The Sheikh's Secret

by Knight, Kylie

  “Sure! I don’t see why no. Two vodka sodas, please.”

  “Done. Don’t go anywhere, ok? We’ll be right back.”

  “And we’ll be right here.”

  The first guy grinned while the other one only looked at her, his blue eyes making contact with her own only briefly before he lowered them and blushed. He turned and followed his friend, glancing back once to make sure they had not left. Bethany waited until the men were thoroughly engaged in their task and then turned to Caroline, smacking her squarely in the arm.

  “Caroline!”

  “Ow! What? What are you hitting me for?”

  “What are you doing? Why would you tell them they could buy us drinks?”

  Caroline looked at her like she was crazy, and then rolled her eyes with her hand on her hips, a sure sign that whatever she was about to say would be sarcastic.

  “You’re right, it’s awful. Now we’ll have to marry them I guess. Now that we’ve agreed to something as serious as a drink.”

  “First of all, we didn’t agree. You did. Second of all, I have a boyfriend! Just because I’m having a hard time right now doesn’t mean that I want to end things. And it definitely doesn’t mean that I want to cheat on him.”

  “Beth, that’s not what I’m trying to do here,” Caroline said gently, finally softening to her friend’s confusion and concern, “I just wanted you to be able to let loose for once, you know? I wanted you to realize that there’s still a world out there and you can be a part of it whether you have Aasif right by your side or not. Just being out isn’t a sin, is it?”

  “No.”

  “Ok then. Nobody is asking you to cheat, ok? I just want you to try and relax some.”

  “Alright, sure. I can do that. At least I think I can.”

  “Well good,” she laughed, “I’m glad to hear it. But I do want to say one more thing, something that I’m pretty sure you aren’t going to like, and I want you to try and really hear me. Deal?”

  “Um, deal. I guess.”

  “Those two men, they were cute, right? Like super handsome.”

  “I don’t know, I guess.”

  “Ok, well for those of us who still live in the land of the living, those men were hot. They were hot, and the first thing they wanted to do was get close to us, buy us drinks just so they could get close. I’m not saying you should do anything about it, but you could if you wanted to. You have a whole lot of options, and if you want to leave, leave. Even if you just want to look around, you can. Because I can tell you right now, the shy one? He couldn’t even look near you without turning bright red. That guy is completely into you. You don’t have to do anything about it at all, but you sure as hell can look at it as an ego boost. I know I would.”

  Bethany opened her mouth and then closed it again. Her instinct told her that what Caroline was saying was wrong, that it wasn’t in the spirit of what a relationship should be, but something stopped her. Maybe it was because she was feeling particularly low about herself, neglected in a way that made her feel sickeningly vulnerable. Or maybe it was just because she was so tired of thinking all of the time. Whatever it was, something kept her quiet. She wasn’t really doing anything wrong, not really. It may have been playing with fire but it wasn’t cheating and so she told herself it was ok. She told herself that she wasn’t doing anything wrong, even though she felt the nervous flutter of doubt sitting deep in the pit of her stomach. Playing with fire, something she had never even considered doing before.

  Chapter Five

  “Yes, that’s correct, I want you to get rid of the whole lot of them. I don’t like the smell of them and if I don’t like it, the customers won’t like it.”

  “But sir, the money! It’s like throwing money straight out the window. Why would we want to do a thing like that?”

  Aasif gave the chef a look that made it clear that he was not even a little bit interested in the man’s opinion of the situation. He could see that his father had been right, this particular resort had been left without proper management for too long. The chef, a pompous man with a very high opinion of himself and an overbearing personality, had taken advantage of the opportunity gladly. He was rumored to be stealing from the resort while simultaneously bad mouthing it to everyone who would listen. He was the worst kind of employee one could have.

  When Aasif arrived on site he was acting as the self appointed emperor of the place, making decisions he had no right to make. Aasif’s father had sent him to investigate if the reports of this change were true, to get him more acclimated to the business end of what he was in line to become. Aasif knew that it was yet another attempt to distract him, to suck him into the whole thing until he no longer had time for the woman he loved, but he could feel himself getting angry in spite of himself. Whether Aasif was happy to be so confined by his impending duties or not, he was absolutely unwilling to tolerate someone attempting to swindle his family or tarnish their name.

  “You forget yourself. We do not do anything. There is no we. You and I are not partners. You aren’t in charge of the decisions for this business.”

  “Sir, with all due respect, I think I know best.”

  “I would be very careful if I were you. Up to this point, my father has not expressed an interest in pressing charges for your theft and slander. However, I am completely confident that, should I report back news of your insolence and continued disrespect, that decision will quickly change. At this point the worst consequence you are facing is termination of employment. It is entirely up to you whether or not that stays the same or becomes something more, shall we say, undesirable.”

