Chapter Four
The elevator opened onto the floor with the Chairman’s Suite and Arran waved his hand for Gabrielle to exit. Alahan followed as he escorted her down the hallway to the suite he had reserved for her in advance.
He unlocked the door and handed her the keycard. “After you,” he said.
Gabrielle walked into the beautiful suite with its designer touches and felt completely out of her element. “You know, I could stay at the little apartment I rent in town,” she hurriedly said but Arran shook his head.
“No, your hours will be irregular and sometimes long. It would be far more convenient for you to be close at hand,” he pointed out and Gabrielle nodded, although not without reservations.
“Well, we can try it for the time being,” she allowed.
“I think you will find everything you need in the bedroom closet. I’ll leave you for now to get settled in, but tomorrow morning I’d like you in my sitting room at nine so we can begin reviewing your duties and planning an agenda.” He bowed from the waist and left, Alahan striding behind him.
“Oh, Sheik!” she called after him.
He stopped and turned toward her. “Yes?”
“What do I call you?”
“As I said earlier, you may call me Arran,” he said, looking as though he thought they’d covered all that.
“Just thought I’d double-check. Maybe an employee should call you by your more formal title?”
“Arran will be perfectly fine. Goodnight, Gabrielle,” he said and disappeared into his own suite.
* * *
Gabrielle was up early and in the shower. When she opened the closet, her jaw dropped. There weren’t just a few dresses in there; there was an entire wardrobe. She pulled out a sequined strapless evening gown with a matching cape. She held it up to herself and looked in the mirror. It was her size! She tugged out shoes and sure enough, they were all in her size as well. How did he know I’d accept? A tall chest with drawers held what must have been hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry. There were matching handbags and shoes coordinated for each outfit. Another dresser held lingerie. Gabrielle had never seen, much less had the use of, quality clothing like this. She hadn’t even dared to go into the shops where it was sold.
She selected a conservative pantsuit in navy blue with a crimson blouse. Its collar was embroidered with tiny, colorful flowers and it set off her coloring beautifully. She tapped on Arran’s door promptly at nine.
A butler opened the door to admit her and showed her into Arran’s sitting room. If anything, it was even more elaborate than her own quarters and she took it all in as he was pouring himself a thick, Turkish coffee. He had offered her some, but she shook her head.
“I don’t eat breakfast,” she said quickly and realized it was more due to a lack of budget than anything else.
“Very well. Let’s begin, shall we?” he smiled in a charming manner and took a seat opposite her on a brocade sofa. “Before you is a case. Open it, if you will?”
Gabrielle opened the red leather case on the coffee table. It contained several things.
“These are yours to keep,” Arran said, sipping his drink.
Gabrielle began to protest but he quickly waved her silent. “You must have the proper tools to do your job,” he said.
She found a new Apple laptop and iPhone. There was also an envelope that contained a check for $10,000.
“Your first paycheck,” he said briefly as though it was of no consequence. “You also have a line of credit at almost any store in town. Just walk in, select what you need and they will bill me.” He pointed at a slender wallet and she opened it to find several credit cards. “For incidentals,” he commented. “In the pocket, you’ll find a set of car keys to a red Ferrari that you’ll find parked downstairs. It’s yours as well.”
“I can’t accept all this,” she began.
“Gabrielle, we both understand your sense of integrity. These are yours as part of the job, nothing more. There will be no repayment. Let’s consider these a signing bonus, if you will.”
Gabrielle’s suspicious nature was triggered. She sat back on the sofa and contemplated all that lay before her and down the hallway in the closet. “I didn’t thank you for the unbelievable wardrobe. It’s all, too, too much, Arran.”
He set down his cup and looked at her. “It’s nothing compared to what I’d be willing to give.”
Gabrielle didn’t know how to take that, so she chose not to say any more on that topic. She reminded herself that could always give these things back. Right now, however, she needed to look after her own safety and Arran certainly presented the least hazardous of the two opportunities. Carl was hanging around downstairs, to be certain.
