“Of course,” he offered.
“So you’re going to provide me with a list of all of your businesses and everyone you do business with so that I can look into them?”
“If you’d like that, then yes, I will provide you with a list.”
“Including all silent partners in any endeavor?”
Rais thought she was adorable. “I will provide you with a complete list of all of my business interests. And if there is anything you’d like additional information on, I will be happy to provide it.”
Joline narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out the catch. “You just have so many business interests. You don’t think I’ll have the time to go through all of them.”
He shrugged. “Not before the wedding, but you’ll have plenty of time to dig through the details after our honeymoon.”
“We’re not getting married, Rais,” she told him, wishing he would drop that subject.
“Yes. We are.”
She considered her next proposal carefully, not sure if she could follow through on it. But in the end, she had to at least offer it up for his consideration. She might be emotionally slaughtered, but she couldn’t easily walk away from this man. “How about if I agree to have an affair with you? No marriage and we keep our relationship confidential.”
He didn’t miss a beat in countering her offer. “How about if you pick out a wedding dress, tell me what the problem is and you let me take care of the issue?”
She bit her lip, wishing that he really could fix the biggest problem. But no…
“Joline?” a sultry feminine voice called out.
Joline instantly stiffened. Her eyes widened and she nervously looked over at Rais who was watching her closely. “Oh no,” she whispered, wishing she could hide somewhere.
But it was too late. Her mother had already seen her and was weaving her way through tables, heading towards her.
Joline didn’t have any choice so she made the best of a bad situation. “Hello Mother,” she said stiffly, as she stood up, anxious to have this encounter over with.
She felt Rais stand up as well, and suddenly large men surrounded the whole table. Rais waved his bodyguards away and stepped forward. “Ms. Caldwell?” he asked.
Martha turned, pretending to be surprised. “Goodness! You’re a handsome devil, aren’t you?” she said and the flirting immediately started. Joline resented her mother for all of the airs she was putting on and all she wanted to do was kick her mother’s shin for being so obvious. “You must be my daughter’s new beau!”
“Mother, perhaps this isn’t the best time. We’re attracting attention.”
Martha laughed and waved her hands in the air, dismissing the issue. “Darling, I attract attention everywhere I go, don’t I Antonio?”
For the first time, Joline noticed a man behind her mother who was hovering on the outer edge of their group. The guards were holding him back but he didn’t appear to be annoyed by the action. “Yes you do, my dear,” he replied with a look that told Joline that he endured this kind of activities often. “You’re definitely the center of attention no matter where you go.”
Joline heard the sarcasm but her mother preferred to ignore it. “You’re so right.” Turning back to her daughter, she said, “Now introduce me to this gorgeous man! And tell me all about him.”
Joline refrained from rolling her eyes a second time. “Mother, this is Prince Rais Sumara of Kilar. Rais, this is my mother, Martha Caldwell.”
Rais took the offered hand and lifted it to his lips, dutifully kissing Martha’s fingers. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Caldwell,” he said in a very suave voice.
Joline had to stop herself from making an exasperated sound when her mother’s lashes fluttered. “Goodness! He certainly beats all of the other men you’ve dated, darling,” she stage whispered to Joline with an elbow nudge.
“Mother, I thought you said you would be in London. What are you doing here in New York?” She didn’t bother to mention that her mother had said her current man’s name was Marcus and not Antonio. Some things were better left alone.
“Oh, I just had to go shopping and thought of you, dear. I know you run that quaint little store and thought I would see what I could find. Besides, Antonio had some business here so I told him I would be more than happy to accompany him,” she explained, pulling her man’s hand forward and wrapping her arms around his own. “What a coincidence, running into you here! I didn’t think I’d see you until I went to your store tomorrow morning.”
Joline didn’t mention that her mother could have called and set up a meeting. The fact that she hadn’t only meant that her mother was lying about trying to see her. A usual occurrence, she thought with increasing resentment. “I will be sure and pull some of the outfits for you. Just call as soon as you know your schedule tomorrow,” she offered, wishing that her mother would simply disappear. As she had so often in her life.