Chapter 8
8
“ W hat’s our schedule like for today?” Navya asked her assistant the second she walked into her office the next morning.
Her office wasn’t too big. It housed a cabin for her, a desk for her assistant at the entrance and a biggish conference room for all the meetings she conducted with her clients. Navya was proud of her small setup. Her office space was airy, bright, and well furnished. In her line of work, she collaborated with many people and hence didn’t need a bigger staff than her extremely capable and reliable assistant, Lavina.
Lavina tapped on her iPad, following Navya inside her cabin. “We have a meeting scheduled with a hair stylist and then the makeup artist to discuss looks for Alana Zoya, the Lebanese model.”
“Right, she has two photo shoots this week. Good. What else?
“Then, at two, we have an appointment with a new client. She’s a housewife and has expressed an interest in your work. She wants you to help her select a new wardrobe and to teach her skills to be socially adept.”
Navya gave her a surprised look. “This is new and interesting. Did she say how she’s heard of us?”
“No, just that she likes your work and would like for you to help her glam up.”
Navya set her purse down and removed her laptop, thinking. “What’s her budget like?”
“Endless. She is rich and wants to show the world,” Lavina grinned. “Should be fun. Here’s a little something about her.”
Navya took the iPad from her assistant. Lavina was in her mid-forties and had worked with her from the day Navya had started out on her own. She was smart, dedicated, and thorough. Over the last few years, they’d become friends of a sort.
Navya read through the prospective client’s profile. She laughed as she read the last line. “Mrs. Al Fahdi wants to look like the fashion icon Safa from Dubai Bling?!”
“Yeah, that’s what caught my attention as well,” her assistant smiled. “People are so influenced by TV these days. Well, you can definitely help her achieve that look.”
Navya played with the end of her long ponytail. Helping regular women look glamorous and teaching them the skills they needed to be on point in the social circuit could be both exciting and fulfilling.
“Alright, let’s meet her when she comes and take it from there. What else?” Navya fired up her laptop.
“At four, you have an invitation to Tiffany’s. They’re coming up with a new line of jewelry and have invited all fashion stylists to take a look.”
“Nice.”
The older woman tipped her head to the side. “ That was delivered in the morning.”
Navya looked to her right and frowned. She walked to the side table and lifted the black box tied with a red ribbon. A tiny firecracker burst in her belly. There was no card on the box, but she was certain who it was from. She unwrapped it, and there inside the box were… what in the world? She couldn’t believe it. Armaan had sent her a pair of red boxing gloves. Last night, he’d told her that he could teach her how to improve her fighting skills, and this morning, he’d sent her boxing gloves. He was inviting her to come train with him.
Lavina studied her. “You’re smiling. You know who this is from?”
Navya cleared her face, but she continued to stare at the gloves. God. She shouldn’t have replied to his texts from last night. She should have left him alone. She ought to have realized that any reaction from her was like poking a tiger. She recalled his last message to her.
“I’m happy to know you’re awake and still thinking of me. Go to sleep and dream of us. I know I will.”
Sleep had evaded her for a long time after that message, and of course, when she’d finally fallen asleep, she’d dreamt of them, and of him kissing her, his hands running down her bare skin, his mouth… God, no. She wasn’t thinking of her X-rated dream at work.
“Is he hot?” Lavina asked.
“Steaming hot,” Navya replied absently. Shit. She shut her eyes and shook her head.
Lavina laughed. “Are you going to tell me who he is?”
“No.”
“No worries, keep your secrets. I, however, am bloody good at extracting them.” Lavina tapped on the iPad once more and then turned it around to face her. “Is he the one? Armaan Oshnov?”
Navya peered into the iPad, and her jaw dropped. There was a photo of Armaan and her online from the fashion show. Someone had captured an intimate moment between them. It was a close-up shot of that instant when he was touching her lip, and both of them were staring at each another. The picture was… beautiful. The line written below it, was not. She grimaced as she read it.
