have known better.
“I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was a teenager. I have understood for a very long time that whether or not I find a man, it will be very difficult—if not impossible—for me to have children.”
“And do you want them?”
Maddy took another sip of whiskey, savoring the taste. “More than anything.”
Akim paused for a moment, still watching her as he took another sip from his beer. While she might have been unnerved by this behavior before the whiskey, she had gained some liquid courage, and met his gaze head on. She wasn’t ashamed of her desire to be a mother someday. It was a perfectly natural thing to want.
“So you’ve devoted half a decade to creating a cure for something that affects you. I can see why you’re upset.”
Maddy set her drink on the table, causing the ice cubes to jingle against the glass with the sharp movement. He could guess about her personal life all he wanted, but no one dared question her professional integrity.
“This project had already begun when I arrived; I am not performing research just for myself. I have met many families desperate to have a child, and I want to be able to see the light in their eyes when they meet their newborn babies for the first time. Their wonderful, impossible children that wouldn’t exist without my research!”
Her voice was lifting, and she shrank back into her seat when she noticed several reproachful looks from patrons at other tables.
The Sheikh frowned. “I’ve touched a nerve, clearly. I apologize if you think I was attacking your professionalism. That wasn’t my intention.”
“Then what is your intention? Why was my project the one that got shelved? Why not someone else, someone who hasn’t gotten as far as we have?”
She couldn’t help asking again. It was impossible to believe that he would invest so much time and money into a project simply to throw it away.
Akim sighed, crossed his arms, and leaned back against his chair. His gaze was steady, and Maddy didn’t blink as she met it full on.
“The truth is, I’m being blackmailed, in a way,” he said quietly.
Maddy tilted her head. What was he talking about? What did his personal issues have to do with her research?
When she didn’t reply, Akim went on.
“You might not know too much about politics in this country beyond party affiliation, but the truth is the current regime is extremely greedy and determined to stay in power. They have snuck some laws into a few bills that are under consideration right now that would essentially destroy everything Akhemical has ever worked for. That is, unless I donate a substantial sum to their campaign for another victory this spring.”
Maddy stared at Akim for a moment. “But that’s extortion.”
Akim nodded. “Yes, it is, and I refuse to give in to their demands. However, with the legislation as it is, I am unable to test any new drugs, or the government will ensure the passage of those bills. So you see, we are between a rock and a hard place.”
Maddy sat back, taking in his words. She had generally stayed out of the politics of Elbazzar—she was generally too consumed with her work to care much.
That was a foolish mistake on her part.
Her mind was working to find a solution—any solution—but there was nothing for it. If they tested her drug, the whole company could be shut down, and not only would her research be destroyed, her whole team would be out of a job. However, if Akim gave in and donated, she would be able to go back to her life as it was, before the afternoon’s events had occurred.
“You don’t believe in their platform?” Maddy asked.
It was a selfish question, she knew.
Akim took one last sip of his beer, finishing the drink. “I should think that’s obvious, given my refusal to pay them, not to mention their obvious lack of morals about extortion. I may be wealthy, but I believe in treating people fairly so that they can succeed in their own lives.”
Maddy thought about her coworkers, who, had they worked anywhere else, would have to take on extra work just to support their families in the way they wanted. Akim paid high wages and provided excellent benefits for all his employees, and that alone spoke volumes about his character.
A thought struck Maddy, then.
An impossible thought. An improbable thought. But perhaps not the craziest idea she’d come up with in her life—she was, after all, quite the crazy scientist on occasion.
Maddy leaned in conspiratorially. “What if we tested the drug in secret?”
Akim stared at her. “Who could we possibly trust not to go to the press if things turned south, and not to sue us in broad daylight, where every politician could see?”
Maddy grinned. “Me.”
FOUR
Akim stared at Maddy intensely, though she still couldn’t quite read his expression.
“You can’t be serious. You’ve had a little too much whiskey and now you’re coming up with wild solutions.”
Maddy’s eyes were bright, and she reached out, gripping Akim’s hand with her own. His gaze darted to their joined hands, but he said nothing as she continued.
“I am not. I’ve wanted to conceive, whether on my own or with a partner, for a long time now. Don’t you see? This is the perfect opportunity to try. I’ll sign whatever gag order you want. I won’t go to the press and I won’t go behind your back. Once the election’s over, and hopefully new leadership gets in, we can come out with our research and show the world what a breakthrough we’ve made!”
Akim processed that statement, toying with the coaster on their table as he worked out the possible pitfalls of her plan.
