Page 36 of The Sheikh's Matchmaker Bride

Chapter Twelve

"This is ludicrous, Azim," Shahid said as he tugged on the waistcoat of his formal suit. He examined himself in the mirror, seeing a sight he'd never thought he'd see.

Himself dressed up and ready to get married.

"Don't blame me, Shahid," Azim said, lounging casually on the sofa. "It wasn't my idea. It was our beloved sister. You know what Nadyah's like. She's a stickler for detail. Everything has to be done according to rules."

"I know that, but is this really necessary?" Shahid demanded.

"What Nadyah wants, Nadyah gets. You know that," Azim said, a broad grin on his face.

They were in Azim's suite. The doors to the terrace were wide open and the warm air of the late morning swept into the room. Shahid was standing in front of a mirror examining himself. He was wearing an elegant suit he hadn't worn for a while, the same one he'd worn at Zarif's wedding months before.

When he'd been asked to bring it over this morning, he'd assumed it was only a formality, perhaps just to make sure that he'd have it for tomorrow's wedding. But, it seemed that his sister had had other ideas. Shahid sighed. Was there ever a time when Nadyah didn't have other ideas, he thought acidly.

Azim stood and walked over to Shahid. "It's only a rehearsal, Shahid. You don't need to look so worried. It's not the real thing. That privilege will be mine tomorrow," Azim explained.

"I know, Azim," Shahid said. "But, why me? And Aliyah?"

"Nadyah told me it just makes sense."

"I'm sure she did," Shahid admitted sardonically. What was his sister up to? Didn't she realize she was undermining a determined effort on the part of Shahid and Aliyah to avoid one another? And now this. The whole idea smacked of manipulation, a desperate effort to force Shahid and Aliyah to be together. Was that what Nadyah really intended? Had she noticed that Shahid and Aliyah hadn't been in each other's company during the entire week leading up to the wedding?

"So, let me get this straight," Shahid said. "Nadyah wants myself and Aliyah to be your stand-ins for the wedding. At least for the rehearsal. She wants Aliyah and me to stand on that podium downstairs and run through the ceremony with the officiating staff. Is that it?" he asked giving Azim a disbelieving glance.

"You know there's usually a rehearsal. And all Lucy and I can do is observe, not participate. That's tradition."

Shahid sighed. "Tradition. Again."

"You can't get away from it, Shahid. You know how important traditional values are to our parents."

"You're saying our mother and father want this?" Shahid asked.

"Nadyah is pretty persuasive," Azim replied with a grin. "They think it's a great idea."

"And, there's no-one else who can do this?" Shahid asked, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice in spite of his best efforts.

Azim shook his head. "No-one we'd like more than you two," he said bluntly.

Even though this was going to be difficult, he knew, deep down that he would do anything to help his brother. They'd always been close, and now all their lives were changing beyond recognition, he knew the last thing he wanted to do was let Azim and Lucy down. If this was important, Shahid was willing to go through with it, even it meant putting himself in an awkward situation with Aliyah. Would he be able to stand by Aliyah's side and go through a mock wedding ceremony without feeling something, without succumbing to all the emotions he'd been trying so hard to contain these past few days? What would gazing at Aliyah as his pretend bride do to his hard-won resolve?

Azim laid a reassuring hand on Shahid's shoulder. "You'll be fine, Shahid. Lucy and I will be at the back of the room observing. That's what the official wants us to do."

"Does Aliyah know about this?" Shahid asked.

"Nadyah told me she was going to have a word with Aliyah when she arrived?" Azim replied.

Shahid gazed at himself in the mirror and wondered what Aliyah's reaction would be to being told she was going to spend some time pretending to marry Shahid?

****

Aliyah stared incredulously at Nadyah. "You want me to do what?" she demanded.

Nadyah smiled at Aliyah. "It'll only be a few minutes long." She gestured to the podium. "You'll just stand here, and the official will run through the ceremony. You know how brief it usually is," Nadyah said.

Aliyah gasped and shook her head. She started to pace nervously in front of the podium. "You want me to go through a pretend wedding ceremony with Shahid?"

Nadyah nodded casually as if it was the most natural thing to ask someone to do. Of course, she couldn't do it, Aliyah. She couldn't stand on that podium, gaze at Shahid and pretend to say wedding vows she knew in a thousand years they couldn't speak to each other in earnest. It just wasn't possible for her to do such a thing.

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