Scarlett Secret

by Brenda Barrett

  The thought was designed to cool his ardor, but it wasn’t working. Terri was still stuck in his head and heart.

  What about their thirteen-year age difference? he argued with himself. But that was nothing really; Pops had a twenty-odd year age difference with his grandmother. But...

  Shut up! He whispered to himself. He sprang up from the hammock slowly, so that it didn't make a sound, and left Terri to sleep.

  He had work to do inside. The strenuous work would to take his mind off the fact that he was lusting after his cousin.

  Or he could lock himself in his room and pray about this latest turn for the bizarre that his mind had taken.

  His roofer called as soon as he let himself inside the house, and they had a long conversation about what to do next. He promised to come over with his crew by ten.

  Reuben looked through the kitchen window and saw that Terri had not stirred. He would have to wake her up before the roofing crew came around. But she had time to sleep.

  He exhaled.

  He had been overreacting. He just lacked female companionship in his life and talking in the wee hours of the morning to a woman in a hammock was what had derailed him, he reasoned. He was not attracted to Terri. He laughed off his fancifulness and headed to the dining room area. He would be working there after he had devotion.

  Chapter Eleven

  Terri heard a light tap on her door and she struggled to pry her eyes open. She was in a pleasant dream where she was married to Zachary Lee Chang. They were on honeymoon at the Al Jannah Hotel in a very beautiful suite.

  He was in the bed beside her, and she reached out her hand in her semi-dazed state to touch him and realized that she was holding on to thin air.

  "Come in," she squeaked when she heard the knock again. She was feeling unaccountably disappointed that her dream wasn't real.

  Mona pushed her head around the door. "Madam."

  "Yes Mona," Terri grunted. "Come on in."

  "How are you doing today?" Mona queried politely. "We were a bit worried when you went missing yesterday."

  "Not missing." Terri cracked one eye open. "I did the spa, then Cancun lounge. The spa knocked me out."

  Mona smiled. "We double-checked with security after you were missing and Ajmal suggested that you should have a phone."

  She padded to the side table and put the sleek black late model phone down.

  "Yes." Terri put a hand over her head. "I was going to ask about that."

  "That way you can easily be tracked," Mona said, walking closer to the bed. "Would you like breakfast in bed today?"

  "No." Terri shook her head. "There is a vast hotel out there with more restaurants than I can count. I think I want to go exploring. Can that phone make calls to anywhere in the world?"

  "Yes Madam," Mona nodded, "but your calls may be traced."

  "Why?" Terri widened her eyes.

  "The Master's orders," Mona said simply as if violation of privacy was an everyday occurrence.

  "Uh," Terri frowned. "Okay, fine."

  "The Master will be away for three days. An unavoidable problem has come up in Greece that he will have to personally attend to."

  "Three days?" Terri's eyes widened. When was she going to find the time to plead for the dissolution of the marriage on Lola's behalf if the prince was not here?

  "He left this morning," Mona said apologetically, "but he will be back on Thursday."

  This was not good. As much as she liked the novel experience of staying in a luxury hotel and living like royalty she didn't want to be acting like Lola for three more days!

  Especially with Zack. They had a thing going. It was the start of something; she could feel it. She didn't want them to start off on the wrong foot.

  She stretched and got up and Mona left the room.

  What was she going to do today?

  First on her agenda was to avoid Zack. They didn’t have to be meeting so often. She didn't want to lie to him anymore in pretending to be Lola. The property was big enough that she could accomplish hiding from him.

  After bathing and getting dressed in a yellow dress and matching hijab, she had the daring idea to go to one of the luxury stores she had spotted near the lobby and buy herself an ordinary sundress, let her hair out and be Terri Scarlett for the day.

  That was shot down, though, when she exited the room and Tamara greeted her with a bright grin.

  "Madam, what would you like us to do today?"

  "Nothing." Terri frowned. "You can do something on your own and I’ll do something on my own."

  Tamara's expression fell. "But Madam, you don't understand. Yesterday when you went missing they had most of the security looking for you. Ajmal was frantic and they blamed me for letting you go out alone."

  Terri's heart deflated. She was in prison!

  Was this how Lola would be treated, like a two year old child every day for the rest of her life? Not being able to go on her own without adult supervision?

  "Ajmal warned me to inform him of your schedule. The Master requires it."

  The Master. She hated that title. Paradise obviously had its flaws and the biggest smear on this one was its master.

  "I don't have a schedule. I don't want one," Terri gritted out. "I just want to roam. To do what I want. Starting with removing this hijab and wearing Western clothes."

  "No Madam." Tamara was getting agitated. "If they think you are too liberal they'll put a security detail on you. Maybe they have since you were missing yesterday. You can't chance doing anything you please."

  "Argh." Terri paced to the window. "What is the point of this, if I can't enjoy it my way?"

  "We could go to Emerald Islands." Tamara came and stood beside her. "They have an Al Jannah yacht tour to there everyday. They serve food and they have music and we could meet celebrities."

  Tamara's eyes were twinkling. "And then we get to explore the island, which is largely unspoiled. They have over one thousand species of birds and an inactive volcano. The pictures are awesome."

