The Oil Prince (Contemporary Romance) (3 page)

Emily rushed towards the elevator the next morning when she arrived at work. Fady held the doors open for her. She leaped into the elevator and smiled at him. “Thank you,” she said. He nodded in response. Emily stood next to him quietly.

“How was your first day working with my brother?” Fady asked Emily. He knew his brother very well. Basil was like a wrecking ball in every woman’s life. If he was not sleeping with her, then he was very unkind and diabolic towards her. If he was sleeping with a woman, he lost interest quickly and tossed her aside. He made women feel worthless and unwanted. That was his nature. He was a prince that cared for no one except himself.

“It was fine,” Emily replied.

“I doubt it.” Fady had a small smile on his face. The lift doors opened and the two of them walked out. The receptionist, Rachel, stood up and greeted Fady. He gave her a nod as he and Emily walked past her.

“Honestly, it was fine.” 

Fady looked down at Emily as they were walking. He did not believe her at all. Emily could feel his gaze. She turned to look at him and saw him looking at her with his eyebrow raised. “It was fine,” Fady repeated sarcastically. Emily looked away and sighed.

“He is not easy to work with,” she blurted out. She was sure that it was not the right move to talk about Basil to his brother but Fady was trying to drag it out of her. He knew that Emily and Basil were not getting along.

“Yes, that is true, you will just have to bear with him. If it gets too hard, come find me.”

“It will be okay.” She hoped that it was going to be okay because she was a Southern girl and Southern girls did not take crap from anyone. She did not want to lose it on her boss’s brother but if he kept up with his rudeness, she would have to speak her mind.

“It will get hard, come find me then.” Fady quickened his pace and took a left turn, towards his office. 

Instead of feeling good that Fady was willing to come to her aid if working with Basil was too hard, Emily was worrying that it was going to get hard. She headed to her office. Just as she was about to walk in, she remembered that she was to be working in a different office now. She frowned and turned around. She headed to the office she was sharing with Basil. When she walked into the empty room, she was not surprised to see he was not there.

She put her bag down. Fortunately there was a coffee machine in the room. There was almost everything she needed in the new office. She walked towards the machine and started making herself some coffee. She heard the door open. She turned and saw Basil walking in. She raised her eyebrows in surprise. He was actually on time.

“What is wrong with you?” he asked her. She frowned.

“Good morning to you too,” she replied sardonically and looked away. It was too early in the day to deal with his attitude. He did not respond to her. He just pulled out a chair and sat down instead. “Coffee?” she asked him.

“One and a half teaspoon of coffee, one quarter of almond milk and three quarters water and one teaspoon of brown sugar,” said Basil. Emily stared at him with a blank facial expression.

“Rather specific,” she said.

“I like my things a certain way.”

“I see.”

“Make sure to wash the cup first.”

Emily raised her eyebrow. Did Basil think that she was his maid or something? She did not answer him and made his coffee the same way she made hers. Basil seemed like a fussy man. She was not going to make the coffee the way he had asked. She walked over to the table with two white mugs in her hand. She placed a mug right in front of Basil. He looked up from his phone and studied the coffee for a second before he sipped it.

“This is not how I drink it,” Basil said. He could immediately taste the difference. He always drank coffee the same way. He could taste any minor change.

“That is how you will drink it today,” Emily said as she sat down and sipped her coffee. She placed the mug down and flipped the laptop open. Basil put the coffee down as if it were something disgusting.

“I will not drink it.”

“Suit yourself.” Emily took another sip of her coffee. That was the last time she was ever making him coffee. She knew he was not going to get up to make himself another cup. She looked at him from the corner of her eye. He was on his phone and not drinking his coffee. “What do you do in Al-Bisha?” she asked him.

“Why do you want to know?”

“You are always on your phone. Either you have a business or many female companions.”

Basil looked up from his phone and looked at her. He had his eyebrows raised. He did not say anything to her. Instead he studied her. She was wearing a white sleeveless turtleneck top and a black high-waisted skirt. Her hair was tied up in a high bun. She was average looking.