“Now then, let us discuss the gentleman who upset you last night in the bar. What is he to you?”
Gabrielle could have kicked herself. She should have known this was coming. “No one.”
“I think, dear Gabrielle, you do not give me credit. It would take an idiot to not have seen your reaction to him. If he affects you, it affects me. I insist you tell me who he is.”
Gabrielle shut the case and looked out the window over the landscape of hotels and neon lights. Without looking at him directly, she pulled at her hair and said, “He was my foster parent.”
“I see. Not a very good one, I’m guessing?”
“No, not a very good one. A very bad one, as a matter of fact.”
“His name?”
Gabrielle looked at him. This could be a dangerous situation. This man is very powerful. “His name is Carl Smithers. I don’t know how he found me, but I suspected he’d show up one day.”
“And this Carl Smithers,” he said the name with disgust on his lips, “would it be fair to assume he treated you in a manner that was inappropriate?”
Gabrielle nodded, her eyes filling with tears at the memory.
Arran stood and came over to sit next to her. He put his arm around her shoulders. “Listen to me. I am not without connections and shall we say, some level of immunity in this country. Say the word and he will disappear forever.” His voice was low, serious, and possessive. Gabrielle picked up on this.
She shook her head. “No, leave him be. I just don’t want to run into him again, especially if I’m alone.”
Arran patted her shoulder and withdrew his arm in a true, gentlemanly fashion. “I anticipated as much.” He snapped his fingers and the door opened. Alahan entered, followed by a woman roughly Gabrielle’s age. “This,” he motioned to the woman to step forward, “is Serra. She is a member of my personal security team and now is assigned to be your companion. She’s highly trained and is always armed. She will look out for you at all times.”
Gabrielle shook her head, “No, no, this is ridiculous. I don’t need a bodyguard. No offense, Serra.”
“Ahhh, but indeed you do, Gabrielle. You will, as my assistant, from time to time be entrusted with large amounts of cash and other confidential papers. I cannot put you in harm’s way and that’s why Serra will accompany you.”
“Why do I need a bodyguard? Why do you need a bodyguard?” she asked bluntly.
“I do not have eyes in the back of my head and neither do you. This is quite common among… among people in business.” He seemed perfectly accepting of this.
“Not the people in businesses I know.”
“Please, Gabrielle, accept my word for this.”
She nodded. He was her employer. How could she argue? “Well, then, Serra, how do you do?” she offered up, trying to strike up some sort of friendship. Serra was cool, but politely nodded. Arran flicked a finger and both bodyguards quietly slipped from the room. It occurred to Gabrielle that this was a man who was accustomed to having people wait on him. It was a completely foreign feeling for her and she wasn’t sure whether she liked it or not.
“Now then,” he began again, “I want you to get to know me well. You must learn my point of view and where my goals lie. You will be called upon at one time or another to make decisions on my behalf. For this reason, you must understand what I would say if I were there.”
Gabrielle nodded. This made sense.
“First, it would please me if you would begin to eat breakfast, even if it is only juice and coffee. We will have breakfast meetings and you will want to blend in and not be conspicuous. Later this morning we will take a drive and look at a few properties that have been proposed by a local realtor. I want you to offer your true opinion when I ask you—never hesitate to be honest with me. Your integrity is one of the qualities I admire most about you. I also value your opinion and intend to use your American perspective as a precious commodity. Please always feel free to ask me questions, however personal. Again, I wish you to be completely aware of who I am. Do you have any questions so far?”
“Yes. All this…” she waved to the room and everything that was in it. “Is this yours? Or do you represent someone else? I guess what I mean to ask is, do you have the final say-so or do I have a boss above you?”
“I’m the top, Gabrielle. I’m a ruler and my word is the final decision. There is no one else you must answer to.”
“Okay, second question. Did you hire me legitimately because you needed an assistant, or is this some sort of elaborate prelude to making a pass at me?”
