“Okay, but stop being a nuisance, and put yourself away; when I am done here, I will come to you.”
Her brows twitched, offended. “Right, I am being a nuisance for taking the whole morning, planning this fucking little trip so that we could go to the city together as a thank-you for being kind to my friends and getting to know them.”
“That was—”
“It doesn’t matter; I’ll go alone,” she said, already turning, but I pulled her sharply back, seeing as my hand was still around her wrist. She glared at me. “Punching you in front of the people who answer to you will not be a good picture for your boy band yearbook. Let me go.”
“I do not disregard your efforts. You only arrived at the wrong time. It was a bit disrespectful on your part that you ignored—”
“Do I look like I give a shit?”
I heard Casmiro curse from behind me.
“Por favor, Zahra, wait for me; I’ll be done here in a few minutes—”
“Twenty minutes, or I’m gone.”
“Thirty.”
“Twenty-five.”
“Thirty-five.”
She groaned, her gaze flicking behind me to the table, a frown on her neatly trimmed brows before she looked back at me. “Who’s the sweaty guy with the receding hairline?”
“Someone.”
“Oh no, secret stuff I can’t know about,” she said, her voice flat as I let go of her wrist. “Are the cats in the living room?”
“No.”
“Fine, thirty minutes. Any more, and I’m out of here, with or without you.”
“Thank you,” I told her as my eyes took her in again. “You look amazing. Brighter than usual.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line before widening it into a smile. “I know, but I mostly look brighter because I have a”—she tilted her head to the side, increasing her pitch level so everyone would hear—“boyfriend who is fucking me right!”
Casmiro groaned.
Zahra’s grin faded into a glare. “Thirty minutes.” And then she walked back the way she’d come in, and closed the door behind her.
A little mortified, irritated, and regretful, I returned to the table and took my seat.
“I apologize again,” I said.
“Oh no.” Armato laughed. “I understand; my wife gets into moods like that; you can never tell with our women these days.”
I did not return his amusement; my stare remained blank, and his smile faded.
“Where were we?” I asked, picking up the pen, not looking at Casmiro because I knew he was frowning and wouldlove nothing more than to bombard me with questions and unwanted opinions.
I signed on both spaces indicated, closed the file, and passed it to Angelo.
“Do not forget to pass on my message to your chairman, Armato.”
“I won’t forget,” he replied with a firm nod.
A few minutes later, Angelo was escorting him out. The moment they were gone and the soldiers around us had reduced in number, Casmiro attacked me with questions.
