by Holly Rayner
Before the plane started to descend, Hakim woke Lauren up so that she could freshen up. By the time the plane was close to landing, Lauren had changed clothes, brushed her hair, and was sitting looking out the window. The steward brought them both coffee, which Lauren accepted gratefully. She still wasn’t saying much, but didn’t seem to mind when he pointed out things she could see as they descended.
The plane landed with a gentle thump of the wheels, and as they rolled to a stop, Hakim made sure that he got to their bags first. He stuck his head in the jet’s cockpit and thanked the two pilots as they exited the plane. There was a sleek, black car waiting for them and Hakim placed the bags in the trunk.
As she got in the passenger side, Lauren said, “What, no driver?”
Hakim grinned at her. “Not tonight. Not usually, actually. I prefer to drive myself.”
Lauren looked out the window. “Where are we going?”
“Dinner. You haven’t eaten in at least fourteen hours.”
“It’s after midnight, though.”
“We’re going to one of my favorite places; they’re staying open just for us.”
Her head whipped around to stare at him. “Just for us?”
Hakim nodded. “They know me well.”
“Plus, there’s that whole Sheikh thing,” she added dryly.
He gave a one-armed shrug. “It doesn’t hurt.”
He was pleased to note that Lauren sounded amused and not annoyed. The car pulled up in front of a tall, modern building, and a doorman opened the car door for them. Hakim helped Lauren out of the car and put his hand on the small of her back as he walked with her into the building.
They took a wood-paneled elevator to the top floor and were met by a host who greeted Hakim by name. The host showed them to the restaurant’s best table, next to floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city lights sparkling below.
Hakim waited for Lauren to slide into the mahogany-brown banquette, then he sat on the other side of the semicircular bench. A chandelier hanging right over the table cast a soft light and candles flickered on the table, giving the cream tablecloth a warm glow. The table was already set for them—a bottle of white wine chilling in a bucket at one end and a small plate of appetizers waiting between their place settings.
Hakim conversed with the waiter as Lauren gazed out the window. Wine was poured, and the waiter left them alone at the table.
“If you like, I’ll have them bring the menu for you, but I thought I’d just order a small selection of things,” Hakim said.
“Does it matter if I want to look at the menu?” Lauren asked, then waved a hand. “I’m sorry for being snippy. I’m just not quite awake yet.”
Hakim nodded. “No apology necessary. I dragged you out of your house on short notice to fly half way around the world, giving you no choice. I’d be a bit snippy, too.”
Lauren studied him for a moment and Hakim waited for her to decide if she was still mad or not.
“A choice would have been preferable. But I’m here, and I’m looking forward to seeing your home, so how about we just start the evening over?”
“I’d like that. I’m very happy that you’re here.” Hakim looked around the restaurant. “This is one of my favorite places. I visited here for the first time right after I started my company, and it’s been my tradition to eat here at least once a week since then, at least when I’m here.”
Lauren smiled. “Ah, so that’s why they stayed open for us.”
“It might have had something to do with it.”
“I’m glad I’m getting to eat here then,” Lauren said, studying the dining room with new interest. “It really is a lovely place.”
“It’s the place I miss the most when I’m in California. There are times when I want to do the whole trip back and forth just to eat here.”
Lauren cocked her head at him. “I don’t mean this in a bad way, but why? What’s so special about this place?”
Hakim thought about it, wanting to explain to her the right way. “When I started the company, I was under a lot of pressure from my family. They meant well, but it was pressure nonetheless. I wasn’t certain I could manage a whole company by myself, and I dreaded the possibility that I might need to go to my father to ask him to bail me out.
“I was looking for a place to set up a lunch with a new client and settled on this restaurant. The meeting went so well, I guess I just started to associate a good feeling with it. And then I started coming in on my own and got to know the owner.
“It’s one of the few places in Al Asaab where I can eat by myself and feel comfortable. Or where I can bring friends or clients alike.
“Plus,” Hakim leaned toward Lauren and said in a stage whisper, “the food is outstanding. Some of the best I’ve ever had.”
Hakim grinned at the silver-haired man who had just walked up next to the banquette. The man just shook his head.
“I would say that if you really liked my food, you’d be here more often. I suppose, though, that it’s enough that you brought this lovely lady to dine with you this time.”
Hakim stood and embraced the man. “Lauren, this is Adir Assan, the owner and head chef of this fine establishment. Adir, this is Lauren Sanders, a friend of mine from California.”
Adir shook Lauren’s hand. “Ms. Sanders, we’re delighted you could join us.”
Lauren shook her head. “Thank you for staying open for us tonight. I know it’s late here, though to be honest, I have no idea what time it actually is. Your restaurant is beautiful and I’m looking forward to trying the food.”
Adir gave her a small bow. “Then leave everything to me.”
Hakim shook his hand and Adir returned to his kitchen. He noticed Lauren watching him and said, “Adir is a good friend.”
“I can see. It’s interesting to see this whole different side of you here.”
Hakim waited as a server brought out a first course and poured the wine. When they were alone again, he asked, “Why is this a different side of me?”
