Unwind My Resolve: Regal Rights Book #3 Read online

  Mother grinned. “Her name is Saanvi, and her father has been a good friend of ours for years. Perhaps you’ve met her father before.”

  Mother went on about Saanvi and her bloodline. I briefly recalled speaking with her father at the banquet that I’d attended with Sophia. I was so enamored by my date that I barely recalled the conversation with her father. At the time, it appeared that I was in love with an American woman, so he hadn’t brought up the awkward conversation about his daughter being single. Now, it was fair game for fathers to try and set up their daughters for the chance of being a queen.

  I supposed I should have been grateful to Mother for vetting these women before future banquets turned into The Bachelor. I never thought I would be happy with Mother’s meddling, but stranger things had happened in my life.

  “I’ve set everything up,” Mother said. “You don’t need to worry about a thing.”

  “Great,” I said, dreading my weekend more than I usually did.

  4

  Sophia

  By the time Friday rolled around, I was so ready to go home. The sun from the first day I arrived had disappeared for good, and it poured buckets of rain every day since. How could anyone live in this sort of weather? I looked forward to the blistering Dallas heat to dry me out.

  Matt had been a gracious host, leaving me to explore and clear my head during the day while he worked and taking me out at night. I wished he lived closer. Now that I was without a job, it was nice to meet up with him on a regular basis. It was something I never did before, since I rarely went out with anyone other than co-workers, but those were usually company-planned events.

  I wondered if I would ever be that girl who went out with other women and chatted about our boyfriends or husbands. I supposed I would have to make some female friends before that could happen. And get a boyfriend or husband.

  Perhaps this new job would open a chapter in my life that I’d never had before. Being with Matt made me crave people in my life to share things with. If I took anything away from the trip, it would be that.

  Being in my head for most of the day as I traveled around the slick streets of Seattle didn’t ease the ache in my heart or head about Luke. It would take more time, but with the prospect of opening myself up again, I could see a future when it wouldn’t hurt so bad… a distant future.

  My phone rang just as I was coming out of my second shower of the day. During my final shopping trip, the sky had opened up and soaked me from head to toe. A hot shower had been in order. No wonder Matt was so in shape, his muscles were probably jacked from shivering all day.

  “Hello?” I said into the phone.

  “Soph! Put on something smashing tonight; we’re going out.”

  I glanced out the window where the darkening sky looked even more foreboding than usual. “Really? How about we stay in tonight?” I was looking forward to slipping into the soft hotel robe and slippers and stuffing my face with room service. Who knew the next time I would have a good meal?

  “No way,” he said. “Don’t be a party pooper.”

  I rolled my eyes. “What do you want to do?”

  “There’s this bar that I love,” he said.

  “You love every bar,” I said, wrapping the robe around my body. I could have sunk into its soft folds until tomorrow. I wondered how much it cost to take the robe home with me. Probably more than I wanted to spend.

  “Come on. It’s your last night here. Live a little.”

  I grumbled without saying anything.

  “I’ll forgive you for New Year’s when you ditched me,” he said.

  I chewed on my lip. “I’ll go out if you promise to never use that against me again.”

  “Scout’s honor,” he said.

  “You were never a Boy Scout.”

  “I know, but I’ve always wanted to say that, though.”

  “What time do you want to meet?” I asked.

  “In an hour,” he said. “I’ll grab the Uber and meet you.”

  I glanced at my ragged face in the mirror. The mascara I’d put on that morning blurred down my cheeks. “See you then.”

  My LBD stared at me from the closet. I had packed it on a whim, unsure if Matt was going to take me anywhere nice. I supposed getting dressed up might improve my mood, so I grabbed it from the hanger and slipped it on.

  Since I knew the weather wasn’t going to cooperate, I pulled my brown locks back into a low ponytail and did some magic with the tiny hotel hairdryer, making a nice wave throughout the tail. It was a good thing I packed my raincoat with the oversized hood because I didn’t want to ruin the look I’d created.

