Chapter 10

Bassem walked into his living room and found Blake standing there studying the room. She was dressed in a thin-strapped grey dress that hugged her curves, and sandals. Bassem had things to discuss with her, so he had asked Amina to call Blake over to his home.

“Do you like what you see?” he asked Blake. She turned to face him.

“I think this room is a bit too narrow. I would rather it was a bit wider, but I do like the arched doorway,” she replied. Bassem smiled.

“Spoken like a true architect.”

“I can’t help but analyze buildings wherever I go.”

“Good, I need someone that is really invested in their job.” He gestured for Blake to sit.

“Thank you,” she said as she sat down on the sofa. A maid walked into the room with a glass of cold orange juice for Blake.

“Shall I get you anything?” she asked the sheikh.

“No,” he replied. The maid bowed her head and quickly left the room. The sheikh turned his attention to Blake. “Do you mind me asking to see you during the weekend?” he asked her.

“I was a bit surprised. I’d have assumed that you would be chilling and relaxing on weekends.”

“I usually work during weekends.”

“Oh.”

“During the duration of this project, I need you to be fully accessible to me,” he said.

“I see,” Blake replied. “I am okay with that, as long as it is within reason.”

“Please elaborate.”

“I usually take my work home as well. However, if you call for me after 8 p.m. or on a Sunday, I won’t be available.”

Bassem was surprised at how assertive she was. Whenever he demanded something, no matter how unreasonable it was, people always gave into him. He was pleasantly surprised to see Blake setting boundaries.

“Very well,” he replied. “Did I disrupt your plans today?”

“No, you didn’t,” Blake replied.

“You’re dressed up.”

“Not really.” Blake smiled. “My friend and I were just at the park enjoying the sun with some ice cream.”

“It sounds like you had plans.”

“I work with her and we live in the same neighborhood. We didn’t have special plans.”

“I see.” The sheikh cleared his throat. “I called you over to talk about the house because I’m leaving town tomorrow. So, I will not be available for a week or so.”

“That is fine.” Blake fished her tablet out of her bag. She swiped the screen and then passed the tablet to him. “Since I am here now, I might as well show you the budget list.”

Bassem took the tablet and read through the list. “You’ve already found contractors?” he asked her.

“I contacted a company that I’ve worked with on previous projects. I prefer to do business with people I know and can trust. Is that okay with you?”

“It’s fine with me, as long they do their jobs correctly.”

“We can start building next week.”

Before Bassem could reply, a loud laugh sounded from the hallway. He already knew who it was. It was Basil. He walked into the room.

“What are you doing to my maids?” Bassem asked Basil.

“What? I didn’t do anything,” he replied.

“I heard that flirtatious laugh.”

Basil shrugged his shoulders and looked at Blake. “Blake is here,” he said as he approached her. He lowered his torso and kissed her on both cheeks.

“How are you?” she asked him.

“I’m fine.” He planted himself on the sofa next to her. “Is my brother making you work on a Saturday?”

“Why are you here?” Bassem asked Basil.

“I came to spend time with my older brother.” He grinned at Bassem.

“You’re the younger twin?” Blake asked Basil.

“By four minutes and eighteen seconds.”

Blake laughed in response. “I see,” she said. Bassem crossed his eyebrows. Blake and Basil seemed to be close. It didn’t surprise him. His brother was always popular with women. However, Bassem found himself not wanting his brother to get close to Blake. He didn’t understand why it bothered him, but he just didn’t want his brother developing a romantic interest in her.

“We were actually discussing business before you walked in,” Bassem said to his brother.

“Okay, you may continue. Don’t mind me.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. Bassem shook his head. His brother was always relaxed and never doing anything productive with his time.

“Call me if there is anything that needs to be paid for while I’m not around,” Bassem said to Blake.

“Call you directly?” Basil asked.

“Yes,” Bassem answered his brother. He fished his phone out of his pocket and put it on the table. “Key your number in,” he said to her.

“Yes sir.” Blake took his phone and keyed her number into it. She called her phone and saved Bassem’s number. Basil was sitting next to her and watching her the entire time. He looked rather amused.

“My brother never gives out his personal cell phone number to anyone that’s not family or that he’s not sleeping with,” said Basil. Bassem rolled his eyes. Blake slowly raised her head and looked at Bassem.

“Really? Why not?” she asked him.

“He’s antisocial.”

“I am not antisocial,” Bassem retorted. Blake smiled and put his phone on the table for him. Basil laughed as he rose to his feet. 

“I have to go,” he said. “There is someone I must meet.”

“It was good to see you again,” Blake said to him.

“Likewise.” He rubbed her shoulder before he left the room.

Bassem sighed after his brother had left. Basil had interrupted their conversation. He couldn’t even remember what else there was to discuss with Blake because he had lost his train of thought.

“You and Basil seem close,” Blake said with a smile.

“We have no choice since we are brothers,” he replied.

“I have no siblings.”

“You don’t?”

“No.” Blake shook her head. “I just have CJ, my friend. I’ve known her for about fifteen years and so she’s become a sister to me.”

“I see.” Bassem wasn’t sure what else to say to her. He wasn’t a very sociable person as his brother always pointed out. When someone opened up to him and started talking about their life, Bassem never knew what to say. He simply wasn’t interested.

“You’ve met her before actually,” said Blake.

“Have I?”

“Yes, Cora. She was assigned to your project before me,” she replied. Bassem stared at Blake blankly. He had no idea who she was talking about. “Big curly brown hair, very talkative.”

“Oh, her.” 

“Yes.”

Bassem raised his eyebrows. “You have different personalities,” he said.

“Yes.” Blake laughed. “I guess that is why we complement each other.”

Suddenly one of the security guards walked into the living room. He bowed his head to the sheikh before he spoke.

“Excuse me, sheikh, there is something I must tell you,” he said to the sheikh. Bassem frowned.

“Do you have to tell me now?” he asked. He was in the middle of a conversation with Blake.

“Yes, I do. This concerns your brother.”

“What about my brother?”

“He has been abducted.”

“What? You are not making sense.”

“I was monitoring the camera when a black van pulled up outside the gate, blocking your brother’s path. A few men came out of the van and pulled the sheikh out of his car.”

“Oh my God,” Blake gasped. Bassem sprang up to his feet.

“Then what happened?” he asked.

“He was forced into the van. He tried to fight them off but he was outnumbered,” the security guard replied. Bassem ran his hands through his hair, then put his hands on his hips. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Where were the security guards when all of this was happening?” he asked.

“They were both shot,” he replied. Blake placed her hands on her mouth and looked at Bassem.