SIX
The Hotel Arcadia was one of Chicago’s oldest landmarks. Built in the 1920s the building boasted neo-Greek architecture with touches of modern. The two marble columns that flanked the entrance of the five story building gave it a distinguished air. A royal blue carpet ran up the two steps and along the sidewalk in front of the hotel. Glass sliding doors had replaced the large wooden doors decades before, but the lobby had been maintained in nearly its original condition.
Lily arrived at 7:30 wearing her best pair of slacks, a silk blouse and a wool blazer. The weather was sunny but brisk, a perfect fall day in Chicago. She had her long brown hair pulled back tight and away from her high cheekbones. She walked into the lobby, rolling her suitcase behind her, hoping none of the bellhops would ask if she needed assistance. Once inside, she found a seat in the café just off the lobby and ordered a coffee.
The server smiled politely and Lily purposefully smiled back and thanked the young girl. She knew what it was like to deal with snooty customers, and at this hotel, the server probably had to deal with many.
She wrapped her chilled fingers around the cup and brought the steaming coffee to her lips. She blew on it and then sipped, letting the dark brew warm her insides as she closed her eyes and listened to the quiet morning chatter around her.
Lily checked her belongings again, making sure she had her phone, her wallet and her keys. She had forced herself to leave her laptop at home. She knew she was unemployed and really needed to find work, but she had promised Jill, and Dora, that she would enjoy this time away for what it was: a vacation. Once she had resigned herself to that fact, she had actually started feeling excited.
When Lily was packing, she had reached deep in her closet and dug out some sexy clothing she hadn’t worn in a long time. She pulled out a silk nightgown, a skimpy bathing suit and a few other simple pieces that revealed just enough without being too risqué. She had no idea what would happen with Khaled, but she knew there was something between them and she was getting excited about finding out just what that something was.
The server came by and asked Lily if she would be having breakfast.
“No, thank you. I’m waiting for a ride.”
“Okay. Can I give the front desk your name so if when your ride shows up they will know where to find you?”
“Sure,” Lily said, smiling. Then she remembered the name she had told Khaled. “Miss Lily Bailey, Lillian Bailey,” she corrected herself, trying to sound more formal.
The server smiled politely and then disappeared, leaving Lily to her coffee and her thoughts. She wondered what it would be like spending time with Khaled. In her role as Junior Curator, she had met with several people of royal lineage, but it was always very professional and for business only. This was different. This was definitely not business.
“Miss Bailey?” the server’s polite voice returned. “Your car is here. Can I help you with your bag?”
“Oh, no thank—” Lily stopped herself. How would royalty act in a situation like this? Royalty certainly didn’t wheel their own bags to the car, and Khaled thought she was royalty, so she better start acting like it.
“Yes, thank you,” she said, smiling uncomfortably. The server was not much younger than she was and Lily was honored that she was treating her so nicely. I guess this is how royalty must feel, she thought as she giggled to herself.
Lily followed the server into the lobby where she handed the bag to a man in a black suit and black driver’s hat.
“Lady Lillian Bailey?” the driver asked holding out his white gloved hand.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“My pleasure to make your acquaintance. His highness the Sheikh is waiting for your outside. Is there anything else I can do for you, m’lady?”
Lillian looked around and wondered if anyone was staring at her. She felt like a princess. She blushed slightly and smiled back at the driver.
“No, no thank you, uh…”
“You can call me Jesper, m’lady.”
“Thank you Jesper, that will be all.”
Lily was proud at herself for her royal behavior. She smiled and walked past him, through the sliding doors and stopped as soon as her feet hit the blue carpet. She stopped so abruptly that Jesper almost ran right into her.
“Is everything alright, m’lady?” Jesper asked from his place by her side.
Lily stood frozen, looking at the limousine. It was magnificent. She knew Khaled was sending a car. But a limo? She looked at Jesper and saw something in his eye. Oh no, she thought. Act cool. Act like royalty.
“No, everything is fine. It’s just…” she didn’t know how to get out of this.
“His highness is waiting for us at the airport,” Jesper said, helping her out of her sticky situation.
“Oh, of course. That’s perfect,” said Lily as she slid into the soft leather seat of the limousine.
Jesper gave her a nod and closed the door. She heard him put her luggage in the trunk and then get into the driver’s seat. An intercom came on and his voice came over it.
“We should be there in just about thirty minutes. Is there anything I can get you in the meantime, m’lady?”
Lillian scanned the contents of the limousine. Seats ran the length of the interior and a bar sat on one side. There was a silver coffee service with fresh pastries laid out on a small table jutting out of the side of the bar. A glass pitcher of orange juice stood next to that, along with a selection of magazines and books.
“No, thank you. I’m fine,” she said, trying to act the part.
“Very well, then.” Jesper’s voice went out and the intercom went silent.
