"No, I didn't sign anything." I held his gaze to let him know that he would not intimidate me. I think he appreciated me not backing down because he answered my question.
“I anticipated you would ask me about this. “ He handed me an electronic tablet. “This is yours. Keep it with you at all times while we are in Dubai. Open the yellow folder icon.”
When I clicked on it, I saw a document labeled “personal and confidential" inside. I clicked on that and there in front of me was a detailed contract explaining everything we discussed.
"Read it over, and if you agree, sign it electronically and send it to me. You have 24 hours to review it. And, if at any time something is too much for you or you don’t want to do it, just say ‘stop’ and I will.”
I planned to read it carefully later that evening but, as long as it had all of the information we had discussed written into the contract, I didn't see a reason why I would not sign it. I put the tablet in my bag and closed my eyes to rest for a few minutes while we landed. All of the shades were drawn because the sun was so hot it would have instantly heated up the inside of the jet, so I didn't get to see anything as we landed.
As soon as we hit the ground, I looked at the time and realized I had to take my pill.
“Joshua, I have to take my pill. Can I quickly grab a bottle of water?”
“Of course. I’ll have the flight attendant get it for you. Is everything okay? What are you taking?”
“Everything is fine. It’s just my birth control pill.”
He raised his eyebrows, silently asking the question.
“I’ve been taking them since I was 15 to regulate my cycle.” My answer seemed to satisfy his curiosity as I drank the water. We then gathered our things and exited the plane.
As soon as we stepped off of the plane, it all started to feel real to me. We were surrounded by nothing but desert for miles and it was easily over 100°. A beautiful Rolls Royce was waiting to drive us to our hotel.
“Welcome back to Dubai Mr. Hunter, I hope your flight was enjoyable." Our driver was wearing a black and white uniform and held out his white gloved hand as he helped me into the air-conditioned car. I saw a gun at his hip as he held out his hand and it terrified me. Joshua greeted the driver and then joined me in the car.
“He has a gun!” My panicked whisper didn’t faze Joshua.
“He has to have a gun. He is also one of my security guards. This car is bullet proof by the way. Every car we will be in on this trip will be bullet proof. And although you may not see them, security will be with me wherever I go.” His matter of fact tone placated me and I was able to relax for the remainder of the ride.
We were staying in the Burj Al Arab hotel and I was not prepared for what I was about to see. To describe the hotel as opulent barely scratches the surface. It was absolutely beautiful. Gold and marble lined the walls and floors everywhere you turned. I had never seen anything like this, and I was savoring every moment of it.
I felt as though I was in a fairytale as we were shown to our rooms. Joshua was booked in the Royal suite and it was adorned with lavish decor. It had floor to ceiling glass windows, it was two levels and he had a private butler, a private elevator and a private theater. The lower level housed the dining area, a lounge, and library. The upper level housed two bedrooms. The master bedroom had a rotating four-poster canopy bed and an adjoining marble bathroom that had a spa bath, walk-in shower, and designer bath products. The second bedroom also had an adjoining bathroom with the same amenities.
I was booked in the one-bedroom deluxe suite a few floors down. Of course, it was not as stunning but, it was still impressive. I had a private butler as well, and it also had floor to ceiling glass windows. It had two levels and the lower level housed the living room, dining table and guest bath. The upper level housed the bedroom with a king size bed, a luxury bathroom with a Jacuzzi, and a dressing room. It was easily bigger than my small apartment back in the States. The view from my room was beyond breathtaking. We were completely surrounded by water. I was still gazing out of the window when Joshua told me we had to go to the office.
The office was in a high tech, state of the art building with glass windows all around. Joshua introduced me to the people I would be working closely with while we were in Dubai, and I also met his assistant Samira. I liked her the second I met her. She was an older lady, around 50, and she had a very warm personality.
“It is so nice to meet you Sarah. I have heard wonderful things about you. You have made quite an impression on Mr. Hunter.” She beamed at me and I was instantly drawn to her kind personality. “Come, let’s get you set up in your office. There are a few tasks that I know Mr. Hunter wanted you to complete before next Wednesday’s meeting.”
“Next Wednesday? I thought it was this Wednesday.”
“Both meetings this week have been pushed back a week. There was some sort of conflict with one of the partner’s schedules.”
I had to admit I felt a bit of relief knowing I had more time to prepare.
We started walking to my office and Samira was very chatty with me. “So how do you like Dubai so far?”
“It is absolutely breathtaking.”
I thought she was going to launch into a bunch of small talk but as soon as we reached my office she closed the door.
“There is quite a bit of buzz about you around here.” She raised her eyebrows, holding back a smile, and almost looked like she was fascinated by me, as if I were a celebrity or something.
I looked at her, totally perplexed. “About me?? Why?”
“Mr. Hunter has never brought anyone with him to Dubai unless they were a partner. There is something very special about you.” She gave me a look that said she was excited about finding out more.
I was a little bit uncomfortable with her reaction because it made me feel that he had big expectations for me. My plan was to work hard, do a good job, and make partner in five years. I didn’t know what he expected beyond our agreement and my hard work. And it made me nervous.
“Your files are in the cabinet behind you and everything has been scanned to your computer so that you can access everything there as well. If you have any questions I am just a phone call away.” And with that, she smiled and left my office.