The Sheikh's American Daughter (13 page)

“Show me what you are wearing,” Daya said through Skype. Olivia had video called on Skype. She had a lot to tell her. After she had made sure that Daya and her father were okay, Olivia told Daya everything that had happened since she left.

“I am wearing this white peplum dress,” Olivia said as she rushed towards her laptop. She twirled to make sure Daya could see the entire outfit.

“That is decent,” said Daya.

“It is. I am so nervous, Daya. I hope his father isn’t as mean as his wife.”

“If you marry Joseph, you will have a monster for a mother-in-law.” Daya burst into laughter.

“Why would I marry Joseph?” Olivia asked. The idea was no longer strange or bad to her. Joseph was easy to talk to. She enjoyed talking to him about anything. He was the only man that she had ever been so close to, especially in such a short time.

“It seems as though your relationship has advanced,” said Daya. Olivia sighed deeply.

“Why does everything have to be so complicated?”

“That’s life, my darling.”

Olivia slipped into her white flats. She had her hair neatly packed into a tight bun. She wanted to look as presentable as possible. For some odd reason, she wanted to make a good impression on Joseph’s father.

“Why couldn’t Joseph ask for a relationship? Why marriage? It’s so final. I thought that by now he would have abandoned the idea,” said Olivia.

“Maybe he genuinely likes you. At the start I was wary of him but now that you’ve told me about how he stood up for you in front of his mother and comforted you, I am starting to change my mind,” said Daya.

“You and me both.” Olivia picked up her laptop. “I have to go now. I can’t be late,” she said.

“Okay, good luck.”

“Thanks.” Olivia ended the call. She put the laptop on the nightstand and rushed out of the room.

***

Olivia arrived at the restaurant a while later. The restaurant was empty when she arrived. She stood at the entrance gaping at the big room. It had a black and maroon décor. A waiter dressed in black approached her.

“Good afternoon, miss,” he greeted her.

“Hi, is the restaurant open?” she asked as she looked around.

“What is your name?”

“Olivia,” she said skeptically.

“The sheikh will be here soon. Please have a seat.” He gestured towards a reddish wooden table in the middle of the room. She slowly walked towards the table. She pulled out a chair for herself and sat down.

“Would you like some water or anything while you wait for Sheikh Boutros?” the waiter asked Olivia.

“Yes, some water, please.” She needed some water to cool her nerves. The waiter nodded and disappeared. He reappeared with a jar of water and a glass a few moments later. He placed the glass on the table and poured out some water for Olivia. She drank her water as she waited.

The sheikh arrived moments later. He was dressed in a charcoal grey suit. He was tall, taller than Sheikh Solomon. The sheikh looked very much like Joseph, an older version of him. He had a lot of grey in his hair. Olivia put her glass down and rose to her feet.

“Good afternoon, Miss Grant,” Joseph’s father said as he approached Olivia. She felt odd hearing him calling her Miss Grant. Joseph always called her that.

“Good afternoon,” she replied. She extended her hand and gestured for a handshake. He took her hand into his and shook it. He had a firm grip. He gestured towards the chair for Olivia to sit down. She nodded and took her seat.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet me,” he said to her.

“It’s okay.” Olivia laughed nervously. She did not feel like she had a choice. That’s when it dawned on her. The restaurant had been closed down so that they could dine alone. She partially wished that there were other people around. Joseph had offered to come with her, but as much as she wanted to say yes, it was not wise. She needed to see his father alone.

“I have already instructed them on what to serve us. I hope that is okay with you,” he said.

“It’s fine.” She could eat almost anything. He smiled and nodded.

“What do you do in America?”

Olivia told him about her part-time job as a receptionist and the fact that she had just finished her pharmacology studies. There wasn’t much more she could tell him. She was not an interesting girl. Her life was plain and simple.

The waiter brought out their food. Olivia normally drooled over food. However, today she couldn’t focus on it. She was just waiting for Joseph’s father to bring up the marriage thing. That was the reason why he had called her.

