“Yasin…”

Yasin gritted his teeth, tightening his square jaw. The five o’clock shadow on his face further accentuated his masculine features. He had the type of face that stopped women in their tracks. Perhaps it was that his big heart and kind personality shined through when he spoke, which was always with such eloquence. But on this particular night, Yasin was deep in contemplation and didn’t care to spend much time on conversation.

He stared at the glass of champagne across the table and watched the bubbles float to the top. Music blared from the speakers across the ballroom. The dance floor just beyond his table was filled to the brim with his loved ones; both friends and family alike were dancing together at the joyous event: his birthday. Unfortunately, they were much more joyous than he was.

“Yasin…”

Yasin wasn’t paying attention to any of it. He was officially 32 years old, meaning it was now time to begin the next phase of his life. At least, that was what his father would have him do. There were family traditions that Yasin would rather ignore, especially in this day and age, but…

“Yasin!”

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see the smiling face of his younger brother, Rashad. The young man patted him on the shoulder and pulled up a seat next to him.

“Rashad,” Yasin said. “What’s up?”

“What’s up with you, more like. It’s your birthday. You could be a little more enthusiastic.” He took a sip of his drink. “Are you still worried about what Father was talking about?”

“You’re not worried because you don’t have to deal with this antiquated ultimatum like I have to.”

“So you have to get married and produce an heir.” Rashad shrugged. “What’s the big deal? You wanted to get married—eventually—anyway, right?”

“I don’t want to be forced to get married. No one wants that.”

“But the whole ‘finding your bride’ thing is the fun part, isn’t it?” Rashad said with a smile. He motioned to the dance floor. “Look at this, brother. There are beautiful women out there. So many beautiful women, and all of them would make beautiful wives and mothers. Stop being so cynical. This could be a great opportunity.”

“Great opportunity?” Yasin repeated. “You’re only saying that because it’s not you.”

Rashad shrugged and picked his glass up from the table. “Eh, maybe,” he said with a coy grin. “But you might as well make the best of it, right?”

“I don’t know. This isn’t how I pictured it. Don’t get me wrong; I’m really quite excited about having a child. Raising an heir is important to me. I want to be able to provide for my family and make my child feel loved. I just…”

Yasin’s voice trailed off as he looked into his brother’s eyes, trying to read the expression on his face.

“…I just want to do so without a wife. I don’t need or want a wife right now.” He looked around. “But if a woman is to have my child, I must marry her. It’s the law of the land after all,” he said with a scoff. A sigh escaped his lips. “I just wish it didn’t have to be that way.”

Rashad rolled his eyes.

“Good luck finding a woman who will let you take the baby she carried for nine months. No Rebayan woman will let you raise your—her—child alone.”

He shook his head, then set his glass down again and placed his hands on his brother’s shoulders.

“But that is enough with the sadness. Yasin, it’s your birthday! You should be celebrating. Come! Come!” He grabbed Yasin’s arm and pulled him up out of his seat. “Get out there, man. There’s so much potential out on the dance floor.”

Rashad dragged his older brother out into the crowd. “Dance with her,” he said, motioning to a woman standing in front of him.

She turned around and smiled sweetly at Yasin. “Happy birthday,” she said warmly.

“What?” Yasin leaned in toward her, bringing his ear so close to her lips that he could feel her breath against his skin.

“I said, happy birthday,” she repeated. Her voice was light and feminine, just like it had been when he’d known her in grade school.

“Thank you,” he replied, his smile genuine.

She had always been a fixture in his life, albeit not a prominent one. He enjoyed the company of women, but no one ever kept his attention for too long, and she was no different.

As he danced with his childhood friend, Yasin’s mind drifted to think about his father’s ultimatum and how he could concoct a scheme to get out of it.

Yasin was the CEO of his family’s multi-billion-dollar oil company. While he prided himself in his honesty and sincerity in business, he knew exactly when he needed to push the envelope. He knew that sometimes he needed to look at the big picture, and that the best decisions aren’t always the easiest ones.

