by Holly Rayner
Sarah gasped.
“That is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Am I really going to wear that just for a dinner?”
“Of course, miss. These affairs are intimate but formal. It’s important to look one’s best when meeting with foreign dignitaries. We don’t want them to think we’re disrespectful.”
Sarah had nothing to say to that. She was asked to strip down, which she did, shyly, before she stepped into the gown and was zipped in. Somehow Ali had managed to find a dress that was the perfect fit, and she wondered idly how he had managed to do that. Once she was completed, the group of women allowed her a minute to step in front of a large mirror. When she saw herself, Sarah placed a hand over her lips, not daring to touch them after they’d been so meticulously painted.
She hardly recognized herself. While she knew how to doll herself up, this was a whole other level, and she barely recognized the beautiful woman staring back at her from the mirror.
“Wow,” she breathed.
All around her, the women smiled as they stared at their handiwork. Then one of them looked at the clock and jumped.
“It’s almost time to meet the Sheikh. Quick, let’s get you moving.”
She reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of sparkling heels, and Sarah eyed them warily.
“I’m not very big on heels,” she said, thinking about the many men she’d towered over every time she had been brave enough to don a pair.
The woman was unfazed by her protest.
“Nonsense. This is formal wear, and you must dress for the occasion. We want the Sheikh to be proud of his honored guest.”
“Honored guest, sure,” Sarah muttered, but she obliged when the woman kneeled and slid her feet into the shoes.
When she stood, she was several inches taller than everyone else in the room.
“Don’t slouch,” the woman scolded, pressing Sarah’s shoulders back so she was forced to stand as tall as she was. “You are beautiful, and you should be proud of your height. Besides, you will still be shorter than His Highness. The man is a mountain.”
The other women giggled, and Sarah realized that every woman in the country most likely had a crush on Ali, and they didn’t even know who he was. These women were the lucky exception in that they at least knew what he looked like. Perhaps that was how rumors had spread of his good looks, since no one else could possibly know just how handsome Ali truly was.
Realizing the direction of her thoughts, Sarah cleared her throat and thought instead about dinner. She had thoroughly enjoyed her meal with Ali that afternoon, and her stomach couldn’t wait to see what was in store for her next. The serving girl opened the door, and they all made their exit, closing the door behind them as they made a small parade down the hallways, Sarah not bothering to try to keep track of her surroundings.
When they reached an open room, Sarah stepped out behind her small entourage and caught sight of Ali immediately. He was standing in front of a pair of gilded doors, and he was looking over some papers with another gentleman who wasn’t nearly as well dressed. Ali was sporting a tuxedo that was perfectly tailored to his clearly muscular body, and Sarah’s mouth went dry at the sight of him. When his eyes met hers, her heart fluttered so much she thought she might lift up into the air.
Stop it, she scolded herself, moistening her lips as she approached him. His gaze didn’t leave her for a second as she walked up, and the man next to him had to clear his throat to get Ali’s attention.
“Your Highness? Just this last bit here. What did you want to do?”
Ali shook his head slightly as he glanced back at the man, his expression bemused.
“Er, yes. Sorry, Hadid. Let’s shift the crop shareholders to Friday. I’m sure they’ll be able to hold off another few days while we secure the necessary connections.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you.”
With that, the man gave a nod to Sarah before he made a hasty exit, leaving her alone with Ali in the ornate room. Where had her entourage gone? They had apparently slipped away before she’d had a chance to thank them. Making a note to do so later, Sarah smiled at Ali.
“You clean up nicely,” she said, trying not to slouch.
The truth was, she really didn’t need to. Ali really was a mountain of a man, and while she was only a few inches shorter than him in those heels, she still had to look up to meet his gaze.
“You do, too. I see my staff made excellent use of our supplies.”
“Your supplies?”
“Yes. We often need backups for formal occasions, for when we have a guest who might not have the appropriate attire.”
“How did you know what my size was?”
“I didn’t. My staff made a lucky guess, and they were correct. If this gown hadn’t fit, we would have found you another, though I will admit that I am a fan of this one.”
Sarah blushed at his compliment as Ali turned toward the doors.
“Now, are you ready for another exquisite meal?”
“Am I ever,” Sarah said.
Ali took her hand, wrapping it around his forearm as they prepared to make the royal entrance into the room. The door cracked open and a man peeked out. Seeing that the couple was ready, he opened the portal and stepped aside, announcing their arrival.
“His Highness, Sheikh Ahmad bin-Yousuf al-Jayah, and his guest, Sarah Chamberlain.”
They were led into another dining room, which was decorated in a more European fashion, with pastel blues and white trimming. Statues that looked like they belonged in a museum lined the walls, and as Sarah gazed around, trying not to look too impressed, she reminded herself that she would have to call Ali by his false name, and she frowned.
