The Sheikh's American Daughter (8 page)

As Joseph walked into the restaurant, people stared at him. The women smiled and greeted him. Joseph was used to that kind of attention. He just kept walking towards the back of the restaurant, where there was a room for VIP guests only.

“Good afternoon, Sheikh Boutros. Your guests have arrived,” a neatly dressed waiter said to him.

“Okay,” Joseph replied. The waiter opened the door for him. He walked into the modest sized air-conditioned room. The room had large windows that revealed a beautiful view of the beach. Joseph made his way to the table made out of the finest wood.

“Sheikh Solomon,” Joseph said as he approached him.

Sheikh Solomon rose from his table and shook Joseph’s hand. 

“Thank you for coming,” he said with a smile.

“Hello Olivia,” said Joseph. Olivia was staring at Joseph in shock. He sat down opposite her. She whipped her head in her father’s direction.

“I thought we were going to have lunch and talk,” she said. She looked at Joseph. “Just the two of us,” she emphasized.

“We talked.” Sheikh Solomon smiled. “However, I have a meeting to attend.”

Olivia narrowed her gaze at him. He smiled and walked away.

“I feel ambushed!” she called out after him. She looked at Joseph. “So, the two of you planned this.”

“Not really,” he said. Olivia frowned at him. “Eating with me will not kill you,” he added.

Olivia smiled a little and picked up the menu. 

“You are tenacious,” she said to him.

“I want what I want and I get what I want.”

Olivia looked up from her menu. “And you want me?” she asked, as if she did not know the answer to her question.

“Yes, I want you,” Joseph replied.

Olivia put her menu down.

“I’ll just have whatever you are having,” she said. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “What is it about me that interests you?” she asked.

Joseph closed his menu and placed it on the table. He already knew what he wanted. He had been to the restaurant a few times.

“I think you are beautiful, and you have an attractive figure,” he said. It was true. That and the fact that he had to get married within the next three months and he would rather it be to Olivia.

“So, you are just interested in my looks,” she said. It surprised him a little. Most women would be so happy to hear a compliment from him. Olivia did not seem affected.

“Your body would look even better if you dressed properly,” he said. She was wearing black harem trousers and a blue top. Her hair was tied up into a messy bun. Again, he would have preferred it if she wore a dress or a skirt.

“Excuse me?” Olivia did not look pleased by what he had just said. Before Olivia could say anything else, a waiter walked into the room.

“Are you ready to order?” he asked. Joseph nodded. The waiter reached into his pocket and pulled out a small notepad and a pen.

“Two portions of the roasted lamb, and make sure it’s moderately spicy. Not too much and not too little,” said Joseph. Olivia stared at him with her eyebrows crossed as he ordered. “I want the lamb with steamed vegetables and hummus on the side,” he continued. The waiter nodded.

“What would you like to drink?” he asked.

“Bring me a jar of lemon water and Lebanese coffee. Bring me the coffee after the meal.”

“Yes, sheikh.” The waiter nodded and left the room.

“You could not even say please or thank you,” Olivia said to Joseph after the waiter had left.

“It is his job to take my order,” said Joseph.

Olivia shook her head. 

“You didn’t even order any carbs.”

“Carbs?”

“Carbohydrates like rice, pasta or pita bread.”

“It’s best to not consume such foods.”

Olivia narrowed her gaze at him. “Can we at least have ice cream or cake for dessert?” she said.

“No,” he replied. He was a very healthy person. He went to great lengths to maintain his health and his physique.

“We are not even married and you are going to control what I eat?” she asked.

“You asked me to order for you.”

“I know, but I did not think it meant no carbs.” She sulked. She slumped her shoulders and pouted. Joseph wanted to smile. It the first time she had sulked in his presence. It was adorable.

“I’ll buy you dessert next time,” he said to her.

“Next time? How can you be so sure that there will be a next time?”

“There will.” He was confident in his charms. He was going to melt her tough exterior by the end of the lunch. He was going to win her over, no matter what.

Moments later, the waiter returned with their food and placed it on the table. He asked if they needed anything else before he left. Joseph shook his head and waved his hand to dismiss him. The waiter left promptly.

“Well, it looks good,” Olivia said as she picked up her cutlery. She cut into her appetizing lamb and took a bite. Joseph started eating also.

“What is your life like in Atlanta? What do you do?” he asked her.

“Now you want to get to know me,” she replied sarcastically.

“I want to know what you so desperately want to return to.”

Olivia smiled before she replied. “I’ve been working as a part-time receptionist for the past five years.” 

“Why part-time?” Joseph asked.

“I was in college, studying pharmacology.”

Joseph raised his eyebrows. She studied science at a higher level. It was rare for him to meet a beautiful female scientist. Most beautiful women were into fashion and cosmetics. Olivia was a breath of fresh air.

“Now that you have graduated, you will be working in your field?” he asked.

She nodded.

“I would have been searching for jobs but instead I am here.” She sighed.

“You can work here.”

Olivia looked at him and narrowed her gaze. “Let’s say that I agree to marry you. Then what?” she asked. Joseph looked into her hazel eyes and smiled. “I didn’t say that I would agree, I am just trying to see where your head is,” she quickly clarified. He already knew that it was hypothetical.

“Then we get married,” he said.

“That’s it?”

“Then your life would change for the better.”

Olivia let out a laugh. She had an odd laugh. It was not feminine at all. “Don’t you mean that your life would change for the better?” she said.

Joseph took a sip of his lemon water. He picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth.

