5. Rashad
CHAPTER 5
RASHAD
R ashad was already regretting this. Seeing Nina with her kids had been a surprise. More than a surprise. Usually, he handled unexpected obstacles well, but those obstacles were typically a problem with a flight route, a new piece of leverage, or a change in stock prices — not a pair of adorable twins.
Rashad didn’t even know anything about children. Nina’s kids seemed to be, well, old enough to stand and talk. They probably weren’t babies, then. Yet Rashad knew nothing else about them. Did they need diapers? Wi-Fi access? Colorful blocks? A space to do their math homework? He had no idea.
Rashad took a deep breath. He didn’t need to know anything about kids. They could play — or read, or sleep? Rashad wasn’t sure — while he and Nina had their meeting. After that, they could enjoy the ship for the weekend before returning to San Diego. After all, Rashad was about to put their mother out of business. A weekend on a yacht seemed like a nice gesture in those circumstances.
Plus, if he and Nina didn’t meet now, he wasn’t sure when they could. He needed to return to Al Soub by Tuesday at the latest, ideally with a strategy hammered out. It was definitely less than ideal to have a meeting with a pair of children in the room, but Rashad had held meetings in unfavorable circumstances before — during a flood in Australia, for instance, or through a translator in Greece. Surely, a pair of young kids couldn’t be more difficult to handle than either of those things.
Rashad had a quick word with his captain, a middle-aged woman who he’d worked with for several years now. Then he returned to the meeting room, where Nina was sitting at the table with a folder in front of her. Under the table, the two children, Miles and Kate, were giggling quietly. When Rashad entered, Miles let out an excited shriek and bounced, making the table shake slightly.
“Shall we begin?” Rashad took a seat across from Nina and opened his own folder, just as a loud and enthusiastic chorus of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” emerged from underneath the table.
“Let’s color quietly for a few minutes,” Nina said, her tone firm yet gentle as she leaned under the table. There were a few disgruntled mutters, but the children fell silent.
“Are they really comfortable under the table?” Rashad asked.
“Yes, very. I offered them a seat at the table, but they refused to budge once they got settled.”
“As long as they’re comfortable.” Rashad folded his hands.
“My thoughts exactly. Anyway, my apologies again for our unexpected attendees.”
“It’s really all right.” Rashad took out a few sheets of numbers he’d been preparing for the meeting. “I am curious, though, about why you weren’t able to find someone to watch them.”
“Babysitters are hard to come by, especially good ones.” Nina shrugged. “I have a few regulars, but it ended up being last-minute, and my mother was away for the weekend.”
“Don’t you have other family in the area who could look after them? Your husband, maybe?”
Nina looked away and Rashad instantly felt guilty for his question. He, of all people, should know that family could be a touchy subject and that she might not want to discuss hers with him. The question about her husband was particularly out of line, especially since Rashad was interested in her answer from a personal angle as well as a professional one. Was Nina married? With two young kids, the odds pointed to yes.
“It’s just us,” Nina said. “I’m not married.” She lifted her eyes to Rashad’s. “But I think we’re here to discuss business, not our personal lives. Am I right?”
“Of course.” Rashad slid his first sheet of figures across the table to Nina, trying to ignore the way his heart stirred at the knowledge that she was single. “I have a few data points I’d like your opinion on. The research I’ve been able to do shows that your company, Heartbeat, already reaches a significant portion of likely users, particularly in the eighteen-to-thirty-five category. Would you agree with these figures?”
Nina glanced over the sheet. “Yes, although I think some important data is missing. While we have a lot of young users, we also have a decent share of elderly users, particularly for an app.”
“Great. I ask because—” The boat jolted a little as it slid out of the mooring, and Nina stiffened. “It’s all right. We’re just getting out of the harbor.”
“I’ll admit, I haven’t been on many boats before.” Nina grinned sheepishly. “Running a business and looking after two children doesn’t leave a lot of time for boating.”
“You can say that again. I don’t have children, and I still work so much that I haven’t even been out on this yacht myself since I bought it. Mostly, I offer it to friends or clients.”
“I wondered why you had a yacht moored in San Diego when it doesn’t seem that you have much business here.” Nina spread her hands on the table. “All right, please continue.”
“Mommy!” One of the little blond children, Kate, poked her head out from under the table. “Miles stole the red crayon, and he won’t give it back!”
“Just a moment.” Nina shot Rashad an apologetic look before disappearing under the table. He heard her slightly muffled voice. “Kate, you have your own box of crayons. Use your red.”
“It isn’t the same,” Kate said in a pouty voice.
“If you’d like to borrow Miles’s crayon, I’m sure he’ll lend it to you when he’s finished, if you ask politely.”
There was a long pause, then a child’s voice said, “Miles? Can I use the red?”
“Just a minute.” There was the sound of scribbling. “Here you go.”