  It sounded boring to Terri. She sighed.

  "It's over there." Tamara pointed to a patch of land in the sea some distance away. "It's pretty large and it has one of the tallest waterfalls in the interior. The Master will build a hotel there some day soon. So that people can access it easily."

  "And if we are to go over there," Terri's voice had a sarcastic edge, "I am allowed to wear a dress."

  "Oh Madam," Tamara grinned, "wide-legged pants… the Master allows them. Paravina wears them. There are a few in your wardrobe. I am so happy you are considering it. I will call to find out the next scheduled departure and then we can go."

  She clapped her hands and then ran off in glee.

  Terri couldn't help feeling hemmed in and stifled, but at least Tamara was happy. It seemed as if that was her role for the next couple of days, to ensure that people were happy. Especially Lola.

  Which reminded her that she needed to check in. She had to do it smartly though, if they were listening to her calls.

  What a crazy fish bowl was Prince Hamad bin Al Jerza's world. It made her happy that she wasn’t Lola.

  And then she felt a little guilty about it.

  "Madam," Tamara's voice was disappointed, "the Emerald Isle tour is tomorrow at ten. They cancelled today because of the weather report. There is going to be rain."

  Didn't matter to Terri one way or the other.

  "We could go to the aquarium and look at the fish."

  Terri closed her eyes in pain. "Okay, lead the way."

  *****

  Zack entered the greens at five o'clock, with the other lawyers. They met Prince Hamad, who was an affable enough fellow. He greeted each of them personally and repeated their names. His hawkish eyes were watchful.

  "Chang and Dubois." He shook Zack's hand and nodded. "I am familiar with those two gentlemen."

  He smiled. "Your grandfather was a shrewd business man. And Dubois his friend was quite the vocal lawyer. He lectured me when we met
in Qatar. I was young and cocky then. Dubois was a French man with a certain flare. It is good to see that their legacy continues."

  Hamad smiled at Zack and continued down the line of lawyers.

  During the play he realized that Hamad was distracted and then barely an hour later he was gone on urgent business. Just three days, his lawyers said. In that time we can interview the seven of you until he gets back.

  Zack had gotten the first slot, a ten o'clock session which lasted until lunch. The three men were thorough. It was a good thing he was prepared. They asked him information about his firm, information about his grandfather and old cases that he had not much idea about. He felt as if he was in a marathon and was amazed that he kept his cool.

  They broke over lunch and were at it again in the evening; here they asked him the same old questions in a different way. He returned to his room confused. Maybe he was the best person to come here after all. He knew that if Amoy had come she would have lost patience with their deliberate way of speaking and repetitive questions.

  He called his dad to check in and report on his second day.

  His father was optimistic about his chances. "He remembered your grandfather, eh?" His father chuckled. "That's a good sign."

  "Amoy there?" he asked after his father brought him up to speed with a case he was working on.

  "Yes. Let me transfer you." He was placed on hold and then Amoy answered on the second ring, laughing uncontrollably.

  "Amoy," a hint of impatience was in his voice, "I see something is very funny. Share."

  "Sorry," Amoy snorted, "it's just that the delivery guy sent me a letter. He told the receptionist to deliver it to the office just now."

  "Which delivery guy?"

  "The one that looks a little thuggish, with his hair long and plaited in cornrows. Remember him? He's always staring at me fixedly if I happen to pass through the lobby when he is dropping off something?"

  "Oh that guy." Zack chuckled. "He only has eyes for you. I thought you said that you like him and you think that he looks like a real man."

  "I said that two years ago. He does have an impressive visual impact," Amoy said, sobering up, "but he is just eye candy. Even if I did secretly like him, I would not anymore. He sent me a letter of gibberish. I can't decipher a word!"

  "Come on. It can't be that bad."

  "It is." The phone crackled and Amoy's voice got distorted. "Real bad. I don't even know his name because he can't spell it. I'll have to write him a polite letter and tell him that I don't date uneducated blue collar workers."

  "That sounds harsh and unlike you."

  "It doesn't matter how it sounds," Amoy said dismissively. "Even if I told him that he is the best thing since sliced bread, he couldn’t read it. I hate illiteracy."

  "You also hate bigotry, racism, cannibalism, male chauvinism," Zack chuckled. "If you want to do something about illiteracy, why don't you go help Grandma Baker with her church illiteracy program? She is always hounding me about volunteering to teach her advanced class."

  Amoy snorted. "Grandma Baker does not want me near her church. I am a divorcee, remember? I may just have committed the worst sin in her book. Bless her old heart."

  Zack cleared his throat. "You do know that Dad has a healthy respect for Granny, don't you? You and she may have more in common than you think. If you get her on your side then she can change things at the office for you."

  Amoy was silent while his statement sank in. "Bitter, critical, unpleasable Granny has that much power over Daddy? I never really thought she did. I only thought she existed to ask you when you are going to get married and me why I allowed my marriage to end!"

  "Granny will be granny, but she has a way with Daddy. Turn her and your glass ceiling could be removed." He could imagine the wheels in Amoy's head turning because she didn't say anything for a long time.