“I like my food nice and simple. I do not like overcomplicated meals that have an extravagant appearance but lack in taste. It’s as if the chef is trying to cover up the fact that his food tastes badly,” said Joseph’s father.

“Simple is good,” Olivia replied. She was sure that there was a threat somewhere in Joseph’s father’s words. They were about food but they made her uneasy. Sheikh Boutros senior was a little bit more intimidating than his son. He cut through his lamb so easily and then put the piece of the meat in his mouth. He chewed slowly without taking his eyes off Olivia. Unlike his son, he had eyes as dark as midnight.

“Just like people. I like people that are transparent and honest. I hate pretentious characters,” he said.

“So do I,” said Olivia. “I value integrity and modesty.” Just like the sheikh, she did not like pretentious characters.

“Good. I see that we are on the same page,” he said. He took a sip of his drink. “My son wishes to marry you. What’s your position on this matter?” he asked. Ahh, at last, Olivia thought to herself. He finally spoke about the marriage.

“I feel that it is still too early for us to get married,” she said. She would rather it was Joseph that told his father that they were not getting married. That and the fact that she did not think it was such a bad idea that Joseph was interested in her.

“That is correct. However, you must know that you and my son are not a match,” he said frankly.

“Only if we are comparing our financial status,” she said boldly. She was not about to sit there and be told that she was not good enough for Joseph.

“Please elaborate,” he said with so much fascination on his face.

“I don’t think it’s fair for anyone to say that we cannot be together just because I am not all Arabic or because I am an illegitimate child.”

“No, it is not fair. However, that is life. Life isn’t fair.”

“We don’t choose to be born in rich families or poor families.”

The sheikh nodded. “If you and my son were to marry, what could you offer him?” he asked. Was he so jaded that he believed that marriages should be considered as alliances for financial gain? Olivia asked herself.

“Love.” The word left her mouth before she could stop it. Was she really prepared to love him? “Loyalty, respect, honesty and unwavering support,” she added. Sheikh Boutros senior raised his eyebrows. He was clearly surprised.

“Those are fine qualities but not for a man like Joseph. He needs a woman with a good background. A woman that can contribute to his position. I need my son to marry a woman from a powerful family,” he said. Olivia almost laughed at the greed. Money and power. Was that all that mattered?

“He has enough money and power,” she said to him. “But does he have enough happiness?”

“Proceed with caution,” Sheikh Boutros senior warned.

“They say a king is very lonely,” she said. “He has everything and yet there is no one he can trust.”

“You are saying my son is lonely?”

“I am saying that he could be. Money doesn’t buy happiness.”

“Do you know my son enough to know what makes him happy?” he asked after a moment. That was a good question, Olivia thought to herself.

“I would like the opportunity to get know him and find out what makes him happy,” she replied. The sheikh laughed a little. He picked up a maroon napkin and wiped his mouth and hands.

“You are an intriguing woman,” he said. Olivia smiled in response. She hoped that it was a compliment. “You are different from your father,” he added.

“I hope that is a good thing,” Olivia replied.

“Only time will tell.” Sheikh Boutros senior looked at his watch. “I must bid you farewell. I have a meeting to attend,” he said as he rose to his feet. Olivia also stood up.

“Thank you for the lunch,” she said to him.

“Do you have transportation? “

“Yes I do.” Olivia smiled. The sheikh smiled. He turned on his heel and left the room. Olivia placed her hand on her heart and sighed with relief. Joseph’s father was an intimidating man. She had managed to stay calm in his presence but it was hard. He was different from his wife. She shouted and said nasty words. However, Joseph’s father was calm and scary.

After Olivia was finished having lunch with Joseph’s father, Jacob picked her up from the restaurant. The two of them had plans. They had a place they needed to go to. She felt nervous about it because she did not know what to expect.

“Are you ready?” Jacob asked when they had arrived at their destination. Olivia looked out of the window. They were parked outside a beautiful villa outside Beirut.

“I am,” she replied.

“Okay.”

