Scandal With a Prince (42 page)

But if she did get the job…well, she had no idea what would happen then, either.
 
She’d said it herself: There were no guarantees with anything.
 
Ever.

A pale blonde in a smartly tailored black dress topped with a matching jacket approached, her heels clicking on the tile floor of the cliffside restaurant.
 
A warm smile lit her face as she extended her hand in greeting.
 
“Ms. Hallberg, welcome to Sarcaccia.
 
I’m Natalie Costa.
 
It’s a pleasure to meet you in person.
 
I trust you had a good flight?”

Megan replied with the appropriate niceties.
 
She’d felt comfortable speaking with Natalie during their phone calls—though she’d pictured someone named Natalie Costa as having coloring closer to Stefano’s—but her pulse pounded overtime as they walked toward the rear of the elegant restaurant.
 
Natalie mentioned during their last call that they’d hold the interview in a private room over lunch and that Megan should bring her appetite.
 

“I hope you’ve allowed yourself a few hours to explore the island after our meeting today,” Natalie said as they passed through the main dining room. “It’s a beautiful country.”

“Especially with the weather as glorious as it is,” Megan agreed.
 
“I admit, I’ve wanted to visit Sarcaccia from the first time I saw pictures of the beaches and mountains.
 
It’s far prettier in person.”
 

That drew a smile from Natalie.
 
“I grew up in Denmark and never imagined I’d leave, but then I met my husband.”
 
She shrugged. “I had my doubts about moving to Sarcaccia to be near his family, but from the moment I walked into our first apartment in Cateri, the island became my home.”

That explained the contrast between Natalie’s fair complexion and locally common last name.
 
“I’m sure it was a difficult decision.”

“For love, it wasn’t so difficult.
 
Especially since he bribed me here with the promise of a sea view.”
 
She indicated a set of oversized glass doors set into the restaurant’s rear wall.
 
“As you can see, it is quite an enticement.”

Megan stepped out the restaurant’s large glass doors and bit back a sigh as warm wind caressed her face and the scent of flowers in bloom washed over her.
 
A wide stone stairway led to a stone patio that ran the entire length of the restaurant’s lower level and offered a panoramic view of the sea.
 
The early afternoon sun made the water sparkle as if thousands of diamonds had been cast upon its surface.
 
In the distance, a pleasure boat made its way out to sea, headed north toward Corsica and beyond.
 
A half-dozen small fishing boats, each holding two or three occupants, were visible within a half-mile of the shore.

As if wishing to make itself worthy of its postcard view, the restaurant patio itself was a feast for the eyes.
 
Rustic wood tables of varying sizes filled the area, each topped with wide white umbrellas that kept the feeling light and airy while protecting diners from the sun’s harshest rays.
 
Pink, red, and white flowers spilled from oversized urns spaced out along the wall at the patio’s edge.
 
Natalie led Megan down the stairs and to the patio’s walled edge.
 
Shielding her eyes, the taller woman pointed along the coastline to the north.
 
“See the long white building just south of the grand marina?”

“That’s the new conference center?”
 
The modern structure was spectacular, even from this distance, with large windows facing the sea from underneath a roof that swooped in a manner reminiscent of a wind-filled sail.

“It is.”
 
Natalie went on to point out the location of several large waterfront hotels, most of which were undergoing refurbishment in anticipation of new business, then to describe the planned transportation connections from the airport, bus terminals, and medieval city center, which was a tourist favorite.
 
“Once finished, the conference center will be easily accessible from anywhere in Europe.
 
All that’s left to do is to complete the interior, hire a staff, and start marketing it to potential clients.”

“Well, if that’s all,” Megan said, amused.
 
“I look forward to hearing more details on your plans.”

“The members of the committee are looking forward to meeting you.
 
They should be gathering in the private dining room now.
 
I’ve also invited a few representatives from the transportation sector and the adjacent hotels in case you have questions about where they stand with their development plans.
 
I want you to understand the full scope of the project and its role in the country’s economy.”
 

Natalie turned to lead Megan from the patio wall toward an area set further back, shaded by the restaurant itself.
 
“We’ll be meeting here, just off the patio.”
 
As she paused to secure an umbrella that threatened to blow loose, she added, “I must say, you’ve come highly recommended.
 
When I learned of your work at the Grandspire, I put you at the top of our candidate list.
 
Not only have you generated buzz for the hotel throughout Europe, I understand the grand reopening was quite the event.
 
I admit, I’m jealous of those who attended.”

“Thank you,” she replied, reaching to help Natalie lock the umbrella in place.
 
“A lot of work went into making the night a success.
 
We wanted guests to walk away knowing what to expect if they wished to host an event or conference in the hotel, then to share that knowledge in their professional and social circles.”

“Which is exactly what Mahmoud Said did with us,” she said on a smile.
 

“Mahmoud?”
 
Not Stefano?

“We consulted with his company on the communications plan for the conference center.
 
He has a high opinion of your work and insisted we contact you when we were ready to interview for the position.”
 
They finished securing the umbrella and continued across the wide patio as Natalie spoke.
 
“He claimed that anyone who met you would want to book events with you because you’re one of the most organized, personable people he’s had the opportunity to meet.”

