Maybe even an assistant position.
“Katie! How did it go?”
Katie gasped and jumped, startled, as Mila came barreling down the hall into the foyer, immediately wrapped her arms around Katie, and pulled her into a big hug.
“Mila,” Katie cleared her throat and awkwardly returned her new friend’s hug. “Are you talking about the interview? How did you know about that?”
“Sahaar told us. She keeps Liyah and me apprised of your interviews. She’s very proud of you!” Mila gushed.
With no idea how to respond, Katie focused instead on the question. “I’m afraid I’m back to square one—but that’s okay. I still have some leads to follow.”
“Or you need to take a break. All you’ve done since you’ve gotten here is job hunt! This is Dubai. There is so much fun to be had! Come to the palace with me, and have some dinner with us.”
“I don’t know. My main purpose is to get a job, so I think that I really need to focus on that first before I relax and—“
“No.” Mila shook her head and planted her hands on her hips. “I’ve let you put me off for a month, but no more. You are going to take an evening to relax and have fun! Besides, there is plenty of artwork for you to admire in the palace if you’re interested. I’m told that some of the paintings are from very famous artists and that they have been in the Sharif family for generations and haven’t been shown to the public. Ever.”
Unable to help herself, Katie smiled. “Are you bribing me?”
Though she was obviously trying to keep a straight face, a mischievous smile quirked Mila’s lips. “If that’s what it takes.”
Katie could see that there would be no denying Mila. “All right. Just let me change.”
She headed toward the stairs before stopping suddenly. “Wait—what are you doing here?”
The smile on her friend’s face widened. “I came to have lunch with Sahaar, and I stayed to drag you back with me. Car should be picking me up in about thirty minutes.”
“I underestimated you, Mila. I thought Liyah was the devious one.”
Mila winked. “She is.”
“Is this . . .?” Katie glanced over her shoulder at the two handsome men surveying her and swallowed hard. “I mean, the shaded strokes look an awful lot like . . . and the subject is definitely in his wheelhouse . . . and even without an appraiser, I can tell you that this painting is from the Qing dynasty . . .”
“It’s an original,” Rashid finally said with a laugh.
“Bada Shanren,” Katie breathed as she turned back to admire the gorgeous painting featuring a flock of birds and a single butterfly. “I’ve focused most of my studies on contemporary artwork, but I took quite a few elective classes on the Chinese culture. I just love the simplicity and the reflected beauty.”
As the two couples flanking her chuckled, Katie marveled at the hall of paintings. Mila wasn’t wrong. There was a mind-boggling amount of money invested in the art and sculptures that decorated the walls and corners. The focus was on Middle Eastern artists including two Reza Abbasi works and a Kamal-ol-molk that she’d never seen before, but there were also heavy Asian influences as well.
“Khalid would be impressed,” Asad said with a shake of his head. “He swears that we don’t appreciate beauty. You’d think he’d never laid eyes on our wives.”
Liyah rolled her eyes and slapped at her husband’s arm. “Ignore him. Khalid is nothing like his brothers, so they tease him relentlessly. Katie, I’m so glad that Mila finally convinced you to join us for dinner. Sahaar told me the other day that you took a class on medieval manuscripts, and I desperately want to pick your brain.”
“No,” Mila moaned. “No academic talk. Just some wine and good food, okay?”
Liyah winked at Katie. “Mila is allergic to all things relating to school. We’ll have to schedule lunch.”
“I would love to talk about medieval manuscripts,” Katie said as she took another sip of wine. Her heels made no sound on the plush dark-maroon patterned rug. “In fact, I’d heard that the library you opened has a room for ancient manuscripts. I’d love a tour!”
Liyah’s eyes lit up in delight. “And I would love to give you a tour!”
“All right, ladies. Let’s go eat before I starve to death. I know how distracted my wife can get when it comes to books,” Asad grumbled, sweeping one hand forward to encourage them to resume their progress toward the dining room.
Katie was more than a little overwhelmed as she followed them. She had been so focused in school that she’d never really had friends, and she had been worried that she’d feel like a fifth wheel, but Asad and Rashid had been just as welcoming as Mila and Liyah. It was clear that the men were desperately in love with their wives and would do anything for them, even open up their home to a stranger.
Not that opening up their home to a stranger was all that intimate of a move. The palace was so large that Katie had a feeling she could roam it for a week and still not see everything.
The spread on the long table featured platters of mouth-watering seafood. Smoked salmon, seared scallops . . . Lobster, oysters, crab legs, and grilled and fried shrimp. The dinner was delicious, the wine flowed freely, and the conversation between the couples was lively.