“What?” Emily asked him. His stare was making her feel uncomfortable. He had just stared at her and not said anything.

Basil did not respond immediately. Emily could feel his cold gaze piercing through her. “Nothing,” he finally said and looked down at his phone. Emily looked at her laptop. His cold stare made her a little uncomfortable. She just hoped that he did not notice.

A little later in the day, Rachel walked in the room with a folder for Emily. The folder had some important information regarding a previous project. She bowed her head to Basil and smiled. “Good afternoon, your highness,” she greeted him but he did not answer. He did not even look up. He acted as though he had not heard her. Emily creased her eyebrows.

“Hi, Rachel,” Emily greeted her.

“Hello, Emily,” she replied. She approached her and gave her the folder.

“Thanks, have there been any messages from the geology department?”

“No, nothing yet. I will let you know as soon as I hear something.”

“Sure.”

Rachel bowed to Basil before she left. He barely flinched. Emily had seen the entire thing. She felt bad for Rachel. Basil was just pompous and Rachel did not deserve that.

“You could have answered her,” Emily said.

“Why?” Basil asked.

“Because it is polite.”

Basil grunted in response. Rachel was just like a palace maid. There was no need for him to answer to her. He did not care what Emily thought of his actions. He certainly did not care for her opinion. He looked at his wrist, it was around three already. He had been there since morning. He closed his laptop.

“Where are you going?” Emily asked him. Basil shrugged. He was certainly not going to answer her question. It was none of her business. He stood up and walked out of the room. Emily growled. She was starting to see what Fady was talking about. His brother was difficult.
Just approximately 87 days left to the end of the project,
Emily thought to herself.

Emily welcomed the weekend with a big smile. She was glad that she was not going to be dealing with Prince Basil for the next two days. She just wanted to stay home and relax. However that plan was quickly crushed. Her grandmother came over to her house and forced Emily to accompany her to the country club.

“I really do not want to go,” Emily complained to her grandmother.

“Just get dressed quickly,” her grandmother replied. Emily reluctantly went to her room to get dressed. She knew that if she tried to deny her grandmother’s request, she could only lose. Her grandmother would not leave her alone so easily. She would probably emotionally blackmail Emily by saying that she was old and would die soon, so it would be wise for Emily to spend every chance she got with her. After Emily had finished getting ready, she returned downstairs and headed out of the house with her grandmother. They left in Emily’s car. The country club was only a 10-minute drive away.

When they arrived, Emily’s grandmother pulled out her parking pass and slapped it on the dashboard. They both got out of the car and headed inside. Even though the club was for members only, they were allowed a plus-one on weekends. So Emily was allowed to come with her grandmother. The country club was great for a lot of activities such as horseback riding, swimming, golf, gymnasium, and tennis.

“Why did you bring me here?” Emily asked her grandmother.

“I think there will be more bachelors by the stables,” she replied. Emily whipped her head in her grandmother’s direction and looked at her.

“You have got to be kidding me, Nana.”

“What?”

“Bachelors?”

“You cannot stay single forever. I want to see my great-grandchildren before I die.”

Emily rolled her eyes. She had been tricked once again. The last time her grandmother had tricked her into going on a cruise with her. It turned out that it was a singles cruise. Her grandmother took her hand and led her towards the horse stables. There weren’t many people by the stables, just a few men.

“So what is your plan now, Nana?” Emily asked. She wished that she could just run off and go back home but she could not leave her grandmother there.

“Sit by the track,” she replied. Emily reluctantly followed her grandmother to the track, where some men were riding. A lady was already standing by the fence. She had long jet-black hair, olive skin, and jet-black eyebrows. She was wearing a boat-neck blue dress that hugged her breasts and then flared. She had a white Michael Kors clutch bag. A man riding on a horse stopped in front of her and got off the horse. Emily was hardly paying attention.

“You ride well,” the woman said to him. She had an accent.