  The chef’s face went an alarming shade of purple, all of the veins standing out in his rather sizeable neck. He was probably at least twenty years older than Aasif and the fact that he was receiving any kind of orders from a man barely above a boy was obviously driving him insane. He wanted to hit him. Aasif could see it in his face. But if he did that, if he crossed that line, the repercussions would be unthinkable and he knew it. And so he just stood there, paralysed by his conflicting desires for retribution and for self-preservation. Finally he managed to choke out the last words Aasif would have to hear him speak before he became someone else’s problem.

  “Will that be all?”

  “Yes, thank you. I believe it will. If you have anything of ours that you think might warrant returning, I suggest you leave it before you go. You seem to forget, we have cameras all throughout this property.”

  Aasif did not wait to see his reaction or hear his response. He was tired of being here, tired of dealing with such an unsavory man. All he wanted to do was to return home, to find a little space of time where he could call Bethany. Bethany, whose soft voice washed over him and reminded him of the best parts of himself, the parts of him he was certain his family did not see.

  “All ready sir?”

  “Yes, I suppose so. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Aasif’s driver suppressed a smile as he nodded and opened the door to the sleek black Bentley that would carry them home. Both the car and the driver were his father’s ideas and Aasif had fought them vehemently. All he really wanted was a beat up old jeep that he could drive around whenever he liked, something he could take the top off of and feel the wind in his hair. He could imagine Bethany beside him in a car like that, her smile wide and her eyes full of excitement. It was an image that made his insides ache, an image he didn’t want to let go of. The idea of sliding into that Bentley made him feel even further away from her than he was already and it was devastating to him that he knew this was yet another fight he could not win.

  It had turned out better than he had expected, though, which was beginning to feel like a rare occurrence. His driver was a breath of fresh air, a man with a sense of humor who made the drives from one obligation to the next far more tolerable than they would otherwise have been. He didn’t even know the man’s name and they had never had a genuine conversation, but somehow he still managed to provide Aasif wit
h some comfort. He liked to think that it was the kind of guy Bethany would like to be friends with, that if she came to live with him they would get along famously. Hell, knowing her they would be having the man over for dinner in no time. He liked that thought. It gave him a new image to keep, and those were rare indeed.

  “We are here, sir.”

  Aasif looked up, startled to see that he had daydreamed all the way back to his family’s compound. It was astounding how easily he could get lost in himself with thoughts of what he had left behind. How quickly his precious stolen moments with his one true desire went, and how slowly all of the rest of it plodded along. It was sad, really, when he thought about it for too long. He remembered being such a happy child, so lucky to have a family to love and who loved him in return, so fortunate in every new challenge he encountered. It pained him to have soured on those things he had once held dear. He missed that youthful exuberance, and yet even as he longed for it he knew that one could never go back. Things would not become uncomplicated as they had once been and he could do nothing but look forward. He was tasked with building himself a future that he could love, and the longer he spent away from Bethany the more sure he was that he could not do that without her by his side.

  “Aasif! Son, did you find success?”

  Aasif nodded at the driver, who gave him a little smile before driving the car to its spot, and moved in to meet his father’s embrace. The longer Aasif was home the more pleased his father seemed to be. He spent as much time with him, grooming him to become the heir he needed and expected. He gradually gave him tasks with greater and greater importance, indicating that his level of trust was increasing exponentially. On the one hand, Aasif was pleased by this. In the end, didn’t every man have inside him still that little boy who wanted only to make his father proud? But on the other hand, he could feel himself becoming more and more entrenched in the family and his future role as Sheikh and he knew that it would only get more difficult to convince his family to allow him to include Bethany in that picture. He felt panic rising in his gut over it. He needed to act quickly, even if he dreaded having the actual conversation with his dad. There was one thing he knew for sure, and that was that it wasn’t going to be pretty.

  “Son? Where’d you go just now? Was it really as bad as all of that?”

  “No, no, I’m sorry. I guess I just haven’t been sleeping as well as I should lately. But no, it went well. Not for the chef, of course, but it went well. I expect that he’s long gone by now. And I made it very clear to him that we would be watching him make his exit, so I wouldn’t worry about him making a scene or anything as he goes. He seemed frightened enough to just go quietly.”

  “Perfect! What did I tell you, Aasif, you’re a natural at these things. You are definitely my son, I’ll say that. If anyone ever had a doubt let them be quieted from this point on.”

  As if anyone could have doubted it. Not only did he look exactly like the man, but Aasif knew that if there had been any kind of rumors about his mother being with another man, his father wouldn’t have just shrugged it off. He would have gotten to the bottom of it with results that would have been unpleasant for many of the people involved. That was just the sort of man his dad was.

  “Come on, Aasif, you must know I’m joking. Don’t look so somber! This is a day for celebrating, right? You’re becoming the man I hoped you would be.”

  “Thank you father, that means a lot to me. It does.”

  “Good! Good. Now, enough of this sentimental talk. Let’s go into the house. Supper will be ready soon.”