“What is it?” he asked.
She hadn’t realized he’d been watching her. Blushing again, she fixed her face back into a pleasant expression.
“I just realized I don’t know what to call you tonight.”
Ali squeezed her hand with his, her skin tingling beneath his touch, as it always did. Why did it always have to do that?
“Call me Ahmad. After all, we are lifelong friends, are we not?”
His grin was infectious, and Sarah smiled back at him as they reached another stately looking couple by a bar staffed by a single bartender. The woman was holding a glass of red wine, while the man appeared to be enjoying a rich bourbon of some kind. Ali nodded to them both as they approached.
“Luca and Anna of Switzerland, I would like you to meet my guest this evening, Sarah Chamberlain of Miami, Florida.”
Luca and Anna were middle-aged, but they were no less elegant for the small spread of wrinkles around their eyes and lips. Sarah could tell instantly that they had led a happy life, because those were laugh lines. She was greeted with a pair of warm smiles, and she reached for Anna’s outstretched hand as the blond woman extended a warm welcome.
“It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Sarah. We have had many state dinners with Ahmad, but this is the first time he’s brought a date.”
Luca laughed, shaking Sarah’s hand next.
“Yes, we were beginning to think the man a confirmed bachelor. It’s nice to see he’s found a beautiful woman to join his side this evening.”
Sarah blushed again, wondering when she had ever blushed so much in her life. Ali took her hand and placed it on his arm once again.
“My friends, you are making my poor friend blush. Please, let’s have a drink and speak about anything else except my love life, I beg of you!”
They all laughed, the tension broken, and Sarah ordered a white wine for herself and Ali ordered a whiskey. They made their way to a large fireplace, the hearth of which was decorated with silver and gold logs that glittered among a sea of white candles.
Sarah had never seen so much silver and gold in her life, and the pairing was tastefully put together in a way that was regal and yet somehow comfortable at the same time.
Sarah listened with great interest as Luca and Anna talked about their recen
t ski trip to Devos and how much snow they’d gotten that season.
“I’ve never seen snow before, but I hear it can be nice,” Sarah said, drawing shocked attention from everyone in the room.
“You’ve never seen snow?” Luca asked, incredulous.
Sarah laughed.
“I’m a born-and-raised Floridian. I worked for a travel agency for a few years, so I got to send other people to snowy places, but I’m afraid this is the first time I’ve ever really traveled myself.”
Her eyes darted to Ali, who wore a curious, unreadable expression. She was trying to think of what to say next when a bell rang and a man appeared at the door.
“Dinner is ready. Please take your seats.”
THIRTEEN
Sarah was seated next to Ali, with Anna and Luca across from them. As they took their seats, a small bowl of soup was placed before them all, and Sarah watched carefully to see which spoon her companions selected. Then she watched from beneath lowered lashes to make sure she wasn’t eating incorrectly. Part of her wished in that moment that she had been sent to some kind of etiquette school, but she was able to follow suit well enough. Anyway, no one looked offended by her in any way, so that was something.
“So how did you two meet?” Anna asked, her eyes gleaming.
Sarah could tell that Anna and Luca were eager to see Ali settled, though she imagined many people were. The man was the ruler of a country, and he was close to thirty. He was reaching that age, as was she, that everyone began expecting marriage, with no exceptions.
Sarah’s eyes darted to Ali. She had no idea what to say. Their connection was a deep secret, and his gaze darted to hers before he grinned broadly and spoke to Anna.
“Online,” he said, lying smoothly.
Anna laughed, slapping the table lightly in her glee.
“No you did not!”
“We did. I disguised myself as a common man to see if I could find anyone online who wanted to know me as a man rather than a sheikh. I met Sarah, and we hit it off right away.”
Sarah stared at him in disbelief. Was he really playing out the narrative that they were there on a date, that this was a romantic thing? Heck, the day before she had wanted to smack him for keeping her there against her will, and now she had to play the part of a royal girlfriend?
“That is hilarious!” Anna crowed, laughing as she took another sip of wine. “The Sheikh of Al Jayah on an online dating site. As if you would ever really need to do such a thing. And yet, here we are, with this lovely young woman at our table. So how did you decide to come out? I must hear the details of this story!”
Ali and Sarah locked eyes for a moment, and his silent message was clear.
Play along.
Sarah squared her shoulders, considering her answer. She had never been in a pretend relationship before. It could be fun, right?
“Well, of course I was surprised when I arrived in Al Jayah and a limo was waiting for me at the airport,” Sarah said, leaning in as she began to weave her imaginary tale.
