Marrying The Sheikh Read online

NINETEEN

  The early arrival of Jessica threw the plans for the baby shower into high gear. Not only did Ella need to move it up a week, she also needed to re-do everything in a baby girl theme. As soon as she got home from the hospital, Ella dove into the details of reorganizing the shower.

  The next couple of weeks were a flurry of activity. When Ella wasn’t meeting with prospective clients or with Corinne, she was tending to the details of the baby shower or spending time with Hannah and Jessica. She left the house early every morning and didn’t return until late in the evening. The days flew by and Ella had all but forgotten about Karim until one morning when she got a frantic call from Nadia, just as she was heading to a prospective client’s home.

  “Ella,” Nadia’s slurring voice panted through the phone. “Ella, you have to come here immediately!”

  Ella didn’t recognize the voice at first. “Who is this?” she asked, trying to place the demanding tone with one of her many past clients.

  “It’s Nadia! Who else would it be?!”

  Ella felt the heat rise in her face. “Nadia?” What on earth could she want? And why was she so upset?

  “Yes, you must come here right away!” Nadia commanded again.

  “Whoa, Nadia, slow down. Where are you and what’s wrong?” Ella tried to remain calm and controlled as she pushed back the emotions that were rising up in her.

  She could hear Nadia’s sigh through the phone. “I’m at the Plaza! There’s an emergency! I need you now!”

  Ella racked her brain. The Plaza? Suddenly she remembered the date. It was Karim's wedding day. And here Nadia was, calling Ella. What could have happened? What type of emergency could there be? Ella quickly let her imagination get the best of her. Perhaps Karim had called off the wedding!

  “What is it? What kind of emergency?” Ella asked, trying carefully to sound neutral.

  “I’ll tell you when you get here. Just come quickly!” Nadia screamed into the phone and hung up.

  Ella looked down at the phone in her hand, unsure what to do. She had promised herself she wouldn’t get involved in weddings anymore, especially loveless ones. But she had also told Karim and Nadia that they could call her if they needed help with the wedding planner she had referred them to. And now, here it was, the day of the wedding…

  Ella let her mind conjure up images of a furious Nadia and an absent Karim as she hailed a cab and rode to the Plaza. She ran through the front doors, waving to the concierge as she made her way back to the Grand Ballroom. She peered through the open doors and saw that a huge crowd of guests had already arrived and they were milling about enjoying the open bar and appetizers. Ella moved past the ballroom and made her way to another set of doors that led to the bridal preparation suite.

  She opened the door and was immediately surrounded by young Middle Eastern women in bridesmaids’ gowns. She wove her way through them until she got to the back room. There she saw Nadia, already in her wedding dress, her hair pulled tightly back and adorned with a tiara encrusted with at least a million dollars' worth of diamonds. Ella blinked at Nadia as she took in how beautiful she looked.

  “Wow,” she said, as she stood there taking in the sight. “You look—“

  Nadia opened her mouth and all her beauty faded. “I know how I look!” She spat the words at Ella. “But these flowers,” Nadia pointed to the bouquets lined up on the counter.

  “These are anything but beautiful! I asked for peach. Remember? I ordered peach to complement the bridesmaids' dresses!” Nadia glared at Ella.

  Ella held her hands up in defense. “Hold on, Nadia. I got you peach, but I'm not the person who confirmed these flowers. I only confirmed the table arrangements. Your new wedding planner—“

  Nadia cut her off again. “New wedding planner?! You mean Sophia? The incompetent disaster that you pawned off on us?! She's useless!”

  Ella sighed as the bridesmaids quieted down and began circling around to hear what all the commotion was all about.

  “These are salmon, Ella! They are not peach! I need peach flowers! Get me peach flowers!” Nadia yelled like a spoiled child.

  Ella looked at the flowers, checked her watch and then looked at Nadia. She had so many other things to do today, but she felt obligated to make this right. She was responsible for finding them the other wedding planner; she was responsible for making sure her jobs were completed professionally. And as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she was responsible for bailing on them in the first place. Ella didn’t like Nadia and she certainly didn’t like her tone, but she had dealt with worse in her time as a wedding planner.

  She let out a long breath and promised herself this would be it. She would see this to the end and then never have to deal with brides like Nadia again.

  “Fine,” she said as she walked over and picked up the flowers.

  Nadia smiled smugly and turned to face the women waiting with make-up brushes. “Now finish,” she said, snapping her fingers at the women. They ran over and began applying make-up as Ella grabbed the bouquets and walked to another dressing area in the suite.