Arran burst out laughing at this. “That’s one of the things I love most about American women. They truly speak their minds without fear. I will answer you with the same honesty, Gabrielle. I saw you downstairs and was instantly drawn to you. I find you immensely attractive, not just in face and figure, but in the way you handle yourself. It also happens that I do need someone to assist me, and since your needs aligned with my needs, why should I question that?”
Gabrielle pursed her lips. “Well, at least that was honest,” she admitted.
Arran held out his hand. “Shall we make a pact, then? Always honesty between us?”
Gabrielle hesitated. She had no idea how deeply he might delve into her past. “Agreed.”
* * *
The Rolls was waiting beneath the portico for them when they stepped outside. Gabrielle could never get used to the blast of heat that hit her when she left the hotel’s cool interior. It was enough to drive you back inside, and that’s exactly what the hotel wanted. Vegas was a city of subliminal manipulation and the odds were always in the favor of the house.
Alahan sat in front with the driver while Gabrielle and Arran took their place in the luxurious leather back seat. They met up with the realtor but she was not invited to ride with them, much to her dismay. They followed closely behind and Alahan was forever vigilant, scanning the traffic on either side of them until they’d left the city limits and they were surrounded by desert.
The agent’s car turned down a private drive banked by palm trees and green space. When the house came into view, Gabrielle drew in her breath. The home was ultramodern with a deeply overhanging roof. The exterior seemed to be made of some sort of concrete mixture, textured for appearance but functionally very cool in the desert heat. Tinted floor to ceiling windows punctuated the walls.
The agent approached the Rolls and Alahan stepped out, looked around, and then opened the door for Arran and Gabrielle. The heat was staggering but Gabrielle noticed that Arran didn’t seem the least bit affected. He feels at home in this stuff, she observed.
Serra had not accompanied them on this trip since Alahan was there and it wasn’t expected that Arran and Gabrielle would separate during their outing. Gabrielle looked the house over critically, her silver sunglasses blending with her hair. Arran looked at her from the corner of his eye. She looks like a platinum goddess, he thought to himself.
Inside, the house was even more fabulous, if that was possible. High, coffered ceilings with fans kept the cool air moving and the windows were treated so that no heat passed inside. The more Spartan façade led to a lush, green canopy in the back yard with gardens filled with tropical flowers, a two-story waterfall that filled an Olympic-sized pool, and patio groupings that circled around an outdoor kitchen. There were ten bedrooms with en-suite baths, a study, two living areas, and a kitchen that rivaled that of any restaurant in Europe. The kitchen boasted a walk-in refrigerator and a mammoth gas stove with eight burners. A formal dining area annexed a breakfast room and there was an attached, but separated quarters for the employees. In the basement of the house was a home theatre, and a gymnasium including a basketball court and a shooting range. The color scheme was pastel and light, giving the occupant the illusion that he or she was floating on an ocean of sand.
The agent was rattling off features. The house was to be sold complete with furnishings but Arran waved his hand at that.
“We will have our own furnishings,” he said bluntly and Gabrielle looked at the oil paintings on the wall with regretful longing.
As a child who was moved around, she always longed to be surrounded by beautiful things that belonged to her and the idea that these works of art would go to waste seemed like her dream had just sailed by.
The agent, believing she had a live buyer, began to press Arran for his opinion.
“We shall reflect upon it. What else have you to show us?”
This put the agent off her mark a bit.
“Perhaps you could tell me what you don’t like as much about this house?”
“I’m looking for more house and more privacy,” he said succinctly.
She nodded and then her eyes brightened. “Let me make a quick call,” she told him and went into the next room.
“And what are your feelings on this place, Gabrielle?” he put her on the spot.
“I think it’s a lot of bedrooms if you intend to have considerable company, but I took you for more of a loner, so maybe they’re a waste of space?”
“Exactly. See, my Gabrielle? You already understand me so well.”
“Sheikh! I’ve got just the place,” came the agent’s voice as she approached. “Please, if you will follow me?”
