did you leave? How did it go with Aaliyah?”

  He opened the door, waiting for Zayn to enter before following him in and closing it.

  “Funny you should ask,” Zayn said, pausing before the built-in kitchen. “Is there anything you’d like to tell me?”

  “About Aaliyah and me?”

  “So there’s an Aaliyah and you?”