Page 1 of Sheikh's Accidental Pregnancy

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Sara arrived for her interview at the Botros Oil Company a few minutes early. When she applied for the job as assistant to one of the executives, she never thought she’d get called in for an interview. She was fresh out of university with not much work experience, and the Botros Oil Company was one of the best in the Middle East.

Sara twisted her fingers together as she waited outside Sheikh Amir Botros’s office. The space was clean and classy. The sofa she sat on was black leather, and the receptionist’s desk was gleaming black wood and glass. She ran through her answers to common interview questions in her head. “Tell me about a time when…” and, “Where do you see yourself in five years…” and the one that should be the easiest but was really the hardest, “Tell me a little bit about yourself.” Ugh. She hated job interviews.

The receptionist’s phone rang, and a moment later, she looked over to Sara. “Miss Matthews?” Sara looked up. “Sheikh Amir will see you now.”

Sara stood up, straightened her skirt, and walked into the office. Sheikh Amir was sitting at his desk, and she stretched out her hand for him to shake as she approached.

“Please have a seat, Miss Matthews,” he said after he shook her hand. His voice was calm and soft. She knew he was young—only twenty-eight—but his quick smile made him look even younger, perhaps her own age. “I’m Amir Botros. Delighted to meet you.”

Sara took the chair on the right. It was black leather, like the couch in the reception area. She tried not to look around too much. She knew she’d just be intimidated by the size and luxury of his office.

She was still a little stunned to be here. She’d originally applied for a junior engineer position, then on a whim, she’d thrown her hat in the ring for this one, too, never expecting to be called for an interview. Surely a company of such high status would hire someone more qualified to be assistant to the vice president, someone with two degrees and tons of experience. Up until a couple weeks ago, she’d never left the United Kingdom.

“Great that you could join us today,” Amir said.

“Thanks for the invitation.” Sara sat upright, fighting her natural inclination to slouch. Her mother’s voice sounded in her head, reminding her to keep her knees together.

They exchanged a few more pleasantries—what did she think of the country, where her accent was from—but before they could get down to the real interview, the sheikh’s phone rang.

“Excuse me for one minute. I have to take this.” He picked up the receiver and exchanged a few words with whoever was on the other end of the line. When he hung up again, his gaze had changed. He looked at her speculatively, rather than with the friendliness of a moment before.

“Not bad news, I hope,” Sara said, hoping to get their interview back on track.

“Not at all. But I’m going to have to have my new assistant in place much sooner than expected. We’re very careful about who we interview, so your background check is already done. Can you start next week?”

“What?” Was this a trick? She stared at him blankly for a long minute, too stunned to speak. And honestly, she was a little annoyed that all her interview prep had been for nothing.

Sheikh Amir’s smile was almost a smirk. “I am too impulsive, according to my brother.”

“But I have no experience…yet,” Sara ventured.

“You have the academic credentials, and you’re here. The rest will come with experience. I need someone in place before my brother returns from his business trip, and he’s coming home early. So you’re my only option at the moment.”

Sara narrowed her eyes. “So I’m hired?”

“Precisely,” Amir said and rose from his desk. “I’ll see you Sunday morning at eight a.m. sharp,” he added as he buttoned his suit jacket.

“Sunday?”

“This is a Muslim-majority country. Our week runs Sunday through Thursday. Friday is our holy day.”

“Right. Eight o’clock on Sunday.” Sara couldn’t function before ten on a good day, but if she was going to take a position in a corporate environment, she was going to have to adapt. “Thank you, sir. I’ll be here.”

“Excellent.” Amir handed her two thick files. “Some light reading for the weekend.” He grinned and then walked out.

“Thank you,” she called out after him. She looked down at the thick files and shuddered. Light reading? Must be his way of being funny, Sara thought, even though she didn’t see the humor in it. The receptionist reappeared at the door.

“Excuse me,” Sara said to her.

“You are confused about the files?” the woman asked, smiling sympathetically.

Sara nodded, unsure what to say.

“Sheikh Amir wants you to read about the company and familiarize yourself with our current projects and five-year plan.”

“Okay, but how did he hire me so easily?”

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