The Sheikh's Defiant Girlfriend (The Botros Brothers Series)

by Leslie North

  “I am ready to order,” Amir said. Soraya turned robotically and faced Amir. “I shall have grilled steak with salad, lots of tomatoes in the salad please. I would also like na’an on the side with fresh hummus,” he continued.

  “I'll have manakish,” Sara said. It reminded her of pizza, but she enjoyed the flavour more. Soraya noted everything down before she left. She returned with drinks and appetisers. Amir was watching her as she served them. Sara could see him looking at her so intently. After she left, Sara returned her attention to Amir. “So, who is she?” Sara asked.

  “Malik’s sister,” Amir said.

  “Really? They don't look alike at all.”

  “Not so much, no,” he replied.

  “But I see the way you look at her.”

  Amir sighed. He wanted to act as if he didn't know what she was talking about, but her tenacity was on another level. She wouldn't believe him if he denied it and he was tired of hiding it from her. She wouldn't let him be. “Okay, she is the woman I have been seeing,” he said quietly after a long pause. Sara's eyes widened.

  “Oh, my gosh! Her? That's why you brought me here?” Sara asked. She was pleasantly surprised.

  “Yes, but she is a stubborn one.” Amir narrowed his eyes. He started eating his na’an. Sara chuckled.

  “Tell me more about her.”

  Amir nodded and carried on eating. He had so much to say about her but no words escaped his mouth. Soraya returned just in time. She carefully placed their plates on the table. Sara smiled at the sight of the food. She was so hungry and it looked delicious. She looked up, Amir was watching Soraya.

  “You have it bad,” Sara said to Amir as Soraya walked away. Amir’s jaw dropped. Sara laughed softly and nodded. She looked down at her plate. She picked up her fork and knife and started eating. It was heavenly. She felt like she hadn't eaten in days. She glanced down to check on Leylah. She was still sleeping soundly.

  “Does Malik know?” Sara asked.

  “No,” Amir replied.

  “Have you told her how you feel?”

  “I can't even make sense of it myself,” he admitted.

  Sara shook her head. He was exactly like his brother. They didn't understand their own hearts. It must be encoded in their DNA, but she had always thought that Amir was slightly different in that department. It had taken Tariq time to realise how he felt about Sara. When he finally said it, it wasn't even a simple, I love you. He said it in some roundabout way. Soraya was in for a ride with Amir. The Botros brothers were not easy to deal with.

  Soraya returned to clear the table after Sara and Amir had finished eating. “It was nice to meet you, Soraya. You look nothing like your brother, I must say,” Sara said to her.

  “Growing up, people always said I looked like a boy. Malik was the good looking one,” Soraya said.

  “People said I acted like a boy. Actually, they still do,” Sara replied. Both of them laughed with each other. “But if you looked like a boy growing up, I must say that isn’t true anymore,” she added.

  “Thank you,” Soraya replied with a smile.

  “You're not in the oil business like your brother?”

  “No, I am still at university. I am studying accounting and finance.”

  “Wow, brains and beauty.”

  Amir frowned. They were getting along so easily. In fact, they were carrying on as if he wasn’t even there. It was peculiar to him. Whenever he complemented Soraya on anything, she never reacted like that. She never took him seriously or even cracked a smile around him. What did Sara have that he did not?

  “Okay then, Sara, if the two of you are done flirting; shall we leave?” Amir interrupted. They both looked at him as if he was crazy. He cleared his throat and looked away. Sara rubbed Soraya's arm before they left. She pushed the stroller and headed for the exit with Amir.

  Soraya was full of mixed emotions. She was surprised to see Amir at the restaurant. She didn't even know why it affected her to see him with another woman or why she was relieved to find out that they weren't together. Sara was nice to her and Soraya took an immediate liking to her. She felt her spirits lifted after seeing Amir. This was all too much for her. Soraya shook the thoughts away and went back to work. Amir was someone that she was not prepared to deal with. She did not know what his intentions were or if she could trust him. He was always seen with different women. Maybe he did not even see her as a woman.

  Chapter 6

  The wedding was fast approaching. The only thing left to do was for Sara to choose a dress. Her mother, Fiddah and Aaliyah all went along with Sara to help with the wedding gown. As soon as her doctor had given her the ok, Sara began exercising to lose the baby weight. When they arrived at the boutique, a woman welcomed them. She seemed to know whom Fiddah was and was excited to meet her. Sara looked around the place. It was filled with different types of wedding dresses. They all seemed rather expensive. She stood there playing with her ring. There were too many options. She had no idea where to begin. They always said that most girls started planning their wedding at the age of seven. She was not that girl. All she wanted was Tariq. She didn’t care about the rest.

  “Aren't they lovely?” Fiddah asked Sara with a smile.

  “There are far too many choices,” Sara replied.

  “The more, the better. We have to pick the most perfect dress for you.”