“Thanks!”
Nina reappeared, smoothing her hair as she regained her seat. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine. Are all children their age so well-behaved?”
Nina smiled. “Thanks for saying that. They have their moments of good behavior, like all kids do, but I have to admit that you’ll probably see them having a streak of mischief sooner or later.”
“I’ll look forward to that. So, about these numbers…”
Just then, Miles rolled out from under the table and climbed onto the top, using one of the chairs as leverage. “Look, Mommy! We’re going out to sea!”
“Miles, honey, we don’t climb on tables.” Nina gently removed her son from the surface. “But you’re right, we’re leaving the harbor.”
“Wow!” Miles flopped onto his mother’s lap and turned to Rashad. “Do you live here, mister?”
Rashad smiled despite the inconvenience and disruption. “No, I don’t. I just visit sometimes.”
“But it’s your boat?”
“It is.”
“I wish I can live here,” Miles said. He leaned back and gazed up at Nina. “Can we live here?”
“No, honey, but we can have a nice visit today.”
“Mommy!” Kate appeared, red crayon still in her hand. “I’m hungry.”
“Shall I get you an applesauce pouch?” Nina asked. She sent a glance towards Rashad. “Really, I am sorry. I think they’re both excited by the new experience.”
“It’s all right.” Rashad glanced at his watch. “Maybe we can start with lunch and resume our meeting afterwards.”
“That would be great.”
So, with absolutely no business concluded, the foursome headed onto the top deck to watch San Diego slowly disappearing into the distance as they dined. Rashad had planned a menu of freshly caught seafood and salad. He half expected the twins to turn their noses up at the dishes, but either he was wrong about kids, or they were more adventurous eaters than most, because both children dug into the feast with enthusiasm.
“Is this your first time in San Diego?” Nina asked as she handed her son a bite of bread.
Rashad hesitated before answering. Usually, he didn’t engage in small talk with his rivals. He preferred to get right down to business. It wouldn’t hurt to chat a little over lunch, though. Surely.
“No. I went to college in Los Angeles, so I visited San Diego two or three times while I was there.”
“Really? LA is a great town. If you like traffic and palm trees.” Nina winked and Rashad smiled.
“Well, I do. The city reminded me of my country, Al Soub.”
“I’ve heard of Al Soub. Your father is the sheikh there, right? And your brother will rule after him.”
“That’s correct.” Rashad had the unsettling feeling that Nina had been looking into him — though of course she would have. She was a smart businesswoman and wouldn’t have gone into this meeting without some knowledge of who she was dealing with.
“Do you spend much time there?”
“Yes, I live most of the year in the capital, though I travel frequently for business.”
“To Germany, most recently.”
“Once again, correct.” Rashad took a bite of fish. “You do your homework.”
“I wouldn’t be successful if I didn’t.”
“Homework is important,” Kate piped up. “I always do my homework.”
“You have homework?” Rashad was surprised. He would have thought that kids her age were too young for formal education.
“Yeah.” Kate nodded importantly. “Miss Emily gives us homework.”
“Miss Emily is their preschool teacher,” Nina filled in. “They attend a nature preschool a few hours a day.”
“What kind of homework does she give you?” Rashad asked.
“Read books,” Miles joined in. “Collect leaves. Paint a picture.”
“That all sounds nice.”
“Yeah!” Miles nodded enthusiastically.
Rashad turned his gaze back to Nina and saw that she was looking a little pale. “Are you feeling all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” Nina nodded, though she half looked like she was trying to convince herself. “Just a bit dizzy.”
“If you haven’t spent much time on boats, you might be feeling seasick.” Rashad finished the last of his salad. “Usually, taking a little time to get acclimated does the trick.”
“I hope so.” Nina took a final sip of her water and leaned back. “At least the kids seem all right.”
Miles and Kate had just finished the last bites of their food and were on their feet again by the railing, looking out over the sea below. They looked so small against the side of the yacht and so adorable.
“Kids are resilient,” Rashad said. That, at least, he was almost certain about. He didn’t need to spend a lot of time around children to know that. “Shall we have a quick tour of the yacht?”
“That would be lovely.” Nina got to her feet. “Kate, Miles, are you ready to look around?”
“Yeah!” The twins chorused enthusiastically. Rashad led the way from the dining area into the nearby sitting study.
“This is my office,” he told Nina.
“What a view.” She went to a window and looked out over the San Diego skyline that was slowly receding into the distance.
“I enjoy it. Come, I’ll show you the next room.” Rashad led the way through the sitting room, along the deck, to the small onboard hot tub and dipping pool, up to the kitchen and bedrooms, and through the observation deck on the back of the ship, where long blue couches offered gorgeous views of ocean and sky. Kate and Miles immediately leaped onto one of the couches, giggling joyfully, but Nina didn’t look as enthusiastic. In fact, she was leaning against the ship’s railing, looking even paler than before.
