“You sound disappointed. I would have thought you’d be pleased to see me again.” She couldn’t keep the twinge out of her voice. While she had hoped to see him, given how they had parted, she hadn’t anticipated a warm response, but he seemed angry that she was here.
They had walked away from the Sultan and everyone else by that point and now stood alone off to the side of the hall. Zaid loomed over her. She remembered how much she loved how he would tower over her. His wide shoulders hid her from the rest of the room. She recalled those shoulders spreading wide over her in bed as his body moved above her.
She felt her desire for him growing once again, creating tension within her. Something about their current meeting didn’t feel right. It already felt like they were at odds here. She wondered if they would have the opportunity to put that behind them and get down to some personal business at some point.
“I’m excited to see you,” he said quietly. “I just feel like you’re trying to spoil this tour before it’s officially started.”
“I’m not trying to spoil anything,” she argued. “I’m simply trying to draw attention to what’s already spoiled. As long as you aren’t hiding anything and you’re not opposed to fixing the problems you have here, you and I should get along fine.”
“I think part of the problem is we don’t have the problems you’re implying. We have a couple of areas that haven’t kept up with the progress we’ve made. The crime in those areas has prevented us from making as much progress in poverty alleviation. But, if we get more businesses and more investments into those sections of Sharjah, we should be able to pull them up. Of course, if we show these business investors what we’re fighting against, it could scare them away,” he explained.
“So, are you saying you’re not completely opposed to showing them Rajak and Timina?” Rebecca asked.
“No, I’m trying to explain to you why we won’t be going to those places as part of the tour.”
“So, it has nothing to do with the difficulty of trying to reschedule your precious itinerary, huh?” She loved getting to call him out.
“No, that was the answer I had to give to keep my father happy,” he admitted. “It was the most politically correct answer I could give.”
“Then, why are you telling me any differently?” Rebecca teased. “That doesn’t seem like the kind of move that would please your father, does it?”
“No, it isn’t,” he admitted. “But there isn’t anything to hide.”
“Good, then, we can go.”
“I didn’t say that, either,” Zaid reminded her.
Another man stepped up to the Sheikh just then. He was a little shorter, but he was also wider than Zaid, making him look bigger. He had severe, heavy-set features, unlike Zaid’s welcoming face.
“Sir,” the second man said, “it’s time for lunch.”
“Thank you. We’ll be ready right away,” Zaid replied. “First, Alacabak, I want you to meet Rebecca Reid. She’s the envoy for the tour. Rebecca, this is Alacabak Noozu, my father’s Chief Advisor.”
“It’s a pleasure,” Alacabak said to her. “The Sultan has sent a coach around for everyone,” he told Zaid. “It’s time to start moving our guests outside; the restaurant is waiting for us.”
Rebecca shot Zaid a look to let him know their conversation wasn’t over despite being interrupted. Then, she allowed Alacabak to usher her up to where the other members of her tour were waiting to step onto the coach.
As she waited, Rebecca knew she needed to find an opportunity to get Zaid alone to persuade him to let her take the tour through Rajak or Timina. She couldn’t shake the conviction that they needed to see some of the cracks in the Sultan’s skillfully crafted façade. While the investors needed to know about any potential complications that could affect their investments, more importantly, she was determined to make sure the people in those areas finally received the help they so desperately needed. Rebecca hoped that if the Sultan wasn’t willing to see reason, perhaps influence from his m
uch sought after investors would ensure that reforms were made.
She also couldn’t shake the emotions stirred up by running into Zaid again. The desire she’d felt for him all those years ago had been reawakened, but it was more than just a sexual need for him that she felt. She wondered if their politics would once again keep them apart this time, too.
3
When they arrived at the Waterfront Palace restaurant, Sheikh Zaid led the U.S. diplomatic tour members through to the terrace overlooking the waterfront in the back of the restaurant.
The table had already been set ahead of time to serve twenty people, including every member of the tour, Zaid and Alacabak, and the attending staff from the Sultan’s palace. There were no place settings for security, who had traveled separately and had already been positioned in the restaurant ahead of the Sheikh’s arrival.
The long wooden table was draped with an immaculate white table cloth with small floral centerpieces spaced every two seats along the table. Deep red napkins were folded in front of each seat for the guests, accompanied by silverware. The terrace’s tiled floor reached from the back of the restaurant all the way to the water, with an ornate wrought iron fence lining the edge and a pergola covering that spanned the entire terrace to protect against the heat of the midday sun.
Each place at the table had been set with a glass of iced tea, a small serving of pita bread with hummus for dipping, and a sample of dolma. The Sheikh’s and Alacabak’s places had also been set with black coffee. Everything was perfect, just as planned.
After the wait staff seated each member of the party, Zaid stood to give a toast with the glass of iced tea at his seat. “Again, we thank you for your interest in investing in the future of Sharjah. The Waterfront Palace staff has prepared two dishes for you, one with shrimp and the other with chicken in case anyone wishes to have something other than shrimp, though I couldn’t imagine why.”
He was pleased that the group laughed with him.
“To progress.” He raised his glass, as the attendees echoed his gesture and took sips from their respective glass.