Oasis (15 page)

Her aunt sighed. “Look on page ten, midway down the page. Halima Lehmkuhl was on that flight.”

Charisma stiffened and then quickly went to page ten and found the young woman’s name. “It could be a coincidence. There could be someone else with the same name.”

“That’s true. But your uncle called the king to confirm. It was definitely her. In fact, it seems that Robert arranged for her to be there.”

“Meaning?”

“The two of them were having an affair right under your nose.”

For a second she was angry, and then she realized that she had no right to feel that way since she had been having sex with Shakir. Still she hadn’t tried to hide the fact from Robert that Shakir was interested. Then the heifer Halima had cheek enough to tell her to stay away from Shakir while she was sneaking out with Robert. Talk about one sneaky bitch. All parties involved were wrong. She should have broken up with Robert before starting something with Shakir. Now she felt bad and there was nothing she could do about it. “I wonder if Shakir knew about them.”

“It’s possible, but men don’t tattle on each other.”

“But if he did know, why didn’t he say something once he found out that Robert proposed to me?”

“It sounds like to me that Prince Shakir did not want to get involved, not that he was trying to hide anything from you. You’re making mountains out of mole hills.”

“Stop covering for him,” Charisma snapped. “You don’t even like him.”

“I’m not covering for him and I never said I didn’t like him. Shakir is a very nice and honorable young man. The reason why I kept trying to get you to see the good in Robert was because you were already dating him and should not have been messing around with Shakir at the same time.”

“I understand what you’re trying to say but I thought Shakir would be honest with me about this since he’s honest about everything else.”

“So now you’re mad at him?”

“To quote Prince Shakir, oh yeah!”

Chapter Ten

“She’s back,” Shakir said aloud after he got off the phone with his mother. The two of them were discussing the finalization of his birthday party which was scheduled to occur in two days. The invitations were out and the Ambassador and his wife had sent their RSVP for the black tie affair. It didn’t mention whether Charisma would be attending or not. It had been two weeks and not a word from her. He hoped she had gotten over whatever it was she was trying to do and was ready to get on with their relationship.

Shakir pushed back in and chair and stood up. He still had a lot to do before traveling back to the palace for his party. A replacement for Halima had been found and her father would be out for a while as he recovered from his period of mourning. Shakir had grieved in his own way for his ex-lover and was now trying to get his own life back in order. He walked out of his office and headed to the lobby where he found the employees busy putting up decorations to welcome guests who were in town for a large convention. They waved and spoke to him as he passed and he obliged by nodding and acknowledging them. There was nothing much he had to do at the hotel because he had very good people set in place to make sure things ran smoothly. His paperwork was done and the bills were paid. Now he was on his way to town to make sure the flowers for the party and to pick up some cereal for his brother. He sighed. He wondered if other princes around the world were assigned to pick up Fruit Loops. He stopped at the registration desk on his way out. “I am leaving for the day,” he told the young man. “My cell phone is on should anyone need me. I have some shopping to do and then I will be on my way back to the palace.”

“Yes, Prince Shakir,” the young man said. He picked up the telephone and called for the limousine. “Your car is on the way.”

“Thank you,” Shakir replied and then he strolled out of the door to wait.

* * * *

“My, my, my,” Remmao said as the Ambassador and his family entered the palace.

Shakir looked away from his guests he was speaking with just long enough to see Charisma enter in a sexy red dress. He turned his head and went back to his conversation.

“That boy is as stubborn as a mule,” he father said.

“Naturally he takes after you,” his mother replied. She rose and his father followed her over to greet the ambassador and his wife.

A horde of young men hurried over to Charisma and asked her to dance. Charisma accepted a dance with one of his cousins, Amon’s younger brother Shaka. The young prince was all of eighteen, tall for his age and already a favorite of the palace ladies. He had to remember to have a long talk with Shaka about pushing up on other men’s women.

“You can not kill him,” Amon as he joined Shakir on the throne platform. “My mother seems to like him.”

“Your baby brother is stepping way out of line.”

Amon laughed. “Only you would see it that way. Shaka asked a beautiful, big butt woman to dance and she accepted.”

“But not just any big butt woman. She is mine.”

“You’ve gotten awfully possessive all of a sudden.”

“What would you do if he was dancing with Layla?”

“Nothing. Shaka and Layla have been friends for years. He’s like a little brother to her.”

“What if a complete stranger asked her?” Shakir pointed. Layla was dancing up a storm with a man he did not know.

“Oh no, she isn’t,” Amon said. He made an attempt to go interrupt them but Shakir stopped him. “It’s only a dance, remember?”