“You’re more open, even when we’ve only been here a short time.”
Hakim shrugged. “It’s home.”
“Mm. I get that. But just because California isn’t home, why are you so different there? I mean, you “bought” me from an auction to spite my mother. That’s not the man I see here.”
“I have to be different here. It’s business.”
“But why do you dislike my mom so much? Surely the two of you could be competitors without being enemies.”
“Lauren, I don’t want to upset you.”
She laughed. “You’ve already upset me. So, explain—make me understand.”
“Your mother doesn’t like me.”
“That, I know. And I’ve asked her about it. For the record, I think her reasons are not the best. But I’m asking about you.”
Hakim took a deep breath. “Did you she tell you about the Peterson account?”
Lauren thought about it. “It rings a bell, yes.”
“We got our bid in a day late, technically. It was delivered but somehow got lost at the reception desk. I found out later that Patricia had told the receptionist that I was dating a nineteen-year-old actress and encouraged her to “lose” our bid so that her company wouldn’t be embarrassed.”
Hakim could see the color drain out of Lauren’s face.
“She didn’t,” Lauren said, sounding like she didn’t believe him.
He nodded. “She did. And I wasn’t dating a nineteen-year-old. She was a twenty-six-year-old, playing a nineteen-year-old. And it’s not the only time she’s spread rumors about me, or used some underhanded trick to gain some advantage.
Lauren shook her head. “I know my mother is tough, but that doesn’t sound like her.”
“She is a brilliant businesswoman; she doesn’t even need all those tricks. But I think she’s so afraid of losing her position as the most successful that’s she lost sight of what’s right.”
“You don’t under
stand,” Lauren countered, instinctively rushing to defend her mother. “She had to fight for everything, even being CEO of her own company. When they went public, the board wanted to replace her with a man because CEOs were men and a woman couldn’t run a company. Despite the fact that she built it from the ground up.”
“Lauren, she lied about me.”
“And I’m not saying that’s right, but she was only trying to save her company. To save her job. I know you understand that. And I know that while she’s incredibly tough at business, she always has my best interests at heart.”
Hakim didn’t want to argue, and he understood why Lauren was reluctant to hear these things about her mother. So, as they finished their entrees and the waiter brought the main course, he decided to change the subject.
“It’s okay. I know you’re not your mother, and through you, I see that she’s not a bad person. I wish she could see that about me. But most of all, I want you to enjoy this weekend.”
Lauren wrinkled her nose in a way that Hakim found adorable and said, “You know, this is actually the first time I’ve traveled outside the United States. I’ve visited New York and Chicago, all over the West Coast, and even Miami. But this is my first trip overseas.”
Hakim was surprised, until he considered that Lauren had been driven to work so much that she probably hadn’t had time to travel much. He wished he could show her the world.
“In that case, I will make sure you have the best first trip abroad possible.”
Her smile was all the answer he needed.
As they ate, Lauren peppered him with questions about Al Asaab. And over dessert, Adir joined them at the table to tell Lauren stories about Hakim. She laughed, and as Hakim watched her, he realized just how happy he was to have her here in his home city.
There was more than a spark between them, and the fact that he was so happy right then was a sign that he really did want a close relationship with the right woman. He thought Lauren might be the right woman, but that was an impossible dream. Her mother wouldn’t stand for it, and Patricia had the power to make both his and Lauren’s lives miserable.
He would enjoy the next two days with Lauren, and when her week with him was up, he would let her go, grateful that he got the short amount of time with her that he did.
Adir cleared his throat and Hakim looked over at Lauren. She was yawning, and she had turned so that she could lean against the back of the banquette. Her legs were tucked up in the booth, and her eyes were half-closed.
Hakim shook his head. The sight of Lauren falling asleep at the table was even more adorable than her wrinkled nose, but it was late and he needed to get her home. He quickly paid the bill and quietly thanked Adir. Lauren woke up just enough to smile and wave at the restaurant owner as she slid out of the booth.
She leaned against Hakim as they made their way downstairs and it was only because of Hakim’s arm around her that she made it to the car. The doorman opened the passenger door and Hakim carefully steered her into the seat.
Driving to his home, he thought about how tired she was, even though she’d slept almost the whole flight. He already knew how much she worked—he wondered if she ever took time off and decided the answer had to be no.
And then he felt the guilt of making her work twice as hard that week, both keeping her own company in order and in service to his goal of getting back at her mother. He was the reason she was exhausted.
Hakim tapped the steering wheel of the car as he glanced over at the beautiful woman sleeping beside him. Maybe it was time to end his rivalry with Patricia Sanders. It wasn’t doing anyone any good, and if it made Lauren’s life easier, it would be worth it.
He parked the car in his garage and felt a sense of peace come over him as he arrived at his Al Asaab home. As he carefully lifted Lauren out of the car, cradling her in his arms, he was aware of how irrevocably right it felt to have her there. He wanted this with her, for good.