Finally, he met her gaze again. “You would really be brave enough to be the first test subject for a drug that hasn’t yet been tried on humans?”
Maddy nodded. “I’ve spent years perfecting this. I know it’ll work. It might need some tweaking, but I’m not afraid,” she said, glancing down at the table. An image of Akim as the father of her children darted through her mind, and she quickly dismissed it.
That would be beyond weird.
A vacuum of silence erupted outside the bar, signaling the end of the sandstorm. Many of the people inside began throwing bills on the table and shuffling out the door, ready to get home.
Akim reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, doing the same. “We should get you home,” he said.
Maddy tried not to look as disappointed as she felt. She had presented a last-ditch effort to him, and instead of providing her with an answer, he had changed the subject.
Not a good sign.
She nodded, following him back outside and sliding into his fancy car. It was a quick, smooth ride home without the sand and the wind berating them, and Maddy pushed herself out of the vehicle. Before she could fully step out, Akim grasped her wrist.
“Hey. I’m thinking about what you said before. I need to work around the potential pitfalls, but the conversation isn’t over, okay?”
Maddy felt a flutter of hope and smiled broadly at Akim. “Okay,” she agreed.
“Have a good night, Maddy.”
Back to Maddy again. So they were friends, after all.
“You, too,” she said.
She stood on the sidewalk and watched as the Sheikh’s car sped off toward wherever he lived—probably some penthouse suite in one of the skyscrapers the dominated the capital’s skyline. Maddy nodded to her doorman as she stepped into her apartment building lobby, then rode the elevator to the fourteenth floor.
Her view wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either. Night was falling quickly, and for a moment she wished she could see the stars. Her father used to take her camping when she was younger, and she had always found great comfort in seeing a sky full of glittering light. She felt like she could hope in moments like those, and she needed hope now more than ever.
Exhausted, let down, and warmed by whiskey, Maddy plopped down on her comfortable little bed and fell asleep in her lab coat and slacks.
*
**
When Maddy awoke, the sun had yet to rise, and the world outside was as dark as a city would allow. She checked her clock: five a.m.
Sighing, Maddy rose and cleaned herself up, changing into a pair of slacks and finding a fresh lab coat before stepping into the street and hailing a cab for work. She watched the pink brushstrokes of sunrise sweeping along the edges of the desert as the car approached the lab, and she exited after paying the driver his fee.
Sitting in her lab, Maddy frowned at her computer screen as she looked over all the work her team had done, and had yet to do. She rubbed her eyes, already tired, in spite of the sleep she’d gotten. She began practicing what she planned to say to her team. She could handle her own crushing disappointment, but to let down her team? It was something she couldn’t even imagine, though she had to. They deserved an answer, just as she had, and what was more, they’d be looking for one.
She heard the lab door open, prepared to give Yousef the bad news, but when she turned in her chair, she was surprised to see Akim standing there, looking excited.
“Ah, good. You’re an early bird, too. Can I borrow you for a moment?”
Maddy glanced around the lab as though looking for someone to tell her not to go. Not finding anyone there, she nodded and followed Akim to his office.
The Sheikh’s office was huge, with a large, polished desk sitting in the corner. The room was lined with several windows, and the view of the desert sunrise was outstanding.
“Wow. Do you come here early every day just to see this?”
Akim followed the direction of her gaze, staring out at the scenery. His lip twitched slightly. “Sometimes. The view from my apartment is better.”
Maddy could just imagine what the view was like from his apartment, but she held her silence.
Akim took a seat in a plush swivel chair and turned to face her. “I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday, about testing the drug.”
Maddy stood in silence, waiting for the axe to fall. The Sheikh gave a dramatic pause. Did he do that on purpose, or was he just thinking about what to say next?
“I think it’s a great idea,” he said finally, and Maddy’s stomach soared with relief. “I’ve been thinking about all the possible things that could go wrong compared with what could go right, and I think you are correct. If we could produce a child with this revolutionary new treatment, Akhemical could be on the map for changing history in this field. I think it’s worth a shot, and I have the perfect donor in mind.”
Maddy plopped down into a small sofa on the other side of Akim’s desk. He had just given her permission to test the drug—to have a child! It was too much.
“Who?” she asked.
In much the same way as she’d proposed her crazy idea the day before, Akim gave her a sly smile as he replied, “Me.”
“You’d be willing to do that?” Maddy asked, incredulous.
Akim nodded, his perfect chin rising and falling. Maddy was briefly distracted by a dimple on said chin before she shook her head and forced herself to focus. At least her babies would be beautiful, she thought,