  When she replied, she sounded almost distracted. "Spot any celebrities yet?"

  "No." Zack gripped the phone tighter. "Just this really pretty mysterious girl who wears a hijab but is not Muslim."

  "Maybe she is an assassin," Amoy murmured, "placed secretly in the hotel to assassinate Prince Hamad."

  "James Bond movie," Zack scoffed. "Can't remember which one."

  "Maybe she is an undercover model who doesn't want to be recognized."

  "Could be," Zack murmured. "She looks vaguely familiar. I can’t remember where I have seen her before."

  "Right, sounds like you are having fun," Amoy snorted. "Don’t let me keep you from contemplating your mystery woman. Some of us have work to do."

  Zack hung up the phone and contemplated what he was going to do for the rest of the evening. He would really love if he met up with his mystery woman but he wasn't going to meet her here. He showered and dressed and went to the elevator.

  She felt as if she was a kindred spirit. Where would she be right now?

  *****

  After a day of boring pursuits, Terri was on the verge of strangling Tamara. Though she had liked the aquarium, and the museum, and the dinosaur trails, she would have been much happier if she were seeing these things with someone else.

  And only one person came to mind: Zachary Lee Chang.

  At the end of the evening, near dusk, she found a karaoke lounge and told an exhausted-looking Tamara to call it a night.

  "I will be right here in my very conspicuous yellow hijab," she told the anxious girl. "I am not going anywhere. I love to sing. Nobody knows who I am. I won't take off my hijab and embarrass the prince. If that happens I am sure the world will come to a screeching end and all of humankind will be frozen in shock."

  Tamara was not fazed by the sarcasm.

  "Surely they don't expect you to shadow me every single waking moment?"

  Tamara looked uncertain but she left after Terri bullied her into it. She needed the breathing space.

  She sat down in the half dark lounge and watched as one gentleman sang to his wife and another guy who had a really lovely voice took over for several songs.

  A waiter came and asked her what she would like. She ordered pizza and cranberry juice.

  More people wandered into the lounge until it was almost packed. Apparently this was the place to be after dark. She could see their shadowy figures in the half-light and then an MC took over.

  It was apparently a big night because there were quite a few people in the small crowd now.

  "Good evening, everyone," the MC said, "this is the Al Jannah X Factor. Anyone who wins this segment of the show in the next two hours will receive a vacation for two five days and five nights at this hotel, offer valid until the end of the year. If for any reason the winner cannot make it back by the end of the year this prize can be gifted to a third party. This is big, people, so carry your A game!

  "You have one song each; you cannot enter more than once. Let’s bring it in. You can sing any song that you want."

  Terri smiled.

  She looked around people were getting up to register. Even the guy with the nice voice who had hogged the machine earlier was eagerly registering.

  She got up too. She would definitely try it. Five days and five nights free. She could use it or give it to someone else. It was worth a shot. Nobody knew her here; even if she embarrassed herself it would be worth a shot.

  She registered with her credit card but told them she was Lola and that her song was Aretha Franklin's Say A Little Prayer.

  The only person who could sing it better than her in her humble opinion was Aretha Franklin herself.

  She was number six in line, and she felt not an ounce of nervousness. She was used to singing this particular song and she was used to performing before a crowd.

  She took the mike and started, The moment I wake up, Before I put on my makeup,

  I say a little pray for you...

  She belted it out, she even walked across the stage, and she was enjoying herself. Now this is what she considered a good time.

  *****

  Zack e
ntered the crowded Sea Bass Karaoke Lounge after seeing the notice that there was a grand prize for the amateur singing competition. He liked singing competitions but he did not like crowds.

  He arrived at the tail end of a very good rendition of a popular song and was just about to step out when he saw her heading up to the stage area. She was going to sing.

  He couldn't believe his good fortune. He pushed his way to the forefront of the crowded bar and listened as she brought the roof down.

  He was clapping and hooting with the rest of them when she finished.

  Definitely a professional, he thought, watching for where she was sitting and making his way there.

  "So you are a singer, in disguise," he whispered near her ear before sitting down.

  She jumped. "What the...? You scared me!" But she was smiling.

  Zack relaxed and winked. "Sorry."

  "How did you find me?"

  "Purely coincidence or maybe not, I seem to meet you up everywhere."

  She was in yellow but he could barely see her face in the half dark. He leaned toward her.

  "It is lovely to see you again Lola."

  "Same here, Zachary. I can't believe I just went up on stage and sang to a bunch of strangers."

  "You sounded excellent. Ten out of ten." Zack gave her a thumbs-up. "You have my vote. Though I am beginning to suspect that this is what you do professionally."

  "No." She took a sip of her drink. "I am actually job hunting. Unemployed."

  "And yet you are here in the lap of luxury?" Zack shook his head. "Your brand of unemployed I can deal with."

  She laughed. Putting her hand to her mouth in a coquettish way that he found fascinating.

  The longer he stared at her, the more he wished that he could see all of her. The head scarf covered to her eyebrows; the lower part of her face was barely visible in the half light. He wondered what her hair looked like, what she looked like without the swathes of clothes.