“ Playboy Russian billionaire has set his sights on a cold, unattainable fashion stylist. Will he succeed where many others have failed? Is she even worth it?”
“Bloody fucking hell,” Navya cursed. She had a feeling who’d written such trash about her. It had to be Ozan. And then something else dawned on her. “Shit. My family will see this. Rajiv will blow a fuse. And Ananya…”
Fuck. She still needed to have that talk with Ananya. Last night, by the time Navya reached home, Ananya was already asleep. And this morning, Ananya had been out of the house before Navya had woken up. But now this picture… Ananya would throw a fit.
“Hey, it’s my job to keep a watch for news about you,” Lavina said gently. “I took a snapshot when this appeared last night. But it was pulled down within minutes. I doubt anyone in your family would have seen it.”
Relief made her weak in the knees. Thank God. If her brother saw her seated next to Armaan and looking at him like she was bloody besotted with him, then he’d lock her up somewhere. Hell, she deserved to be locked up for getting caught up with Armaan like that. What was wrong with her? Why the hell did she lose all her mental faculties around him?
Lavina turned the iPad to herself. “You look like you have a thing for him.”
“I do not have a thing for him.”
“So what if you have a thing for him? He’s hot, and you’re single. And he seems to be into you as well. What is the problem here?”
There was a list of problems here. Thankfully, Navya was saved from listing them out when her first appointment for the day walked in. The next two hours flew by. Lavina handed her a cup of coffee as soon as the meeting was done. Navya had barely taken a sip when Rehana Haddad walked inside her office, followed by her two assistants. Navya’s eyes popped on seeing her. What in the bloody hell was happening?!
“Navya, habibti , I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Rehana drawled. She air-kissed Navya, leaving a trail of her strong perfume behind.
She opened her mouth to greet the model when Armaan Oshnov coolly sauntered inside her office, the same security guard following him. Everything about her froze for a whole second before various things happened at once. Her belly began to clench and unclench, her heartbeat went into overdrive, and her mind became hyper aware… of him .
As usual, her eyes ran away on their own, roaming over him at leisure. Dressed in a beige jacket, white shirt open at the neck and navy trousers, his hair ruffled and that sexy shadow on his jaw, he looked fabulous. Adding to his appeal were the silver designer shades he had on. He removed the sunglasses and pocketed them. His lips curved, and his eyes twinkled as he found her assessing him.
She took a deep breath to calm herself, which didn’t calm her in the least, because the first words that came out of her mouth were, “What in the bloody hell are you doing here?”
Mischief danced on his face. “I brought you another gift, moya tigritsa .” He tipped his head at Rehana.
“Another gift?” Lavina exclaimed. “Oh, so he’s the hot guy you wouldn’t tell me about earlier.”
Navya gave her a deathly glare, but her assistant was too busy ogling Armaan to pay Navya any attention. Lavina was incorrigible. Being happily married with two teenage kids, she was a huge believer in love and marriage, and forced Navya to go out on dates. And now Lavina was looking at Armaan, eyes shining in delight, the wheels of her mushy brain turning and definitely concluding that he was the very man Navya had been waiting for in life.
Armaan moved a step closer to Navya. “You think I’m hot? Nice.”
Ignoring him, she faced Rehana, who was watching Armaan and her closely.
“Hello, Rehana, what a surprise!” Navya splayed her hand in the direction of the small conference room. “Come, why don’t you and your team take a seat inside, and then we can discuss how I can help you? Lavina, please see that all of them are comfortable and offer them some refreshments. I’ll be in soon.”
When Armaan began to follow all the ladies inside, Navya caught his arm, pulled him into her office, and shut her door.
He eyed the open box on her desk. “I see you got my first gift. So, are you willing to train with me?”
“Are you insane? What are you doing in my office?”
“I’m personally delivering my second gift to you. Rehana has agreed to talk to you regarding work.”
