The Oil Prince (Contemporary Romance) (9 page)

“You do not know how lucky you are.”

The driver suddenly parked. They were in the town center. They both got out of the car. Basil led Emily into a very expensive boutique. She knew that place. She had always walked past it because of how expensive it was. She did not dare to go in.

“Why are we here?” she asked Basil.

“To update your wardrobe, of course,” he replied. Emily’s jaw hung open. That was why he asked for her size.

“There is nothing wrong with my wardrobe!” she protested.

“I still remember the outfit you were wearing when we first met.”

Emily raised her eyebrows. “The one you ruined?” she said.

“I was not even the one driving,” he defended himself. They started arguing so heatedly about the incident that they did not realize that the sales consultant was standing in front of them. Emily looked at her and cleared her throat.

“Sorry about that,” she apologized.

“It is okay, how can I help?” she replied.

“Can you show us everything in her size?” Basil asked.

“I don’t need anything,” said Emily. Basil scanned her from head to toe.

“You do.”

Emily frowned at him. The sales consultant smiled and asked them to follow her. She showed them different outfits that would suit Emily’s hourglass figure.

“We will get them all,” said Basil.

“Wow, your husband is very generous,” said the sales consultant.

“We are not married,” Basil and Emily chorused.

“Oh, excuse me. You just make a good couple, that is all.” She quickly bagged up the clothes. Basil handed her his credit card. She swiped the card and then asked him to sign for the payment. She then handed the card back to him.

“Be a good husband and carry the bags,” said Emily sarcastically. She thanked the woman and walked off. Basil had no choice but to carry the bags. Emily was giggling to herself as she walked out. She knew that he was going to complain about carrying the bags, since he was a prince and all.

And he did just that when they got back in the car. The driver was also surprised to see Basil carrying all the bags. He quickly took them from Basil and put them in the trunk.

Fady stood in the doorway of the hotel feeling rather confused. He was to have lunch with Basil and their mother, however they were arguing when he walked in. “What did I just walk into?” Fady asked. Their mother handed him the tablet. He looked at the screen and saw pictures of Basil and Emily.

“That’s Emily,” he said.

“You know her,” said their mother.

“She works for Tadros Oil. She was the one working Basil on the methane project,” he said. He looked down at the tablet and read the article. It was from Al-Bisha and was suggesting that Emily and Basil were in a relationship. “Well, we know that tabloids always make things up,” he said and looked at Basil for an explanation.

“And so why was he buying clothes with her?” their mother asked. There were pictures from when they had gone to the boutique and other pictures from different days, at lunch and when they were going for meetings.

“I bought them for her,” Basil replied.

“Did you?” Fady looked shocked. “You never buy anyone clothes.”

“Your father is not happy. At least be seen with a woman of standards,” said their mother. Basil was a prince of Al-Bisha. He needed to be with a woman from a reputable background.

“Standards?” Basil repeated.

“Her parents are divorced and they’re from the lower class.”

“You already did a background check on her?”

“You know that information never comes into my hands before everything has been checked out.”

Basil was feeling a little bit furious. Emily did not deserve that. “Her family is just fine,” he said.

“Is she the reason why you refuse to return and marry?”

“I have never showed interest in marriage. This has nothing to do with Emily.”

Fady stood there trying grasp the situation. Had his brother and Emily gone from arguing to dating? When had that happened? “Are you seeing Emily?” he asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? Anyway he will get bored of her soon,” said their mother.

“I will not,” said Basil. Their mother’s phone started ringing. She fished it out of her purse.

“It’s your father,” she said before she answered it. “Hello… okay,” she pressed a button on the phone. “You are now on loudspeaker,” she said to the sheikh.

“Basil, I have had it with you. Every time I open the newspaper, there is something about you,” said the sheikh. He was already heated up. Basil was not shocked that their father was angry. Of course he did not approve of Emily. They needed Basil to make a marriage that would benefit the royal family. It could not be just any woman. Then there was the fact that Basil had been photographed with many women, he had the playboy image. For an Arabic man, that brought dishonor to the family.

“Father, please calm down. It is not good for your heart,” said Fady.

“Basil, make a decision right now; get on the jet with your mother in the next half an hour or stay there and be stripped of your title.”

“Father, he already accomplished the task you gave him. You said you would not strip him of his title if he did that.”

“Fady, stay out of this. He only accomplished one little thing.”

“I did more than that with the help of the woman you speak so little of,” said Basil.

“Respect your father,” said their mother.

“Did you know that I just bought Natural Gasses Limited, a small methane company?”

“What are you talking about?” said Fady.

“Since you wanted to get into the methane business, I bought this company that has some viable wells that will be good for the growth of Tadros Oil. Anyway here is my decision, you can keep my title and the money,” Basil said. He fished his wallet out of his pocket and placed it on the table before he walked out of the hotel. His mother and Fady called out after him but he did not respond.