Jacob and Olivia got out of the car. They walked towards the villa. Jacob fished a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. They walked in. The interior was amazing. There were clean stone floors and high ceilings. A maid walked out of a room and into the corridor.

“Jacob, hello,” she greeted him.

“Hello,” he greeted her and kept walking. He took a left turn and walked into a room. Olivia followed. The room was nicely furnished with rare and expensive-looking furniture. There was an elderly lady sitting at the chairs reading a book. She was wearing a long-sleeved sky blue dress and an expensive-looking necklace. She had her grey hair pinned up into a fancy-looking bun. She looked up when Jacob and Olivia walked in.

“Jacob!” she gasped. She put her book down immediately.

“Hi, Grandma,” he said as he approached her. He kissed her on both cheeks.

“This is a nice surprise.” She turned her attention to Olivia. “Who is she?” she asked.

“This is Olivia, your granddaughter,” said Jacob. Her eyes widened.

“What?” She laughed a little. “What are you talking about?” she asked. Jacob looked at Olivia and gestured for her to sit down. The two of them sat down at the sofas.

“My name is Olivia Grant and I am Elizabeth Grant’s daughter,” said Olivia. Jacob’s grandmother’s smile disappeared. Her face immediately turned pale. She placed her hand on her heart and started blinking rapidly. She closed her eyes and shook her head repeatedly.

“Elizabeth’s daughter?” she asked.

“Yes.” Olivia nodded. She felt weird about being there. Jacob had come up with the idea to go see their grandmother. He was cross with her for what she had done.

“Does your father know about her?” she asked Jacob.

“He does. We have all known for the past three weeks,” he replied.

It was crazy to Olivia that she had been in Lebanon for three weeks. It felt as though she had been there for much longer. Too much had happened. Her life had completely changed and there was nothing she could do about that.

“Why did nobody tell me?” their grandmother asked.

“Yesterday, I learned that you knew about Elizabeth’s pregnancy and you purposely kept it from father.” Jacob ignored her question.

“I did what was best for my son at the time.”

Jacob crossed his eyebrows. “This is all too much. I am really disappointed in you and mum,” he said.

The older lady looked at Olivia.

“This is your fault. My Jacob would have never spoken to me like that. Why did you have to come here?” she said to her.

“My mother felt it was right for me to know that I had a father.”

“How do I even know that you really are his daughter?”

“We can get a DNA test done.”

“You are rude.” She shook her head. Olivia did not think that she had been rude to her.

“I apologize if I sound rude,” said Olivia.

“You should just go back to America. There is no place for you here,” said their grandmother.

“Nana, that is rude,” Jacob chided. Olivia was not even bothered at this point. Far too many people had said that to her.

“I knew that my actions would haunt me one day,” said their grandmother. She gently touched her face. Olivia saw the almond-shaped birth mark on her grandmother’s wrist, just like the one she had on hers. Sheikh Solomon had told her about it before.

“What did you not like about my mother? The fact that she was from a poor background or because she was American and not Arabic?” Olivia asked. Jacob’s eyes widened. He just leaned back in his seat.

“Do you think I am a racist?” their grandmother asked.

“Possibly,” said Olivia. Jacob’s eyes widened and he just looked at the floor. “If your son was happy with Elizabeth, then why would you tear them apart? Because of you I grew up without a father,” she said.

“It was not my intention for you to grow up fatherless. I was only thinking about my son and my family’s reputation.”

Olivia tried her hardest not to roll her eyes. She was sick and tired of these rich people telling her about reputation. They thought so highly of themselves. Everyone was equal. No one was more important than the other.

“You people only think about yourselves,” said Olivia.

“Did you come here for recognition?” her grandmother asked.

“No, I came here to let you know that I have become reacquainted with my father.” That was the first time she had referred to Sheikh Solomon as her father. “Your plan to keep me away from him failed,” she said as she rose to her feet.

“You are just as fiery as your mother.”

“I am my mother’s daughter. Excuse me.” Olivia walked out of the room and into the corridor. She headed towards the front door and let herself out. Jacob’s driver opened the door for Olivia. She climbed in and sat in the backseat.

