Read Online Dark Oil by Nora James - Free Book Online

make him laugh. He usually reduces people to tears in the first couple of days. Even guys. Many have quit.”
    â€œIt’s good to know.” The feedback brought her relief. She’d had her suspicions that it wasn’t just her, that Martin was a handful for everyone. She’d even heard it through the grapevine, but it was reassuring to get confirmation from someone in the know.
    â€œThere seems to be a bit of tension between the two of you at times.” That was probably the understatement of the year.
    Jack looked away. “You can say that again.”
    â€œSay what?” asked Martin, wandering back in.
    â€œThat it’s a pain having to wait like this,” blurted out Lara, scared Martin would realise they’d been talking about him.
    â€œTell me about it.” Martin flopped back into his chair.
    A tall, thin African man holding onto a tray of coffee with both hands strolled in, flashing his teeth. “Sorry I cannot knock. My hands are full.”
    â€œIt’s all right.” Jack checked his watch. “Are there any messages for us?”
    â€œSorry, I don’t know. I go and look for you.” The man finished serving the drinks, wiped his hands on his pants and left, nodding at the trio.
    Another ten minutes went by before he reappeared briefly, just long enough to say there were no messages.
    â€œHow long do we stay?” asked Lara after a while. “It’s been close to an hour.”
    â€œI might give Ismael a call to see if he’s heard anything.” As Jack stood up to go to reception, a man in a suit wearing noticeable white shoes knocked at the door.
    â€œGlobal Oil, yes?”
    Martin nodded. “That’s us.”
    â€œYou are waiting for the Minister for Energy, Minister Hamed?”
    â€œWe are.”
    â€œI am his new secretary, Kalim Soubouda.” A small man in a large suit walked in and stood next to Kalim. “And you know Mr Mohamed Aziz, yes?”
    â€œMr Martin, Mr Jack. How are you?” asked Mohamed, the Minister’s right hand. Martin and Jack took turns shaking hands with him, and introduced Lara.
    Mohamed smiled briefly, then took on what he probably thought an appropriate expression of dismay to deliver the news. “The Minister is not well today. We have to cancel the meeting.”
    â€œWe’re terribly sorry,” Jack said. “Nothing serious, I hope?”
    â€œNo, but he cannot be here. He must rest.”
    â€œHas he sent word of when we can reschedule?”
    â€œI am afraid we must see how his health goes. God willing, it will be soon.”
    Mohamed left and Martin packed up his computer. Yawning, Jack stretched his long arms and stood up to leave.
    Lara couldn’t help feeling annoyed. “So what now?”
    â€œLunch. Maybe we should use the afternoon for a bit of sight-seeing too, the fish markets, maybe even the blacksmiths’ area. Actually, I wouldn’t mind seeing the camel market. I haven’t been there yet.”
    Lara perked up. It sounded like fun, an adventure. “As long as I don’t have to ride one,” she laughed.
    The heat hit them again, the minute they left the hotel to go back to the car. Lara gasped, putting her hand—still cool from the air-conditioned meeting room—to her cheeks.
    Jack glanced at her. “You look hot. Really hot.”
    He was obviously enjoying the double-entendre. Oh, he was annoying with his teasing! She pursed her lips, but he grinned at her, a smile that lit up his face, creasing his nose in the most endearing way, and she had to smile back.
    â€œForty six degrees today,” he added, suddenly feigning innocence as Martin glanced at him, and it made Lara want to laugh even more.
    Their driver, who’d been sitting in the shade of a nearby tree, got up, and with as much of a sense of urgency a person could muster in the sweltering weather, dragged himself over to open the doors for