“But Layla is mine.”

“Now look who’s acting all possessive. Layla is her own woman and she belongs to no one but herself.”

Amon sulked. “You are right.”

“Of course I am.”

“Arrogance does not become you, Prince Shakir.”

Shakir laughed. “I think it does.”

The music ended and another man claimed Charisma. An hour later she was still having the time of your life. “She’s just trying to make me jealous,” he said to Amon who had just returned from dancing with Layla.

“Sure she is,” Amon teased. “And it’s working.”

“It is not.”

“Man, love and jealousy is written all over your face. Why don’t you go over and ask her to dance.”

Shakir shook his head. “I will not go begging at her feet. It is my birthday and she should come to me.”

Amon laughed. “She’s as stubborn as you are.”

“I am not stubborn.”

“Oh, look another man approaches.”

Shakir looked, rolled his eyes and slunk back into his seat, fit to be tied.

* * * *

Charisma walked out into the garden, fanning herself. She did not ever remember being so popular before on the dance floor. The young men barely gave her time to catch her breath. She was tired and her feet hurt. She eased her shoes off her feet as she sat down on the bench.

“You’re certainly popular this evening.”

Charisma looked around and Shakir stepped out of the shadows. “Yes, I was just sitting here thinking the same thing. Happy Birthday, your majesty.”

“Thank you. May I sit down next to you?”

Charisma moved over. “It’s your bench.”

“Technically it belongs to my parents.” He sat down next to her. “How have you been?”

“Busy,” she replied.

“Yes, with graduation.”

Charisma nodded. “Thanks for the present.”

“You’re welcome.”

He was being a little too nice and very unlike himself. “I’m sorry about Halima. Her family must be devastated.”

“Yes, they are. She was their eldest daughter. Her father is quite upset.”

“I’m sure he is.” She paused. “Did you know that she and Robert were having an affair?”

“I don’t think it can be called an affair if both parties are single but, yes, I had heard.”

“Before or after the plane crash?”

“Before.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“It wasn’t my place or my business.”

Charisma frowned
. He did know
. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me something as important as that. I thought we were always truthful with each other.”

“I have never lied to you. I just found out about them and didn’t have a chance to say anything about it because the plane crashed and you left here. You left me and went to him.”

“But he died. I owed him that much. Don’t tell me you are jealous of a dead man.”

“No, I’m not jealous. I just think you owed me more than just a message on a voice mail.”

“I thought it best to do it that way because I might talk myself out of leaving.”

Shakir rose. “Maybe you should have. I think it’s time for you to make up your mind. Either you want me or you’re going to give up on life and continue to mourn your dead boyfriend.”

“That’s not fair,” she screamed at him.

“I think I’ve been more than fair. I have told you how I feel about you. The ball is in your court now.” He walked away.

* * * *

Charisma had been hiding out in her room at the palace all morning, hoping not to run into Shakir after last night’s argument. Luckily they were scheduled to leave in a couple of days so she wouldn’t have to face him again.

“You can’t continue to hide from him,” Layla told her as she busied herself getting Charisma’s clothes ready.

“Oh, yes I can. This is a big palace.”

“I’m sure he’s not still angry at you. Shakir is a very forgiving person.”

“I just can’t face him. You should have heard the things he said to me.”

Layla cleared her throat. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news but everyone in the ballroom near the garden door heard the two of you arguing.”

Charisma blushed with embarrassment. “No.”

Layla nodded. “It was pretty intense. I’ve never heard Shakir so angry.”

“Oh my god, I’ll never be able to face his parents again.”

Layla laughed. “Don’t worry about them. I have it from a good source that they’re rooting for you.”

“The things we said. I don’t think I can fix this.”

Layla sat down. “Listen, it’s none of my business but Mr. Edwards is dead. You have to go on with your life.”

“Robert had nothing to do with this. I am not, nor have never been, in love with him. I went back home to graduate from college and to attend a memorial service for him. I did a lot of thinking while I was away…looking back at what Robert and I had and then I realized that we didn’t have much. We were never sexually active and all I was to him was a convenient date.”

“So you had to go all the way back home to find that out?”

“No, deep in my heart I already knew this, but I did owe it to his memory to say goodbye. I don’t think Shakir understands this. He thinks I’m mourning over Robert.”

“The man did propose to you.”

“And I didn’t accept. If I really wanted to marry Robert I would have told him so as soon as he proposed. He gave me too weeks, and I planned to use it to find a way to turn him down gently.”