  At the very least, I looked like a woman who was over her recent ex, totally hiding how I felt on the inside.

  * * *

  Matt was right on time with the Uber. I managed to get inside the car without getting too wet.

  I had been right to dress up tonight. Matt wore a jacket and slacks. No tie, but he looked really good.

  “Heels, nice,” he said, appraising my choice in clothing.

  “It’s all for you,” I said with a grin. “Otherwise, I’d have my fluffy slippers on.”

  “You shouldn’t have,” he said and slung his arm over my shoulder. “I’m going to miss hanging out with you.”

  “Me too,” I admitted.

  “Let’s not wait months for the next time, okay?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “Let’s not.”

  “Okay, enough of that mushy shit. Tonight, we’re going to have a blast. Send you off with a bang and possibly a hangover.”

  “How about just the bang?” I asked. “I have to fly tomorrow.”

  “Bang it is, then,” Matt said, grinning.

  I realized what I’d said, and so did the Uber driver. He eyed me from the rearview mirror, and Matt and I burst out laughing.

  * * *

  When we arrived at the crowded bar, we managed to find two open stools at the end of the long wooden bar.

  Matt ordered some appetizers and drinks for us. I had already eaten a big lunch, but I agreed to get food because I didn’t want to get hammered. I was in a strange city, and even though Matt would keep an eye on me, I didn’t want to spend my last night hugging the toilet bowl.

  I sipped my vodka and cranberry while scanning the faces at the bar. Most of the women were in dresses, so I’d made a good choice with my outfit.

  “How was work today?” I asked Matt.

  He shrugged. “Let’s just say TGIF.”

  I nodded. In the media industry, it was rare that I worked only five days. I hadn’t had an actual weekend in forever, and I probably wouldn’t for a while if I nailed the interview next week.

  “What I want to talk about is that guy staring at you,” Matt said.

  “Where?” I asked.

  “Don’t look!” he said, pulling my chin toward him. “Near the door, black suit, black shirt. Don’t ruin this.”

  “Ruin what?” I asked, daring to look in the direction that Matt indicated.

  “I know that you’re not over Luke,” he said. “Maybe it’s time you take that next step.”

  “What next step?”

  Matt rolled his eyes. “I might call you pathetic if I didn’t love you so much.”

  I gritted my teeth. “You want me to meet that guy?”

  Matt shrugged. “What harm could it do?”

  “I thought tonight was about you and me?” I asked. “I’m not going to see you for a while.”

  “Remember, we agreed to change that,” Matt said. “Just go over there and say hi. It’s not like I’m going to leave you stranded.”

  “I don’t know how saying ‘hi’ is going to help me,” I said.

  Matt’s eyes widened. “Maybe you can sleep with him. Get Luke out of your system and someone else inside.”

  I glanced at the end of the bar, and the guy was gone. “That’s not—”

  “Hi there,” a deep voice said from next to me.

  Matt pinched my arm, and I
drove my elbow into his side. The guy in the black suit stood right beside me. My mouth went dry as I took him in. Tall, pale blue eyes, and a five o’clock shadow. He smiled, showing off white teeth.

  “Hi,” I said.

  “I’m Thomas,” he said, extending his hand to me.

  I took it. He had a firm handshake, and my hand disappeared into his palm. “Sophia.”

  “I haven’t seen you here before,” he said.

  “I’m visiting from Dallas. My friend—” I went to introduce Matt, but he’d already faded into the crowd. Two thumbs up shot out of the group of people standing near the bathrooms, and I shook my head. So much for not leaving me stranded.

  “I’m visiting with a friend.”

  Thomas glanced around, apparently not realizing that I was with Matt. Or maybe he didn’t care.

  He sat in the vacant stool beside me and asked me about my life. I kept it as vague as possible. He went all in, though. I learned about his life story: grew up in the Midwest, came to the big city to work at a PR firm, had an apartment overlooking the water, no woman in his life other than his dog, Molly.