Chapter 12
Lauren
Lauren woke slowly to sunlight flooding an unfamiliar bedroom. The walls were a pretty pale blue and soft white curtains framed the window. A darker blue comforter covered her, and the bed was sinfully comfortable.
It took her a full minute to remember the events of the last twenty-four hours: Hakim insisting on her accompanying him to Al Asaab, the long flight, and their dinner after landing. Lauren felt truly rested for the first time in a long time, but she wasn’t clear on exactly where she was.
She got out of bed and found cozy slippers and a dark purple robe waiting for her on a chair near the bed. Her suitcase was in the corner, waiting to be opened.
Lauren carefully stepped out into the hall and looked around. She realized that she was in Hakim’s other home; she could hear him talking on the phone somewhere down the hall.
She stepped back into the bedroom and picked up her suitcase. She carried it into the giant bathroom to get ready for the day. After quickly showering and drying her hair, Lauren made her way through the house. She followed Hakim’s voice, finally finding him in the kitchen.
He said goodbye to whoever he was talking with and set the phone on the counter.
“Lauren! Did you sleep well?”
“I did, thank you. I’m not entirely sure how I got to bed, though.” She bit her lower lip and asked, “Did you put me to bed last night?”
Hakim gave her a sly look. “Well, you fell asleep in your dessert, so I didn’t have much choice.”
Lauren could feel her face turning red. “I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean to do that.”
He waved a hand at her. “No, please, don’t worry about it. Jet lag is no fun, and you were tired. It’s perfectly fine. I didn’t mind at all.”
“Still…” she started.
Lauren was going to apologize some more, but her phone buzzed. She gave Hakim an apologetic smile and stepped away to take the call. When she came back, she noticed that he had breakfast spread out on the counter.
“Here,” he said, handing her a steaming mug of coffee.
Lauren sipped at the coffee, reveling in the taste and heat of the drink. She looked over at the plates laid out on the counter and then looked up at Hakim, eyebrows raised.
He shrugged. “I wanted you to be able to try a little bit of everything. We’re only here today, so I’m packing your whole Al Asaab experience into twenty-four hours.”
Eyeing a particularly yummy-looking pastry, Lauren laughed. “I know the country is small, but can I really experience everything in a day?”
Her phone dinged again with a text this time, and Lauren set down her coffee to send a message back. When she was finished, she picked up the pastry, forgoing the plate to just stand at the counter and eat.
Hakim chuckled at her and she lifted one shoulder. “The table is too far away. And this is really good. What is it?”
He started to explain the local breakfast delicacies, and then Lauren’s phone rang again. She wrinkled her nose and answered it. After a short conversation, she hung up and set the phone down again.
“Sorry,” Lauren said.
Hakim opened his mouth to answer and her phone rang again. He threw up one hand and shook his head. When she’d finished that call, he gave her a pointed look.
“It’s Saturday,” Hakim said.
“And? Nobody works on Saturday?” Lauren replied, taking another bite of her pastry.
He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Is it absolutely necessary for you to work right now? Why don’t you turn your phone off for the day? Twenty-four hours. That’s all. Your company won’t go bust if you take one day off.”
“I feel bad if I’m not working when the others are.”
“How many weekends have you worked the last three years?”
Lauren acknowledged his point with a tilt of her head. “A lot of them. Possibly all of them?”
Hakim pointed to the phone. “Turn it off.”
“Hakim…”
“Do you want me to make it an order? I can
invoke our contract if necessary.” His expression made it clear that he was both teasing and completely serious.
Lauren sighed. Hakim had a point; it had been months since she’d taken any time off.
She picked up her phone and sent a quick text to Kayla telling her that she was out of town and needed to turn her phone off for the day. She gave her the authority to deal with anything that came up, and told her she’d touch base as soon as she was back in town.
As Hakim watched, she switched off the phone and then tucked it in her back pocket.
“Happy?” she asked him.
He grinned at her. “Very. Trust me, you’ll be much happier this way.”
She shook her head at him, but drinking her coffee and listening to him talk, she thought he might have had the right idea. Taking a break would be good for her.
After breakfast, Hakim announced they would be taking a drive around the city. He pointed out different landmarks and buildings as they passed through town in his sports car, and he parked the car in a garage downtown so they could walk around.
The city was stunning, Lauren thought. The architecture was old and grand, all arches and mosaic tiles and minarets. Hakim told her how his family had worked to preserve the history of the country while modernizing its infrastructure. And everywhere they went, Lauren saw Hakim’s family’s name on buildings and bridges and signs.
They walked through a lovely garden next to the main square. There were exotic flowers and brightly colored birds. Lauren sat on the edge of one of the fountains so that Hakim could take her picture.
Being from southern California, Lauren was used to constant sunshine and warm weather. Hakim confessed that one of the things that had drawn him to Anaheim was that the weather felt familiar, even if many other things were different.
The bright sunshine lifted Lauren’s spirits. Maybe her trip had been unexpected, but even so, she loved every minute of exploring the new culture. The sights, sounds, and smells were overwhelming in the best way possible, and Lauren eagerly took it all in.
