The Sheikh's Irresistible Proposal (2 page)

TWO

Concealed from the still-cheering audience behind the heavy black curtain, Hannah caught her breath as she tried to think. Did she know that man? She tried to place his face. He might have been in the audience before, but she didn’t think so. Perhaps she had catered an event he was at.
Yeah
, she thought, feeling herself exhale with relief.
That must be it.
She peeked around the edge of the curtain to get another glimpse. But when she looked back at his table, he was gone.

She walked down the dim hallway and toward the dressing room, which had also lost all its glamour from years before. She was about to go in when she heard a man’s voice speak from the dark.

“That was wonderful,” the voice said.

Hannah was used to getting compliments from the guests, but they weren’t supposed to be allowed backstage. She felt her heart race heavily in her chest and hoped this guy wasn’t some crazed stalker. Where was Randy, the bodyguard, she wondered. It was his job to keep creeps away from the talent.

She put on her best fake smile and turned to face the stranger, one hand on the door handle of her dressing room, ready to make a quick escape.

“Thank you…” the words fell out of her mouth as her eyes locked with the stranger from the back of the room. Hannah felt the blush rise in her cheeks again. The tall, well-built man was incredibly good-looking, with dark olive skin, black hair and the thickest eyelashes she had ever seen.

He smiled at her reaction and took a slow step toward her. Hannah kept her eyes locked on his, unable to look away. What was wrong with her? Was she under some sort of spell? She shook her head and laughed a little, trying to ease the awkwardness she felt.

“I’ve heard a lot of jazz singers in my time,” said the stranger, standing just feet away from Hannah in the dim hallway. “But you are by far the most, how shall I put it?” He stroked his chiseled chin with his hand. “The most sensual.”

Hannah felt a shiver run up her spine. Sensual? There was a word people didn’t usually use to describe her. Okay, maybe. Average. Good. Sometimes people even said she was great. But sensual? That was probably one of the best compliments she had ever received. What better way to describe the smooth, sultry sound of great jazz?

“Well,” she said, gaining a little more confidence. “Thank you, again. But, I really don’t think you’re supposed to be back here.”

Why did she say that? Hannah hadn’t been on a date in— she couldn’t remember how long. She didn’t count Harvey as a date—he had been her boyfriend, and a lousy one at that. Even when they’d been together, he hadn’t taken her on any real dates apart from a couple right at the beginning. She let her mind wander and imagined what it would be like to go on a date with this guy.

The stranger smiled slyly, sending another shiver up Hannah’s spine. Darn. His smile was incredibly sexy. Maybe she should let him stay back here for a while.
Or invite him into the dressing room
, she thought.

“Actually,” he said, his face becoming more serious. “I came back here because I would like to make you an offer.” As he spoke, Hannah picked up the sound of a slight accent.

Images of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman ran through Hannah’s mind. This guy obviously had money. Hannah could tell by his expensive suit, his shining Rolex and the casualness with which he wore them.  You want me to go home with you? You want me to sing for you privately? You want me to marry you? The thoughts were ridiculous, she knew. But a girl could dream.

She let them go and then looked at him with curiosity. “An offer?”

“Yes. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sadiq.”

He held out his hand and Hannah shook it lightly.
What is that accent?
thought Hannah, unable to place it.

“I would like to hire you for a series of performances.”

Hannah eyed him suspiciously.

“Singing performances,” he said, almost reading her mind.

Hannah stood more at ease, glad that they were both on the same page. “Go on,” she said.

“I’d like to invite you to fly out to my home country in the Middle East and stay there for six weeks, traveling around and performing at various venues. I would take care of all the travel arrangements and would book all of the gigs. All you would have to do is perform.”

Six weeks? In the Middle East? Hannah’s face must have given away her worry because Sadiq went on quickly.

“Don’t worry, you will be compensated handsomely. I’m prepared to offer you 500,000 dollars in exchange for the six-week tour.”

Hannah blinked widely. Half a million bucks? For six weeks of her time? This guy must be on something. There’s no way this could be happening. She only made about $100 a night singing for Harvey. How on earth could this guy afford to pay her half a million? She did the math in her head quickly; even if she sang every night, that would be 42 nights, at $100 a night. That would only be $4,200—Sadiq was offering her more than a hundred times that.

This had to be a scam. There was no way this could be for real. Hannah remembered what her father had taught her.
‘If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.’

She smiled politely. “Sadiq,” she said gently, trying to let him down easily. “I appreciate the offer, really, I do. But I’ll have to pass. Thank you, though.”

“I understand that this might all be a bit overwhelming,” said Sadiq, and Hannah noticed that he didn’t even flinch when she refused him. “I mean, you probably don’t get offered 500,000 bucks every day of your life.”

Now Hannah was insulted. How did he know? How dare he assume that she didn’t have better offers than singing at the Blue Moon?

She let out a long breath. Who was she kidding? If she had better offers, she’d have taken them a long time ago.

“No,” she said finally, unsure whether to be mad, or embarrassed. “I don’t.”

“Well, if you’ll just indulge me and take some time to think about it. Jazz isn’t particularly popular in my country—at least, not yet—and it’s hard to find good singers. I know you would go down a storm.”

Hannah wondered again if this guy was for real or not. Maybe he was a record producer. Maybe he was an agent. Either way, she was too tired to figure it out now.

“Tell you what, Sadiq. Let me sleep on it. I’ll be singing here again tomorrow night so you can check back with me then.”

Hannah already knew what her answer would be, but it couldn’t hurt to flirt with this handsome guy a little more.

Sadiq’s eyes twinkled when he spoke. “Miss Green, I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow night. Until then,” he reached out and grabbed her hand and held it up to his mouth.

