Chapter 50

A limo picked them up from the resort and drove them into the desert. The view was rather dull until they came over a hill and saw a reflection off in the distance.

“Is that where we’re going?” David asked.

“Yes, sir.”

The driver pulled off onto a side road and drove toward an oasis in the desert. In the waning sunlight, they could see the main house with an enormous circular drive full of limos dropping people off. Behind the house was a massive tent that dwarfed the mansion, with center poles at least four, if not five, stories high. Beyond the tent was a gigantic swimming pool with another building further back. In this desert nation, open water was considered a status symbol and a mark of the highest prestige.

It took them nearly half an hour to reach the drop-off zone, where a swarm of people waited to greet the guests and show them where to go. Phil was sent back to the tent area while David and Ruth were taken to a reception line to meet the birthday girl and her family.

The reception hall was decorated in marble, with walnut benches and colorful accent pillows along the walls. Enormous vases of flowers were arranged to bracket art installations that all seemed to feature the same artist. David surmised the paintings must have been the work of a family member because, while they were good, people with this kind of money could have afforded much better.

When Rawan’s father saw David, he motioned for David to skip the greeting line and come talk in his office.

The sheikh’s workspace had a reception area with a black lacquer desk. The main office could be seen through a glass wall with automatic sliding doors that opened as they approached them. The sheikh’s desk was made from a smoky metal with a glass top, giving the area a sophisticated industrial feel. To the side was a seating area with a leather chair bracketed by two leather couches in a U shape. The back wall had floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out to the desert.

He motioned for David and Ruth to sit on one of the couches as he took the chair.

“David ... may I call you David?” Sheikh Mohamed Afan Bin Tawil al-Marwa asked once they were alone.

“As you wish.”

“It’s good to be on a first-name basis. You may call me Afan.”

“Thank you. How may I be of service?” David asked.

Afan gave David a measured look as he tried to discern whether David could be trusted.

“I’ve been told you had quite the party this afternoon.”

David would have been quizzing him if the roles had been reversed.

“It started out as just a handful of people and grew. Those models like to post on social media, which attracts a crowd.”

“I can only imagine what went on. My younger brother orders women off the Internet. Our father is at wit’s end because he won’t settle down and marry.”

David nodded his understanding.

“This is becoming a real problem back home,” he said. “Fewer and fewer men are getting married because of online dating. If you want to spend time with a woman, you hook up on an app. It has made dating harder for traditional men because they are forced into a hyper-competitive, superficial environment emphasizing instant gratification over a genuine human connection.

“Someone like your brother can afford to fly a few girls out for a week or two without getting to know them. You saw the models. What would you do if you were in his shoes and had the opportunity?” David asked.

He could see that Afan wanted to be offended, but the man stopped and considered what he’d been told. Eventually, he nodded his agreement with David’s assessment.

“I’m afraid your Western ways are infecting my country,” Afan said, then asked, “What happens to average men, the ones who aren’t up to par?”

“That’s the real problem. Back in the day, when people were getting married, the good ones would get snapped up and married to take them off the market. That gave the average Joe a shot. Now they’re being squeezed out, and a segment of men have given up and simply rely on porn to fulfill their needs.”

“I worry about Rawan because she never seems to date a man for more than a few weeks. Some little red flag comes up, and she isn’t willing to work past it. I guess I see why she wouldn’t have to if there is another one just a few keystrokes away,” Afan said.

There was a knock on the door, and a man entered whose body language screamed that he was dangerous. David guessed he was Afan’s head of security. The man whispered into his boss’s ear, and Afan nodded.

“Tell them I’ll be right out.”

“Problem?” David asked.

“Unfortunately, I need to cut our conversation short. Perhaps we can chat later,” Afan said and left them.

“What do you think that’s all about?” David asked Ruth.

She had no idea, so they went back to get in line to meet the birthday girl.

Rory Walsh had flown in that afternoon, and the twelve-hour time difference was kicking his ass. He was between projects and wouldn’t start filming his new TV series for a few weeks. His agent had come to him and said his ex, Kelli Thomas, had an offer for the two of them to attend parties and events in Dubai for a week.

He’d been ready to reject the offer until his agent had explained that several A-listers regularly hit the Dubai circuit a few times a year. Rory was sold when his agent shared how much Rory would make just for showing up at parties. It would allow him to pay for the new condo he’d made an offer on without having to ask his dad for the money.

While his dad would have been more than happy to buy him a mansion in Beverly Hills, Rory preferred to get by on his own whenever possible.

The reason he was short of money for the condo was the show he and Kelli were on had ended. She’d gotten him a role on a hit TV series when her sex tape with Rory had been ‘leaked.’ The video was shot from the guy’s point of view, so people never actually saw his face in the video.

Kelli had released it to break out of her good-girl persona on the show and allow her to get more adult roles. Eventually, word got out that he was the leading man in the video, and the producer decided to give him a bit role that would last through sweeps to boost the show’s numbers.

