The Sheik's Love Child (4 page)

Out on the street, she let the tears fall. What had she done? Didn’t she love him? Why was she doing this to him?

“Dani!” Mark called after her but she just started walking. “Dani, wait,” she heard him say and finally stopped.

He caught up to her and stood in front of her. “If you want me to kiss you, then fine,” he said and bent down to kiss her cheek. “There, is that okay?”

Dani wiped the tears from her eyes and shook her head. “No, I need you to really kiss me.”

Mark bent down and kissed her lips, his moving only slightly over hers. He lifted his head and smiled down at her. “Is that better?”

The tears started faster and Dani had to shake her head. “I’m sorry Mark,” she wiped the tears from her face before continuing. It was worse, so much worse, she thought. She’d felt nothing! Not even a spark. Just the simple touch of his lips and no melting, no nothing. She couldn’t go through with a marriage to him now. “I’m so sorry,” she said and rushed away from him, ignoring his calls as she raced down the street.

She rushed all the way back to her flat, gratefully closing the door behind her and locking it, as if she could lock out everything she’d done over the past forty eight hours.

Lying face down on her bed, she almost didn’t hear the knock over her sobbing but the determined knock finally broke through. She lifted herself off the bed and wiped her face with a tissue. She debated opening the door, assuming it was Mark. But she thought he deserved more than a “sorry” on the street as an explanation for ending their one year relationship.

A messenger was standing at her door, a large envelope in his hands and a small box. “Ms. Danielle Munroe?” he asked.

“Yes,” she sniffed.

“If you’ll sign here,” he said, handing her a clipboard and pen. Dani took the board and signed her name, then handed it back to him. “What’s this?” she asked.

“A delivery,” he replied and handed her the two items. “Have a good day,” he said and tipped his hat before turning to leave.

Dani closed the door and examined the package. It was a simple plain envelope and shaking the box didn’t reveal anything to her. Shrugging her shoulders, she opened the box first. The plain brown wrapping paper revealed a long, slim jeweler’s box. With shaking fingers, Dani opened the box and gasped.

Nestled in the black velvet interior was the most beautiful diamond bracelet she’d ever seen in her life. She couldn’t even imagine the total carrot weight of it but was stunned at the size of the diamonds.

Setting the bracelet down, not liking the assumptions she was making, she picked up the envelope. With shaking fingers, she pulled out the papers. There was no mark on them but they were a legal document giving her several thousand euros. Apparently, all she had to do was sign the document and send them back for a check to be endorsed and sent to her. The only words she really understood were at the bottom where the name Kalil Jamal del Basir were written.

A payoff!

How dare he!

Dani let the papers fall to the floor as if they were poisoned. The bracelet was more of the payoff, she thought. How dare he! Payment for services rendered! Dani was horrified that he thought of her in that light, but what was he supposed to think? She’d slept with a man only hours after having met him.

She picked up the papers and carried them over to the counter, grabbing a pair of scissors. Within moments, the papers were tiny bits of confetti, no longer even recognizable as a contract. She sifted them all into the beautiful wooden box that still held the diamond bracelet, then snapped it all shut and stuffed the box into the large envelope.

Rushing out of her flat, she reached the street just as the messenger was turning off a cell phone and about to reenter his car.

“Excuse me,” she called out before he could close his door. “Could you deliver this back to him?” she said and shoved the envelope back into his hands, turning away before he could even utter a protest.

Dani fled back to her flat, bolting the door behind her and stared at the door, holding her breath in anticipation of the messenger trying to knock on the door. When there was only silence, she fell onto the sofa and the shivers set in.

She was doubly horrified by her actions now and wishing she’d never answered her phone. If she’d only spent a few more minutes in the grocery store instead of hurrying home Friday night, she’d never be in this position. She’d still be planning her wedding, still almost be engaged to Mark and she’d still have her innocence and not know what she was missing in life.

Chapter 4

Somehow, Dani got through the next few weeks. She taught her classes and slowly started living again. The kids brought her dandelions and apples, colorful pictures of their house, family or pets. She reminded herself that this is what was really important.

Several times the first week, she had messages from Mark. But she didn’t want to have anything to do with him, or any man for that matter. She was done with men! They were either selfish, self-centered men who didn’t really want her, or they were arrogant swines who thought they could buy everything on the planet. Neither appealed to her. So she dove into her work, resigning from the restaurant now that she didn’t have to save for a wedding she didn’t want and cleaned her apartment every day until it shined.

It took a great deal of perseverance but she finally made it through the week. And each time she started thinking about Kalil and the way he made her feel, she pushed those thoughts out of her mind. It was pointless and humiliating. She would not be any man’s ….she couldn’t even finish the thought, too embarrassed that he thought he could pay her off with a silly trinket and money.

“Dani, I need your help!” Carrie said, coming into Dani’s classroom at the end of the day on Friday.

“Whew!” Dani said, closing her locker and leaning against it. “I’m so glad this year is over, aren’t you?”

Carrie smiled. “Yes, but I’m going to miss those little guys,” she said, a nostalgic smile on her face for a moment.

Dani nodded as well. “I’m with you there.” The summer had started and the class had cleared out quickly as all the kids were eager to get to the pool or their homes, to languish for the next nine weeks in relative freedom from homework and grades.

“Well, we’ll see most of them next year,” Dani said, snapping out of her melancholy.

“Right. Well, anyway, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about,” Carrie said, her excitement of moments before returning. “I need your help with something,” she said, clasping her hands together.

“Sure, what is it?” Dani said, picking up her bag containing all her personal items.