  She called the housekeeping department and asked them to bring a few items up for her. A few minutes later, she had lotion, talcum powder and hand towels. She poured a small amount of lotion into her hands and rubbed them together, then ran her fingers over each petal of the flowers, getting them slightly moist. Next, she held each bouquet out over the counter and sprinkled the tiniest trace of talcum powder over the sticky petals, watching as the flowers turned from salmon to a light orange. She took the bouquet and held it upside down, tapping it gently to release the loose powder so that none of it would get on the girls’ dresses.

  She repeated this process with each bouquet and when she was done, she stood back and surveyed her work. It was an old trick Ella had learned early on, but it worked every time. She grabbed up the bouquets and walked back into the bridal suite.

  “Oh, they’re perfect,” Nadia said, smiling down at the peach bouquets. “Now, go check on the girls.”

  Apparently, Nadia was under the assumption that Ella was back in the picture. Ella just shook her head and left the bridezilla to her handlers. She walked out of the suite and located the woman she had sentenced to being Nadia’s new wedding planner. She found her in the corner by the guest book, her eyes rimmed with red.

  “Don’t worry, Sophia,” Ella said as she rubbed her back. “She’s always like this. It’s not your fault.”

  Ella smiled. “I took care of the flowers. Now all you’ve got to do is get through the reception and you’ll never have to see her face again.”

  Sophia thanked Ella and went back to the bridal suite. Ella turned to leave and almost fell over when she bumped into the gray tuxedo.

  “Oh,” she said, catching herself on the table. “I’m sorr…” her voice trailed off when she realized she was looking into the handsome face of Karim.

  “Ella?” Karim said, clearly surprised to see her.

  “Hi, um,” Ella looked around nervously.

  Karim opened his mouth as if to say something but Ella interrupted him before he could speak.

  “Good luck,” was all she could get out before she ran down the hall and disappeared around the corner.

  Karim moved to go after her, but a guest grabbed him by the sleeve and began peppering him with questions. Karim looked down the hall and then turned to talk to the guest, wishing he could get away.

  Ella pressed her back against the wall, cursing herself for being such an idiot. Why had she come back? Why had she let Nadia boss her around again? Why had she tortured herself by coming to the Plaza on the day of their wedding? She felt her heart beat heavy in her chest.

  She waited from her concealed spot until she heard the din of the conversation die down. Then she peeked her head around the corner to see the hallway had cleared. Ella moved cautiously past the bridal preparation suite and toward the back entrance to the ballroom. She saw the soft blue hue of the lighting spill out onto the
deep red and gold carpet in the hall.

  Ella felt as though she were in a fog. She moved slowly, as if in a dream, walking toward the door, saying a silent prayer that Karim would be out of sight. As much as she wanted to scream from the rooftops that she had feelings for Karim; that the wedding was a sham and shouldn't happen, she knew that would be the worst thing she could do. Not only could it ruin any chances she may have with him in the future, it would also make her the laughing stock of the society pages. And without the support of New York’s elite, Ella could kiss goodbye to her budding baby shower business.

  She leaned into the room and looked around. The tables were glittering with gold, crystal and silver. The white place settings were topped with miniature boxes wrapped in royal blue paper. With the money these two had, Ella could only imagine what they had decided to give as gifts to their three hundred guests.

  She shifted her gaze toward the front, where a stage had been set up to unite the bride and groom. Four large, overstuffed velvet chairs were perched on the ends of the stage, and ornate tapestries had been draped over the backs. Another set of larger, more ornate chairs were placed in the center.

  Ella remembered back to the initial planning stages and recalled that in Al-Ibran, couples were married with their parents on either side of them. Once they were given away by their parents, they exchanged family tapestries, which displayed the family lineage and crest. In this case, Nadia’s parents would move from the right of the stage and place their tapestry on Karim’s chair while Karim’s parents, who would be seated on the left behind Karim, would walk over and place their tapestry on Nadia’s. When that was done, the couple would sit down in their royal thrones and the guests would form a line and walk across the stage to congratulate the parents and newlyweds.

  She watched as the guests milled about, smiling and laughing. Ella spotted a few of Karim’s staffers and thought she saw a glimpse of Amira. She scoured the crowd for any sign of Karim, but she knew better. He was probably in the groom's suite making his last minute preparations.

