Each place at the table had been set with a glass of iced tea, a small serving of pita bread with hummus for dipping, and a sample of dolma. The Sheikh’s and Alacabak’s places had also been set with black coffee. Everything was perfect, just as planned.
After the wait staff seated each member of the party, Zaid stood to give a toast with the glass of iced tea at his seat. “Again, we thank you for your interest in investing in the future of Sharjah. The Waterfront Palace staff has prepared two dishes for you, one with shrimp and the other with chicken in case anyone wishes to have something other than shrimp, though I couldn’t imagine why.”
He was pleased that the group laughed with him.
“To progress.” He raised his glass, as the attendees echoed his gesture and took sips from their respective glass.
Zaid sat back down at his seat in the middle of the table. Alacabak to his right, the waterfront and the view of the financial district at their backs. Across from him sat a beautiful woman with dark hair who had introduced herself as the head of the tour party, Candace. Since her arrival, he had noticed her obvious attempts to get close to him and if Rebecca had not suddenly shown back up in his life, he might have been tempted. Part of him wished that Rebecca was paying more attention but she had intentionally placed herself as far from him as possible, which displeased him.
“The Waterfront Palace is one of the few restaurants in Sharjah allowed to serve alcohol,” he explained to the party. “As you understand, our liquor laws differ significantly from yours at home. We do ask that you refrain from consuming alcohol in public, except where appropriate.”
He hoped his explanation didn’t discourage anyone from enjoying the fine selection of wine provided by the Waterfront.
“While I do hope you’ll enjoy a selection from the wine menu, there are also non-alcoholic beverages available. Once they have your drink orders, they will ask which selection you would prefer for your main course.” And with a nod from the Sheikh, the wait staff descended upon the table to get everyone’s orders.
He heard a few of the delegates order wine, and he watched their faces change when confronted with the main course options.
“Ro-be-yann nashif is jumbo prawns, fried and served over rice and vegetables. It is a local favorite. Ruz bukhari is chicken and spiced rice with a tomato sauce. It is also a local favorite, especially among tourists. If it helps, this region is known for its prawns,” Zaid explained to his guests. His sister-in-law, Melanie, had helped him choose the menu for the lunch, going with dishes that had simple flavors that eased foreigners into the food culture of the United Arab Emirates.
After the orders were placed and wine came out, Candace took a sip of her wine and leveled her enticing gray eyes on Zaid. Her dark waves rushed down around her face like water shimmering in the moonlight. “What is that across the water from us?” she asked him. Her voice dripped with suggestion, as if she wanted to talk about anything other than the sights and sounds of Sharjah.
“That is the financial district,” he told her in a proud tone. “As you can see from the towering modern skyscrapers, a lot of money passes through Sharjah.”
“You must be very proud of the success of the Emirate,” she told him, as other guests turned to look at the skyline across the water.
“I am. We are,” he corrected himself. “Our people have been able to climb out of poverty through our business and banking connections throughout the rest of the world. Just a couple of decades ago, this place looked like one of the poor market towns you see in so many American movies. It has since grown to be one of the cultural and financial hubs of the UAE.”
Her eyes sparkled as she hung on every word he said. “You’re going to personally see to it that we visit these places where you have focused your energies, correct?”
“Absolutely,” Zaid smirked. “I’ll make it a personal priority to ensure you get the best treatment on this tour.”
As the food was delivered, and Candace became distracted by the succulent shrimp placed in front of her, Zaid’s eyes drifted to where Rebecca was seated. He certainly appreciated Candace’s flirtatious attention, but he was much more interested in the beautiful redhead seated at the end of the table.
Rebecca was laughing over a glass of iced tea with another delegate who was enjoying his glass of wine. The way she smiled at him, the way she laughed and cocked her head with those attentive eyes; those were supposed to be his. He was shocked by the jealousy that suddenly welled up inside him. It threatened to turn to anger as he watched their exchange, unable to hear what was so funny or interesting over the conversations around him.