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Chapter 8

  • Lia waited calmly and silently as Almer, and his companion left, giving her one last look.
  • She was sure that right now they would go to her hotel to wait for her, but she would worry about all that later. She had other matters to be focused on now, and his piercing look was only making her nerves unsettled.
  • She had no option be afraid, even if there was a lie between her new boss and her, she had to keep her head up, because somehow it wasn't her lie, and here she was helping a friend. Besides, that man was only her work partner for a short time, in a few months, she would only remember this as an episode, and she was sure, she would never have to witness his world... in the world, she had dreamed to be in for years.
  • "Miss James..."
  • Her eyes roamed from the door through which Almer disappeared, and took them to... Saeed.
  • “I promise I'll tell you like this only in my mind,” She thought trying not to smile, placing her hands under the table. They had never sweated her, but right now the sweat covered her every inch. It was too strange.
  • “Sir...”
  • “Since it's still early, and maybe we should be working on the plane...” Lia nodded. “I thought it was pertinent to talk a little about my country, the work you will be doing, and some things I think you should know.”
  • “Of course. Would you like to have a drink while we talk...?”
  • She loved wine, of course, but with the nerves that now dominated her body, a drink wasn't going to last her five minutes, and she needed to be sane enough to attend to everything this man had to tell her.
  • “I prefer... this black coffee, thank you....”
  • Saeed clamped his mouth shut to keep from laughing. “Perfect, then I'll order some more Turkish coffee....”
  • Lia was about to open her mouth to deny, that the taste was horrible, she didn't like it at all, but of course, she couldn't be rude to the man either. And she swallowed hard as she nodded toward the half and a slightly lukewarm cup of coffee next to her.
  • The cups were poured within minutes, but she visualized immediately that hers was tea, and the steam only proved to her that it must be very delicious.
  • She couldn't help a smile as she took it in her hands and let out a sigh as she watched the Sheikh.
  • “Thank you, I just didn't want to offend you...” Although Lia thought the man would smile back, his face transformed, giving a sober countenance, as she saw him approaching, as if his huge body was falling on top of her.
  • “Lia...” He pronounced very close, and very confidently towards her as if he was ready to launch a missile. Lia could only clench her cup of tea, even though it was hot. “That's why I was left alone with you... There are thousands of people in my country who can do your job and about ten thousand outside Kuwait who are very well qualified for this position. But that's not exactly what I need right now....”
  • She blinked several times, not a word in her throat to spew because now she couldn't even place the man's statements in order. He spoke so exquisitely that she was sure she hadn't taken her eyes off his mouth.
  • “I... sir, I am not understanding.”
  • That tired sigh the shoulder let out, she received it all over her face, as every pore of her skin swelled. Her hairs flared and a shiver ran down her back.
  • She couldn't help but stifle her eyes and lower her gaze.
  • “Please, Lia, stop it...!”
  • “Lia...” Again there was that voice with command, at this point she wasn't so sure of herself anymore. With much effort, she looked up and passed a drink. She had never seen eyes as black as those.
  • “Sir... I...”
  • “Listen to me, my country is going through a rather... uncomfortable moment. With this I don't want to scare you,” She relaxed her shoulders nodding, she was understanding a little of what the man wanted to do, he needed to prepare her for her arrival in Kuwait. “But my father, as you must already know because it is not a hidden fact, was murdered....”
  • Lia nodded slowly in sympathy. Despite his rigid mask, I could see that in his eyes there was bitterness and pain.
  • “Some corruption cases are coming from my father's management, I am dealing with strong pressure in my position as the head of my nation, and at this point, it is hard for me to trust the people around me.’
  • That sip that Lia went through at this very moment was very bitter. The man was asking for trust, and she had simply gotten off on the wrong foot.
  • The weight on her shoulders was getting in the way, and she didn't even know how much she could bear it.
  • “You need someone to trust,” Lia said as the Sheikh nodded.
  • “I need, I must and I want to trust you, Lia... Do you think it's possible?”
  • Lia's whole body ached and she had to take a hot gulp of her drink, to soothe her throat.
  • “Sir, I, maybe... listen, I want to be honest with you. I'm a little afraid, because, in a way, I don't know your environment. There will be some times when I'm wrong at work, I know my bosses told you I'm the best, but I'm a human being and... I'm not the best.....”
  • She saw the man raise his hand for silence as he denied it. “It won't matter if you will be wrong about the job. Right now, Lia, I need to know if I'll be able to turn my back and you won't stab me with a dagger.”
  • “What?” A whisper in the form of a question came out of her mouth in amazement.
  • “There will be people trying to corrupt you to betray me. Believe me, I'm not here talking to you to pass the time. This is a very serious matter,” Said the man, and now she was in a panic.
  • “That's why I'm here Lia, before you accept the flight, you can take it back. I have a lot of people around me, but very few people I can sit down with to relax my shoulders. My father's murder is unsolved and I have family members who are in danger if I make a wrong move. I don't want to take one more burden with me from Riyadh, but someone who will arrive there and people will think she will be my business advisor and public relations person, but, even if no one knows, she will be my right-hand woman as well....”
  • “This couldn't be true, why, because I was passing all this on to her.” Sheikh thought to himself.
