A Piece Of Her I'll Never Have

Chapter 12

 
    Stacy's POV.

        "Let me go",I said as I struggled under Aamir's grip. I was already pissed off that Jamal had made a fool out of me and Aamir following me behind to continue his pestering wasn't helping matters.
       "Calm down,Stacy. Why the hostility? I just want to talk to you."
       "Well I don't want to talk to you,unless you're willing to tell me why you and your brother are playing games with me."
        "Games?",he replied looking rather confused. "What games?"
       "Don't play dumb with me. You and your brother are testing me,he asked you to come around me and...act all...",I moved my hands in the air.
     Okay,this was probably not how I should have put it. Aamir look changed from confusion to amusement.
       "What are you saying Stacy?",he asked with a laugh.
      "Forget it,I shouldn't have said I knew your plan anyways."
       "Sweetness, Jamal and me aren't planning anything. For that we'd have to agree,which  rarely happens lately." He seemed to mutter the second part more to himself.
         "Then why are you being so...nice to me when you know I'm with your brother."
      He took my hands in his.
"Because I like you,Stacy,a lot."
       "But Jamal and I..."
   "Have no future together",he finished.
       "What do you mean by that?"
        "Jamal is the firstborn. Do you really think my father
will let him marry just anybody? He's condoling with him dating you because he thinks it's just a fling. If he finds you guys are serious he'll make sure to stop your relationship."
         Realisation hit me like a meteorite. That was why Mr. Alcatraz never commented when he saw us together, why at the party he had asked Aamir to accompany me  home. I wasn't worthy of his son and he knew I would leave his life in due time.
     "Stacy listen..."
   "Aamir,excuse me please. I need to go calm myself down."
        I walked towards the bathroom,wanting a private place where I could cry it all out.
        "Stacy!",I heard Mahi yell a few feet steps behind me.
      I got into the bathroom and sat on the floor,sobbing.
      Mahi got in too,with Sarah behind her.
      "Stacy,what's wrong?",Mahi asked,stooping in front of me.
       "J-Jamal and me... We're..."
      "Sarah,you may leave,I'll take care of her",Mahi interrupted.
       "But Stacy needs..."
   "I said she'll be fine with me. Can you just go look for something to do. I bet there's a lot of work up there."
       "Stacy,whatever the problem is,I hope you get fine soon. I'm here if you want to talk",Sarah said before leaving.
        "Why did you want her to leave?",I asked Mahi.
      "Forget her. I saw you talking to Aamir. What did he say that made you this messed up?"
       "Aamir told me my relationship with Jamal had no future. Their father will never let him marry a nobody like me."
      "Is that what he told you?"
   "Yeah,and he's right,I put the pieces together. Mr. Alcatraz will never want me for a wife to his first son. They are Arabs,their father's word is law. That means...",I shrugged.
       "My question is why would Aamir be telling you all this?"
        "He cares?",I replied, not wanting to tell Mahi Aamir said he liked me. I knew she had her eyes on him.
       "So why has he been flirting with you all this while?"
      When I didn't reply Mahi stood up to leave.
       "Mahi,wait. You know I'm not interested in Aamir."
      "But he's interested in you",she replied before walking out.
    

     Aamir's POV.

         "Jamal,there's this issue I've wanted to talk to you about",my father said over dinner. This was one of the rare times all three of us dined together. We worked in the same building but our schedules were totally different.
        "What about,father"
     "You're my eldest son and you're...how old are you again?"
       I chuckled and Jamal glared at me before replying,
"I'm twenty-nine,father"
      "At your age I was already married."
          And look here,you've been divorced for more than half his age
     I had told my father he could go ahead with his own part of the plan earlier in the day after I had spoken to Stacy. The poor girl was disheartened, but I had to do what I had to do.
      "Well,you're right,father. I'll act on it immediately",Jamal replied.
       "Really,and how do you intend going about it?"
      "Well I already have someone, all I need to do is..."
       "Who's the girl in question?"
      Jamal looked at me before replying, "Stacy Cooke"
      "You should be crazy to think I'll let you marry such a girl,Jamal."
       "What's wrong with her?"
    "Oh,nothing;but you're my first son and you need go for someone better. And I know exactly who you need."
    Jamal looked at me again.
         Calm down,bro he's not going to ask you to marry me.
     Why was my father talking to him about this in my presence in the first place.
        "And who could that be?"
    "Sophia De la Fuenté."
  I suppressed a laugh when Jamal choked.
            "What!",Jamal and I said at the same time,just so he wouldn't know I was already aware of my father's devious idea.
       "That's absurd,father. How can I marry Sophia. It's..."
       "Not only is she brilliant, well-cultured and of your social standing, marrying Sophia will also guarantee us a better grip of the company. We wouldn't need to buy their shares anymore because we would be one happy family",my father said with a sly smile.
         I looked at Jamal. Like my father he was willing to do anything for our family's business and though he didn't know it,he was much less emotional than I was. Most importantly, he always obeyed our father.
      He sighed." You're right,father but I love Stacy. I don't want to disappoint her."
      "Of course you can,son. A real man sucks up his feelings and does what he has to do.
       That's what you told yourself when you left my mother.
      "What about Sophia? We only became friends last Friday. How can that possibly lead to marriage?"
      "That's not a problem. Vincenté will be more than glad to have his daughter wed one of my sons as it'll keep his daughter in Houston and he'll be sure his shares wouldn't be lost after his death."
       "True,but Sophia doesn't strike me like the kind of girl who would accept to get married just because her father asked her to."
       "Trust me,he'll know the cards to play."
      Jamal glared at me again. "I suppose Aamir who has been much closer to Sophia than I have been can't do this because he's too much of a player to stick to one woman."
      "No,Aamir's not doing it because you're my first son and that Vincenté will find it more reassuring",my father replied. "And perhaps yes. Everyone knows who Aamir is."
     Jamal continued staring at me. I knew we'd both have this discussion in private later.