Hannah had to hold back the gasp of air that tried to escape as he pressed his warm lips against her skin and kissed her hand gently.

He released her hand, smiled and walked down the hallway, disappearing into the dark. Hannah just stood there, unsure of what had just happened. She brought her hand up to her face and smelled the deep, rich scent of the cologne he had been wearing. It was unlike anything she had smelled and filled her up with a sensation that was hard to describe, and like nothing she had ever known before.

THREE

“Oh my God! Were you just talking to that guy?” Chloe’s excited voice snapped Hannah out of her pensive spell.

“What? What guy?” Hannah looked down the dark hallway where Chloe had just come from. “Oh, him? Yeah, he—”

Before she could say another word, Chloe interrupted her. “Do you know who that was?”

Hannah raised her eyebrows and shook her head, shrugging.

“That was only one of the richest bachelors in New York! Sheikh Sadiq bin-something or other! What did he want to talk to you about? What did you say to him?” Chloe was beside herself and pumped Hannah for details.

“Um, he, well, he just told me that he liked my singing.”

“Oh my God, girl! I can’t believe that he came up to you by himself! He usually has his whole entourage with him. Haven’t you seen him in the society pages or the tabloids? He’s all over the place!”

“Uh-uh,” Hannah said slowly. A rich bachelor? A sheikh?
That certainly explains the home country thing.

“You two, keep it down back there!” Harvey’s gruff voice came down the hallway. “How many times have I told you?”

Chloe grabbed Hannah and pushed her into the dressing room. Hannah flopped onto the sofa, her eyes wide. Now she understood. The offer he had made her was for real. He was legitimately rich. Holy cow!

“So what did you talk about? What did he say to you, exactly? I want all the details.” Chloe sat in the chair across from Hannah, fidgeting like an excited child.

“Well, first he told me he liked my singing.”

“Uh-huh. And then what?”

Hannah smiled. “Then, he told me my voice was, sensual.”

Chloe threw her hands up to her face. “Oh my God! That’s incredible, Han!”

“Yeah, I know,” Hannah said, beaming.

“Okay, what else? There’s something else, I know it.”

Hannah’s face turned serious and she looked straight at her friend. “He asked me to fly to his home country for a six-week tour.”

Chloe’s mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding me? Are you being serious? You’re serious, aren’t you?”

Hannah nodded. She hadn’t even told Chloe the good part yet.

“And you said yes, right? Please tell me you said yes, Hannah.”

“Well…”

Chloe threw her hands up to her head. “Oh, come on! You didn’t refuse, did you? God help me, please tell me you didn’t turn the guy down.”

Hannah couldn’t help but giggle as her friend’s hoop earrings bounced around in her excitement. “Well, let me finish.”

Chloe ran a finger across her lips, pretending to zip her mouth up and throw away the key. Then she sat back with her arms crossed over her ample chest.

“In exchange for the performances, he offered me 500,000 dollars…”

Chloe opened her mouth to speak as her eyes went wide, but Hannah held her hand out to stop her.

“And I told him I’d sleep on it.”

“Oh my God!” Chloe jumped up from her chair. “You told him you’d think about it? Five hundred thousand dollars? Oh my God, girl. That’s
half a
million
dollars!”

Chloe stretched her words out for effect. She paced the room with her hands on her head, talking more to herself than to Hannah. “I can’t believe you. Most people don’t make that much in their entire lifetimes—I know I won’t. You might, because you’re good. You’re—” She stopped and turned to Hannah. “Sensual!”

“Chloe?” Hannah tried to reel her friend in.

“What?!” Chloe snapped.

“I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t know what?” Chloe asked.

“I didn’t know he was for real. I thought he was just a fan, or a stalker. A really good-looking, nice-smelling stalker. I had no idea when he made me the offer that he could actually back it up.”

“Okay,” Chloe said, sitting back down across from Hannah. “So you can make it right. Just call him and tell him you’ll take it.”

Hannah smiled slightly and looked away. “Yeah, about that…”

“Please tell me you got his number. Hannah,” Chloe got off her chair and knelt down in front of her best friend, mock-begging her. “Please tell me that you took the phone number of one of the richest bachelors in the city who just walked up to you and offered you half a million bucks for six weeks’ work. Please, please, tell me that you had the sense to take his phone number.”

Hannah pressed her lips together and shook her head.

Chloe got up and started pacing again. “No number. Nope. It’s just ten little digits, maybe seven if it’s a local number, but no, that would be too much. She can remember the lyrics to a thousand songs, but ask one guy for his number? Nope. Not a chance.”

Hannah got up and put her arm around her friend, laughing as she spoke. “Okay, relax. I told him I was singing again tomorrow night and that I’d have my answer for him then.”

Chloe turned and hugged her friend. “Thank you, sweet Jesus!” They pulled apart and Chloe looked at Hannah. “I’m sorry for overreacting. It’s just that, well, I want the best for you. You’re my best friend in the whole world. And you’re so darned talented. All I want is for you to succeed and be happy.”

“I know,” Hannah said. “And when I make it big, you’re gonna be my agent!”

“I thought I already was?” Chloe said with a grin.

Just then, Harvey’s voice came over the intercom. “Chloe, get your butt out here. You’re on in five.”

The two friends looked at the intercom and then at each other and rolled their eyes.

“Yeah, you better take that offer,” Chloe said. “We can’t both spend the rest of our lives here working for Harvey from Hell!”

Chloe blew Hannah a kiss and then disappeared through the door to go perform her set.

Hannah quickly changed out of her dress and gathered up her belongings, then walked down the dim hall to the sound of Chloe’s voice flowing over the speakers. She got outside and took the subway back to Brooklyn, her mind buzzing with possibilities after the unexpected turn her night had taken.