“I need you to come with me to the doctor’s office tomorrow,” she said.

Dani turned startled eyes to her friend. “Carrie? Do you think….?”

Carrie nodded. “I think, but I’m too afraid to hope. And I don’t want Tim to know. We’ve had so many false hopes over the past year, I just can’t let him think it might be happening again this month. Would you go with me for the pregnancy test?”

“Absolutely,” Dani said, more than willing to help her friend out. “How late are you?”

Carrie blushed, “I’m only three days late but….well, I just have this feeling that this is the time,” she explained.

Dani forced a smile on her face. “You know I’ll be there. What time?”

“I have an appointment tomorrow morning at nine. Can I pick you up?”

“Absolutely. What are you going to tell Tim?”

“I’ll just tell him I’m meeting you for breakfast. If the test is positive, I’ll rush home to him. If it is negative, we’ll go out and eat a plate of pancakes and you can make me feel better, okay?”

“Deal!” Dani agreed quickly. “I’ll see you early tomorrow morning,” she said.

Carrie hugged her briefly, then rushed out the door. “Thank you,” she called out behind her.

Dani had a pang of jealousy but brushed it aside. She genuinely hoped that her friend would have a positive test but it had been over a year since they had started trying. If this month didn’t come up positive, they were going to start with the expensive fertility treatments. Carrie and Tim didn’t have the money to burn much less get pregnant but she knew they’d do just about anything to have a baby, even if it meant adopting.

Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny with temperatures reaching record highs. Dani smiled encouragingly when Carrie arrived in their small car and waited in the waiting room with her, holding her hand as they ran the test. It took just a few minutes and both women could tell by the look on the nurse’s face that the news was good.

“You’re pregnant!”

With those words, the floodgates opened up. Carrie started sobbing, deliriously happy and hugging Dani, the nurse and even one of the other patients who was in the waiting room with them.

The two women rushed out of the doctor’s office and hugged again on the street. “Oh, I can’t wait to tell Tim! Come on, I’ll drop you off then rush home.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Dani said, hugging her and wiping the tears off her face. “I’ll get home through the tube,” she said and pushed her towards her car.

“Oh, Dani are you sure?”

“Absolutely. You should be sharing this news with Tim and not me. Now go!” she said.

Carrie hugged Dani one more time but didn’t argue anymore. She just turned on her heel and rushed off to her car, eager to tell her husband the wonderful news.

Dani watched, feeling completely bereft now that her friend was gone. She saw the bench and walked over to it, letting the tears flow completely unhindered. She was happy for her friend but also sad that her dreams of marrying Mark, having her own baby and living in a small cottage, just her own family together were gone.

Being Mark’s wife was no longer her fantasy and when the tall, dark and devastating Kalil popped into her head, she stopped it. Those dreams were just a nightmare, she reminded herself.

Her shoulders sagged and she allowed herself to expunge her self-pity for one more moment. Then, taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and stood up, walking to the subway station that was only three blocks away.

She had things to do, one of which was to buy a baby shower present for Carrie and Tim. She knew they would be inundated with gifts, but she wanted to be the first. She shopped all day, feeling the small articles of clothing, reading baby books and even walking through the furniture stores, wondering what sorts of crib and changing tables Carrie would choose.

Chapter 5

Dani turned off the sewing machine, clipping the last thread of the blanket she’d made for Carrie. After shopping all day yesterday, she’d finally come to the idea of making a blanket of various soft materials for the new baby. It would be full of textures and colors, sparking the baby’s mind and imagination.

The doorbell startled her and she rose from her desk, turned sewing table, holding the baby blanket in her hands as she considered the next piece of fabric she would sew to it.

“Yes?” she said, opening the door with a smile on her face. The smile slowly disappeared as she stared at the man at her door. She pulled the baby blanket closer as if it could somehow ward off whatever insult was being delivered this time.

The uniformed man standing on her stoop bowed slightly, handing her a note.

Dani hesitated before accepting the note, remembering seven days ago when a similarly dressed man bowed immediately towards her. This one was bigger, bulkier and didn’t look as nice as the one before. “Good evening, ma’am,” he said with a slight accent. He said nothing more, just extended his hand slightly to encourage her to accept the note.

With shaking fingers, Dani took the note and opened the envelope. The words were brief, written in a bold scrawl. It ordered her to follow the messenger so Kalil could discuss an issue with her. No signature, just a large “K” at the bottom.

Kalil.

How dare he! But of course, he dares. Any man who would sleep with a woman, then callously send money and trinkets to ease his conscience would dare anything.

“Tell him no!,” she said and was about to close the door. “On second thought, I’ll meet with him,” she said and grabbed her purse. “He deserves to receive a piece of my mind! Where do I find him?” she asked, trying to maintain a polite tone of voice since this was simply the messenger, but she was hard pressed to do so considering that this person was working for the vile man.

“I am instructed to take you to him,” he said.

“No, just give me his address and I’ll find it on my own steam,” she relied.

“Address?” the man asked carefully. He smiled slightly, softening his harsh features. “I don’t think you understand, ma’am. I’m to take you to him,” he explained carefully.

“And I don’t think you understand,” she said. “I’m not ready to go. That arrogant man can simply wait for me,” she said and wondered about the horrified look on his face at her words.

“I will wait for you,” he said after a pregnant pause.

She looked at the man and shook her head. “Perhaps if you gave me a phone number, I could call him and explain the situation.”

“Call him?”

“Yes, on the mobile perhaps?” she suggested diplomatically but she really wanted to scream her head off in frustration.