“I do,” the man replied. Emily recognized his voice. She turned and saw that it was Basil. She immediately felt awkward. He turned his head and locked eyes with Emily. He raised his eyebrows slightly. “What are you doing here?” he asked her.

“I could ask you the same thing,” she replied.

“I am a member here and I do not think you are one.”

“Why would I not be one?” Emily frowned. Just what was he suggesting? Sure, country clubs were for rich people and she was not rich but he knew nothing about her life. How dare he insinuate?

Basil scanned her from head to toe before he replied. “For one, your attire is incorrect,” he said. Emily was wearing white trousers and a white T-shirt. She frowned at him. This was the second time he had said something about her dress sense.

“It is none of your business how I dress,” Emily replied. Her grandmother was standing next to her watching the squabble between her granddaughter and the unfamiliar man unfold.

“Who is she?” the lady in the blue dress asked Basil.

“Had you been a member, you would dress differently,” Basil said to Emily, and ignored the lady in the blue dress. Emily rolled her eyes.

“It's my day off, I do not have to speak to you,” she said. She looked at her grandmother. “Nana, let’s go,” she said to her.

“Who is he?” Emily’s grandmother asked.

“Someone I have the unfortunate pleasure of working with,” she replied.

“It is I who is unfortunate,” Basil said.

“You work together?” the lady in the blue dress asked.

“Wait for me in the car,” he said to her. She nodded and walked off. Emily raised her eyebrows.

“One of your female lovers?” Emily asked.

“You have quite an interest in my private affairs,” Basil said and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I do not.”

“You do.”

“Like I said, it is my day off and I do not have to speak to you,” Emily said and walked off. Her grandmother followed her. Emily was not sure where she was going but she just wanted to get away from Basil. Seeing him had just spoiled her day. She walked past the stables and into the main building of the club. She walked straight down the hall and took a right a turn. She finally stopped when she reached a spot that looked like a reception area.

“Who is he?” her grandmother asked her once they had stopped walking. She had been following her granddaughter and watched her practically running away from the man she was speaking to. “Don’t worry, he is not chasing you,” she joked.

“He is Prince Basil,” Emily replied.

“He is a prince?” Her nana’s eyes widened and a small smile appeared on her face.

“Yes, Nana. Can we go home?”

“We just got here,” said her grandmother. “There was something between you and him.”

“Yes, mutual detestation,” said Emily.

Her grandmother laughed. “The opposite,” she said. She walked towards the sofas that were in the corner of the room. Emily followed her with a frown on her face.

“What opposite?” she asked her grandmother as she sat in front of her.

“I have been on this earth longer than you have. I can see things you cannot.”

“Like what?”

“There is chemistry between you and the prince.”

Emily stared at her grandmother with a frown on her face. It seemed as though her nana did not know what she was talking about. Emily and Basil did not get along. Whenever they were with one another, they seemed to be fighting about something. How could there possibly be chemistry between them?

“Yes, there is chemistry,” Emily said sarcastically.

“You argue with passion.”

“Okay, lady. I am done talking about
him.
Can we please go home?”

“No, I saved all my pennies to get this country club membership. So we are going to enjoy this place, young lady.”

Emily moaned. She never had wanted to come to the country club in the first place. Now she really wanted to leave because of Basil. She did not want to risk running into him again. She crossed her fingers and hoped that was not the case. Emily and her grandmother stood up and decided to go have some food.

“He is handsome though,” said Nana.

“Oh, Nana, it seems you need glasses already,” Emily replied.

“It seems you need them if you do not think that young prince is handsome.”

Emily laughed. “He is average, nothing special,” she said. Her nana shook her head.

“Instead of arguing with him, you should befriend him. He’s a prince,” she said.

“A very rude one.”

“He did have a point.”

“What point?”

“You could dress a little better.”

Emily rolled her eyes. Her nana and her aunt always told her that her dress sense was average but average did not turn heads. She needed to dress in a sexy but classy way, so that she turned heads and caught the attention of the bachelors.