by Holly Rayner
I hung up, since I didn’t know what to say next, and I didn’t want him to figure out just how little I believed my own words.
In any case, it didn’t matter. The odds were of no consequence, and I had to find a suitable wife. For my ailing father, for my family’s honor, for my country. There was no choice.
A few minutes after our call, I got a text from my father.
I forgot to ask you. Would you be able to fill in for me at a trade meeting in New York City tomorrow? I know it’s last minute, but I’ve had another fall.
As soon as I finished reading his message, I replied, tapping away quickly on my phone’s keyboard.
Of course. Email me the details so I can prepare on the flight.
As I made my way to my room to pack, I realized that this would complicate things even further. The United States, while famous for many things, wasn’t particularly well-known for its large supply of virgins just waiting to be proposed to.
I had just cut my time to find a suitable bride down even further, although I didn’t have much of a choice. Father was sick, and him pushing himself too much could make him even worse.
So, when my phone beeped, notifying me that the jet would be ready for takeoff within the hour, I immediately set about packing. In a frenzied sort of autopilot mode, I went through the motions. In the bag they went: suits, socks, underwear, laptop, toiletries. As I walked out the door, I was almost certain I’d forgotten something, but I didn’t have time to look back.
I got to the airport without a hitch, and everything seemed to be going well until my phone refused to turn on after going through security. No amount of button mashing, exasperated taps or shakes would induce it to turn on. Once I boarded the jet and settled into my seat, there was nothing to do but sleep off just how badly the day had gone.
Chapter Four
Lacie
Could the day go any slower?
So far, I’d had a grand total of one customer, who I couldn’t even talk to because I didn’t speak their language. Every minute seemed to drag on more than the last. And so, for hours, it was just me, the flickering florescent lights, and the stomach twist-inducing replay in my mind of what had happened last night.
“Yep, here you have it, ladies. My maid of honor—and New York city’s oldest virgin.” Nadia’s gorgeous face had broken into a mischievous grin, her cackle the loudest of all, the rest of the pretty pack of bridesmaid hyenas howling along with laughter.
The rest of the night, even when we had swapped one drinking game for another, the jokes had kept recurring about the virgin in the room, with Nadia joking about keeping things PG-13 for me, the 25-year-old virgin. At least I’d kept some dignity and had only let the tears come when I’d been safely in my bed at home.
I took a drink of water, holding back fresh tears. Replaying the horrible scene was about the worst idea possible, but I couldn’t help it. Like a moth drawn to a blazing light, again and again my mind returned to the horrible scene. I shouldn’t have been so bothered about it, but I was upset nonetheless.
The front door jangled and I looked up, eager for a distraction from my spiraling thoughts. Another foreigner had entered my shop, but this one was a handsome Middle Eastern man who was smiling at me. As soon as he reached the front desk, he started talking.
“Hello. It seems my phone has decided to pass onto the next realm, leaving me phoneless for an important meeting later today.”
His dark, thick-lashed eyes were already scanning the wall of phones behind me, while I put on my best enthusiastic voice.
“Well, that is a problem. How about I show you a few models and you can choose one that you like best?”
His smile spread to his eyes, and it was show-stoppingly gorgeous, revealing a small dimple in his chin. “Sounds like a plan.”
The man impatiently rejected the cheapest models. After seeing my face fall after a particularly brusque “No”, he smiled that smile again.
“I’m sorry, it’s been a rough night. Having no cellphone for the past fourteen hours has been akin to torture.”
I smiled back at him. “Oh, I don’t know. Sometimes I think cellphones are more trouble than they’re worth. It’s just this addicting little lit-up screen that makes you waste time while you think you’re being productive.”
Silence followed, wherein I realized that I was being the biggest idiot in the world. I held up another model and plastered on my most convincing smile.
“So, anyway, you should really buy this one.” I pressed a button on the most expensive model we stocked, showcasing an array of colorful icons. “You’ll love this. It’s the fastest we have in store and has more storage space than any model currently on the market.”
Now, I had his attention. Taking it in his hands, the man tapped a few icons while I continued my spiel.
“I can personally recommend that one. I own one, actually.”
“Oh, yeah?”
Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I handed it to him.
“Why don’t you try it out, if you like? There’s no video on our store model, but mine has a few you could see for qualit—”
“AND HERE YOU HAVE IT, LADIES: LACIE WRIGHT, NEW YORK CITY’S OLDEST VIRGIN!”
Stricken, I snatched my phone out of the man’s hands, the store now filled with the laughter of Nadia and the other bridesmaids as a video from last night played. Realizing the video must have auto-downloaded from our group chat, thanks to whichever one of them had decided to upload it, I silenced the phone.
But it was too late—far too late. My face was bright red, while the man was, thankfully, chuckling.
“Its volume capabilities are certainly impressive.”
My faked smile evidently did the trick. A few seconds later he was striding to the front counter.
“I’ll take it.”
After I’d rung him through, he slipped the phone into his suit pocket and grinned.
“Thank you…” he glanced at my name tag, “Lacie. I hope you have a good day.”
