The Sheikh’s Tempted Prisoner by Holly Rayner Page 0,3
of incense and green tea. The apartment was draped in colorful flags, and wooden furniture displayed trinkets from around the world.
What an interesting life Marissa led! Lily ran her fingers along the aged furniture, thinking about how different it felt. While Cheyenne had felt aged in a decrepit kind of way, this apartment, this city, was aged in an otherworldly kind of way. It felt like she had been transported back in time to an age of magic.
Even though she had every intention of unpacking and exploring the area as soon as possible, Lily found herself sinking into Marissa’s comfortable couch. As she leaned back, a wave of jet lag crashed over her, and her eyes closed entirely of their own will. Her mind shifted to what she intended to get done before the day was over, and she wondered if there was an email about that teaching job in her inbox yet. She reminded herself to check after she’d rested her eyes for a few minutes.
But instead of doing any of that, Lily fell fast asleep fully clothed and sitting up.
Chapter Two
“Your qualifications look great for this position, Miss Hawthorne.”
Lily smiled her most professional smile, hope rearing its tiny head.
“Thank you so much! I am able to start right away if hired. I would love to jump right in and help your students master the English language.”
The headmistress nodded approvingly as she glanced back at Lily’s papers. Then, her eyebrows narrowed ever so slightly.
Oh, no.
Lily had seen that expression at least six times in the two weeks she had been in Al Yibri. She was lucky to have secured so many interviews so quickly, but they had all ended exactly the same.
“I don’t see your work visa here. Do you have that documentation available?”
Lily swallowed, her mouth dry.
“I don’t actually have the work visa secured, but after a few weeks of employment I will certainly be able to procure one with my salary.”
The woman frowned, and Lily knew exactly where the conversation was heading.
“I’m sorry, Miss Hawthorne, but without a work visa, you cannot work here. I can’t have you doing it illegally. I’d advise you to secure one as soon as possible before your status is discovered. Our law enforcement is particularly stringent on this sort of thing.”
At the mention of the police, Lily’s face blanched, and the woman laid a reassuring hand on hers.
“I won’t be making any phone calls, so don’t worry. I’m sure it was an honest mistake.”
“Yes, quite the mistake. Thank you for the information, ma’am. It’s most appreciated.”
The woman nodded, and Lily stood, finding her own way out of the school.
Tears threatened to fall as she got back into Marissa’s silver car and slammed the door shut behind her, resting her forehead against the steering wheel as she composed herself.
How could she have been so foolish? She had managed to land herself in a foreign country with no job prospects, and the more time that passed, the faster her savings drained. She was steps away from being totally broke and trapped illegally in Al Yibri, and she had no one but herself to blame.
Turning on the engine, she decided it was time to go home. She would apologize for leaving with such short notice and hope that her employers in Wyoming would be understanding of her stupid spontaneity. Turning onto the road, she drove to the highway ramp that would take her back toward the city. A wall of fully stopped cars met her, and she tapped the brakes as she reached the tail-end of rush hour traffic.
“Typical,” she huffed, resting her forehead against her hand as she watched for any movement.
She could try for another teaching job abroad, maybe in a country that didn’t charge so much for a work visa. There had to be somewhere else she could go and make a living for herself without being stuck in Cheyenne for the rest of her life. There simply had to be.
Yet, after spending two weeks in Al Yibri, she had grown to love the culture and people of the tiny country. She had so badly wanted to find a way to stay, but it looked like that wasn’t meant to be.
Crash!
Lily bumped her nose on the steering wheel. She hadn’t been paying attention. She’d been lost in thought as traffic had begun moving, and before her, the bumper of a very expensive-looking car was now smashed against the crushed front end of Marissa’s vehicle.
“Oh no, no no!” Lily cried, sitting in