The Oil Prince (Contemporary Romance) (6 page)

It had been two days since Emily had seen Basil. She had last seen him on Monday at the refinery. Even after that speech she had given him, he still was not motivated to work. It truly annoyed her. She was no longer bothered about him. The hard work had been done really. Now they just had to wait to hear back from Magenta Oils, and know whether they had approved of the sample. Emily had been working on her other projects that had taken a back seat because of the methane project.

She got up from the desk and went to make herself a cup of coffee. As she was waiting for it to brew, she heard the door open and then someone speaking to her. “Make a cup for me too,” the person said. She recognized the voice instantly. She did not even bother to turn around.

“So you decided to show up,” she said without turning around.

“There is nothing to do anyway,” Basil replied. Emily heard him pull out a chair.

“That is not the point.”

“I want mine a little strong today.”

“Your what?” Emily asked as she poured herself some coffee. She poured in some milk and two teaspoons of sugar.

“My coffee,” he replied. Emily laughed. She turned around and walked back to her seat.

“You are funny. I have never made you any coffee, what makes you think that I will do so today?” She took a sip of her coffee, looking at him. She intentionally teased him with her coffee.

“You are so stingy,” he said to her. Emily laughed as she sat down.

“You need to learn how to ask politely.”

Basil grunted as he got up. He went to the coffee machine. He grunted again when he realized that she had not made much coffee. There was a just a little bit of coffee left, it was not even enough to make a cup. He pulled out the coffee beans.

“Are my eyes deceiving me?” Emily asked. She could not believe that Basil was actually about to make himself coffee.

“Well you refused, didn’t you?”

“Hold on, let me get out my phone and take a picture of this!” Emily said jokingly.

“This would have never happened in the palace.”

“Well, we aren’t in the palace.”

Basil grunted. “No need to remind me,” he said.

“You miss it?” Emily asked him as he examined the coffee machine, wondering where to put the coffee beans.

“Of course I do. It’s my home,” he replied. Emily started laughing. “What is so funny?” he asked her. She put her coffee mug down and stood up. She walked over to him.

“The fact that you cannot make coffee,” she replied. She took coffee beans from him and put in them in the correct section of the coffee machine.

“Well, would it have been easier if you had made it for me from the start,” he said.

“I did not know you would be this useless at making coffee.”

“Women.” He sighed. “You are all so difficult.”

Emily switched on the machine. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him. “There is a woman making life difficult?” she asked him. He raised his eyebrows before he responded.

“Look how nosy you are,” he said. Emily smiled.

“Well then, you should have not made that statement. Who is she?”

“The one that birthed me.” Basil sighed.

“Your mother?”

“No, Fady,” he said sarcastically. Emily narrowed her gaze at him. He smiled. For the first time he smiled at her.
The sky must be falling,
Emily thought to herself.

“Basil!”

“Yes, my mother.”

“What did she do?”

“She won't rest until she finds me a bride.” He could not believe he was even talking to Emily about his mother. He had never opened up to her about anything.

“Oh my.” Emily laughed a little. “The idea of arranged marriage sounds terrible to me.”

“The idea of marriage itself is just terrible.”

“What? You don’t want to get married?”

“Not really.”

“Why?”

“It's not for me.”

“How?” Emily just could not understand why he did not want to get married. What was wrong with marriage? But then again it was Basil. He was a peculiar man.

“You ask a lot of questions,” said Basil.

“I know.” Emily laughed a little. “I am just trying to understand why you do not want to get married. Who doesn’t want to get married?”

“What’s the point of it?”

“Marrying the person you love.”

“Love?”

“So now you will say you do not believe in love,” she said.

“As a matter of fact I do not,” he replied.

“What?”

“Why are we even discussing my life right now? You should be making me coffee.”

Emily rolled her eyes. “You are so demanding,” she said. She took a cup out of a cupboard and poured the coffee in the mug. She put sugar and milk in it.

“That is not how I drink it,” Basil said to Emily.

“That is how you will drink it today.” She handed him the coffee and returned to her seat and to her coffee.

“This is why I say women are too difficult.” Basil took a sip of his coffee.

“We aren’t difficult, it’s just you that frustrates us.”

“Look who is talking.”

“What? I frustrate you?” Emily laughed sarcastically. “That is crazy talk. What have I done to you?”

“You are always on my case. You nag too much.” Basil walked slowly towards his seat.

“You turned me into a nag. I never was one.” Emily switched her laptop on. Basil just grunted in response. For some reason, she was not annoying him that day. That was the longest they had ever spoken to each other. He found himself easily talking to her about himself, it was odd how natural it was.

He watched Emily drinking her coffee and looking at the paperwork that was on the table. Her caramel skin had a nice glow to it. Her curly hair was tied up into a high ponytail. Her brown eyebrows were nicely shaped. She was not bad looking. Suddenly she turned her head and they made eye contact. Even though he had been caught staring, he did not look away.

“What?” she asked.

“What?” he asked as if he did not know what she was asking him about. Emily narrowed her gaze at him.

“So if you studied engineering, why aren’t you working in the oil business?” Emily asked him.

“More questions?” he said.

“Basil, just answer the question.”

He raised his eyebrows. She was so feisty and he found it fascinating. “I am just not interested,” he said. Emily opened her mouth to speak but Basil beat her to it. “Then why did I study it?”