Lily looked around at the controls and found the one for the window. She cracked it just enough to see out of it and watched the city roll by as she sat back and ate her croissant.
The limo pulled up to the tarmac and stopped just outside of the boarding area for the small private jet. Lilly had watched the airport come into view, but hadn’t seen the jet yet.
Jesper brought the car to a stop, ran to the back and opened Lily’s door. She smiled politely and placed her coffee cup down. After straightening her hair and her blouse, she slid across the wide seat, took Jesper’s hand and stepped out of the limousine. She walked around the front of the car and then suddenly stopped short.
Lily’s eyes were frozen on the sight in front of her. She had never been this close to a private jet before, and this one was sleeker than any she had ever seen, even in movies. Standing by the stairs was a very casually-dressed Khaled, his hair neatly combed back and his face brimming with a smile. In his hand he held a bouquet of fresh cut flowers.
“Lilies for Lily,” he said as he walked over to greet her. He bent in and kissed her delicately on the cheek, inhaling her perfume as he did. He felt a tingle run up his spine. He wanted to take her in his arms right there on the tarmac, but he knew better than that. The paparazzi were everywhere, even at private airstrips, just waiting for him to do something brash.
Lily tried to keep her balance as she felt Khaled’s warm, delicious breath on her cheek. She smiled back and held onto his arm as he escorted her up the stairs and into the belly of his family’s private jet.
Oh my gosh, Lily thought. This was really happening. It was one thing to get caught up in a kiss at a ball. But this? This was a Sheikh for God’s sake, picking her up in jet to take her off to, to, she didn’t even know where! She felt her stomach flip-flop and wasn’t sure if it was nerves about the wealth that surrounded her or if it was from being so close to Khaled again.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” Khaled said with a smile as he escorted her into the main room.
Lily smiled up at him, noticing again how incredibly handsome he was. Was his hair thicker, his smile brighter in the daylight? She couldn’t be sure.
Khaled smiled back at her and placed his hand on
the small of her back as he showed her to a seat.
Lily tried not to look impressed, but thought she must be failing miserably. She tried to focus on Khaled and not notice the glitz and gold surrounding her. Every inch of the plane oozed money. There were flat screen televisions, fine crystal, marble, gold, even platinum decorations and accents. She wanted to open her mouth and scream, “Wow!” But she knew she couldn’t or she would blow her cover.
“Are you okay?” Khaled asked, sensing something was off.
“Yeah, I just get the jitters when I fly,” she lied.
“Oh really? That must be awful. I assume you have to fly all the time. How do you handle it?”
Realizing the mistake she had made, Lily thought quickly. “I usually take something to settle my nerves. But this time, I have your company to do that for me.”
Yeah, she thought. That was good. And she meant it. Even though she was astounded at her surroundings, she also did get jittery on planes. At least she had the two times she'd ever flown.
Khaled’s face melted into a wide grin. This woman knew exactly what to say, he thought. It was amazing how much they clicked. And how attracted he was to her. He couldn’t take his eyes off her face. She had worn her hair down the night before and even though it looked gorgeous, it had hidden parts of her that he could now see.
His eyes wandered along the sharp line of her jaw and down her long slender neck, stopping at the bit of collarbone that was revealed in the neckline of her blouse. Khaled felt a stirring in his stomach and knew that he had to take it slow. He wanted to kiss Lily again, in fact, he wanted to do so much more. But there was something telling him to take it slow and get to know her. And now that she had agreed to go away with him, he would have the opportunity to do that.
Khaled and Lily buckled into their seats as the jet took off.
“So, where are we going?” asked Lily.
“To one of my family’s estates in the Bahamas. It’s on an island that they’ve owned for nearly a hundred years. In fact, funny story there. My great-great-great grandfather won the island in a sword fight, believe it or not.”
“A sword fight? You’re kidding me,” Lily said, laughing at the thought of it. But she knew it was the truth. In her ancient history studies, she had learned much about the battle customs of many different civilizations and cultures. Sword fights and duels were actually still a big part of Middle-Eastern tradition.
Khaled shook his head and put his coffee down. “It’s the truth. He was fighting a man who owned the island and whose ancestors had built a palace there. The man had stolen treasures from my great-great-great grandfather that they had jointly discovered in the Caribbean. When they got in the fight and my family won, my ancestor went to collect the debt only to find it had been squandered. The only thing the family had to offer was the island and palace on it. So it's been in our family ever since.”
Lily smiled, listening to Khaled recount the story that she knew so well. It was actually one that she had read about during her undergraduate studies and it had stuck with her for some reason. And now, here she was, on her way to spend time in that same historical palace. Her brain started to spin with all of the artifacts and treasures that must be held there. If her memory served her correctly, the palace had never been open to the public. A new wave of excitement washed over her as she thought of all the wonderful things she was soon to discover.