As they exited the house, Gabrielle began to snap photos using her phone, most especially of the artwork. The sheikh’s raised eyebrows caused her to say, “Just for reference later on,” and he nodded, accepting her explanation. He couldn’t help but notice that she focused on the art, however, and this told him considerably more about the type of things she coveted.
They approached the next listing on the home tour and, unlike the first, it could be described as more of a compound. Its grounds and entrance were fenced with tall wire gates and they could not enter the grounds until the agent had checked in with a guard who was on duty. He activated the gates to open and the two vehicles proceeded inside.
At that point, the world of Las Vegas disappeared behind them as acre upon acre of green grass, trees, bushes, flowers, and water features opened before them. Peacocks strolled the grounds and swans whiled away their time in ponds that dotted the grounds. Small fountains showered the ponds and there was an impression of Eden as trees bearing fruit stood sentry in rows. The property felt more like an Italian villa and indeed, once the house came into view, that impression was underscored.
The house was more of a series of small villas, tied together by a central courtyard. In the center of the courtyard lay a magnificent pool shaped to mimic the courtyard boundaries. Ancillary fountains burst and were central to small conversational groupings of furniture and flowers. Here, there was also an outdoor kitchen and a bath house, but perhaps the nicest feature was the aquarium wall that met with the pool. Swimmers could paddle around on one side while watching sea life do the same on the opposite, saltwater side. Seats and a bar were mounted into the pool’s floor to accommodate guests who wanted to anchor themselves somewhat and relax while observing the life inside.
Each of the conversation areas contained a cabana roof with flat screen televisions and surround sound systems. Upholstered lounges and sofas were custom designed like puzzle pieces to fit together at will. It was essentially an area where one could virtually live without ever going indoors.
This was only a prelude, however, to the interior of the house. This one was far more to Gabrielle’s taste. It could have been considered rustic Italian with a French influence in the colors and patterns. It was inviting and comfortably furnished with windows placed to take advantage of the green space that had been developed on the outside. Each individual suite offered just about the same accommodations. The concept was that occupants could sleep in their bedroom, but join the household in the central rooms and outdoors for the remainder of their day. Privacy with still a sense of inclusion was how it felt to Gabrielle. This house had all the amenities of the first, but was far larger, yet cozier and welcoming—even with its increased security.
Arran was watching her face and he could tell she liked this one. “Gabrielle, if you would wait in the car for me?” he nodded toward the door. She was surprised. She thought it was perfect for him, but did as she was asked.
Alahan stayed inside so she sat in the back seat with only the driver in the Rolls. Arran came out promptly and slid into the seat next to her.
As they pulled away, she looked over her shoulder. It had been such a pleasant break to visit a little paradise oasis in the middle of the desert.
“What did you think, Gabrielle?” he asked politely.
“Well, to tell you the truth, I’m a little surprised. I thought it was perfect for you.”
“Good. We move in tomorrow.”
“What? You mean you want it?”
“The transaction is complete. I shall have someone come up this evening with luggage and pack your wardrobe. Please give them the address of your apartment that they might pack up your things there as well. I will settle the remainder of your lease personally.”
He was looking straight ahead as he said this. Gabrielle was thrilled. In her enthusiasm, she cried out, “I can’t believe it!” and spontaneously hugged him. She pulled back quickly, realizing she stepped over the employer / employee line. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just happy was all,” she apologized.
“You are happy, I am happy,” he summed it up and patted her hand on the seat.
“Wait a minute,” she said, realizing what he was saying. “I’m want to make sure I understand what’s going on here. You and I will be living together?”
“Yes, and Alahan and Serra, and most likely a half dozen other servants. You will have your own villa there, my little straight-laced Gabrielle. Your proprieties will be respected, rest assured.” He was grinning and his white teeth stood out starkly against his black moustache and full lips. Gabrielle had the incredible desire to kiss those lips, but knew that much affection was entirely out of the question.