  Talking to Thomas was easy, and Matt had been right. I barely thought of Luke. I didn’t plan on getting married to Thomas, but he was a handsome distraction.

  Glancing at the clock sometime later, I was surprised to realize that two hours had passed. We had downed several drinks in that time. I wasn’t drunk by any means, but my body was warm, and part of that radiated off Thomas. We sat much closer than when we’d first met. I wasn’t sure if it was due to the bar getting more crowded or if I wanted to be closer to him.

  My phone pinged, and a text from Matt showed up.

  “Exhausted, will pick you up tomorrow before your flight. Get it, girl.”

  I chewed on my lip before taking a final gulp of my drink. A sense of boldness moved through me, and I pressed my hand against Thomas’s chest. He had a great body, and I wanted to see what was underneath his expensive clothes.

  “Do you want to get out of here?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  Getting off the bar stool, my legs wobbled. Damn heels!

  Thomas was paying the tab, and I looked around the bar. The people seemed louder now that the spell was broken between Thomas and me. I called an Uber, setting the address for my hotel.

  Was I really about to do this?

  Thomas took my hand and led the way out of the bar, making a path toward the door.

  My heart pounded in my ears as Luke returned to the front of my mind. His smile burned into my retinas as we walked outside. A blast of cool, damp air enveloped my skin.

  The Uber driver pulled up to the curb.

  “Is this for us?” Thomas asked.

  I cleared my throat as the fog in my mind lifted. I would be lucky to sleep with Thomas, and it might help get over Luke, but the idea of it brought a sour taste to my mouth.

  “It’s for me,” I said. “I don’t want you to come back with me.”

  He blinked, and I expected him to be upset with me, but instead, he came closer to me and took my hands in his. “Can I have your number, then? For the next time you come to Seattle? I had a great time with you, Sophia.”

  It was a nice gesture, but I politely stepped away from him. “It was so nice talking to you, but I’m not interested in dating right now.”

  He let out a breath and turned on his heel, going back into the bar. He gave me a little wave without facing me.

  I cringed.

  The Uber driver called out to me, pulling me from my thoughts. I hated that I had led Thomas on, but it felt right getting into the car alone.

  At least, it did until I walked into my empty hotel room.

  I tossed my purse onto the bed and kicked off my heels. As my feet pressed into the carpet, an ache radiated up my legs. I was going to feel that tomorrow.

  Laying down in the bed, the room tilted slightly. I imagined Thomas on top of me, us kissing and making love on this bed. Why had I turned him down?

  Luke had moved on with his life. Why couldn’t I? I had the opportunity to be with a sexy guy for the night with no strings attached. Why the hell did I leave him to sleep with another woman?

  I raked my hands through my hair and groaned. Matt was right. Sleeping with Thomas would have distracted me, at least for the evening. There was no reason why I should have turned him down while Luke wanted nothing to do with me anymore.

  5

  Luke

  I had agreed to go on a date with Saanvi, but if I was going to attempt to find someone to replace Sophia, I was going to do it in my own way. Which meant I dismissed the outfit that Mother approved for my date and went with a slick suit and tie.

  Holding onto my independence was vital for my future at the palace. I didn’t need it to get around that at thirty-three years old, my mother dressed me up for dates. It was bad enough that she had set me up in the first place. I wasn’t going a step further to add to my humiliation.

  Even though most of it was in my head, I felt a little more like myself before heading off on my first blind date in some time. Years before meeting Sophia and taking over the family business, Mother had set me up with some women. Those were forgettable, and I hoped Saanvi was interesting to talk to at the very least.

  I also chose the venue. My mother intended for me and Saanvi to eat dinner together at the palace, but if I was going on a date against my will, then I wanted to be as far away from Mother as possible. I had nightmares of catching her with her ear to the dining room door or her telling Saanvi embarrassing stories about my childhood.