  Ella stood there, watching the festivities and thinking about Karim. He was about to get married. Like, really, truly married. And even though it was to be a loveless marriage, it was a marriage all the same. Ella knew he had feelings for her, and she definitely had feelings for him. She liked him, she was intensely attracted to him. She might even…

  “Miss Ella?” Djaron’s kind voice startled Ella from her reverie.

  “Oh, Djaron! You surprised me!” Ella’s hand flew to her chest as her heart pounded.

  Djaron’s dark face broke out in a wide smile, exposing his brilliant white teeth. “I’m the one who is surprised! I didn’t expect to see you here today!”

  Ella rolled her eyes and gave him a little smile. “Yeah, I know. Well, Nadia had some problems with—“ She decided against finishing her sentence. She trusted Djaron, but still, she didn’t want to badmouth any clients, past or present.

  “I just wanted to come and wish them well,” Ella lied.

  “Oh,” Djaron said slowly as he looked out on the crowd. “So, it had nothing to do with the bridezilla in there?” He jabbed his thumb in the direction of the bridal suite.

  Ella laughed and looked at Djaron in shock. “Well, well, look who’s not so stuffy after all.”

  Djaron leaned in and whispered in Ella’s ear. “Miss Ella, I only have to be nice in front of Nadia. And if His Highness would just come to his senses before it’s too late, maybe I wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore.”

  Ella looked at Djaron with confusion on her face. She opened her mouth to say something when a traditional Al-Ibranian song began to play over the speakers.

  “Oh my,” said Djaron as he grabbed Ella lightly by the elbow. “The ceremony is about to begin. Please, have a seat,” he motioned to a table where other staff members were sitting in the back.

  “Oh, no,” Ella protested. “I can’t… it wouldn’t be right. No, thank you, Djaron, but I really have to go.”

  She turned to leave but the doors to the ballroom had already closed. When she turned back around, Djaron was gone too. He had found a seat at the table and Ella quickly realized she was now the only one left standing. She looked around frantically and noticed a narrow opening in a set of heavy drapes to the side of the doors. She quickly ducked in behind the drapes and waited for the ceremony to begin.

  The music continued as the guests hushed. A moment later, a deep voice came over the speaker.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests and honored diplomats, thank you for coming to celebrate the union of these two families.” There was applause from the assembled crowd. “Now, if you will please stand, the ceremony will begin.”

  A rustle moved across the room as the three hundred guests stood to their feet. She took the opportunity and dashed form behind the curtain to the door. When the processional music started, Ella cracked the door open and stepped outside into the hall, closing the door behind her.

  She listened as the music continued and she knew exactly what was happening. Right now, she thought, Karim and his parents and groomsmen would be entering on the right of the stage. They would perform a ceremonial passing of the rings, and then Karim would escort his parents to their chairs and return to his spot center stage.

  Ella continued to play out the scene in her mind as she walked slowly toward the lobby of the Plaza, fighting back the tears that threatened to burst through. She knew that once Karim was in position, Nadia’s parents would be escorted to the stage by their eldest son. He would help them to their seats and then go to Karim, pinning a family medallion on his lapel. Once that was done, a new song would begin and a spotlight would appear at the side of the room.

  The bridesmaids would appear in the royal dresses, carrying the modified peach bouquets, all of them looking for the perfect husband among the guests. Ella laughed ruefully at the thought; she knew this because that’s what she had done every time she'd been a bridesmaid.

  She took a deep breath and imagined the women walking into the blue room, looking like movie stars, with all eyes on them. And then, Nadia would make her grand entrance, escorted by her brother. He would be wearing his military uniform and would hold her arm in his as they walked slowly down the aisle.

  When they arrived at the stage, he would gently remove her arm from his, pull back her veil and kiss her on both cheeks. He would take her hand in his and walk her to her spot on the stage, just a few feet away from Karim. The brother would stay there until the officiator pronounces them united as one. And then, Ella thought as she neared the doors to the Plaza, then it would be done. The wedding would be complete. And Karim… Karim would be married.

  She stood in the grand lobby of the Plaza and took a deep breath in, letting the realization of what was happening sink in. Karim was getting married right now and there was nothing she could do about it. She had missed her opportunity. She would never be able to tell him how she felt, how much her heart raced when she was near him, how secure she felt in his arms, how much she loved him.

  “Ella!” Karim’s voice boomed over the crowd that was milling about the lobby.

