***
It was Sunday afternoon and Blake was sitting in her living room watching TV when she started thinking about Bassem. She wondered how he was coping. She didn’t have any siblings but she knew that she wouldn’t be able to cope if something happened to CJ. She jumped up to her feet and grabbed her car keys. She scrambled out of the front door and left her apartment complex and headed over to Bassem’s home.
One of the maids escorted Blake to Bassem’s office when she arrived at his home. Blake took a deep breath and knocked on his door.
“Yes,” Bassem replied. Blake turned the silver doorknob and pushed the door open. Bassem looked up from his desk and looked at Blake as she walked in. “What are you doing here?” he asked her.
“I came to check up on you,” she replied as she approached his desk.
“I’m fine.” Bassem sighed. Blake raised her eyebrows. She didn’t believe him, but she didn’t expect him to open up about his feelings so easily. Blake pulled out the chair from the desk and sat down opposite him.
“Have you received any more phone calls?” she asked. Bassem shook his head. Silence stretched between them. Blake wasn’t sure what to say to him. She was sure that he was feeling worried and frustrated, and there was nothing she could say to him to make him feel better.
“I just hope he’s okay,” Bassem said at last.
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Blake replied. “If they harm him, then they lose leverage.”
“Hmm.” Bassem ran his hand through his hair. A knock sounded on the door and a maid walked into the room.
“Lunch is ready,” she told the sheikh.
“I’m not hungry,” Bassem retorted. Blake noticed the concerned look on the maid’s face.
“Have you eaten anything today?” Blake asked Bassem.
“No.”
“You should eat something, even if it’s very small.”
“I don’t have an appetite.”
“Not eating will not help your brother,” Blake said gently. Bassem raised his eyebrows. “You need to eat and have strength. Let’s stay positive.”
Bassem sighed and then rose to his feet. He slowly headed for the door. Blake rose to her feet and followed Bassem. He headed down the hall and then through the living room into the dining room. He pulled a chair out from the table and took a seat. Blake sat down opposite him.
“Are you hungry?” he asked her.
“No, I’m fine,” she replied.
“If I have to eat, then you have to as well.” He turned his attention to one of the maids. “Bring another plate,” he ordered her.
“Yes sheikh,” she replied and scurried out of the room.
“I thought you said you were busy on Sundays,” Bassem said to Blake.
“I’m not busy on Sundays. It’s my lazy day.”
“Lazy day?”
“I sleep in until late, eat and just watch TV all day.”
“That explains how you are dressed today.”
Blake’s eyebrows shot up. “How am I dressed today?” she asked.
“You’re always so meticulous about your clothes, and I’ve also noticed how clean your office is,” he replied. Blake smiled. She was indeed careful about how she dressed at work. She always made sure to have a smart and neat appearance. Since it was Sunday, she was wearing a pair of grey leggings and an oversized grey T-shirt and white sneakers.
Blake laughed a little. “I like to be comfortable when I am at home,” she replied. The maid walked into the room with a plate, a glass and cutlery for Blake.
“My mother is not going to take the news of my brother’s abduction well,” said Bassem. He cut a small piece of meat and ate it.
“You haven’t told her?” Blake asked. Bassem shook his head. “How about your father?”
“I haven’t told him either,” Bassem replied. Blake sighed.
“It’s not easy but I guess you have to.”
Bassem took another bite of his meat and then just put his fork down and pushed his plate away. He picked up his glass and took a sip.
“You haven’t eaten much,” said Blake.
“I really don’t have an appetite,” he replied.
A tall man dressed in black walked into the room. He approached the sheikh and bowed to him. His hair was styled in a crew cut. He had a three-day-old beard that barely covered the deep scar on his cheek.
“Did you find anything?” Bassem asked him.
“The van was stolen from a plumbing company,” the man replied. His husky voice gave Blake chills. She put her fork down and looked at Bassem.
“So?”
“We looked at the CCTV recording of when the van was stolen. We are looking for the man that stole the van.”
“I need an answer later today otherwise heads will roll,” Bassem said to him.
“Yes, your highness.” The man bowed his head before he walked out of the room. Blake watched him leave and then turned her head to face Bassem.
“Who is he?” she asked him.
“He’s my head of security, Badir,” Bassem replied.
“Oh.” That explained the thick Arabic accent.
“You could go home,” Bassem said to Blake. She shook her head.
“I don’t mind sticking around. Your brother is a friend of mine. I’m worried about him too,” she replied. Bassem raised an eyebrow at her as he rose from his seat. He held his hand out to Blake and helped her up to her feet.
“Friends?” Bassem questioned as they headed to the living room.
“We got to know each other well when he was impersonating you.”
“I see.”
“He also brought lunch to my office and we talked.”
“My brother is no good with women, stay away.”
Blake smiled. “We are just friends,” she said. Bassem slid in his hands in his pockets and just shrugged his shoulders.
They walked into the living room and sat down at the sofas. They talked as they waited for a phone call from the abductors or news from Bassem’s men.