by Leah Leonard
“Which ship is she on?” Uri demanded, as if his driver was supposed to know.
The driver flinched. “I apologize, sir. I am unsure.”
“Call someone and find out!”
The driver had a puzzled look on his face. “Who should I contact, Your Highness?”
“The management,” Uri said. “Somebody aboard one of those ships arranged for that luncheon today. We must find out which one.”
“What if they refuse to tell us, Sheikh? Security is very tight these days, as you know.”
Uri fumed. “Let me make myself clear. I don’t care what you have to do or what it costs, I insist on finding that woman and bringing her back to me. Understood?”
“Yes, Sheikh, of course. I am pleased to do my best to assist. I have a friend who works in the port office. I’m sure I can find out if you could please tell me her name,” he pulled a pad of paper and a pen out of his jacket pocket.
“Stephanie…” Saying her name pained him.
The driver wrote it down. “And her surname, Sheikh?”
Mouth gaping open at the logical but impossible request, Uri almost came unglued when he realized that he hadn’t bothered to find out. He thought they had endless time together, hours, days, weeks for him to discover every nuance about the sweet Stephanie. He felt bad enough for not knowing which ship she was on. Now he felt like a complete fool. “I do not know. I can’t believe it, but I don’t.”
“Fine, sir. What about anyone else who might have that information?”
Uri recalled meeting the cruise director, the rude woman who insisted on interrupting their dancing. But what was her name? He was too mesmerized by Stephanie to pay attention to anyone else, or to bother asking. There was the hotel director… “Just a moment while I make a call.”
Uri pulled out his cell, dialed the hotel, and was redirected to the hotel director’s voicemail. “This is Sheikh Uri. Please return this call immediately. Thank you.”
“Not to worry, Your Highness,” his driver said. “We will find her, sir. Keep checking while I go to my source and see if we can discover what ship she sailed on.”
“Thank you.” Uri tried to smile. He hated being rude to his loyal servant when only he himself was to blame for this fiasco.
The driver bowed and rushed away.
In the meantime, Uri would speak to his father. The Sultan arranged this whole luncheon. Surely he would know how to find the girl. He pulled out his cell and dialed. Soon the woman he was destined to meet would be back in his arms for good.
Fifteen
Stephanie returned to the vessel fifteen minutes before they pulled away from the shore. She showed her ID card, had the crew scan her in, and went to the top deck to take a look at the gorgeous city below. What a day!
How could she have been so irresponsible though? If she had missed the ship, that would have been a disaster! She could never have afforded the extra expense to get to Athens.
Thank God she had the good sense to go when she did. Still, she felt bad for leaving Uri so abruptly. She never wanted to be rude to him, but it would never have worked out. Besides, Uri was the kind of man who could have anyone he wanted. He probably forgot all about her by now.
But meeting the Sheikh was worth it….
She stood on deck with hundreds of other passengers and watched the ship pull away from the dock shortly before sunset. The stunning cliffs and dwellings became smaller and smaller until the Turkish coast was completely out of sight. Now, her dream trip was nothing but a memory. Time flew by quickly. Too quickly. Life was short, for sure, and despite everything, she was happy she came.
Once the land was completely out of sight and the crowd cleared away, Stephanie went to her room, ate her meal alone, and tried talking herself into the fact she’d done the right thing by cutting her losses. The trouble was, she couldn’t get Uri out of her mind or her heart. The thought of him made her cry.
Were they tears of joy? Of sorrow? Both, she realized.
For that brief moment in time, she felt happy and free, and even in love…a little.
But none of it was real, she kept telling herself. She did the right thing.
Then why could she not stop crying? The more she thought of Uri, the harder she sobbed. Although the day had been amazing, she left Turkey feeling worse than when she got here. Now she mourned not only her parents, but the handsome Prince she would remember for the rest of her life.
***
Uri sat in the back of the limo unable to believe the woman of his dreams was gone, vanished into thin air. He only had himself to blame, yet he was determined to make things right again. Hopefully if he and his driver could pull enough strings, that would still happen.
Uri dialed his father’s cell and got no answer. After the third unsuccessful call, he finally left a voicemail. “Father, call me at once!”
At that moment, the driver reappeared looking out of breath.
“Where is the Sultan?” Uri asked him. “I tried his cell but he does not answer.”
His driver glanced at his watch. “The Sultan caught a flight to Dubai, Sheikh. He should be in the air now.”
“Fine.” Never in his life had Uri been so frustrated. “What did you find out?”
“I checked with my friend and discovered there were four ships in port today, and exactly twenty three ladies named Stephanie out of nine thousand six hundred and fifty eight passengers.”
“Oh my,” Uri shook his head.
“Frankly, Highness, that isn’t bad, considering how many guests are aboard.”
“Indeed,” Uri raked his hands through his dark curls. “How can we narrow this down further?”
The driver averted his eyes. “Unfortunately, I did.”
“Then why is that unfortunate?”