Emily laughed. He had read her mind. “Yes, why?” she said.

“That was what the sheikh wanted.”

“Why do you refer to him as the sheikh?”

“Because he is a sheikh, or would you rather I call him the king?”

“No, just dad or father.”

“Emily, you are too curious.”

That was the first time he had ever referred to her by her first name. He never said her name. He just said what he needed to say to her without saying her name or even being polite. Emily was also shocked at how long they had spoken and about his personal life too. She was seeing a different side to him. A better side than she had been seeing.

“Where is Basil?” Fady asked Emily as she walked into his office a week later. He had summoned her to his office to update her on the Magenta Oils deal.

“I do not know,” Emily replied to him. She really wanted to tell him that he should be the one to tell her where Basil was. After all it was his brother. “I have not seen him all day,” she added as she joined Fady at the sofas in his office.

“He has not come in again?”

“No sir, he has not.”

Fady closed his eyes momentarily. He knew that his brother did not like working or being in the company. He had stayed well clear of the company all his life. However this was a different situation. His title was on the line. Fady expected Basil to rise to the occasion. He was disappointed that his brother hadn’t been coming into work. In the last week it had gotten worse. He rarely came in.

“That child,” said Fady.

“Sir?” Emily said. 

“My brother, he is so irresponsible and lazy. I expected him to do better.”

“He did well at the meeting with Magenta Oils,” Emily said.

“That was one occasion, what has he done since?”

“To be fair there isn’t that much to do. We are just waiting to hear back from them,” she defended him. She did not think, she just spoke. After she heard herself say the words, she wondered why she was defending him. Fady was right. He was saying things that she had been saying all along. 

“Are you and my brother finally getting along?” Fady asked

“Not really, why do you ask?”

“Because you are defending him.”

“I am not defending him,” Emily quickly said. She scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. “Just saying the truth.” Her voice drifted off. Fady laughed.

“I must say that I am shocked. The two of you are getting along quicker than expected.”

“We are not getting along! He is still very rude and lazy. He comes and goes as he pleases. He’s a stubborn spoiled prince!” Emily spat out defensively. Her eyes widened when she realized that she said too much, in front of Basil's brother too, her boss.

He surprised her by bursting into laughter. “That was the reaction I was expecting,” he said. Emily frowned slightly. She did not expect him to laugh at all.

“You are not angry at me for speaking ill of your brother?” Emily asked.

“Not at all.” Fady still laughed a little. He cleared his throat. “The reason I wanted to speak to the two of you is because the terms of the Magenta Oils contract have changed,” he said.

“To what?”

“They need 400 barrels of methane instead of 200.”

“What?” Emily’s eyes widened. “Four hundred? Why? That is too much.”

“I agree. It is too much in such a short time frame.”

“But why did they change it? Two hundred was a lot to begin with, especially on a new well.”

“I guess their demand has increased. Also they are getting approached by more buyers.”

Emily was starting to panic about the deal. She was not sure whether they could provide 400 barrels. There was only a week left. It did not make sense that they would change the terms now, but anyway the terms made were verbal. Of course they could change their minds. Buyers always changed their minds and Emily was well aware of it.

Suddenly the door opened and Basil walked into the room. Both Emily and Fady looked at Basil as he walked in. He strolled in, looking rather relaxed. He joined them at the sofas. “What is happening?” he asked them.

“Nice of you to join us,” said Fady. Basil flashed him a mischievous grin.

“What did I miss?” Basil asked.

“Emily wants to kill you,” Fady joked. He had caught Emily looking at Basil from the corner of her eye.

“No, I do not,” Emily quickly denied it.

“She always wants to,” said Basil

“That is not true.”

“Emily, you always want to.”

There it was again, Basil had called her by her name. She felt butterflies in her stomach. She tried to suppress the feeling but it was impossible. Fortunately, Fady started speaking about the methane project.

“I was just pulling her leg,” said Fady. “Magenta Oils have decided to double up the required amount of barrels.” 

Basil looked surprised. “The deadline is only in a week,” he said.

“That is what they have decided. Will the well pump enough?”

“I am not sure.”

“There is almost nothing we can do really,” said Emily. She was already feeling defensive, which was unlike her. She had given the project all she had. At this point she was not sure what she could do.

“I agree but we should try to come up with something,” said Fady.

“We have worked so hard on this project, we cannot afford to lose this deal,” said Emily.

“A lot is at stake,” Fady agreed.

“I am going to head back to my office. I will report to you if I think of something,” said Emily as she stood up. Fady nodded. Emily walked out of his office and headed back to hers.

“Father called me to check on the progress of the project,” said Fady after Emily had left the office. Basil looked so uninterested.

“I bet it was our mother that called and he just spouted something in the background,” said Basil. Fady laughed.

“That is exactly what happened,” he said. Basil rose to his feet.

“I am off.”

“You are not curious about what she had to say?”

“No.”

Basil stalked to the exit. He knew that his mother had called about Basil’s marriage. She had no choice but to contact Fady, since Basil was not answering her calls. He also knew that their father wanted to know whether Basil was excelling in the project. He doubted that he was. He was the irresponsible son who never amounted to anything. Basil already knew what his parents spoke to Fady about and he had no interest in discussing it. There was no need to do so.