As the song changed, a tap on his shoulder brought him back to reality. It came from Saira, a young secretary he recognized from his office. He nodded at his dance partner who smiled and motioned toward the other young woman. Yasin gave Saira his full attention.

“I know that we shouldn’t talk about work right now,” she began.

“Is it important?” he asked. “We can step out for a moment, if you need.” He reached for her hand so he could lead her off the dance floor, but she held steady.

“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. I just wanted to let you know that I got a message from Leela in human resources. She wanted to get your final approval before the two new job ads run in the paper tomorrow morning. Apparently, they’re going to print in the next couple of hours.”

Yasin nodded. “Yes, that’s perfect. Thank you for letting me know.” His nostrils flared slightly. “I’m not looking forward to the interviews, mind you. Applicants always turn away when they realize just how much of themselves they are expected to bring to the job. Especially the…international applicants.” He furrowed his brows as his mind began to connect the dots. “Hmm…”

“Is there something else I can do for you?” Saira asked.

He smiled. “No, no. You’ve done so much for me already; you have no idea. Thank you. Enjoy the party,” he said with a grin.

“Thank you, sir.”

Rashad nudged Yasin’s side with his elbow, then.

“Hey,” he said. “I see your wheels turning. What are you thinking about?”

Yasin smirked. “I’ll be right back,” he said. “I need to make some phone calls.”

* * *

Arranging the flight was easy enough, as was placing the ad on a reputable job site. The most difficult part of his plan was lying to his family about why he suddenly needed to go to the States.

“I need to check up on the Dallas offices,” he said to his father, Maalik, as they wrapped up their Monday morning meeting.

He stacked his papers together and placed them in a folder for his briefcase. His gaze moved from the papers to the large glass walls of the meeting room. A woman walked by and glanced up at him. She was slim and had breathtakingly beautiful eyes which smiled at him as she passed.

“I was thinking about flying over for a surprise visit,” Yasin continued after she was out of his line of sight. “That way, I can see how things are really run without them anticipating a visit from the boss.”

His father, a portly man in his sixties, cocked an eyebrow at him. They were both dressed in suits—Yasin in a tailored black one with a slim maroon tie, Maalik in a gray suit, no tie.

“Is something wrong? Are they not making their quota?” He rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Do we need to do some restructuring?”

“Well, that’s what I’m going to go find out,” Yasin said. “Just leave it to me.”

Maalik nodded. “I know I can count on you, my son,” he said warmly. “You’re so much more responsible than your brother.” He picked up his notes from the table and tucked the pen behind his ear. “So, have you met a woman yet? I didn’t see you with a date at your birthday party.”

“I have a few prospects,” Yasin lied. He concentrated on his briefcase, closing the locks securely and dusting off the leather exterior. “I’m still trying to find the right woman. There are many suitable and beautiful women here, after all, and this marriage will be for the rest of my life. I don’t want to take the decision lightly.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father look up at him. He could feel his eyes burring holes into his head.

“Yes, of course,” Maalik said simply before he began walking toward the door. “I hope that your trip is productive and that we get Dallas under control.”

Maalik was a smart man, and Yasin wondered if he had caught on to what he had planned.

It doesn’t matter, he thought to himself. What does matter is that I get back from the U.S. before my father makes any hasty decisions in my absence.

* * *

The next day, Yasin was on his private jet, headed to Texas. His plan was in motion, and he was excited to land and meet with the applicants. He smiled to himself as he opened his laptop. His email inbox was already overflowing with messages in reply to the ad he had posted. He thought back to the wording of his offer as he read through the responses once more.

Seeking brave woman to be discreet about a business transaction. Good pay. See the world. Long-term opportunity.

He needed a woman to carry his child but give up all involvement in raising him or her. He would pay for her to get the best medical treatment throughout the pregnancy, and marriage would have to be part of the deal—in order to avoid scandal—but it would all be a cover. She was free to go about her life, independent of him. It was just for show.

What he was really looking for was a surrogate, and he knew that the independent American women that applied for his job would be strong and brave enough to handle a proposition like that.

Despite the long journey, as soon as he landed in Dallas, Yasin was invigorated. Now was the time to start searching for his wife.