“Here I was, jet lagged and exhausted, just trying to make sure I didn’t lose my luggage, a little scared that I was flying off to a foreign land on a wish, hoping against hope that the man I found was who he had said he would be, and then I find out he wasn’t at all.”
Sarah glanced back at Ali, whose expression was cautious even as he wore a smile.
“Then this guy shows up, standing with a bouquet of flowers in front of the limo. I recognized him, of course, but I didn’t think I would find him in one of the poshest limos in the world.”
Luca frowned.
“I thought you never stepped outside of a car in public. I’m surprised you weren’t swarmed on sight.”
Ali’s eyes darted down as he crafted his next lie. Sarah held in a cringe at her mistake.
“Yes, well, there’s a reason I like it that no one knows what I really look like. It’s so that in instances when I do venture out, I can do so undercover.”
“You mean in the least showy way possible, holding flowers in front of a limo,” Luca said, his tone dry.
“Hey, are you going to let this fine lady tell her story?”
Luca grinned, taking a sip of his drink.
“You are right, of course. I’m sorry, Sarah. Do continue.”
Sarah hesitated, worried she would make another misstep like that again. How could she have forgotten that Ali never stepped outside of his barriers? She had always been an open and honest person. Actively lying to these kind people was harder than she had thought it would be. As everyone gazed at her in expectation, she took a drink of her wine and went on.
“Yes, well, he did seem rather anxious to get back inside the limo, which I thought was a little curious, but I was happy to step in with him. When we got inside, there was a bottle of champagne waiting for us, and as I was having my first sip of Cristal, His Highness over here finally let the cat out of the bag about who he really is!”
“Oh my goodness, you must have been beside yourself with shock.”
“I nearly fainted,” Sarah said, trying to stick to the truth as much as possible.
“Don’t you feel a little bad for deceiving the girl, Ahmad? It’s not good to start a relationship on a lie.”
Ali squirmed in his seat ever so slightly.
“I knew it was a risk, but it was one I was willing to take to find someone I could get to really know. You both know better than anyone that most of the girls who have thrown themselves my way have had one motive, and that is to be Sheikha, to live the life of luxury. When I met Sarah, I knew her motivation was nowhere near that. In fact, I think she considered leaving when she found out the truth.”
Sarah cast a wayward glance at him, getting more comfortable as they made their story up with snippets of truth and mostly lies.
“It’s true that I was definitely taken aback, especially when we pulled up to this place, but Al…Ahmad was quite gracious in his welcome and explanation, and I decided to give him a chance. Now that I’m here, I can get to know him as a man and a national leader, so that’s fun.”
Anna laughed again, delighted with the tale. She made them go over all the details of their online dating adventures, and Sarah and Ali did their best to sound believable as they made up the entire story. After the second course, which was a spiced fish paired with flavorful rice and thick, soft bread, Ali demanded they change the subject, and Anna finally complied.
They spoke more about Switzerland, Europe, and the current political climate there. They talked about travel, and while Sarah could engage in the conversation, it was different having it with people who had actually been to the places they were talking about.
“Oh, Sarah, you must visit the mountains while you’re here. Just beyond this ridge they go high enough to get snow on them, and you have to take a picture of the first time you see it so you can send it to us!”
“That sounds wonderful,” Sarah replied noncommittally.
The truth was, she hadn’t really thought past that day. What was she going to do with her time while she was in Al Jayah? She felt Ali’s fingers wrap around hers, linking with them as she gazed up at him, trying to hide her surprise.
“We’ll have plenty to explore while Sarah’s here.”
“How long do you intend to stay?”
“I’m not sure, really. I just ended my job at the travel agency, and I have some free time to spare, so I figured I’d take a risk and see where life took me.”
“It hasn’t done too bad for you, eh?” Luca said.
His tone was slightly accusatory, and Sarah realized then that Luca had a built-in lie detector, and he wasn’t buying their story. He seemed to think Sarah was some kind of gold digger, and she frowned.
“Not yet, though I’ve got some time to get to know him, so we’ll see if he’s worthy of my affection.”
Anna chuckled.
“You’ve found yourself a feisty one, Ahmad. Why am I not surprised?”
Ali kept his hand in
hers, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. Sarah felt a little sick at keeping up a ruse she wasn’t meant to be a part of. All she had wanted was to find Ali and meet him. She hadn’t expected to be lying to statesmen and pretending to be something she wasn’t. Still, at least they generally knew the truth about her. Having to dance around Ali’s lies was far more challenging.
“I think we should have a dance,” Ali said
“A what?” Sarah asked, jumping out of her seat.
Luca’s gaze had her totally on edge, and she’d found as the night had worn on that what she really wanted to do was go to bed and never squirm beneath that discerning gaze again. Why wasn’t he looking at Ali like that? He was the one with the lies!