  The four of them sat down. The woman who worked in the boutique brought them a tray of refreshments. Sara frowned. There wasn't anything on the tray that she liked. She checked on Leylah who was sleeping in her stroller. She moved her into a better position. The saleswoman asked them what kind of gown they were looking for.

  Fiddah replied with something elegant, preferably made out of the finest silk. She was not too big on embroidery. A simple dress would be better on Sara; her beauty was enough to light up the entire place. She did not need a dress to make her any more gorgeous. Mrs. Mathews agreed with Fiddah's idea, but added that the dress should have lace sleeves. Aaliyah thought something tight fitting to show off her hourglass figure would be better. She preferred all the embroidery and satin for the gown. Sara rubbed her temples. She had no idea that planning a wedding would be so difficult. She had underestimated the whole thing.

  The saleswoman brought out a rail with a selection of dresses matching the various descriptions the women gave her. Sara felt her phone vibrate. She pulled it out of her jeans. It was a text message from Amir, “what are you doing?” the message read.

  “Wedding dress shopping, kill me now,” Sara replied.

  The doorbell sounded. The saleswoman opened the door. Sara was surprised to see Tariq's mother walk in. She wore a stern facial expression. Sara got up to greet her but she was feeling awkward. She was not expecting to see her nor did she know what to say to her. She hadn't been part of the wedding plans.

  “Hello, Sara,” Mrs. Botros said formally.

  “Hi, how are you?” Sara replied.

  “I am well.”

  “What brings you by?” Fiddah asked the question on everyone’s minds.

  “Since I have not been included in the wedding plans, I have come to help choose the dress, if you'll have me,” she replied. Before Sara could say anything, her mother jumped into the conversation.

  “No, we will not have you,” Mrs. Mathews said as she stood up. Sara's eyes widened.

  “I understand how you are feelin--” Mrs. Botros started to say.

  “No, you do not,” Mrs. Mathews was not pleased with Tariq's mother and her tone and words made it very apparent. “You act as if your family is too good for my girl simply because we come from a different background. It’s a shame I was not here when you insulted her, if I was…” Sara quickly cut her off before she could finish. The last time the two women had met was in the hospital. Tariq's mother fell in love with Leylah but paid little attention to Sara or her mother.

  “Mum, enough. She is here now, let's accept her help. In the near future, hopefully she will see why
her son loves me,” Sara said softly. Mrs. Boutros looked down at the stroller. Her heart softened when she saw little Leylah cuddled up in her stroller.

  “She's so adorable,” Mrs. Botros said.

  “Thank you,” Sara replied. Fiddah and Aaliyah were still sitting and watching the drama unfold. Fiddah couldn’t figure out how she knew where they were, as she hadn’t shared the information with her.

  “I do know that my son loves you, I see that now. I can learn to love you too,” she said looking at Sara. Every time she had questioned Tariq about Sara, he got defensive. She had never seen him so passionate about someone, or so protective. Sara smiled and nodded. That was enough for her.

  Sara escaped to the dressing room with a few dresses. It was so intense with Tariq’s mother there. She pulled out her phone. There was a message from Amir. “I can’t come rescue you, a dress has to be picked. I hate my assistant.”

  Sara laughed softly. He complained about his assistant every chance he got. She replied back, “Give her a chance. Your mother is here, what a surprise... a very awkward one.”

  “What? Why? How did she find out? How are you coping?” Amir replied instantly. He was shocked when he read the message. He had to read it twice to make sure that what he read was right.

  “To help with the dresses. I am trying one on now. It’s so frumpy”, Sara replied before she left the dressing room to model the dress for the other women. They looked unimpressed when they saw her.

  “I dislike it too,” she said.

  “It's okay dear, try another,” Fiddah suggested.

  Sara walked back to the dressing room. Dresses were difficult enough for Sara, but she was having trouble navigating the wedding dresses with all the extra layers and fastenings. Lucky for her, there was a shop assistant to help her with it.

  “I want to see her.” Sara frowned as she read Amir's message. She received another before she replied. “Soraya.”

  Sara smiled as she replied, “Then go see her. What is holding you back?”

  She could not help but wonder if Tariq had the same issues when he wanted to see her, before they were together. She changed into another dress and went to show it to the others. Aaliyah was the only one who liked it this time. So far, she had only tried on two dresses, but she was already sick of it. She was hoping that Leylah would wake up and cry, and then she could go breast feed and stop with all this fuss.

  She went back to show them the third dress. This time it was a plain one. Her mother frowned when she saw the dress. “Doesn't do you enough justice,” her mother said.

  “I agree, it is too plain,” Mrs. Botros said. She was into more lavish and high quality materials. Sara shrugged her shoulders. She walked over to the stroller to check on Leylah.

  “She's fine, dear. Do not worry so much,” Fiddah said to Sara. “She loves her daughter too much, she is already an overprotective parent,” she added. Sara pouted and headed back to the dressing room. She heard her mother laughing with Fiddah. They both agreed that Sara checked on Leylah too much.

