The Sheikh's American Daughter (5 page)

Joseph was in his home office looking over some paperwork later that day. Thoughts of Olivia kept entering his mind. She was just so intriguing to him. She had tried to ward him off but he was not going to allow her to do so. Whenever he wanted something, he would do whatever it took to get it. He did not take no for answer.

“Joseph!” a voice sounded from the hallway. Joseph immediately knew whose voice it was. He leaned back in his white leather chair and looked at the door. His mother walked in moments later.

“Hello, Mother,” he replied.

She smiled and approached him. She kissed him on both cheeks.

“How are you?” she asked as she sat down opposite him. She sat up straight and clasped her hands together. She was so poised and so regal. She wore a white dress and elegant pearls. She had olive skin color.

“I am well,” Joseph replied.

“I am curious.”

“About what?” Joseph knew exactly what his mother was curious about.

“Rania or Marina?” his mother asked.

Joseph grunted. 

“We will be meeting with their family soon. You might have to wait until then.” Joseph was not sure it was his place to tell his mother about Olivia. He wanted her to hear from Sheikh Solomon that he had an illegitimate daughter.

“You have not made a decision?” she asked.

“Something like that.”

“That is unlike you.” His mother looked surprised. “What is wrong with the girls?” she asked.

“Nothing. I guess I have not spent much time with them to get to know them.” Joseph immediately frowned. It was as if he was regurgitating Olivia’s words.

His mother also looked shocked to hear his words.

“What else do you need to know? They’re both from a good family. They are beautiful and well-educated,” she said to him.

Joseph did not agree. To him, they were average-looking.

“Shall we have dinner?” he asked.

“Why are you changing the subject?”

“I am just hungry.” Joseph smiled. His mother was invested in that marriage. She really wanted him to marry either Rania or Marina. Therefore, she was going to keep talking about it. So Joseph thought it best to change the subject. He wanted to wait until she found out about Olivia’s existence before he told her that he wanted to marry Olivia.

***

“Sheikh Boutros, thank you for coming.” Sheikh Solomon greeted him with a smile. He shook Joseph’s hand. Joseph had decided to go to Sheikh Solomon’s house the following evening. He needed to talk to him. Olivia had stood him up. She had not gone to his house for dinner. No woman had ever turned him down for anything.

“I trust that you have been well,” Joseph said to Sheikh Solomon.

“I have. Please have a seat.”

The two men sat down in the drawing room. A maid served them with tea and cakes. Joseph picked up his cup of tea and took a sip.

“My mother dropped by my house last night,” Joseph said to Sheikh Solomon. “I have not told her about Olivia’s existence yet. I feel that it should come from yourself.”

“It is going to be tough talking about it. Having an illegitimate child is never a good look, especially for a sheikh,” said Sheikh Solomon.

“Yes, it will be tough. It must already be tough on your family.”

“My wife and my daughters are not taking it well.”

“I take it they’re not welcoming Olivia?” Joseph asked. He already knew that they were not. He had heard from Olivia.

Sheikh Solomon laughed. 

“It has only been three days but it feels ominous in this house. We are walking on eggshells.” Sheikh Solomon laughed again. This time Joseph laughed with him.

“They’re all going through a hard time. This is something that came upon all of you so suddenly,” Joseph said.

“Exactly.”

“Sheikh Boutros,” Rania breathed out as she walked into the room. She was wearing a peach dress and a pair of white high heels.

“Hello Rania,” he replied. She stood by her father, facing Joseph. She had her chest perked up and her lips pouted. 

“It’s good to see you,” she said.

“Likewise.”

“I will let the two of you speak. Sheikh Boutros, please come over for dinner sometime.” She ran her hand through her jet-black hair and smiled at him. She turned on her heel and walked out. Joseph wondered if she knew that he wanted to marry Olivia instead of her or her sister. She was quite flirtatious and obviously wanted his attention.

“Is Olivia still here?” Joseph asked.

“Yes, she is still here. She says we have a lot to talk about, which we do. So I am glad that she is going to stay,” Sheikh Solomon replied just as Marina rushed into the room. She was wearing a tight-fitting yellow dress. She had long, silky jet-back hair.

“Sheikh Boutros, it’s good to see you,” she said as she approached him. She extended her hand out for a handshake.

“Hello Marina.” Joseph shook her hand. Marina giggled when he touched her hand. Sheikh Solomon buried his face in his hands.

“If only you had come earlier for dinner,” she said to him.

“Maybe next time.”

“Yes. That will be nice. Come for lunch and dinner.”

“Okay Marina, if you could give us a moment,” Sheikh Solomon said to his overly excited daughter.

“Okay. It was good to see you, Sheikh Boutros. Take care.” She turned and left the room.

“Do they know that I have already made my decision regarding marriage?” Joseph asked Sheikh Solomon after Marina had left.

“They do but they just do not accept it.” Sheikh Solomon shook his head. Joseph was not surprised. He was used to women doing everything they could to be with him.

The two men started discussing business. As they were talking, Olivia walked past the drawing room. Once again, she was wearing loose-fitting shorts and a loose-fitting top. Her hair was messy.

“Olivia!” Sheikh Solomon called out. She walked back and into the room. “Come and greet Sheikh Boutros,” he said to her. Olivia was looking at him as if she was going to ask if she had to.

“Good evening, Miss Grant,” Joseph said to Olivia.

“Sheikh Boutros,” said Olivia. It was interesting to Joseph that Rania and Marina were impeccably dressed, and Olivia was not. However, Olivia looked better than the other two. He wondered how she would look if she properly dressed herself.

One of the maids rushed into the room.

“Excuse me, Sheikh Solomon. You have an urgent call,” the maid said to Sheikh Solomon. He nodded and rose to his feet.