Megan bit the inside of her lip to keep her jaw from dropping.
 
She had the feeling she’d gained the confidence of the wealthy Egyptian CEO, but not to that extent.
 
While Mahmoud was a sociable man, she’d never known him to be effusive.
 
“That’s very kind of him to say.
 
I’ll be sure to thank him later.”
 

One more check in the
Stefano was right, you were wrong
column
.
 
She should have trusted him when he said he hadn’t been the one to give the committee her name.

“He’s not your only fan.”
 
Natalie lowered her voice.
 
“Before we go in, I did receive a second recommendation for you, though it was off the record.”

“Oh?” she managed to sound casual, despite the unease rising within her.

Natalie paused outside the door leading to the restaurant’s private room.
 
“I’m very close to my cousin, who works in Barcelona and was a guest at your grand reopening.
 
When I mentioned that I would be interviewing candidates for the conference center, she immediately mentioned your name and asked if I’d heard of you.
 
She was blown away by the Grandspire’s operations.
 
She also said she thought you’d fit in well in Sarcaccia and would be an asset to our country.
 
My cousin’s best friend is a member of Sarcaccia’s royal family, so she’s spent a great deal of time here and knows the country well.”

Megan felt the look of disbelief cross her face, but knew trying to hide it would prove futile.
 
“Your cousin wouldn’t happen to be Ilsa Jakobsen, would she?”
 

Though the two women had different coloring, Ilsa was Danish, like Natalie, and equally tall.
 
Stefano mentioned that Ilsa lived in Barcelona and had been roommates with his sister.
 
Now that she studied Natalie, she could see the resemblance in the tilt of their eyes and the manner in which they walked.
 

Natalie grinned.
 
“One and the same.
 
You met her, then?”

“Actually, no, though I did notice her at the party and we have a mutual friend.”
 
Not that Megan would identify the mutual friend.
 

“Ilsa is
always
noticed at parties.”
 
Natalie shot her a knowing look.
 
“As you might guess, she’s invited to many.”

Megan liked Natalie more and more every minute.
 
“I’m surprised she recommended me, given that we weren’t introduced.”

Natalie moved toward the door.
 
“She was impressed by the party and by all she heard about you.
 
I’m sure you’ll impress the committee, as well.
 
Come on in.
 
They should be ready.”

Megan was still pondering Ilsa’s possible motive for recommending her when she stepped into the sunny room.
 
A group of well-dressed men and women mingled near a table set for ten.
 
She recognized the head of Sarcaccia’s tourism bureau from its website and was introduced to the woman nearest the door, who headed the conference center’s hiring committee.
 
As Megan turned to meet representatives from two local hotels, a door at the far end of the room opened to admit a late arrival, one who instantly drew the attention of the entire room, just as he’d drawn the attention of everyone in the bar when he’d first come to the Grandspire.

And then she heard his voice, an unmistakable, rich tone that unraveled her soul.

Natalie leaned closer to Megan. “Ah, and here’s our transportation guru.
 
I believe that you’ve met Prince Stefano Barrali?”

* * *

The swiftly-concealed shock on Megan’s face mirrored the emotion simmering through Stefano as he crossed the room.
 

She’s really here
.
 

Stefano had done a double take when perusing his e-mail this morning.
 
While both lunch and dinner with the committee were on his schedule, he hadn’t known which two candidates the committee would be interviewing.
 
Not until he’d read Natalie Costa’s e-mail, confirming his availability to answer any transportation questions and stating that it was her hope they’d only need to conduct these two interviews to land the perfect hire.

The entire drive from the palace to the restaurant, trepidation clogged his throat.
 
She’ll have cancelled
.
 
There was a mistake with the names.
 
Natalie will call to inform me of her error at any moment
.
 
But no call came.
 
And now, as he traversed the room while shaking hands with committee members at the same time Natalie moved toward him with Megan at her side, making introductions along the way, the lump in his throat grew.
 

The pale, hollow look of exhaustion and fear that clung to Megan in the hospital was gone, replaced by the vibrant, smiling face he’d come to love.
 
Her cheeks were rosy, her expression bright with life, and her hair shone as it did the night he’d seen her in that gorgeous, honey-colored gown at the Grandspire reception.
 
A navy suit with a light blue blouse complimented her eyes to perfection.
 
It wasn’t his opinion alone.
 
Every male in the room looked at her with admiration, and that admiration wasn’t strictly of the professional sort.

Welcome to the world of hot-blooded Sarcaccian men, Megan.

He could only hope the other men in the room didn’t feel the same electricity he did when he looked at her.

“Prince Stefano,” Natalie greeted him with a broad smile.
 
“Thank you for making time in your schedule.
 
Mahmoud Said mentioned that you met Ms. Hallberg at the Grandspire?”

“I did.”
 
He turned to Megan, whose stance radiated confidence even as trepidation lurked in the depths of her blue eyes.
 
“It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“And you as well.”
 

She extended her hand, but instead of shaking it, he raised it for the briefest brush of his lips.
 
He shot her a questioning look, one he hoped she understood.
 
Though her eyes widened fractionally, her expression revealed nothing about whether her decision to interview was due to him, the job itself, or both.
 
“Thank you for coming to Sarcaccia.”