“I did find out which ship hosted the special group who joined you at the hotel ballroom today.”
“Well? Which one is it?”
“See the ship sailing beyond those pillars? The one heading out into the Aegean?”
“Don’t tell me!” Uri cried.
“Yes, Highness. I am afraid Miss Stephanie’s ship has already sailed.”
Uri’s heart sank at the news. “Agh! Where to?”
“Athens, sir,” the driver reported.
Ah yes, Uri remembered Stephanie did tell him that one detail about her itinerary. Still, of all the luck! She was already gone!
Although his father arranged the strange luncheon, Uri was more convinced than ever that it was indeed fate that brought him and Stephanie together. He recalled every little thing about lovely Stephanie - her striking red hair and pale features, her delicate skin speckled with pink, her long fingers, beautiful hands, gentile arms and sexy neckline. Her scent still lingered on his clothes, driving him wild. No matter how long it took, no matter what he had to go through, he would see her again. She was his destiny…
“Then you know what to do,” Uri told his driver.
“Yes, Sheikh.” The driver started the engine.
Uri pulled out his cell, made another call. “Ready my jet. We’re going to Athens.”
Sixteen
While Stephanie sat alone in her room, mulling over the day’s events, she was grateful for one thing – that she hadn’t run into anyone from the luncheon after boarding the ship.
She thought about the girls earlier when she stood with the crowd of people watching the mighty ship pull away from the dock.
They were the main reason she chose to spend the night alone in her room. She couldn’t face those girls now. She didn’t want to have to explain what happened, especially after the dirty looks they were giving her at lunch. She didn’t want to have to try and explain why she ran away from Uri and what happened between them. It was none of their business.
She went to the onboard spa for a shower and a relaxing steam, then went to her room where she ordered room service. She vowed that no matter how miserable she was tomorrow, she would force herself to go out again. Athens w
as supposed to be wonderful, and she did want to see it.
After eating a light meal, Stephanie slipped under the covers and went to bed early as the ship sailed to Greece. The moment her head hit her pillow, she felt overcome with exhaustion. The emotional rollercoaster she’d been on in Turkey wore her down completely.
Being this tired had one advantage – preventing her from thinking too much about her parents, or the piles of paperwork waiting for her at the farm back home. She was simply too exhausted to hold any of those thoughts in her mind. The only image she saw now was of the brown face, black eyes and beautiful smile and spirit of the man who swept her off her feet – Uri.
***
The following morning, Stephanie rose before dawn, when the staff knocked on her door and brought her meal to her room.
She sat on her balcony, drinking coffee, nipping at her pastries, watching the sun rise over a new city surrounded by gorgeous bright blue water.
In many ways, she was in the same emotional state as she had been the day before, only something changed. For the first time in a week, her waking thoughts were not dreadful visions of woe about her parents. They were about him. Uri. The gorgeous man who melted her heart. The one she would never see again. This was a different kind of pain altogether. One she knew she brought on herself.
Mid morning, Stephanie meandered to the Lido deck to grab a second snack before heading ashore. To her dismay, she ran right into the last person she wanted to see, Melody.
“Hey there,” Melody shouted, Gucci bag in hand. “You certainly took the Prince out of circulation yesterday.”
Grimacing, Stephanie managed a faint smile. “I don’t know about that.”
“Well I do. My goodness, the man was practically falling all over you at lunch.” Melody checked her fingernail polish. “Did you go to a hotel, or did he take you home to the palace?”
“Neither.” Stephanie couldn’t believe she would think such a thing.
“Uh huh…” Melody sneered. “Is he meeting you here today too?”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous. Of course not.” Although she wished he could.
“I’m surprised. When are you two getting together again?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but we’re not.” Stephanie said matter-of-factly, trying to keep her cool through the interrogation.
“Oh honey, you haven’t learned, have you?” Melody clicked her long fingernails together and stared down her nose.
Stephanie didn’t like this woman at all. She never thought of hurting anyone before in her life, yet it was all she could do to keep from punching Melody in the nose. She drew a deep breath and asked, “What are you talking about?”
“By now you should be on your way to owning half of his palaces, being fitted for clothes, and maybe even driving around in a new sports car. If you’d played your cards right, that is...”
“You and I are nothing alike,” Stephanie stormed off toward the coffee machine to get a cup and distance herself from this materialistic bitch.
“If I was you, I would have been all moved in by now,” Melody shouted through the crowd.
Stephanie picked up speed and sprinted to the dining area at the far side of the ship before stopping to get some food and coffee. She served herself to some freshly cut pineapples, Eggs Benedict and a slice of fresh raisin bread. Her mother always baked breads, and she wondered if this would be as good. Probably not. She carried her tray through the crowded buffet area and found a stool in a corner with a great view of the port where hopefully, nobody would be able to find her. Like yesterday, people hadn’t been released to go on shore yet, so she had some time to wait.