  As his dad turned to go, Aasif reached out a hand to stop him. His father stopped, glancing in surprise at the fingers that were now tightly gripping his bicep.

  “What is it, Aasif? Why don’t you want to go inside?”

  “I do, in a minute. But I was wondering, would it be possible to speak to you about something before we do? Just briefly?”

  His father was in one of the best moods Aasif had seen since returning home, and his good spirits were due to something he had done. It seemed like as good of time as any to talk to him about bringing Bethany over to stay with them. He might never have another opportunity where his father was feeling this jovial. He waited for his reply, hardly able to breathe from the anticipation.

  “No, Aasif, I’m sorry. Now is not the time. I told you, it’s almost suppertime. And besides, we have a special guest dining with us this evening.”

  He gave a devilish little wink before turning and quickly ascending the stairs, striding through the front door the way a king must enter his castle. Aasif just stood there for a moment, stunned by how quickly his request had been rejected. Did he know? Did his father have a feeling about what Aasif was going to bring up? It would certainly explain the abrupt dismissal, that was for sure. But then again, his dad was also pretty much into doing things on his own time. Knowing that, there was also a very good chance that the man was just hungry. It was kind of hard to tell.

  Aasif shook his head in disbelief and shrugged his shoulders before trailing after the most infuriating man he had ever known. He had just made it through the front door when he stopped dead in his tracks. This wasn’t happening. There was no way his parents would have the audacity to pull a stunt like this. But even as the thought raced through his head Aasif’s father was talking to him, confirming that they were indeed willing to overstep their boundaries in whatever ways they deemed necessary.

  “Aasif! This is the surprise I was telling you about. You remember Dahra, don’t you? Come now, you must.”

  His mother grinned while his sisters all gathered in the background giggling, watching as he tried to adjust the stunned look on his face. What a stupid question to ask. Did he remember Dahra? How could he? He hadn’t seen her since they were practically infants. Having an arranged marriage didn’t exactly require that the two people involved become fast friends, after all. The whole get to know each other bit didn’t seem to factor into the deal in any way, shape or form. But it wasn’t her fault that his parents had ambushed him in this way and so he smiled at her with as much warmth as he could muster. He wanted to get out of this without making anyone feel too terrible if he could manage it.

  “Of course, Dahra. How are you? You’ve grown so much! Isn’t it strange to see that other people continue to grow right along with you, even when you aren’t there to see it happen?”

  She didn’t look like it was something she had ever thought about and it didn’t seem like she cared all that much, but she smiled anyway, her eyes meeting his for a moment and then looking hastily away. She was proper in all of the ways she was supposed to be for a woman betrothed to a future Sheikh, but underneath it all Aasif sensed that she was bored by him. Not the money, though, he could see that she was quite impressed by her surroundings. Her eyes flitted from one expensive item to the next, drinking them all in as if she could not possibly get enough. And yet his father was convinced that Bethany was only interested in the money and prestige. Bethany, who hadn’t the faintest clue as to who he was when he was at home. If only his father could see this thing as clearly as he could, but he was stubborn, set in his old customs and ways of thinking. Aasif knew it was a thing that would not change easily.

  “Dahra will be joining us for supper, Aasif. Isn’t that nice?”

  “Yes. Lovely” Aasif responded to his over eager mother with no hint of joy at the prospect. Objectively speaking, it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. She was a beautiful girl and clearly one with superior upbringing. That was why she had been chosen for him, of course. She was beautiful and elegant to be sure, but she was not the one he wanted. He couldn’t pretend that she was, and no amount of pleading or threats from his parents would persuade him otherwise. This was too much. They had finally taken things too far, pushed him a little too fast for their own good.

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve just remembered something I really have to do. Please excuse me for a moment, it won’t take long.”

  His mothe
r looked at him with eyes full of daggers and his father cleared his throat in the way he only did when he was really, really displeased. Aasif chose not to take the hints. He would sit through this stupid dinner like a good little boy, but not without speaking to Bethany first. He needed her now. He felt like he was drifting farther and farther away from reality and he needed her to bring him back down. He needed to hear her voice so that he could reassure himself that the love between them was real and that the waiting hadn’t got to be too much. It couldn’t have, it just couldn’t. He knew it was frustrating, but he was going to bring her to be with him. It was just a matter of working out the kinks beforehand. To make the transition as smooth for her as possible.

  After shutting the door to one of his father’s many offices, Aasif dialed Bethany’s cell phone, feeling his heart beat like a drum in his chest as he waited for her to pick up. He glanced at his watch nervously. It was just after six o’clock in the evening, which meant that it was one in the morning back in Cambridge. Perhaps she was already asleep. Late nights hadn’t been something she often partook in. Half the time she wasn’t able to make it past ten o’clock! He was just about to give up when he heard the click that meant she was there after all, that she was picking up the phone for him even at such a late hour.

  “Hello?”