The series was a supernatural romance drama that had some violence. They’d offered Rory a full-time job when they discovered he could fight, thanks to his MMA background. He’d talked to his dad about it because he was scheduled to enroll at Stanford. Rory’s dad had also been an actor for a minute, so he’d advised Rory to see how far acting could take him. Rory reasoned he could attend college if it didn’t work out.

After their long flight, Kelli was as tired as he was and had begged off the sheikh’s daughter’s birthday party. Rory hadn’t just rolled over since he and Kelli weren’t officially dating anymore, so he played her a game of rock paper scissors. Paper had covered his rock, so he stood in the reception line, waiting to meet the guest of honor.

While he waited, he overheard the two men behind him bragging about nailing the birthday girl the night before. Rory half-turned so he could see who they were; they appeared to be local players, all decked out in expensive suits.

A moment later, two men Rory would not want to meet in a dark alley came up and hauled the two braggarts out of line. The look of abject fear in the playboys’ eyes told Rory something bad was going down. He watched the four men disappear out a side door.

Right after that, another dangerous-looking man, who looked to be in charge, rushed through the reception area and out the same door. Rory felt like he was in the middle of some spy novel where the heroes had been abducted. Okay, maybe not heroes, but it was still entertaining.

He’d moved up to about the middle of the line when the man in charge came out looking determined, marched across the room to a closed door, and knocked. Once he was let in, it only took a few minutes before he was joined by the real man in charge. The two of them went into the room where the braggarts were being held.

To his surprise, a young man and woman exited the room the true leader had been in. He recognized the guy: it was David A. Dawson, the Academy Award-winning actor. When the couple started for the back of the line, Rory raised a hand to catch David’s attention.

“David! I saved you a spot,” Rory called out.

David looked confused at first, then smiled.

“Rory Walsh. I was hoping we would meet,” David said as he extended his hand, and they shook. “This is my security, Ruth Bettis. You and I are both invited to several of these events this week.”

As the line moved along, the two of them chatted. Rory was flattered that David knew who he was and claimed to watch his TV show. Rory felt like a fanboy; he only wished he could have the kind of success David had garnered in his short career. Every male actor would have offered up essential body parts to be involved in the Star Academy or James Bond movies. Those were career-makers, based on their box office success.

They’d moved a couple more spots toward the front of the line when the birthday girl spotted them. She bailed on her greeting duties, pulled them out of line, and placed one on each side of her to escort her into the party.

It took all of thirty seconds for Rory to discover that Rawan was a spoiled party girl.

“I knew I had to make it an early night yesterday because I had to be fresh for this party.”

“What time did you get in?” David asked.

“Four this morning,” Rawan said.

Rory and David made eye contact over that comment about an ‘early night’ being four a.m.

“Are you seeing anyone?” Rory asked.

“I don’t have a steady guy,” Rawan shared as she gave them both flirty looks.

“But you have guys you see?” David asked.

“A few.”

“How many is a few?” Rory asked.

“Five or six.”

“What do you like in a guy?” David gamely asked.

Rory already knew he wouldn’t touch her, but David apparently hadn’t been deterred yet.

“I like guys with big dicks. I’ve seen your video,” Rawan said to Rory, then turned to David, “and I’ve seen your bulge. I was hoping the two of you could give me a birthday present I’ll always remember.”

“When was the last time you were with someone?” David asked.

“Four-thirty this morning.”

Another knowing glance from David. Maybe he wasn’t up for sleeping with Rawan. She sounded like the quickest way to catch something nasty.

By now, they’d walked into the tent, and the DJ, Tommy Diablos, spotted Rawan, so he stopped the music. Everyone had their phones out as they captured her grand entrance on the arms of two celebrities.

The tent was something to behold, with crisscrossing strings of lights over large circular tables. There was a large dance floor by the DJ, with a buffet and a full-service bar on the other side. Waitstaff circulated with champagne and appetizers. At the back edge of the tent was a huge pool.

“Everybody, give it up for the birthday girl, Rawan!” Tommy called out and put on a techno track.

Rawan released their arms and pranced out onto the dance floor in her six-inch heels, where she accepted the cheers of everyone at the party. She wiggled her hips and made a little spin. The next thing Rory knew, she rolled an ankle and began to stumble toward the pool as her other ankle gave out. Rawan looked like a newborn colt as she staggered with her arms out, trying to regain her balance. She was obviously about to do a face-plant when she reached forward to catch herself. A young guy ended up saving her from killing herself, but he paid the price.

Her hands caught his waistband on her way down, and his pants ended up around his knees. Rory chuckled because the guy had gone commando, and his dick was swinging right in Rawan’s face.

“Fuck,” David muttered.

“What?” Rory asked.

“That’s my younger brother, Phil.”

“I captured it all on my bodycam,” Ruth shared.

“Thank God!” David said with a huge grin.

David’s brother finally realized he was on full display and grabbed for his pants. His dick hit Rawan on the cheek, and she instinctively pushed him away, causing Phil to stumble back and end up in the pool. It also caused the birthday girl to fall forward and end up sprawled out on her stomach. Unfortunately, her skirt flipped up, exposing her ample butt. At least she had a thong on.