Three months ago, he would have looked for a way to keep his title. However now he was not going to do so. He wanted to be with Emily. He wanted to enjoy the Sunday lunches with her family, something his family never did. Her family had showed him what a real family should look like. He was tired of his controlling father. He did not want to marry the woman his mother chose for him. That was not the life he wanted.

“What are you doing here?” Emily asked Basil when she opened her front door and found him standing there. She noticed that he looked down again. “What happened? Come in,” she said to him. He just walked into her house and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back. They went to sit at the sofas. Emily asked him what had happened. He told her everything.

“I told you that I might have to move in with your nana,” he joked but with no smile on his face.

“You can stay here. I mean it’s a one-bedroom house, so you will have to sleep on the sofa. It’s no palace but you can stay here.”

“I bet your nana would give me a bed.”

Emily frowned. “I can’t understand when and how you and I got this cozy.” she said.

“I have my ways,” he said and pulled her into his arms. He stroked her face with the back of his hand.

“You won’t regret it?”

“I won’t.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am sure.”

“Sure sure?”

“Sure sure.” Basil felt like a child repeating after her.

“Pinky swear.” Emily stuck her small finger out. Basil smiled and stuck his out too. They linked their fingers and pinky swore. She was so goofy, adorable, sarcastic, feisty, and smart. Those were her best qualities. Emily giggled and held Basil’s face in her hands and then kissed him. Basil wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.

***

A month had passed since Basil had last seen his mother and spoken to his father. Fady had come to Emily’s house to ask about Basil’s whereabouts and fortunately found him there. Fady tried to get Basil to reconsider his decision but he was not willing to give Emily up. Fady always had his brother’s best interest at heart, so he supported his decision. He tried to give Basil money, but he refused it.

In that month, Basil had lived life in a different way from what he had known. It was nice to be around Emily and her family. He got to know all of them more, and he liked what he learned. Whenever he was around them, they did not treat him like a prince. He was just a normal man to them. On one Sunday, they had their Sunday lunch at Emily’s house. They always rotated among Emily’s grandmother, mother, aunt, and herself.

There was a knock on Emily’s door. Mathew went to answer the door and returned with three unfamiliar guests. Emily only recognized Fady. Basil was in the middle of a conversation with Emily’s grandmother when he looked up and saw his parents. It did not shock him that his mother had come, but it was shocking to see the sheikh. The older, still handsome man stood tall next to his wife. He wore an expensive suit.

“Hello, son,” said the sheikh in husky voice. Emily sprung to her feet immediately.

“Hello, Father,” Basil replied. His mother approached him and touched his face.

“I have missed you,” she said to him. “Come home.” She had not expected for him to stand firm with his decision for so long.

“Not without Emily,” he replied.

“We should give them privacy,” said Emily. She gestured for her family to follow her out. They had all been standing there staring.

“We need to talk to you as well, Miss Gibson,” said the sheikh.

“Me?” Emily swallowed nervously. The sheikh nodded. Her family had to leave the house and wait outside, since her house was not big enough.

“I have come all this way to reinstate your title,” the sheikh said to Basil. “And to meet the woman that makes you want to live as a normal man.”

Emily shifted uncomfortably. It was not like the sheikh was a rich businessman or a sheikh of a village. He was the king of Al-Bisha and he was in her tiny house. It was a little bit intimidating.

“We would like to get to know you, and invite you to Al-Bisha with us,” said the queen. “You have changed our lacking son for the better, and Fady speaks highly of you also.”

“I did not change Basil. He just found himself,” said Emily.

“Let’s compromise,” said Fady. “How about he runs all the methane projects, since he was the one to buy the methane company? When he marries, he will move back to Al-Bisha,” he continued.

“As long as it is Emily I marry.”

“Huh, what?” Emily’s eyes flew open. Her heart started pounding really fast. She felt her cheeks turn red. She could not believe her ears. Had he just said he wanted to marry her?

“I am not leaving this place without you,” said Basil.

 “But you were so against marriage.”

“I am not against marrying you.”

Emily burst out laughing in response. She scratched the back of her neck. “So you are saying that you love me?” she said. She knew that he did not believe in love, so he would need help saying it. Basil grunted and shifted awkwardly.

“Something like that,” he said.

“Tadros men are useless when it comes to romance,” said the queen. All three Tadros men looked at her. She gently patted her low bun and looked away. Emily laughed.

“I do love you Emily and want to marry you,” said Basil.

“Say yes!” Emily’s grandmother shouted from outside the front door before Emily could answer.

“Nana, you are ruining the moment and shouldn’t be listening!” Emily shouted back. She shook her head. She was not surprised her family had been eavesdropping. Basil’s mother laughed.

“Say yes, Emily,” his mother said to her.

“Yes, I will marry you,” she said with red cheeks and a smile on her face. Of course she would marry him. Her heart beat for him more than it had ever done for any man. In the last month, she had gotten to really know him. She had spent every single day with him and could not imagine living without him. Her family opened the door cheering. They too had fallen in love with Basil and wanted him to be a part of the family.