Navya’s eyes popped. “Wait, what? She’s agreed to?—”
He ran his eyes over the length of her. “I like your look. Cut out jeans and a baggy white shirt. Oh, and these gold hoops!” He leaned forward and touched her earring. “Very chic, baby .”
Oh God, her head was swimming. His conversation was all over the place.
“I am not your baby .” She put both her hands up angrily. “Explain Rehana.”
He rested a hip on her desk, looking extremely comfortable as if it were his office and not hers. “Well, you told me last night that you wanted to work with her, and I made it happen.”
She threw him a glower. “Sure, I also need a silver Ferrari 488 Spider. Can you make that happen too?”
He shrugged. “It can be arranged.”
“Fuck. You’re unbelievable. Can you get serious for one second?” She couldn’t believe how nonchalant he was behaving. Like it was normal for him to take control of her life. She wouldn’t have it. “First, you forced Jacques Namura to invite me, and now you’re forcing Rehana Haddad to work with me. I don’t like this. I’m capable of succeeding on my own without your help.”
“I have contacts everywhere. Why not use them?” he stated plainly.
“My brother has contacts as well. I’ve never used his.”
“That’s plain stupid, then. Everything in this world gets done through the contacts and the relationships you develop. Not making use of them just slows down your career growth and gives others an opportunity to zoom past you.”
“I suppose that is one way to look at it. However, making use of your contacts makes me indebted to you , and that’s the last thing I want.”
He stared at her for a whole second. The heat in his gaze made her want to shift or squirm. Perhaps do both. But she steeled herself and stared back at him.
“I see how you’d want to avoid that situation, considering you still owe me a night in my bed and haven’t fulfilled that yet.”
Her cheeks burned. “That won’t happen.”
“You’re still going to fight what is inevitable?” Armaan asked, his tone light but sure.
Goodness, he was too bloody confident that she was a sure thing. And fuck, she’d made it so easy for him to believe that, considering how she’d kissed him so easily at his party.
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “There is nothing happening between us. Any decent man would’ve taken the hint by now and left me alone.”
“I never said I was decent, moya tigritsa . In fact, I remembering telling you that I was bad, so very bad.”
Her blood sizzled at his words. God, what had she gotten herself into? And why was she unable to get out of it?
He stood. “Jokes apart, why don’t you seize the day and live for the moment? The topmost model in the Middle Eastern region is here in your office. Yes, she’s come as a favor to me. But you will have to convince her to work with you. I’ve only given you an opportunity to do that.”
She inhaled and exhaled. He was right. Rehana was here in her office. So many people would give an eye or an arm to have this very opportunity, and here she was, fighting it.
She lifted her jaw, her mind made up. “Do you promise that you won’t interfere if she doesn’t want to work with me? And that I won’t owe you anything for this?”
“I promise.”
“And do you promise to leave me alone after she goes and that you won’t talk about the debt I owe you?”
“Do you truly want me to leave you alone? Do you want me to cancel the night you owe me?” he asked in all seriousness. “Then say the words, and I will. Say the words, and I’ll walk out of here, and you will never hear from me again.”
A soft breath escaped her lips. This was the second time he was offering her a way out. That night at the party, he’d told her that if she could prove it to him that she wasn’t attracted to him, then he’d let her go. That had been a miserable failure because instead of doing that, she’d gone and kissed him.
Once again, he was offering her a chance to remove him from her life. The only problem was that her lips weren’t able to form the words she had to say to do that. She breathed out and once again parted her lips, but no words would come out. The proverbial stone had lodged itself in her throat. She wet her lips and tried again, and still, she couldn’t tell him to let her be. Fuck, what was wrong with her?
There was a knock on her door and Lavina entered. She looked from her to Armaan and then back at her. “Rehana is getting restless…”
Navya shook her head. “I’m coming.”
A soft chuckle followed her as she made her exit. Damn him for making her feel off-kelter. She’d ruined her chance to make him leave from her life. But after this meeting, she would tell him to leave her alone, and nothing would come in the way of that.