Olivia did not even know what to feel. Her so-called grandmother was not even apologetic about her actions. Instead of apologizing or something along those lines, she defended her actions. Once again Olivia found herself wanting to see Joseph. He was the first person that she had thought of talking to about this entire messy situation.

Jacob opened the car door and joined her in the car. “Well, that was awkward,” he said as he shut the door. Olivia laughed a little.

“Maybe we should not have come,” she said.

“No, it’s good we came.”

The driver started the engine and drove off.

“It’s annoying to have to keep going through this conversation again and again,” said Olivia. She was tired of having to talk about being the illegitimate daughter of Sheikh Solomon. She hoped that it was the last time she had to explain herself and
have some nasty remarks thrown in her face.

“I understand you,” Jacob replied. “I feel weird about my mother seducing my father. If she never got pregnant with me, then they would not be together.” 

“I can’t imagine how that feels.” It was true. She couldn’t imagine it and she did not want to.

“I never noticed much love between my parents. Now I understand why.”

Olivia placed her hand on his. She felt bad that he grew up in a loveless home. No child deserved that.

Elizabeth was the only woman Sheikh Solomon had ever loved. Olivia felt bad that her presence had brought all those secrets to light.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

“It’s not your fault.” Jacob sighed. “What happens in the dark will always come to light,” he added. Olivia nodded. She very much agreed with that statement.

Jacob and Olivia arrived back home just after 9 p.m. They both headed into the house and went to their bedrooms. Olivia felt tired and drained. It had been a very eventful day and she just wanted to lie down.

It was about half past nine when the maid came with the house phone and told her that Joseph was on the phone.

“Why are you calling me this late?” she asked Joseph. She was screaming with joy on the inside. She was so happy that he had called her. She had been wanting to speak to him.

“It is very odd having to call you on the house phone all the time,” he said. Olivia laughed a little.

“Yes it is,” she agreed. She was used to speaking to people on her cell phone.

“How did you find lunch with my father?”

“It was fine.”

“Really?” Joseph sounded shocked.

“No, he’s a scary man,” Olivia confessed. Joseph laughed a little.

“Yes he is, but from what I heard, you handled yourself well.”

“What did he say?” Olivia was quite curious to know what Joseph’s father thought of her.

“He thinks that you’re an intelligent woman with impressive valor,” he said. Olivia burst into laughter.

“Valor? I guess he expected me to shake in his presence.”

“Most people do.”

“That does not surprise me.”

“Why did you not tell him that you did not want to marry me?” Joseph asked.

“That’s for you to tell him,” she replied.

“Maybe I won’t have to tell him.”

Olivia started laughing. She knew what he was going to say next. “Joseph, I will admit that I do like you but I don’t know if I’m ready to marry you.” The words just came out of her mouth so easily. She never wanted to tell a man that she liked him first. However, she did not want to send mixed signals. She always wanted to be clear.

“That’s the nicest thing you have ever said to me,” Joseph replied. Olivia started laughing. She knew well that she had never showered him with compliments.

“Is it really?” she asked sarcastically.

“Yes,” he replied. “Now that you told me you like me, I am pleased. That means we feel the same way about each other.”

“Do you like me?” Olivia asked boldly. She did not want to assume anything. She wanted to hear the words straight from him.

“Yes, Olivia, I like you very much,” he said; his voice was so low and sexy as always. She felt butterflies in her stomach. His words made her happy.

“Okay,” she said casually; trying to mask how happy she was in that moment.

“I have to go to Egypt tomorrow for business and to see Jasmine. I will be there for a few days.”

“That’ll be nice.” A small part of Olivia was not happy with the idea of Joseph going away on business. She wanted to see him the next day. Now she was having to wait for a few days.

“Come with me,” said Joseph.

“What? Why?”

“I want you with me.”

“I guess it’ll be nice to get away for a while.” She felt happy that he had asked her. That way, they would spend some time together.

“Good, I’ll get a car for you in the morning.”