  Ella spun around. Her tear filled eyes looked up to see Karim just feet away, running towards her. “Karim?!” she asked, astonished. She ran to meet him and he pulled her into his arms. After a moment, he let go and Ella looked up at him in disbelief. “Wha…?”

  “I called it off! I told them all that it was a sham. I told them how the whole thing was set up so that Nadia’s family could marry into royalty and so my family could strengthen their oil interests.” Karim’s face was wide with enthusiasm. He was so happy he couldn’t contain himself.

  Ella shook her head as the tears spilled over. “But, but…” She didn't know what to say.

  “We were going to cancel all along. I just couldn’t tell you.” Karim looked down at Ella, his eyes full of regret.

  “That’s what Nadia and I were fighting about back at the apartment all thos
e weeks ago. She agreed to call off the wedding if I didn’t tell anyone about her drinking and partying. I agreed, but she insisted that I wait until the day of the wedding to call it off.”

  Ella just looked at Karim. “Why? Why wait?”

  “If we canceled while we were engaged, it would be a small blip in the society pages. But if I waited until the wedding day and ditched her at the altar, that would be news. And there’s nothing that Nadia likes more than attention. She figured my canceling on the wedding day would create such a scandal that her name would stay in the news for months and years to come.”

  Ella heard the words but couldn’t believe them. Karim saw the confusion on her face. “I know,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense to me either, but that’s what she wanted. And in the end, I got what I wanted, too: out of the wedding.” Karim said slowly as he pulled Ella close. “All that matters is that I’m free. I’m free to be honest about how I feel about you. I don’t have to hide that anymore.”

  “Your feelings for me?” Ella said, her heart pounding even heavier than before.

  A booming voice came thundering across the lobby and Ella and Karim looked to see a sizable crowd of Nadia’s relatives heading straight toward them.

  Karim looked at Ella and grabbed her hand. “Quick, come with me!”

  He pulled her across the lobby and to an elevator. They heard the voices close in just as the elevator doors closed behind them. Karim reached in his vest pocket and pulled out a key.

  “What’s that?” asked Ella, her hand still clenched to his. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Had Karim really just called off the wedding? Was she really with him right now, running from the bride’s family? Did he just say he had feelings for her?

  “It’s the key to the roof,” Karim said, sticking the key into the panel on the wall of the elevator. The car rushed to the top of the building and the doors opened into a small glass vestibule. Karim pulled Ella out by the hand and the two rushed through the glass doors to the flat roof.

  “What are we doing here?” Ella asked, confused and thrilled at the same time.

  Karim smiled down at Ella and then pointed to the far side of the roof where a helicopter was waiting.

  Ella’s eyes grew wide. “Is that for us?”

  Karim smiled and brushed his hand across her cheek. “Yes,” he said as the helicopter engine roared into life and its blades began spinning. “I had Djaron bring it so that I could make my escape.”

  Ella blinked and thought back. Djaron? He must have known about the plan all along. And if Nadia knew about calling off the wedding, and about Karim’s feelings for Ella, perhaps the call about the flowers was all part of the plan.

  Karim watched as Ella connected the dots. “My escape with you,” he said as he took her hand in his and started to move toward the helicopter.

  Ella followed Karim as he reached the helicopter and hopped in, jumping in behind him. As Karim pulled the door shut she sat back in the leather seat and looked out at her beloved city. Moments later, the helicopter lifted up and began to rise above Manhattan.

  As the buildings got smaller and the chopper settled into a smooth ride, Ella turned her attention to Karim. “Where are we going?” she asked, feeling like a kid in an amusement park.

  He leaned in close to her and she could feel the breath on her neck as he spoke. “Back to where it all began.”

  She looked at him with questioning eyes, then smiled. “You mean Eleuthera?”

  Karim nodded and wrapped his arm around her. “If that’s okay with you?”

  Ella nodded as Karim continued. “I hear there’s a great little spot there to hold a wedding.”

  Ella blinked slowly at him, trying to absorb what she was hearing.

  “Well,” she said coyly as she smiled at his handsome face. “I just might know a good wedding planner.”

  Karim’s eyes sparkled as he smiled. Then, very slowly, he leaned in and placed his lips on Ella’s. As the chopper rose higher, Ella kissed him back, letting her love for him spill over as they flew off toward paradise and to the rest of their lives together.

  Holly Rayner

  Thank you for reading my work, I dedicate this story to each and every one of you. As promised, here are the first few chapters of my last book, The Sheikh’s Captive Woman.

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