  • Lia couldn't take her eyes off that intense gaze, in a way she felt great compassion. He was a Sheikh, the owner of a country, the authority that everyone in his nation had to abide by, and here he was desperately looking for someone to trust.
  • She felt a heavy tightness in her chest and couldn't help but remember her parents.
  • “Lia, trust is as important as your eyes. When there is doubt and uncertainty your judgment becomes clouded, and if the body loses sight, it will go only to beat itself up time after time.”
  • The lump in her throat wouldn't let her speak at once, and she forged a smile to suppress the feeling that overwhelmed her. She knew the feeling of having no one to turn to and feeling lost.
  • “My parents talked to me about it a lot, I understand how it feels, in a way... When they died my sister and I was with thorns in our skin, we didn't know what to do or where to go, because the people we walked with our eyes closed, were simply gone....”
  • “I'm very sorry...” The man consolidated with her and she denied it.
  • “It was a long time ago, it's just that I can't lose something of them despite the years, their teachings were very valuable for us, and forgive me for bringing this up at this time.”
  • The man denied it. “So, you are two sisters?”
  • Lia nodded, smiling. “My sister's name is Anne... she's a flight attendant, and... but...” what was she doing, she stopped suddenly when she saw where his talk was going and cleared her throat quickly. “I'm sorry... Where were we?”
  • Saeed smiled, returning to his coffee without taking his eyes off Lia.
  • “You can tell me anything you want to, too, if I have the time....”
  • “You must have a lot to do over there.”
  • “I do, yes,” Saeed was willing to go by his standards, but he let himself get carried away for the moment. “Do you know the desert?”
  • “I confess I've never been to one,” Lia approached him with a smile on her lips that was killing him. “I've seen it in videos, you know...”
  • She twisted her eyes, now she could see that he was completely natural in the way he acted and she couldn't help but remember last night when she was on that balcony detailing her dress clinging to her body. So, squeezing his eyes with his fingers, Saeed nodded.
  • “Well, we practically live on it. Within the desert biome that occupies the entire territory of Kuwait, we have two ecoregions: the Arabian and Sinai desert and xerophytic mountain in the far west, and the desert and semi-desert of the Persian Gulf throughout the rest of the country... we are desert everywhere you look. Of course, for the built-up parts, they don't look like it now, but many times we are invaded by sandstorms.”
  • “Nature takes its course...” Lia added with a pleasant face while Saeed nodded in return for her joy.
  • “So... You are also part of the Bedouin community, and you visit the sandy region?”
  • The Sheikh burst out laughing. “Sandy region, what a way to put it, and no Lia, I don't visit, sometimes I live right there with our community.”
  • “You?” She asked, totally shocked by the answer.
  • “Yes, in tents, the Bedouins themselves, it's like when you go to the countryside, but in my case, it's dessert. They are farmers and sheep herders. They have a very similar lifestyle to the country people and they dress differently to protect themselves from the heat and the sand. But they are our roots, and my father kept me there for a long time to the point where I came to love it with my soul.”
  • “It must be very beautiful to see the sunrise....”
  • “It is...”
  • They were both silent, and only Lia's cell phone vibrating constantly, brought them out of their trance.
  • “I'm sorry...” She was about to silence it when she saw on the screen that it was Mila and her eyes widened, “Sir...”
  • “Don't worry, go ahead. I'll be arranging for us to leave as soon as I get back.”
  • She nodded got up and immediately retreated as far away as she could. She quickly put on the headset and slid the screen for the video call.
  • “Mila...”
  • “Lia!” Mila's eyes were red, and she didn't have a drop of makeup on her face. Her heart beat fastened when she saw Mila in that condition. “Sorry if I didn't contact you earlier, I read your messages until now, mom was very agitated and I had to attend to her too....”
  • “And... Frank?”
  • “I haven't been allowed to see him; can you believe it?”
  • Her friend's voice broke and she couldn't help but be shocked. “They say he's delicate, but his condition can only be deciphered in a few more hours. I, I'm so afraid Lia....”
  • She wiped away a tear that spilled and spoke to her confidently.
  • “He'll be fine, he's going to be, now, you must be strong for Elizabeth, she must not visit him in that condition.”
  • Mila denied. “I know... Lia, you told me you moved up the appointment, how did it go? These two hours difference made me cross times....”
  • “Everything went well, don't worry, but I think Almer requires an immediate explanation from you.”
  • Mila nodded. “I'll call him right away.”
  • “Please do it before I get to the hotel, I must be up all night checking your work, because...” Lia turned and saw that the Sheikh was standing with all his men around and a man in a suit was shaking his hand, she had to hurry. “Your boss wants us to leave tomorrow....”
  • “What?”
  • “Mila... I have to hang up, I have to say goodbye to him and I think he is already leaving. Can I call you when I get to the hotel?”
  • “Of course, please don't forget, I have to add some things I missed to get everything ready... Lia...” This time they both looked each other in the eyes through the front camera.
  • “Yes?”
  • “Thank you, I know you'll do better than anyone else....”
  • She nodded, they both hung up the call and the moment Lia walked also visualizing where she could find Ahmed, the sudden turn of the Sheikh slowed her down again.
  • “Are you looking for someone?”
  • “Yes... my companion... he....”
  • “I sent him to the hotel, Lia.”
  • She was confused.
  • “Why it's...”
  • “I will take you to your hotel, from now on, you are completely my... responsibility...”