  I suspected those would come eventually—if they hadn’t already—if I decided to take things further with her.

  I shook that thought out of my head.

  One step at a time, Luke.

  As the clock ticked closer to the date, I started to get nervous but not in the same way that I had whenever Sophia and I were getting ready for a date.

  This was different. With Sophia, it was excitement and anticipation that put my nerves on high alert. With Saanvi, I felt nervous because I was going in blind. What did she look like? Would I feel any attraction to her? Did we have anything in common, other than our families and the fact that we were single? I didn’t even know her age. I had a feeling she was much younger. Most women in Qatar were married off early.

  If she was a world traveler, we might have something to talk about, but if Mother was setting me up with her, I assumed Saanvi was more traditional. Fit for a queen in Mother’s eyes.

  I straightened my tie and took one last glance at myself in the mirror before heading off to the unknown future.

  Before I could open my door, someone knocked.

  “Luke,” Mother said from the other side.

  I sighed and opened the door. “I’m leaving.”

  She pushed through into my bedroom, and I turned to face her. “You can’t barge in here.” I sounded and felt like a teenager, but Mother always brought out that side of me.

  “You need to be on your best behavior tonight,” she said.

  “Yes, Mother,” I said, wishing she would go away. This wasn’t my first date.

  “Saanvi would make the perfect wife and queen to stand beside you,” Mother said.

  The fact that she set me up without my permission was bad enough; now she was giving me dating advice. Would it ever end?

  “I don’t need a lecture, Mother.” Over the last few weeks, Mother’s attitude had improved enough that I could deal with her. Now, she was pushing herself back into where she was when Sophia was around.

  “This is not a lecture, Luke,” Mother said. “I’m trying to make you understand—”

  “I understand perfectly well,” I snapped. “Now if you will excuse me?”

  I whipped open the door and slammed it closed behind me. As I stalked down the hallway, my skin prickled with annoyance. Even with Sophia out of my life, Mother wasn’t going to stop until I’d secured a wife. But I wasn’t going to pick just anyone
. I needed the one woman who could measure up to Sophia, or at least prove to be a distraction while I got over the true love of my life.

  * * *

  Since we were both single, it was inappropriate for me to pick Saanvi up. So, we met at the restaurant. It was nice to be alone in the back of the car, mentally preparing for an evening with a stranger. Even though Mother and Father had a successful arranged marriage, the idea was archaic to me. If I was going to spend the rest of my life with someone, they needed to be someone I could tolerate on my own without anyone else interfering.

  I arrived early enough to secure our table and gather myself before meeting her.

  The restaurant was exclusive enough that no one approached me, but I noticed heads did turn when I sat down. I ignored their stares, already feeling the weight of Mother’s persistence in the back of my head. I had a sense that she would wait up for me and want every minute detailed to her when I arrived home.

  Deep inside, I hoped that I had something to tell her. Distracting myself with another woman would surely help me get over Sophia. It was all I wanted, even though it made my chest tighten to think of a day that Sophia wouldn’t fill my head.

  The waiter came over to the table and announced Saanvi’s arrival.

  I stood up and buttoned my jacket before lifting my gaze to the woman approaching my table.

  I sucked in a breath as I took her in. She dressed in a flowing, deep purple gown. Even though she was covered from neck to toes, I could almost see her thin figure underneath. Her black hair was tied back in a plait, and it slowly swayed against her back as she walked. She was exquisite.

  “Luke,” she said in a breathy voice. Her smile was warm and friendly.

  I bowed to her. “Saanvi, I presume.”

  The waiter helped with her chair, and I sat down again. According to law, it was prohibited for men and women to show affection toward each other in public. I had the law on my side since I didn’t plan on moving this relationship faster than a snail’s pace. If I was searching for a wife, I wanted to be sure that I could spend the rest of my life with whoever I chose.