Page 5 of Earned Husband

Khaled and Alex seemed to have forged an instant husband bond, as if their wives’ enduring friendship naturally extended to them. Meanwhile, I was closer to pretty much every one of Alex’s brothers than I was to him and I’d never even met Khaled before last night.

That was the other reason I was fuming. I couldn’t fathom why I suddenly sucked at golf when I played predictably well every weekend. It was like fucking clockwork, but not now that Khaled Saad was here.

Before my father’s spectacular fall from grace, the Saad family had been considering using Thayer Steelworks to establish labs and warehouses in the States. GlobalStar, the Saad Family business, was the parent company to over two dozen other companies that dabbled in pharmaceuticals, chemical compounding, research, production, and development.

They were a powerhouse and they’d been exploring North American expansion. We would’ve been able to write our own ticket if the deal with them had materialized, but then Dad’s arrest had tanked our reputation, and all possibility of a deal with the Saads had gone with it.

Consistently embarrassing myself in front of the man poised to take over GlobalStar probably wasn’t helping my family get back in their good graces. Not that Khaled seemed at all wrapped up in any of that old history today.

If anything, he’d been infuriatingly pleasant and friendly. I was simply making too much of a fool of myself to enjoy getting to know him.

By the time we reached the eighteenth hole, I was so far behind that I seriously considered just walking into Lake Michigan and staying there. Mercifully, the game ended, the final numbers ugly enough that I preferred not to know my score.

Alex clapped me on the shoulder as we walked back up to the parking lot. “Chin up, man. We all have bad days sometimes. Let me buy you a drink and we’ll grab a late lunch. You’ll feel better after.”

I sighed, but the clubhouse offered air-conditioning and alcohol, both things I desperately needed right now. We settled at a table beside the windows overlooking the course and ordered a round of drinks. Then Alex and Khaled inevitably started talking shop.

Honestly, I was surprised it’d taken them this long, but as soon as the drinks arrived, Khaled dove in, eyes intent on Alex across the table. “Ashanti tells me you might be able to help with a problem I’ve been having.”

Alex’s head tilted slightly. “I might. It kind of depends on the problem, though.”

“Yeah, but this should be right up your alley,” he said. “I’ve been struggling to expand GlobalStar into the western market.”

Alex nodded slowly, a slight crease appearing between his eyebrows. “Your products are already here, so what’s the problem?”

“Costs,” Khaled replied. “My father and I want a chemical processing plant in the States. Our logistical expenses are insane with having to import everything. We’re one the largest manufacturing groups in the world, but we’re just not getting a foothold here.”

He rubbed a hand across his jaw, the frustration beneath his calm exterior subtle but obvious. Building chemical infrastructure wasn’t simple, though. Neither was finding the right location or obtaining regulatory approval.

Alex usually had an answer for everything, but it looked like even he was stumped on this one. “Ah, I understand. Chemicals are a problem.”

“I was hoping you’d say you had a solution,” Khaled said. “Everyone tells me that’s your specialty.”

Alex laughed. “Usually, it is, but I’m afraid I’m not sure how I or Westwood and Sons can help you with this. I’m assuming you’ve thoroughly investigated building an entirely new processing facility?”

Khaled’s chin dropped in a nod, but the expression on his face was too grim for that to be an option. A real pity, since that was what Thayer Steelworks could’ve helped with.

“It’s too expensive and too heavily regulated,” he explained. “We’d be talking about investing several billion dollars to get the facility up and running, with no promise of an adequate return.”

Alex grimaced. “Yeah, man. I’m sorry, but that’s too rich for my blood. We’re always willing to discuss help with financing, and Westwood already has a stake in GlobalStar, but it’s not big enough for me to justify throwing that amount of money into a processing plant.”

“That’s what I thought.” Khaled took another sip of his whiskey. “We’re not even pitching the construction of entirely new bases of operation here anymore. Years ago, my father looked into it, but it’s just not feasible.”

That made sense actually. The regulatory hurdles alone would make most executives develop a drinking problem. With the possibility of new construction out of the question, I devoted my attention to the club sandwich the waitress set down in front of me.

Just as I thought I would have a moment to lick my wounds while enjoying my lunch, I realized both Alex and Khaled were suddenly staring at me. I frowned, setting my sandwich down with a sigh when I realized where their conversation had gone.

“No.”

Alex smirked. “Neither of us has said anything yet.”

“Sure, but my business is in steel, not chemicals. If we were looking at building a new plant, I would’ve been all over this, but I’m sorry. I don’t see how I can help.”

Khaled turned to face me. “Your business might be in steel now, but it could be in chemicals.”

“Think about it,” Alex pressed. “A Thayer-Saad merger would be the merger of the century.”

I arched both eyebrows at him, almost doubling over with laughter until I realized he wasn’t joking. “Okay, look, we all know this is what my dad was after back in the day, but like you’ve already discussed, it’s no longer feasible. Thayer would’ve been the perfect partner for expansion in terms of setting up labs and all that, but not if there’s no steel involved.”