  “She never wants to see me; I mean there is no enthusiasm there when we meet. She never lets me take her out or ever initiates a meeting.” Amir's text message said. Sara could picture his face saying it. It amused her. She hit reply.

  “Sometimes people can hide their feelings well, for example Tariq!! Now man up and go see her. If she really didn’t want to see you, then she would have chased you away for good.” Sara sent the message. These messages between them were getting her through the dress fitting. She walked out of the dressing room and started roaming around wearing only her t-shirt. The assistant who was helping her gasped. She did not know what to say to Sara.

  Sara came to a halt when she saw a breathtaking dress. This is what she wanted. It was not too flashy or plain. The material was beautiful. She asked the assistant to get her that dress and she slipped into it immediately.

  When Sara walked back out in the dress, they all gasped at the sight of her. The dress was simply beautiful and she was beautiful in it too. Mrs. Botros had her hand on her heart. The dress was perfect. For the first time, she could almost see why her son loved her. She stood there with an innocent expression, waiting for approval.

  “Sara, you look gorgeous,” Aaliyah said as she stood up. She made circles around Sara to get a complete view of the dress.

  “I agree,” Mrs. Botros said and gave Sara half a smile. Sara smiled back. Her mother looked at her silently. She never expected that her little girl would get married so quickly. In the short time she had known Tariq, she had quickly grown to like him. She knew that he was good for her daughter.

  “Mum, please don't get emotional,” Sara said.

  “I can't help it,” her mother replied. Mrs. Mathews sighed deeply. “My little girl is not so little anymore,” she said.

  Sara was relieved to have chosen a dress. The seamstress took her measurements for the alterations to the gown. The shoes weren't hard to pick as Sara found what she wanted quickly. They walked out of the boutique. Aaliyah had linked her arm around Sara's. Mrs. Mathews was pushing the stroller.

  Fiddah and Mrs. Botros left together. Tariq's mother had told Sara that she would come over for dinner soon. Sara was dreading it. The only thing that calmed her down was the fact that Tariq was going to be there.

  “Shall I go?” Amir's message.

  Sara shook her head and replied, “GO NOW!!!!!!!”

  Chapter 7

  Amir laughed when he read the message. He could picture Sara’s exasperation. He got up from his desk and grabbed his car keys. He decided to go see her. He didn't like that he was nervous about it. He did not know what to say, she was a hard one. He wasn’t sure if she wanted to see him. On his way out, he bumped into Malik.

  “Are you heading out?” Malik asked Amir.

  “Yes, were you coming to see me?” Amir instantly felt uncomfortable. He was on his way to see his sister and Malik knew nothing about it. He was curious to know if he would approve.

  Malik briefly discussed a project with Amir. He had come to give him a quick summary about what was going on, but Amir felt as if he was going on and on. At this rate, he was going to miss Soraya. He wanted to catch her before she left, so that he could give her a ride home. She was probably going to say no but he would insist until she gave in.

  Amir felt like shouting when Malik finished talking. It really felt like years of his life had gone by. He sped off as soon as he started the car engine. He really wanted to pick Soraya up from university. He had never given her a lift from there before as he only visited her at work.

  Amir reached Soraya's university in time to see her walking out with two guys. They seemed to be having a funny conversation, and she was laughing. He immediately grew jealous. He did not like seeing another man making her that happy. It frustrated him that he couldn't make her laugh that way. He fixed his tie and straightened his suit. He made sure his hair was neat before he left the car. He walked up to her. As he walked towards her, all the women were checking him out. Some were even trying to speak to him but he paid no attention. He was focused on Soraya.

  Amir walked with such authority and confidence. One of the guys Soraya was with noticed Amir heading their way. Amir stopped in front of Soraya and did not acknowledge the other two. Soraya's eyes widened when she saw Amir standing in front of her. She was not expecting to see him.

  “What are you doing here?” Soraya asked him.

  “Here to pick you up,” Amir said as he looked at the two men. His facial expression was not friendly.

  “Hey bro,” One of the guys said. Amir turned to stare at him.

  “Amir, you need to stop popping up like this,” Soraya said. He always came out of nowhere at the most random times. Amir put his arm around her waist, completely disregarding what she was saying. He started walking away. “What are you doing?” She called out. It was the first time he had seen her lose her composure.

  “Hey man, let her go,” one of the young men said a
nd grabbed Amir's arm. Amir paused and looked down at the hand. Who did he think he was touching him? Soraya sighed. Looks like a pissing contest is about to start, Soraya thought to herself.

  “I would appreciate it if you removed your hand from me. Immediately.” Amir said softly.

  “Who is this guy?” The other young man asked.

  “Khalid, it's okay,” Soraya quickly said before Amir responded. She removed his hand from Amir's arm. “I'll see you two in class,” Soraya added. She grabbed Amir and headed to the car with him as quick as she could. They both got in the car. Everyone was still watching them. Some were admiring his car.

  “What the heck?!” Soraya voiced out as the car pulled away.