24 1/2 Kisses (A Bashir Family Romance) by Kennedy Claire Read Free Book Online Page A

they remodeling today? Changing out the grey and black décor for something warmer—like charcoal?”
    He forced a stale smile at my attempt at humor.
    “I work from the car sometimes when I have a busy day. I thought you could ride along.”
    Before I could tell him how stupid and arrogant that sounded, his cell rang. He picked it up while simultaneously opening up a small laptop.
    I looked around the limo—it was outfitted with every convenience and electronic one could want or need.
    “Two thirty four already? That’s got to be record. Actually check to see if it is and get a press release ready for the end of trading. Thanks.”
    He hung up and tapped away at his laptop for a few moments then shut it abruptly as if he suddenly remembered I was sitting there. He angled his body toward me and his left knee rested lightly against mine.
    “Sorry about the interruption. Please, go ahead and conduct your interview. I’m all yours.”
    For a moment I didn’t register what he was saying though I heard words come out of his mouth. I was consumed by his body touching mine. It felt… so right.
    I inched away from him just enough that the connection was lost. It seemed to help and I regained my train of thought.
    “What was your knowledge and involvement in the loan scandal in Zambia?”
    He narrowed his eyes at me. “Going for the jugular, Scarlett?”
    I said nothing. The best interviewers know when to be quiet.
    He shifted in his seat.
    “First off, that’s an unfair question. You’re assuming there was scandal. There wasn’t. Franklin Bank has been cleared of all allegations by the U.S. Senate, the FDIC and the Zambia government. Secondly, I wasn’t involved in international loans or any affairs outside of the U.S. That was an effort guided by Gerald Franklin and his son, Rhett Franklin.” He looked away from me when he said his name.
    Rhett Franklin. The college friend—your possible half-brother—who tried to rape me.
    With a little effort, I shook off the jolt of hearing his name.
    “Okay, so you weren’t directly involved in what was happening in Zambia. When were you aware that Franklin Bank was making high-interest loans to farmers and landowners who were clearly unable to pay them back?”
    He tried to look unaffected, but I could tell this was a difficult topic for him.
    “Like I said, it’s a completely different department. I wasn’t involved nor did I have any knowledge what was happening in Zambia.”
    “Do you agree with the actions of Franklin Bank in Zambia?”
    He leaned back in the black leather seat and started to loosen his blue silk tie.
    “The economy—the world’s economy—exists because of loans. As much as banks are reviled, so should they be praised. When new money enters a growing economy, it can thrive, expand. Someone has to take the risk to change the world and I don’t see any of our critics lining up eager to hand out cash in Zambia. It’s a risky environment, and yes, some people got in over their heads. Just like borrowers do in the United States.” He looked at me directly. “Tell me, Scarlett, do you think banks are excited when a borrower can’t pay a mortgage? Of course not. Put simply, banks lose when loans go bad. We all lose.”
    He was slick, but I wasn’t buying it.
    “Nice speech, Mr. Bashir. So you’re telling me that Franklin Bank did not benefit from the bad loans in Zambia? What about the profits that were made when the land was sold for mineral rights?”
    He kept his straight face.
    “Profits? Franklin Bank almost went bankrupt. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished.”
    “Really?”
    “Listen, I don’t care to linger on Zambia. We’re not there anymore and we don’t engage in small lending of that nature any longer.”
    I wasn’t going to let him off that easy.
    “Thirty-five Zambians committed suicide and hundreds of women and children lost everything. I guess you don’t want to linger on their memory either.”
    Silence.
    Even