Well, after what just happened, that’s pretty unlikely, I thought.
“Thanks. You too,” I mumbled awkwardly.
Then, with one final sexy smile, he left.
As soon as he was out of sight, I slumped into my seat at the counter and put my head in my hands. A man more gorgeous than I thought possible had just been the latest person to learn that I, Lacie Wright, was a virgin. Could today get any worse?
Chapter Five
Rashid
I called my father as I walked outside the terminal to hail a taxi.
“Hello, I just wanted to let you know I landed at JFK and I’m on my way to the meeting.”
It took a minute for him to reply, and when he did his voice was weak.
“Rashid. It’s good to hear your voice. I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I’ve just been so…tired. I trust you’ll make the right decision.”
“I will, Father. I can promise you that.”
We paused for a minute, as if waiting for the other to say something, before saying our goodbyes briefly. Hailing a taxi only took a minute; it seemed like half the streets were filled with taxis. I wove through a crowd of pedestrians, told the flat-faced taxi driver the address of my meeting, and we were off, crawling through the car-clogged streets of New York.
I didn’t much mind. Watching the streets teeming with busy life—boisterous food cart workers, stoic businesspeople, and dopey tourists, all jostling each other about—gave me time to think.
What had I said about the United States—about it not exactly being known for having a good supply of virgins? And yet, who had I just met? That adorable cellphone store clerk. Lacie. If that video had been true, if she really was a virgin, was it worth trying to pursue something?
Stopped at a stoplight, I saw street vendors hawking their wares. That girl might have been cute, but it would be beyond strange for me to approach her and explain my need to find a virgin. How could I possibly go about it without sounding like a c
reep?
My taxi rolled on, then, to a view of a couple looking blissfully happy and in love as they shared an ice cream cone. Genuinely bonding and falling in love with Lacie in two weeks was out of the question and yet… She didn’t exactly seem passionate about her job. Maybe, just maybe, she would jump at the offer of a huge sum of money in exchange for marrying a prince.
In my hands, I turned my new phone round and round. At any rate, I didn’t have to decide now. I could go to my meeting, take the girl out for a date, and then decide.
Talking couldn’t hurt, could it?
Chapter Six
Lacie
Closing up went the same as usual. I put away all the accessories customers had carelessly strewn across the shop, locked everything up, and then walked out to catch the bus. Just outside the store, however, he was there.
The handsome Middle Eastern man from earlier, passing by.
“You again.”
My face changed into something between a smile and a gape.
“Me?”
He held up his phone.
“I wanted to thank you. This baby worked like a charm, the meeting was a great success.”
“Great, I’m glad to hear it.”
“That wasn’t the only reason I stopped by, though.” He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his dark, wavy hair. “I also wanted to ask you if you were free tonight. I have one night in New York before I head home, and it would be my pleasure if you’d join me for dinner. My name is Rashid.”
I suspiciously scanned his face. If this man was hoping for a night of ‘fun’ with me, he was going to be sorely disappointed. Anyway, I had plans.
My phone rang. It was Nadia.
“Do you mind if I take this?” I asked him.
“Sure. I can wait.”
Smiling apologetically, I put the phone to my ear.
“Hey, girl. I know this is last minute, but I figured you were probably free. Me and Howard and Tiffany and her boyfriend are going on a double date, but it’s Friday night and I couldn’t remember if we had plans—for that new murder mystery flick, right? Well, now, obviously, I can’t go, but you can join us for this, instead.”
Her voice was hazy; she had me on speakerphone, and was clearly doing something else while she made this oh-so-unimportant call.
My eyes narrowed as I thought about sitting alone in the movie theater, tucked away on the end of the row with my popcorn and soda once again—or, even worse, sitting in between two lip-locked lovey-dovey couples.
“You okay?” Rashid was mouthing at me.
I nodded.
“You know what, Nadia? It’s okay. I actually have plans tonight. A date.”
And then, before she could gasp or giggle or express her disbelief, I hung up. I slipped my phone into my pocket and smiled at Rashid.
“Sorry about that. My friend just called to cancel our plans for tonight, funnily enough. So, it looks like I’m free.”
Rashid’s adorably concerned face broke into a smile. “Great. I know just the place.”
And, as it turned out, he did.
Vincenzo’s was as Italian as the name would have suggested. With distinctive green, white and red flags for tablecloths, chairs that looked to be metal spaghetti modern art pieces and a bushy-mustached, thick-accented waiter, I was more than ready to dig in to some pizza.
Rashid leaned in to talk to me. “You want to know what’s good here?”
“What?”
He raised one dark brow. “The salmon.”
I stopped the laugh in my throat. “Really?”
He nodded, pressing a finger to his lips, his eyes still on mine. “But shh…don’t tell anyone.”
We sat there for a few seconds before he couldn’t take it anymore and burst out laughing. “You really bought it?”
Exasperatedly, I wrenched my hand away. “You lied!”
He shrugged and gave my hand a pat. “Guilty as charged.”
At my furious scowl, he continued. “What can I say? All businessmen need to learn to lie well—that, and future leaders.”