“If you would excuse me for a moment,” he said to Joseph and left the room. Joseph leaned in his seat and fixed his gaze on Olivia.

“I guess it’s just the two of us,” he said to her.

“Goodbye, Joseph,” Olivia said to Sheikh Boutros. She was surprised to see him at Sheikh Solomon’s house. He had asked to have dinner with her that night but she had stood him up. It was awkward seeing him now.

“You stood me up,” he said to her.

Olivia slid her hands in her pockets and looked at him. “I told you that I was not coming.”

“No one has ever stood me up.”

“There is a first time for everything.” It was hard to keep eye contact with Joseph. His intense gaze made Olivia nervous.

“I see you decided to take my advice,” said Joseph. He had a smug look on his face. It was as if he had won something.

“What advice?” Olivia asked.

“To stay here.”

“Oh. That had nothing to do with you,” she replied. Joseph said nothing for a moment. He looked amused. “What?” she asked. It was not the first time he had looked at her like that.

“How long will you stay?” he asked.

“Just a few days.” It was annoying that she had had to reschedule her departure so many times. However, Daya, Sheikh Solomon and Joseph all gave her good reasons to stay. It was a very hard situation for her to deal with. She did not know what to do. She wished her mother was still alive. She wished that she could talk to her.

“That gives us enough time to get to know each other,” said Joseph.

Olivia narrowed her gaze at him. He was relentless.

“Spending time together will not change anything. We are not getting married.” Olivia turned away from him and headed for the door. If he had been asking her only for a date, then she would have agreed. However, he was asking for her hand in marriage. Why did the good-looking guys have to be so weird?

“How impertinent of you to walk away in the middle of the conversation,” Joseph said to Olivia.

“Excuse me?” She turned around to face him. Did he just call me impertinent? Olivia asked herself.

“We were still in the middle of a conversation. It is rude for you to just walk away,” said Joseph. Olivia raised her eyebrows. She had not realized that there was still more to talk about. “And shouldn’t you dress a little bit more feminine?” he added.

Olivia looked at her attire.

“There is nothing wrong with my clothes,” she said to him. Joseph made a face. “I don’t care what you think of my dress sense. You trying to tell me how to dress just made me not want to marry you even more.” Olivia turned away from him and left the drawing room.

Olivia was annoyed at Joseph for making a comment about her clothes. He had no right to do so. She was never going to marry a man that tried to control her in any way. She rushed up the stairs and saw Daya sitting outside their bedrooms.

“Guess who is here?” Olivia asked Daya.

“Joseph Boutros?” Daya looked up from her magazine.

“He had the nerve to tell me to dress a little bit more feminine.” Olivia threw herself on the sofa opposite Daya.

“What?” Daya laughed a little. “He did?” she asked.

“He is relentless. I told him countless times that I did not want to marry him but he just refuses to hear me.”

“You are crazy.”

“What?”

“If he is as handsome as you say he is, then why don’t you spend some time with him? Just enjoy being in his company,” said Daya.

Olivia rolled her eyes. 

“He is handsome and a little arrogant. I do not want to spend time with a man like that,” said Olivia.

“Was he here to see you?” Daya asked.

“No, he came for Sheikh Solomon.”

***

The next morning was easily the worst morning Olivia had in Sheikh Solomon’s house. He had called everyone downstairs for breakfast. He wanted his entire family to have breakfast together. He wanted them all to get along but Olivia felt that it was too soon. Things never worked out well when forced.

“Must we eat with her?” Rania asked her father.

“From now on, we will eat together,” said Sheikh Solomon. All the women at the table looked at him as though he was crazy.

“That isn’t the wisest of your decisions,” Jacob said to his father.

“We are a family whether anyone likes it or not.” Sheikh Solomon took a deep breath. “We have been invited to the Boutros residence on Sunday,” he added.

“Who is we?” Daaliyah asked her husband.

“Everyone sitting at this table.”

“Why is that one coming?” Rania pointed at Daya. “She is not even part of the family.”

“That one?” said Olivia. Her so-called sisters were so rude.

“Yes, that!”

“You are so rude.” Even though Olivia knew that she was guest in their home, she was not going to be silent while Rania and Marina were rude to Daya. It was uncalled for and unnecessary.

“And you are an intruder,” said Marina.

“You are not welcome here,” Rania said to Olivia.

“I can stay here. I do not have to come on Sunday,” said Daya. “However, Olivia is not an intruder and you have no right to be so rude to her,” she added. Daya and Olivia were so close. They were always on each other’s side.

Rania and Marina both started speaking at the same time. They voiced their displeasure. Daya and Olivia had no choice but to answer. They too voiced their displeasure. It was like a screaming match. Jacob just leaned back in his chair and watched.

Sheikh Solomon dropped his fork. 

“Enough!” he shouted. “I will not have the four of you fighting, especially at the breakfast table.”

Olivia could not believe that she was taking part in the fighting. It was unlike her. She did not like drama and arguments. However, Rania and Marina seemed to bring out the worst in her.

“There would not be any fighting if you did not have an illegitimate child,” said Daaliyah. Sheikh Solomon shot her a warning gaze.

“We are happy to stay in a hotel and to not come on Sunday,” said Olivia.

“You are not staying in a hotel and you are most certainly coming on Sunday.”

Olivia did not like taking orders from anyone. She did not want to go to the Boutros residence. She did not see the point of her going. However, she was not going to take it up with Sheikh Solomon at that moment. She just narrowed her gaze at him and bit her tongue.

“It will be a very interesting day,” Jacob added. He took a sip of his coffee.

“We should all eat in silence,” said Sheikh Solomon. Olivia thought he was probably regretting the idea of getting everyone to dine together. It was definitely too soon for them to act as though they were family.