fact, she’d downplayed Salt River so much, she wasn’t even sure why the Sheikh was still interested. Still, she tried to get to know as much as she could about his involvement with the buyout, and what could possibly make him pull out of the deal.
Since that conversation, Emily hadn’t heard much from Tariq. Not because he hadn’t called or texted, but because she simply didn’t have the time to talk. As it turned out, industrial sabotage was difficult.
Hours after her conversation with her mother, Emily was still at her desk. Aside from grabbing a salad from the restaurant across the street, she hadn’t had much sustenance throughout the day. Coffee, salad, more coffee, and now she was making her way to the vending machine to grab a bottle of water, a yogurt, and about a dozen bags of chips. She slid her money into the vending machine and couldn’t believe she was passing up a night on the town to eat some three-year-old salt-and-vinegar chips. She took her loot and walked back to her desk.
The office had pretty much cleared out for the night. In the past few hours, she had wiped several accounts, done some purposely sloppy record keeping, and converted several financial records to indicate Salt River Resorts was in the poor house.
It was her seventh night in a row staying late in the office, and her ‘hard work’, or ‘sucking up’ as some called it, wasn’t going unnoticed by Lindsey.
“You’re staying late again?” her friend said as she approached Emily’s desk. “Go home, it’s ten o’clock.”
“Are you drinking?” Emily said with a laugh as she noticed the glass in Lindsey’s hand.
“Maybe a bit,” the girl shrugged. She looked perfectly dolled up for a night out—red blazer over her work outfit, red lipstick, her blond hair done up in curls.
“Hot date?”
Lindsey scoffed. “I wish. Nah, I had to take some promotional photos for a charity thing earlier with Salt River—” She paused and seemed to think on this, furrowing her brow in the process. “Well, whatever we’re going to be called once your boyfriend takes over.”
“Right,” Emily breathed nervously. “If that even happens. Mike seems pretty against it.”
“Right,” Lindsey repeated in a mocking tone, “But Mike has bosses, too, and they say sell, sell, sell! You should be over the moon, girly. I’m not, especially if I have to watch the two of you having tickle fights in the office. I’m pretty sure I’d puke.” She took another drink. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” Emily shrugged, spinning slightly in her swivel chair. “Just overworked.”
“And underpaid,” Lindsey retorted, raising her glass as if giving cheers and taking another sip.
“I’ve been working so much I had to cancel my date with Tariq.”
She didn’t know why she said it. She supposed it was because she was so disappointed not getting to see him, but bringing it up every five seconds wouldn’t undo the cancellation. In fact, it might just cast suspicion on herself. She bit her lip and looked up at her friend, who had taken her usual seat on the wobbly corner of her desk.
“That sucks,” Lindsey shrugged. “The things we do for work. This whole buyout thing has really got everyone in a panic, huh?”
“Yeah. Especially Mike.”
“Screw him,” Lindsey said with dismissal. “The best thing that could happen to that jerk is that we get bought out and he gets fired.”
Emily gave a nod of approval to her friend but stayed invested in her busywork on her computer.
Within a few moments, Lindsey suddenly narrowed her eyes and gazed down at her friend suspiciously. “Wait a second.”
Emily pointedly avoided her gaze, instead staring at her computer screen.
“I know what’s going on,” Lindsey said in a sure tone. “You’re sabotaging!”
“What?!” Emily shouted, louder than she meant to. She resisted the urge to cover the computer screen with her hands, making her look even guiltier. She should have guessed that Lindsey would figure it out.
“I knew it!” Lindsey said with a chuckle, pointing in Emily’s face. “You’re doing your patented ‘I’m happy with a man, it’s time to bolt!’ routine.”
Emily felt a cold sweat suddenly leave her body and her eyes met Lindsey’s. “Oh,” was all she said.
“Come on, admit it!” Lindsey prodded. “When’s the last time you saw the Sheikh?”
Emily wanted so badly to tell her friend that it wasn’t of her own choosing that she was ignoring Tariq. She put her hands over her face and sighed into them, unsure how to proceed. “Do you really think so?” she said through her