Suddenly, his face had fallen, while I was more confused than ever.
“What do you mean?”
He shook his head. “Later. First off, we have to order. I would recommend, of course, the spaghetti. It can’t be beat here. I mean, even the chairs are made of it.” He gestured to my chair. “What—don’t believe me?”
When I shook my head with a smirk, he laughed.
“You’re a quick learner.”
I shook my head again. “Not exactly. I’m actually a glutton for punishment. That friend I told you about? She’s been cancelling on me for years now, and I still keep coming back for more.”
Now, the smile was wiped right off his face. “I’m sorry.”
I opened the menu, not wanting to see his pitying look.
“It’s fine. Nadia means well; I don’t know why I said that.”
Rashid said nothing and, thankfully, a minute later our waiter appeared at our table. Back with his mustache as bushy as ever, he inclined his head towards Rashid first.
“And what will the gentleman be having? Any drinks?”
“Wine?” Rashid asked, looking at me. I nodded my agreement. “We’ll have your best bottle of red, please. And two spaghettis.”
As the waiter left and Rashid caught my disappointed face, he grabbed the menu. “Oh, sorry—did you want something else?”
I lowered my head and gave it a small, sad shake. “Only, I…I wanted the salmon. Someone told me it was amazing here. How disappointing that I don’t get to see for myself.”
Slowly, I rose my head so Rashid could see my mirthful eyes. Together, we laughed.
“You deceived me, you treacherous woman!” Rashid joked, smiling in that perfect, captivating way of his.
“An absolute monster. I can’t tolerate liars, myself,” I replied.
As we giggled, our wine arrived, with the waiter pouring one glass in front of me, and one in front of Rashid.
He lifted it and toasted, “To new friends. Thank you for coming to dinner with me. It’s a pleasure to have good company along with good food.”
I clinked my glass against his. “Thanks for inviting me. This is definitely a step up from the plans I had.”
Once we’d drunk and set our glasses down, Rashid assumed a serious expression.
“I was only joking, of course. I don’t think lying is good, especially for leaders. In fact, I try not to do it whenever possible.” His face looked strangely intense as he said it. “Although, I’m no leader—well, not yet, anyway. Back where I’m from, Zayed-Kharan, my father is the head of state and I’m next in line. Basically, king in waiting.”
At his admission, I waited for the punch line, the cracked smile, the wiggled brow. But Rashid sat across from me and looked anything but playful. So, instead of declaring outright that I didn’t believe him, I decided to try another tactic.
“I’m no queen in waiting, but I am queen of that phone shop you met me at. Manager, actually. It’s not much, and it’s definitely not what I wanted, but things ended up okay for me, despite the circumstances.”
“Oh?” he studied my face with curiosity.
I kept my gaze on my hands, my tensed lines of fingers.
“I was going to school to become a neurologist, but my mom got sick and I had to help pay for her treatment as well as caring for my dad—he’s been wheelchair-bound for a few years, now. It’s been a lot of hard work since, but I don’t regret it for a second.”
I looked up fiercely at him so there was no doubting my words; it was something I had to remind myself of from time to time, after an especially long day at the shop.
But Rashid didn’t look like he was doubting me at all. No, there was something else in his face, an expression I couldn’t quite read.
Chapter Seven
Rashid
At her intensely spoken words, all my pretenses fell away. The next time our eyes met, I knew. I had to tel
l her the full truth of why I was here, why I had asked her on a date.
“I’m afraid I haven’t been entirely forthcoming with you.”
Just then, our spaghetti arrived and was set down in front of us, interrupting my confession.
The waiter smiled at me. “Would Monsieur or Madame like any Parmesan?”
I nodded while Lacie shook her head, and the waiter swiftly grated the cheese over my steaming bowl before leaving the table once more. Lacie and I sat there for a minute, not moving, the weight of my words hanging over our heads. I took a long swig of my drink, then spoke.
“I have a proposal for you.”
More silence followed, and, as her face contorted in disgust, I realized just what the poor girl must be thinking.
I leaned in and lowered my voice. “Sorry, that came out wrong. Not to sleep with me. But…to marry me.”
Now, her face had gone from appalled to just plain flabbergasted, so I soldiered on, determined to finish before she bolted from the restaurant entirely.
“No, I’m not crazy and I haven’t been struck with a fatal case of love at first sight. Let me explain. Everything I’ve told you is true; my father is the ruler of my home country and I am in line to be ruler next. What I didn’t mention is what I need to do in order to become head of state—what I wasn’t even aware was required of me, until a couple days ago.”
So far, she looked about as shocked as before, so I decided I might as well just say it: “I need to marry a virgin bride.”
Now, her face was transforming again, but I wasn’t going to let her decide just yet, not before I’d gotten my last words in.
“It’s an absurd, sexist, archaic law, and I fought against it, but the supreme council won’t award me the position if I don’t meet this requirement. Once I’m ruler, I plan to abolish the law, but until then…”
Suddenly, I realized I’d forgotten to mention the most important thing of all. I took a breath as I carefully formulated my next words.