Laine leaned forward incredulously. “And you happened to, purely by accident, pick me?”
“Not at all.” Aziz strolled around Laine and leaned against the wall. “I picked you quite deliberately. I know that you helped to design the club we went to this weekend, and your designs have made it into several home magazine features. Not to mention the Northeastern Interiors Award you won last year. Darling, of course I know who Laine McConnell is.”
Aziz spread his hands. “Going to that party where you happened to be, that was the accident. A happy one. As I said, it must be fate. How different would our relationship be if we had only just now met?”
“Our relationship would be a lot more appropriate for work if we had,” Laine informed him.
“I will pay incredibly well for a job well done,” Aziz continued, ignoring her concern. “My home is quite large, and we’ve much to do in the way of updating it. I would oversee more of the work, but as you can imagine, I am a very busy man. I am on a bit of a working vacation at the moment, but at home, I cannot spend the time to make these decisions.”
Laine rose from the table slowly. “Are you saying you want to hire our company?”
“I want to hire you. Laine, I have seen your work. We swam in it.”
Laine couldn’t help but laugh a little at that.
“You have the very flair for style that I need! The way you select color—art, even! I implore you to consider my offer.” Aziz went over to a cabinet underneath a flat screen television. There, he pulled out a folder, set it on the table, and took out several photographs of large rooms.
“It is you I want, Laine, not your firm,” Aziz continued. “But as you work for them, I will abide by their rules…if you so demand. I would much prefer to simply hire you and turn the redesign of our home over to your capable hands.”
Laine stared at him and then looked down at the photographs. His home was simply enormous. It seemed to be much more of a palace than a house. Laine had to admit that the challenge of designing for such a tremendous space was very alluring. Not that she disliked decorating apartments for people in the city, but there was only so much to do, and she’d been doing it constantly and well, for a while now. Her creative muscles wanted stretching. With this canvas and Aziz’s budget, this job could be the very thing to satisfy her.
Laine stood as she looked over the rooms in front of her. “I would need a lot more detailed pictures.”
Aziz turned to her and touched her chin with two fingertips. “No, no, Laine. I want you to come back to Bahrain with me.”
Laine took a moment to let that concept sink in. Come back with him? Go half a world away from her home, just to decorate his house? Could she get away from the office for that long? Other designers traveled. They took on accounts in Chicago, Maine, Florida. But would Mr. Brandt be okay with her doing it? Laine thought that he should be. She’d proven herself more than reliable, but knowing that she was owed that respect and demanding it were two different matters.
“I…I can’t just take off work here, Aziz. I have other accounts,” Laine sputtered after a moment.
“I would pay you handsomely to hand those off to someone else and focus on my home.”
“And I don’t really need to be there to pick out patterns.”
“But you must live in the place. You must feel its energy and learn more about us, if you are going to do what you do best.” Aziz brushed his fingers through the bit of white hair falling over her forehead. “I have considered this. I can convince your boss that this is the best thing to do.”
“I don’t want you to talk to my boss!” Laine snapped, pulling away from him. “I’ll talk to him.” She sighed and put her hands on her hips. “Okay, I could come for a week. Maybe two. Check out the place, really assess your needs. I’ll have to get back to you, though. I can’t just pick up and go!”
I don’t know if I can go at all, she thought to herself. What if Mr. Brandt says no? What if Dad needs something while I’m away?
“I understand this. Although if you could be on the plane with me when I head back, it would make things much simpler.” Aziz crossed his arms. “Will two weeks be long enough to do a job such as this?”
“It’ll have to be. Just…give me some time to think…” Laine moved over to the window, trying to put more distance between herself and Aziz. The chemical attraction between them was almost too much, sometimes.
“Take some time,” Aziz allowed. He moved behind her and hugged her waist. His chin rested on her shoulder, and Laine almost couldn’t breathe. “But please, Laine, come to my home. Bring it to life for me.”