“Are you feeling all right?” Rashad came to join her. He noticed that, even though she appeared not to be feeling well, she kept most of her attention on her kids all the time. It must be tiring, being a parent.
“A little dizzy.” Nina made a face. “Sorry. Maybe it’s seasickness, maybe it’s lack of sleep, but either way, I have to admit that I’m not at my best.”
Rashad had a full afternoon of meetings scheduled. He’d planned to learn everything Nina would tell him about her company, then make her an offer — one way or another. By the time the sun set, he’d been hoping to toast to his success with a glass of champagne.
Things didn’t seem to be going that way, though. Nina was clearly not feeling that well, and even if she were in full form, the kids were here and didn’t seem eager to sit quietly while Rashad and Nina hashed out the basics of a business deal.
“How about this,” Rashad said slowly. “This afternoon, I have a bit of work I was hoping to do. Perhaps you and the twins can enjoy the yacht and rest a little. We can reconvene for dinner, and tomorrow we can have our meetings.”
“Really?” Nina frowned. “I don’t want to throw off your schedule.”
“It’s fine.” Rashad always had other work he could do, and there was no point pushing now. It would be easier to do what he had to do tomorrow. “Plus, I think the kids would enjoy an afternoon of playing instead of sitting in on boring business meetings.”
“I’m sure they would.” Nina still looked skeptical. “I just… Well. Thank you.”
“Of course. You know where everything is, so feel free to use the pool, help yourself to food from the kitchen, whatever you’d like. We can have dinner around seven.”
“Perfect. Thanks again.” Nina took a seat on one of the blue couches, resting her head on her hand, and Rashad slowly backed away. He had a strange urge to offer to babysit Miles and Kate so that Nina could rest, but he dismissed the thought before it could properly form. He didn’t know anything about children, and Nina seemed all right. Plus, he really did have work to do.
Rashad climbed the stairs to his office, where he opened his laptop and got to work. Usually, he would be completely absorbed in his job, but today he was distracted by the sound of giggles and voices downstairs. In the mid-afternoon, he spotted the kids playing in the pool while Nina sat on the edge, her skirt lifted over her knees, her feet in the water. She still looked tired, but she seemed all right. Hopefully, her seasickness was passing, and she’d be ready to get down to business soon.
Hopefully Rashad would be, too.
When seven o’clock rolled around, he met the trio back in the dining area for a simple dinner of pasta and salad. Again, the twins ate enthusiastically, but this time, Nina barely picked at her food. She drank plenty of water but didn’t seem hungry.
Rashad wanted to ask how she was, but he could barely get a word in edgewise. Kate and Miles were excitedly telling each other, Rashad, and Nina all about their day on the yacht — apparently, they’d swum, colored, played I Spy, and even watched an episode of their favorite TV show on the deck. From the way they described their day, it seemed like they’d had as much fun as they would have on Christmas. Rashad was glad that he’d given everyone the afternoon off so that the kids could have fun. Tomorrow, he and Nina would have to discuss business, and Rashad would do his best to forget that she was a caring mother with adorable children and approach her simply as another enemy in business.
It might be harder than usual.
A few times, as the twins chattered and compared stories from their exciting day of yachting, Nina and Rashad’s eyes met and they shared a smile at the children’s antics. It was surprisingly fun to be one of two adults in the room, as though he and Nina were sharing an ongoing private joke. When little Kate announced that she was interested in being a veterinarian when she grew up, but only for octopuses, both Rashad and Nina fought to hide their smiles and had to look away.
Rashad wondered, for a fleeting moment, what he had wanted to be when he grew up, but he couldn’t remember. He’d never wanted to be a sheikh, as he’d always known that was his brother’s path, not his, but he wasn’t sure what he’d aspired to become. Perhaps a vet, like Kate. Or perhaps a soccer player, like Miles. Business hadn’t appealed to him until he was a teenager.
After dinner, Nina yawned.
“I think we’ll go to bed. Thank you again for the afternoon. Miles and Kate had a great time.”
“Yeah, thanks!” Miles gave a cute thumbs-up.
“No problem. Sleep well, and I hope you feel better in the morning.”
“I’m sure I will.” Nina smiled. “See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Nina disappeared upstairs while Rashad poured himself a glass of wine. He leaned back in his chair and sipped deeply. This weekend wasn’t going the way he’d planned at all. By now, he should have had at least a handshake agreement with Nina on a takeover, or a strategy for outcompeting her company on the market. Instead, he’d gotten unrelated work done and joined Nina and her kids for two surprisingly pleasant meals.
Hopefully, Nina would feel better the next morning, and Rashad could put today out of his mind and get back to business. It might be harder than expected to be as ruthless as he wanted to be, now that he’d seen her with her kids, but he could overcome any hesitations he had.
He had to, or his company would suffer.