Chapter 1
When her friends decide to leave the club and take a cab to the hotel, she stays. She sits by the bar enjoying her caipirinha and exchanging a few words with the bartender.
Her blonde hair is flowing in waves around her face, and her green blue eyes match the turquoise jersey dress she is wearing.
Suddenly a man appears by her side.
”Can I help you, miss?”
”Help me with what? I’m just sitting here enjoying my drink.”
”A blonde woman drinking alone in a club in Abu Dhabi? Now that’s something you don’t see every day.”
”Aww, you’re worried about me? That’s sweet.”
”I guess you could say that, but I am also curious about why such a stunning woman as yourself isn’t on the arm of one of the hottest men in here?”
”That’s for me to know and for you to find out.”
She smirks and he smirks back.
”Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Karim Al-Fadji, the owner of this establishment.”
”Owner, huh? Impressive. Nice to meet you Karim, I’m Annie Larson.”
They shake hands and he gives her an intense gaze, holding her hand a second longer than necessary. He is dressed in black jeans, a black shirt with a few open buttons and a midnight blue velvet jacket.
His stubble is grey, almost beard length, and his chest hair is thick, salt and pepper colored. His short black hair has threads of silver by the temples. His large brown eyes sparkle when he looks at her.
”So tell me, miss Larson. How long are you staying in Abu Dhabi?”
”Please, call me Annie. I’m here on holiday for another week. But I find the city quite inspiring, so I might stay here and write for a while longer.”
”You are a writer? Wow, now I am impressed.”
”Thank you. Twice published actually, working on my third novel.”
”That’s amazing. And what is the genre that you write?”
”A version of mystery. The Da Vinci code and Sherlock Holmes combined.”
”How intriguing. Maybe you can order a copy of your first book for me?”
”If you’re nice, yes.”
She smirks and he has to look away from the intensity of her gaze.
”You know, Annie… Not very many women catch my attention the way you do.”
”Oh yeah? And why is that?”
”I’m not sure actually… It seems you have a certain… je ne sais quoi.”
”Maybe you have it too. And that’s why we click? Tell me something, are you a devoted club owner, or a business man who happens to own a club?”
”Are you saying that I can’t be both? I am a devoted business man.”
”Thought so, you passed the test.”
She giggles.
”You have the most exquisite laugh. Even through the music it gives me shivers.”
”Good… because you’re my type.”
”And what exactly is your type? Wealthy emirate business men?”
”No, more like silver foxes with chest hair…”
He inhales sharply at her flirty comment.
”You’re playing with fire, beautiful…”
”Let’s get the age gap out of the way, shall we? I’m 28 and I’m guessing that you are twice my age?”
”Good guess sweetheart, I am indeed 56.”
”That’s not a problem for me, is it a problem for you?”
”Only in terms of having a problem wrapping my head around the fact that a stunning 28 year old woman finds me attractive.”
”Ha, I bet all women you meet find you attractive. No need to play modest. You look like Javier Bardem and George Clooney combined.”
”Wow, that’s quite the compliment. And you my dear look like Blake Lively and Scarlett Johansson combined.”
”Ha ha, quite the Hollywood pair, aren’t we?”
”Indeed. So tell me, since you are a tourist and all. What are you looking for during your stay?”
”I wasn’t looking for anything actually. I was just enjoying my drink in peace when this hot club owner swept in and made me rethink my whole strategy.”
”Is that so? And what has this rethinking lead to?”
”I believe it has lead to me being open to you showing me a good time.”
”Shall we start by me showing you the private VIP area then? It’s actually quite tasteful if I may say so myself.”
”Lead the way then, gorgeous.”
