Susan Mallery: The Sheik And The Pregnant Bride

Victoria paused behind her. “It’s, um, old.”

“A classic.”

“And dirty. And kind of in bad shape. You can fix that?”

Maggie nodded, already visualizing what the car could be. “I’m going to be searching for original parts, if I can find them. It will be a pain, but in the end, I want her exactly as she was.”

“Okay, then. Sounds like fun.” Victoria walked to a door. “This is your office.”

Office? Maggie had expected a bay in the garage and a toolbox. She got an office, too?

The space was large, clean and fully equipped. In addition to the desk with a computer, there were bookshelves filled with catalogs and a wall-size tool organizer.

Victoria opened the desk drawer and pulled out a credit card. “Yours. You are allowed to get whatever you need for the car. Qadir has placed no restrictions on your spending. I’m thinking you’ll want to avoid a trip to the Bahamas, however. What with the whole beheading thing.”

Maggie laughed. “Thanks for the tip. Is this really for me?”

“All of it. I was in here late yesterday and set up your computer. You’re already connected to the Internet.”

“Thanks.” Maggie had been excited about the job before-working on the Rolls would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her. But to have all this, too, was unbelievable. “Guess I’m not still in Kansas.”

“Is that where you’re from?”

“Colorado. Aspen.”

“It’s supposed to be beautiful there.”

“It is.”

“How’d you end up in El Deharia?” Victoria asked. As she spoke, she rested one hip on the desk.

Maggie figured with those shoes, she would want to stay off her feet as much as possible.

“My dad had talked to Qadir about restoring the car. They were still working the deal when my dad got sick. Cancer. Things were put on hold, then he died and I decided I wanted the job.”

It was the simple version of the story, Maggie thought, not wanting to tell someone she’d barely met that she had been forced to sell the business to pay for medical bills and that this job with Prince Qadir was her only chance of keeping her promise to her father about buying it back.

“I’m sorry about your loss,” Victoria said. “That has to be hard. Is your mom still alive?”

“No. She died when I was a baby. It was just my dad and me, but it was great. I loved being with him in the shop and learning about cars.”

“Well, I’m sure it’s a handy skill.” Victoria tilted her head so her curls fell. “So that’s all this is about? A job?”

“What else would it be?”

“Marrying a prince. That’s why I’m here.”

Maggie blinked. “How’s that working out for you?”

“Not very well,” Victoria admitted with a sigh. “I work for Prince Nadim-he’s one of Qadir’s cousins. I keep waiting for him to notice me, but so far, it’s not happening. Still, I have faith. One day he’ll look up, see me and be swept away.”

Maggie wasn’t sure what to say. “You don’t sound like you’re madly in love with him.”

“I’m not,” Victoria said with a grin. “Love is dangerous and for fools. I’m keeping my heart safely out of the game. But what little girl doesn’t want to grow up and be a princess?”

There had to be more to the story than that, Maggie thought. Victoria was too friendly and open to only care about money. Or maybe not. Maggie didn’t have that many female friends. Most women were put off by the car thing.

Victoria glanced at her watch. “I have to get back.” She bent over the desk and scribbled down a number. “That’s my cell. Call me if you have any questions, or if you want to have dinner or something. The palace is beautiful, but it can be a little scary at first. Not to mention lonely. We can hang out.”

“Eat dessert?”

Victoria sighed. “Yes, and then I’ll have to take the stairs even more than I do. Good luck with the car.”

As Maggie watched her go, she wondered if Victoria really meant what she said-about wanting to marry Prince Nadim. She supposed there were women who were more interested in what the man could provide than the character of the man himself. Not something that would interest her.

Unfortunately, thinking about men made her think about Jon. She hated that she still missed him and that seeing everything around the palace made her want to call him. He would appreciate what she was going through. Knowing him, he would even understand her ambivalence about their situation now.

But calling wasn’t an option. He was in love with Elaine. That fact shouldn’t mean she and Jon couldn’t be friends, but the truth was, things were different. They could never go back and she couldn’t figure out a way to go forward.

“Don’t think about it,” she told herself, then looked at the credit card Victoria had left with her. She didn’t enjoy shopping for girly stuff, but when cars or car parts were involved, she could really get into it. “So let’s take you for a test drive,” she told the card, “and see what you can do.”

Maggie typed in the amount, held back a wince and pushed Enter on the computer. Less than a second later, her bid amount showed on the page. She clapped her hands, then groaned when someone outbid her by two dollars.

She wanted that part. She needed that part. Maybe she should just offer the full price and get the stupid thing now, without worrying about it.

Practicality battled with how she’d been raised and frugality nearly won. It was ridiculous to pay the full amount when she might be able to get the part for less. However, she did have to budget her time and as Prince Qadir was incredibly rich, she wasn’t sure he would care that she’d saved him twenty bucks.

Still, it took a couple of deep breaths before she typed in the “pay this amount and buy it now” price. She writhed in her chair a couple of seconds before pushing Enter.

“Are you in pain?”

She turned toward the speaker and saw Prince Qadir stepping into her office.

“Is it serious?” he asked.

“I’m fine.” She hesitated, not sure if she should rise or bow or what. “I’m ordering parts online.”

“A simple enough action.”

“It’s an auction. I’ve been bidding all morning. Someone else keeps topping me by a couple of dollars.”

“Then offer enough to push him out of the battle.”

“That’s what I did.”

“Good.”

“I probably could have gotten the part for less if I’d waited.”

“Do you think that is important to me? The bargain?”

She looked at him, at his tailored suit and blinding white shirt. He looked like a successful executive…a very handsome executive.

“No one likes to be taken,” she said.

“Agreed, but there is a time and a place to barter. I doubt there is a huge market for parts for my car, but what market there is will be competitive. I want you to win.”

“I’ll remember that.”

“But you do not approve.”

“Why do you say that?” she asked.

“Your expression. You would prefer to bargain and wait.”

“I want you to get your car at a fair price.”

He smiled. “An excellent idea. I appreciate the fairness of your concern. Perhaps a balance of both would be easiest.”

He had a great smile, she thought absently. She hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about princes, but she supposed she would have assumed they were stern and serious. Or total playboys. She’d seen plenty of those during the season in Aspen. But Qadir didn’t seem to be either.

“I’ll do what I can,” she said. “It’s just I’m used to getting the best price.”

“While I am used to getting the best.”

With his family fortune, he always did, she thought humorously.