Stephanie hadn’t booked any actual shore excursions for today. She planned to go to the city center, see the Acropolis, and walk around, but according to all the guidebooks she read, you didn’t necessarily need a tour for that. She wasn’t in the mood for one anyway. She’d already seen the one place that mattered most. Anything else was bonus.
Lost in her thoughts, she almost spilled her coffee when she heard someone shout her name from behind. “Stephanie?”
“Meg.” Oh great. Just what she needed was another one of her gal pals from yesterday giving her a hard time about the luncheon.
“How did it go yesterday?” Meg took a seat on the stool next to her.
“Okay. How was the tour?”
“Awesome. By the time we got to the ruins the crowds were gone and it was only us plus a few other people there. I took some cool shots. Wanna see?” she held up her I Phone.
“Uh no thanks,” Stephanie sulked realizing she hadn’t taken any pictures. “I hate I missed that.”
Meg guffawed. “I don’t know why. It wasn’t all that great compared to that hunk of a Prince you danced with. You two looked like something out of a fairy tale.”
“Thanks.”
“Did he ask you out?”
“Why does everybody keep asking me that?” Stephanie wished this whole thing could be put behind her, once and for all. “It was just a flirtation. Nothing more.”
“Not from what I could tell. I’m surprised he hasn’t called you yet.”
“Actually, I didn’t give him my number.”
“Why not?”
“He never asked.” Stephanie shrugged. “I guess I didn’t give him a chance to though.”
“Oh well,” Meg patted her shoulder. “If it’s meant to be, it will all work out. Or at least that’s what they say. I wouldn’t really know. I’m single.”
The connection to Uri felt real to Stephanie, but in reality, there was nothing meant to be about it. She saw to that when she ran away. The all-too-familiar lump began forming in the back of her throat, and she prayed she wouldn’t start crying again here, in front of Meg. She sighed and held her breath a minute until the feeling passed. She would get over Uri pretty soon. Once she got back home to the farm and started working again, the fantasy of Uri would become nothing but a distant memory. The feeling of having him holding her close, the dance they shared, the laughs, would all eventually fade out of her mind forever. The sooner that happened, the better.
Seventeen
Uri’s private jet landed at the airstrip in Athens shortly before nine in the evening. He had his loyal driver take him to a hotel close to the port so he could be ready and waiting for Stephanie when she got off the ship in the morning.
He woke early and saw his father had left him a voicemail. That could wait. For now, he dressed and went out to find some candies and flowers and get to the waterfront.
Fortunately, there was only one ship in port so far, and he had been assured by his driver that this was indeed the cruise liner sweet Stephanie was on. He took a seat on a bench on the pier as close to the doors as possible and waited, watching while hundreds of people walked outside.
Surprisingly, there was no sign of Stephanie anywhere, and of course, with her exquisite good looks, she was impossible to miss. He called his driver at 9:30 a.m., “Are you certain this is the correct ship?”
“Absolutely, Your Highness. My contact has guaranteed me she is on board.”
Uri hung up in a huff. The sun was hot today and it was possible the candies wouldn’t make the journey for much longer, not to mention the red roses, which were still fresh, but would likely fade or wilt if too much time passed. Really none of that mattered. He only cared about Stephanie and his patience was wearing thin. He had to see her! He took a deep breath and tried to relax. He would wait this out. He had no choice. No matter what, he needed to find out for sure if the feelings he had for her, feelings he thought he could never experience again in his life, were real, or merely a flight of fancy.
He pulled out his cell, made some business calls and tried to take care of the day’s activities so he could be totally free, and also pass some time. He had to ensure his secretary held all calls today and informed everyone he was out on important business. Once his staff was notified, his cell rang again. It was the Sultan. As much as he wanted
to avoid his father and not get his hopes up too much, he decided it was best to answer so the old man knew not to bother him today.
“Father?” Uri answered.
“I have tried to return your call numerous times. What is so urgent?” the Sultan asked.
“Nothing to concern yourself with now. I have everything under control. I will not be in the office today, however. I am in a…meeting…and cannot be disturbed.”
“You must tell me how your date went with the pretty young lady yesterday.”
Uri sighed. He knew to say anything would create a potentially false hope in his father’s mind. He didn’t want to be pressured into marriage, and although Stephanie was someone he believed he wanted as his wife, he could not be sure if she felt the same or if this venture would prove a success.
“Son?” his father asked when Uri failed to answer.
“I am in Athens,” Uri explained.
“What? Why?”
“The girl, Stephanie. She is here on her ship and I came to meet her.”
“I see…so you two had a romantic evening together, did you?
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. It was not like that exactly.”
“Do tell.”
The Sultan was as nosy as a gossip! “She disappeared yesterday, and I have been unable to locate her. I was told her ship docked here, and I am waiting for her to disembark for the day so we might get to know each other better.”
“How did you allow that to happen?”
Uri would not stand for this. “How did you arrange for a bevy of unescorted ladies to join me for lunch with none of their contact details handy?”
