“Father, you need to stop being so controlling and outdated with everything. What harm will Kim bring?” Karim shouted. He never shouted at his father but at the moment, he was so angry, he could not control himself.
“She is not Arabic! Those westerners have no culture. You cannot bring me a foreigner as a daughter-in-law,” Saeed said, pacing across the bedroom.
“All I said is that I love her.” There were those words again. He said them without even thinking. “There is no ring, so relax father.”
“Love? What do you know about love boy?”
“Probably more than you will ever know. You do not know how to love anyone, not even your children.”
The sheik shook his head. “Being with her has already changed you. When have you ever spoken to me like that?” he demanded. “That spoilt American brat!”
Karim could not believe the things his father was saying about her. She was one of the most humble people that he knew. He picked up his shirt and walked out of the room leaving his father standing there by himself.
“Don’t you dare walk away when I am still talking to you!” Saeed shouted after him but Karim ignored him.
Chapter Sixteen
Saeed summoned Kim to his home office the following day. She assumed that he wanted to chat about Amare’s progress. After all, Amare had informed her about how much his father was invested in his studies. She went with nothing but praises on her mind. Amare was a hard working young man and his father needed to hear how well he was doing.
One of Saeed’s maids ushered Kim into his office. Walking in, she found him scribbling away at some papers. Waiting for him to lift his head, she was unsure if she should sit down, so she remained standing as he continued with what he was doing.
Looking around, she found his office much like Karim’s but it felt darker, colder and more oppressive. Growing impatient, she coughed, but he continued to shuffle his papers. Finally, she spoke up.
“Good afternoon, sheik,” she said to him.
“Please have a seat, Miss Atkins,” he said waving to the chair nearest her. Kim nodded and sat down opposite the sheik as he finished with his notes. She counted to ten in her head and then counted to ten four more times before he finally put his pen down and looked up at her.
“You wanted to see me?”
“I did indeed.” Saeed studied her for a moment. He had so much displeasure on his face that Kim wondered what he was thinking about. “So, you are sleeping with my son,” he said at last. Kim’s eyes flew open. She had not been expecting that at all.
“Excuse me?” Kim had only slept with Karim once, and even if she was, that was not Saeed’s business. Why was he asking her that and how had he found out?
“I know all about it and I must say that I am disappointed.”
Kim knew that she was not the woman for Karim but she did not expect his father to get involved. Besides, they had only slept together once even if she did relive it over and over each night before bed.
“I do not understand, sir,” she said, even though she did. She just did not know what to say to him.
“You are smart a girl. I am sure you understand my words,” Saeed said, his lips tight. “I need you to distance yourself from my son.”
Kim’s jaw hung open. “I don’t understand... why? I mean him no harm.” Saeed dismissed her with his hand.
“Listen, Miss Atkins, Karim is my eldest son and he will marry a full Arabic woman and bear me grandchildren appropriate to my station.”
“While I can understand your desire for grandchildren, it is Karim’s choice who he wants to be with.”
Saeed looked at her as if she was mad. “I do not care what you think; I will not have you poison my son against me.”
Poison Karim against his father? This was simply ridiculous. Kim almost laughed because that was how stupid the sheik was sounding. “I would never turn your son against you.”
“If you truly care for him, then you will leave him at once.”
She did care for him. More than she had yet to admit to herself. What had started as a little crush, had soon developed into much more than that. She had tried her best not to fall for him but she failed miserably.
“Sheik Sharqi, I cannot see what I have done to offend you,” Kim said calmly.
The sheik sighed. “I see, you won’t leave easily.” Saeed opened the drawer of his desk and pulled out a chequebook. He picked up his pen, clicked it and started writing out a cheque. He tore it out and passed it to Kim. She frowned as she picked it up. He had written her a cheque for fifty thousand dollars. She gasped.
“Why are you giving me money?” she asked. She really hoped he wasn’t buying her off. It was insulting.