Read Online A Bride For The Sheikh by Katheryn Lane - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Katheryn Lane
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She flashed a set of perfectly manicured nails, which looked more like talons.
The maid returned with a tray full of drinks and passed them round. The cocktails were in large bowl-shaped glasses with salt round the rim.
“Now, if you ladies would excuse me,” Chrystal said and walked off to join a group of extremely tanned, blonde women on the other side of the room.
Angelina took a sip of her drink. The salt stung her lips and was followed by the sharp, cold taste of frozen tequila. “This has alcohol in it,” she whispered to Carla.
“I know. It’s great, isn’t it?” Carla took a large sip of her drink.
“But I thought it was illegal in Bezira.” Angelina knew that Bezira was quite liberal for a Middle Eastern country about many issues, such as the way women were allowed to dress, but alcohol was completely banned.
“Chrystal can get hold of anything. I think she knows a couple of pilots who smuggle in booze for her,” Sarah explained.
“But what if she gets caught?” Angelina asked.
“She won’t get caught. Her father’s the sultan’s financial adviser, his right-hand man. The most she would get is a caution, if that.”
“But you can’t have people who are above the law. That’s not right.” Angelina put her drink down on the table.
“That’s just the way things are here in Bezira.” Carla picked up Angelina’s drink and handed it back to her. “Relax, enjoy yourself. You can’t change the way things are, or maybe you could take the matter up with your friend, Sheikh Rashid?” Carla nudged her.
“Leave her alone,” Sarah said. “We’ve teased her enough about him. Now, Carla, why do you think Chrystal is in such a funny mood? She seems really off-hand with us.”
“Maybe it was my comments about her maid,” Angelina suggested.
“No, she’s been acting strange since the minute she opened the door to us.”
“You’re right. Normally she’s full of all the latest gossip and scandal,” Carla agreed. “And she was touchy when I talked to her on the phone earlier today.”
“Maybe she was jealous when you told her that Sheikh Rashid had given Angelina a Mercedes,” Sarah said.
“Chrystal has plenty of cars. She could ask her daddy for a new Mercedes anytime she wanted. It must be something else.”
“Perhaps all the plastic surgery has gone to her brain.” Sarah laughed. “Come on, let’s get some more margaritas and we’ll introduce you to everyone.” Sarah took Angelina by the arm and led her over to a group of women sitting next to a full tray of drinks.
Angelina chatted happily to Sarah and Carla’s friends, asking them about their lives in Bezira and what brought them to the Middle East. They were a mixture of nationalities and backgrounds, and Angelina was interested to hear what they had to say about themselves. Chrystal, their hostess, kept her distance and Angelina was pleased about it. She remembered where she’d seen her before; she was the woman in the tight red dress who she’d pointed out at the sultan’s party—the woman who turned out to be Rashid’s friend, or at least acquaintance. She seemed to remember something about Rashid saying that they weren’t friends and she could see why. Chrystal came across as an extremely unpleasant person.
After about an hour, a huge selection of food was served by the increasingly worn-out looking maid. It was mainly Tex-Mex, such as burritos and tacos, which Angelina wasn’t very keen on, but she helped herself to a large plate full as she needed to soak up some of the alcohol. The margaritas were strong and she was beginning to feel a bit woozy.
Once almost everyone had eaten, and the maid had cleared everything away, Chrystal went round herself with a tray of champagne.
“Real champagne!” one of the women exclaimed. “It’s been ages since I’ve tasted this stuff. You really are spoiling us tonight, Chrystal. Thank you.”
“Thank you so much for coming.” Chrystal beamed back, showing
The maid returned with a tray full of drinks and passed them round. The cocktails were in large bowl-shaped glasses with salt round the rim.
“Now, if you ladies would excuse me,” Chrystal said and walked off to join a group of extremely tanned, blonde women on the other side of the room.
Angelina took a sip of her drink. The salt stung her lips and was followed by the sharp, cold taste of frozen tequila. “This has alcohol in it,” she whispered to Carla.
“I know. It’s great, isn’t it?” Carla took a large sip of her drink.
“But I thought it was illegal in Bezira.” Angelina knew that Bezira was quite liberal for a Middle Eastern country about many issues, such as the way women were allowed to dress, but alcohol was completely banned.
“Chrystal can get hold of anything. I think she knows a couple of pilots who smuggle in booze for her,” Sarah explained.
“But what if she gets caught?” Angelina asked.
“She won’t get caught. Her father’s the sultan’s financial adviser, his right-hand man. The most she would get is a caution, if that.”
“But you can’t have people who are above the law. That’s not right.” Angelina put her drink down on the table.
“That’s just the way things are here in Bezira.” Carla picked up Angelina’s drink and handed it back to her. “Relax, enjoy yourself. You can’t change the way things are, or maybe you could take the matter up with your friend, Sheikh Rashid?” Carla nudged her.
“Leave her alone,” Sarah said. “We’ve teased her enough about him. Now, Carla, why do you think Chrystal is in such a funny mood? She seems really off-hand with us.”
“Maybe it was my comments about her maid,” Angelina suggested.
“No, she’s been acting strange since the minute she opened the door to us.”
“You’re right. Normally she’s full of all the latest gossip and scandal,” Carla agreed. “And she was touchy when I talked to her on the phone earlier today.”
“Maybe she was jealous when you told her that Sheikh Rashid had given Angelina a Mercedes,” Sarah said.
“Chrystal has plenty of cars. She could ask her daddy for a new Mercedes anytime she wanted. It must be something else.”
“Perhaps all the plastic surgery has gone to her brain.” Sarah laughed. “Come on, let’s get some more margaritas and we’ll introduce you to everyone.” Sarah took Angelina by the arm and led her over to a group of women sitting next to a full tray of drinks.
Angelina chatted happily to Sarah and Carla’s friends, asking them about their lives in Bezira and what brought them to the Middle East. They were a mixture of nationalities and backgrounds, and Angelina was interested to hear what they had to say about themselves. Chrystal, their hostess, kept her distance and Angelina was pleased about it. She remembered where she’d seen her before; she was the woman in the tight red dress who she’d pointed out at the sultan’s party—the woman who turned out to be Rashid’s friend, or at least acquaintance. She seemed to remember something about Rashid saying that they weren’t friends and she could see why. Chrystal came across as an extremely unpleasant person.
After about an hour, a huge selection of food was served by the increasingly worn-out looking maid. It was mainly Tex-Mex, such as burritos and tacos, which Angelina wasn’t very keen on, but she helped herself to a large plate full as she needed to soak up some of the alcohol. The margaritas were strong and she was beginning to feel a bit woozy.
Once almost everyone had eaten, and the maid had cleared everything away, Chrystal went round herself with a tray of champagne.
“Real champagne!” one of the women exclaimed. “It’s been ages since I’ve tasted this stuff. You really are spoiling us tonight, Chrystal. Thank you.”
“Thank you so much for coming.” Chrystal beamed back, showing
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