The waiter returned for their plates. He carried them out and then returned with their coffee. Olivia picked up the small cup of coffee and studied it. 

“It’s so small,” she said.

“It’s very strong,” Joseph informed her. She looked at him with a widened gaze.

“Really? How strong?”

“Taste it and find out.”

Olivia took a sip. Her eyes flew open and she almost jumped out of her seat. “Wow!” she cried out.

Joseph laughed gently. 

“I did warn you,” he said.

“I like it.” She giggled a little. He realized that she loved food. He had learned quite a bit about her over their lunch.

Joseph paid for their lunch after they were finished eating. He obviously was not going to let her pay for it. They walked out of the restaurant together. People stared at them as they made their way out. They gasped and whispered. Some people greeted him.

“I will drop you off at home,” he said to Olivia as they stepped out into the hot weather.

“I would have said no if I had my own transport,” she said. She shook her head. “I can’t believe Sheikh Solomon tricked me like this,” she added. Joseph smiled and gestured towards his car.

“You still call him Sheikh Solomon?” he asked her.

“What else would I call him?” she asked. She started fanning herself with her right hand. “It’s very hot,” she complained.

“Father.”

“Why would I call him that?”

Joseph slid his hands into his pockets. “I guess it’s too soon,” he said to her. Joseph’s driver got out of the car as they approached. He opened the backseat door. Joseph let Olivia get in first.

They kept talking about her father on their way to Sheikh Solomon’s house. They talked about her awkward living arrangement. She was not getting along with her sisters or their mother. It was hard for her. She wanted to leave but her father really did not want her to. Joseph made a joke about her moving in with him, and she actually laughed. She was warming up to him. He had succeeded in melting her tough exterior.

Olivia and Joseph arrived at Sheikh Solomon’s residence. They parked right outside the house. Olivia had to admit to herself that having lunch with Joseph hadn’t been so bad. Despite his vanity and arrogance, he was easy to talk to. He seemed to be a good listener also.

“Thanks for the lift,” she said as she opened the door.

“No need to thank me. As your man, that’s the least I could do,” Joseph replied. Olivia’s eyes opened wide. He had just referred to himself as
her
man. He had sounded so sexy when he said it. Olivia felt butterflies in her stomach.

“You are not my man,” she said to him. “And I am certainly not your woman!”

Joseph smiled at her. He leaned towards her. This time Olivia quickly moved backwards. She moved too quickly and with so much force, she fell out of the car. She let out a squeak as she fell out. She landed on her bottom.

Olivia could not believe that she had just fallen out of the car like that. She had tried to dodge his kiss and ended up on her bottom. Joseph jerked his head forward and looked at her. “Are you okay?” he asked her. Olivia burst into laughter. She could not help but laugh at herself. Joseph raised his eyebrows.

“You find this amusing?” he asked her. Olivia laughed for a few more seconds before she cleared her throat and tried to compose herself.

“I am surprised that you don’t,” she replied. She sprang to her feet and wiped her bottom.

“I don’t want you breaking anything.”

“I’m okay, bye.” Olivia headed into the house. She quickly rushed upstairs. She found Daya sitting on the sofas outside their bedrooms.

“You are here,” said Daya. Olivia sat in the sofa opposite her.

“How are you?” she asked. Daya shrugged her shoulders.

“I need to go back to Atlanta.”

Olivia sighed. “Me too,” she replied. She really wanted to get out of that house but then if she returned, she would be leaving Sheikh Solomon behind.

“No, I mean I have to go back tomorrow,” Daya replied.

“What happened?”

“My father has been admitted to the hospital again.”

“Oh no.” Olivia felt bad for Daya. Her father had bad kidneys. He had been waiting for a transplant for years. “We can leave early in the morning,” she said. Daya shook her head.

“You have to stay here,” said Daya.

“Why would I stay here when your father isn’t feeling well?” Olivia knew Daya’s father well. He had traveled a lot because of work when Daya was younger. However, he stopped because of his health. When he had time, he took Olivia and Daya for ice cream. It made Olivia wish she had a father also.

“You found out about your father in an unfortunate way. However, you know about his existence. You can’t ignore him. You should stay here for a few more weeks and forge a relationship with him,” Daya said.

“You came here with me. It’s only right that I return with you and be there for you.”

Daya smiled. “My father could die any day now but at least I would have no regrets. If Sheikh Solomon died tomorrow, you’d regret the time you threw away.”

Olivia stood up and went to sit next to Daya. She threw her arms around her and embraced her tightly.

“Call me if anything happens. I will come in a heartbeat,” she replied. “I am sure my future husband has a private jet I could borrow,” she joked. Daya burst into laughter.

“I googled him actually,” she said. Olivia released Daya from her embrace.

“You did?”

“Yes. It turns out his family is really rich, like filthy rich.” Daya pulled her phone out of her pocket and tapped the screen a few times. “They have an oil company worth $1.2 billion.”

Olivia’s eyes opened wide.

“I am only worth five dollars,” she said and burst into laughter. Daya laughed with her.

“I thought I would find something scandalous about him but I could not find anything. He’s either a good man as your father says he is or he pays everyone to keep his secrets.” 

“Probably the latter explanation. I can’t see a guy in his position having a squeaky clean record.”

“You are right.”

“Speaking of Joseph,” said Olivia. She told Daya everything that had happened earlier. Daya buried her head in her hands before bursting into laughter.

“You cannot avoid him. Maybe he is your soulmate,” she said. Olivia rose to her feet.

“I highly doubt it. We are not compatible and I am not complaining.” She headed into her room.