by Holly Rayner
FIVE
The pair made their way to their waiting limo and sat in silence as they were driven back to Malik’s home. Amie had so much to say; so many things to ask, and so much frustration to express that she couldn’t even put her thoughts together. Why had he made her wait so long before telling her what her role was? Saying she could have been more prepared for tonight was beyond an understatement. Not to mention… what possible reason could he have for putting on such a gigantic ruse to his family?
“You did a fantastic job tonight,” Malik said finally, stretching back in his seat.
“Thanks,” she said curtly. “Although you could have, oh, I don’t know, given me a little time to prepare? Explained this wasn’t a play but a weird sham; that the sheikh you mentioned back at The Delphi was actually you?”
“You’re mad at me?” he said, sounding surprised.
“Of course not,” Amie said, in typical mad-girl fashion. “I can’t be mad at you, you’re my boss. Remember?”
He watched her for a moment and took a breath. As if on cue he perked up once more and leaned in towards her. “Here, I thought you were my fiancée.”
She narrowed her brows and fought a smile. “Hilarious.”
This drive was long enough without awkward tension filling the room. Malik had mentioned that his residence was on the outskirts of town, but didn’t say it would take nearly an hour to get there. Well, that was just peachy, Amie thought in frustration. Now if they ever wanted to go anywhere, they'd have to wait more than an hour. So much for going out for breakfast; she'd be dead of starvation by the time they reached their destination.
“I’m sorry,” he said genuinely, running his hand through his hair. “Everything happened so fast, I just… I trusted you, and you did well, so my trust wasn’t misplaced. You played the perfect part.”
“The perfect part, huh? What does that mean?”
“You played, basically the opposite of yourself: charming, elegant, sophisticated… Perfect!”
Amie gritted her teeth and seeing her reaction, the Sheikh began to laugh. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! That was a joke!”
She huffed into her fist and stared awkwardly out the window. So now she wasn’t even a lady?
“You were amazing, Amie. Even with all of Zafina’s attacks, you handled yourself just as I thought you would. You were brilliant. Really.”
She turned from the window and finally met his eyes; relenting to an unwanted smile.
“Really,” he repeated happily.
Amie gave an over-exaggerated sigh and couldn’t help but laugh. “Thanks. What’s up with her, anyway?”
“Oh Zafina?” He sighed and gave a dismissal with his hand. “She’s just… over-protective, perhaps? It’s hard to tell.”
Amie nodded and the two returned to a comfortable silence, which was odd considering how awkward she normally felt when it was quiet. Casting calls were a nightmare when she would finish her audition and just have to sit there, watching her betters assess her work in stark silence. It was part of the reason she babbled on so much in nearly every situation since she moved.
Yet, with Malik, it was as if they’d grown up together and never had a tense moment in their lives, despite the incredibly strained night they had just shared. She felt her spirit lift as they reached his home.
Glimpsing it at the end of the winding driveway, she saw it was something between a palace and a mansion; huge, with a vast array of windows. Windswept olive trees lined the driveway, with grass and gardens surrounding the entrance. The driveway circled around a black iris garden, ending in front of the immense front doors. Amie stepped out of the limo and was quickly assured that the driver would deliver her luggage to her room.
The pair made their way inside and Amie was once again blown away by the opulence of the place. The foyer was beautiful, with white walls and smooth textures. She barely had time to turn and admire her surroundings before Malik ushered her up the spiraling staircase, where the first doorway led them through to a sprawling bedroom suite.
“Obviously, we won’t be sharing a room,” Malik said quietly.
“You mean, this is all yours?”
He exhaled in exhaustion and looked around the room. “All mine…” he repeated, almost dismissively. While Amie was beyond impressed, Malik couldn’t even bat an eyelid at the riches that awaited him in the Middle East. If she had a bachelor pad like this, Amie thought there’d be no way she’d go back to Chicago, especially not to work in real estate.
The halls leading to Amie’s guest bedroom had the same smooth white walls and gold trimmings that she’d seen downstairs. The passage had beautiful murals framed in gold moldings; intricate and majestic. Hanging tapestries lined down the hallway along with chandeliers and luxe sofas, all with red cushions.
Down the hall, she could see something that looked like a drawing room. Before the pair could reach it, however, Malik stopped in front of a set of white double doors.
“This will be your room while we’re here. Your belongings have already been unpacked for you, and you’ll find a fresh selection of makeup, hair products, clothes, and—”
“—panties?” she interrupted with a laugh.
She managed to make him blush. “Yeah,” he said with a laugh. “All that stuff. Help yourself, sleep well, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
Amie nodded and slowly closed the door behind her. “Goodnight,” she said through the crack in the door.
“Goodnight.”