I didn’t allow a smile to stretch across my face. I knew I had to remain cool, poised. I held my chin high, exuding confidence. Angie had her hands on the shoulders of one of her students, before he darted out to his car, leaving her behind. She swallowed sharply, showing her fear.
But moments before I arrived at the steps, she spun around, waving her finger. “Don’t come any closer,” she hissed. “I told you not to come here.”
“Hear me out,” I pleaded. “I need to talk to you. It’s important. And it’s not about my ‘love’ for you, or whatever.”
The difference in my voice was palpable. Finally, I was being genuine with her.
She spun round toward me, blinking at me with curiosity.
“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice filled with angst. She eyed my suit and shoes for the first time, really looking at the quality. “And what are you wearing?”
“I haven’t been completely honest with you,” I told her, my voice deep. “But I’m prepared to do that now. And if, at the end of it, you still want me to leave you alone, I will. But hear me out first, okay?”
Angie nodded, her expression still bemused. With a firm hand, she waved goodbye the last of the kids leaving with their parents, and then gestured for me to follow her into her classroom. I did, rolling my shoulders back and striding confidently down the hallway. On all sides, bulletin boards were decorated with animals and robots and plants, sparkling with life.
Inside her classroom, the words “Miss Peretti” were written in cursive across the blackboard. I felt a stab of longing, wanting to know more about her. But I still sensed the divide between us. She looked at me quizzically, her eyes still burning with curiosity.
“All right. What is it?” she asked, closing the door behind us. We were alone.
“Like I said,” I began, suddenly doubting myself. This was her territory. Her world. “I haven’t been completely honest with you, and I want to rectify that. In fact, I’m Sheikh Rami of Al-Jarra. My father is the ruling sheikh.”
I saw a flurry of recognition across her face. She had heard my name before, but hadn’t put the pieces of the puzzle together. After a brief nod, she shrugged questioningly.
“Then why the hell were you hanging outside my school the past week?” she asked, chuckling slightly. “Wearing street clothes?”
“You’re going to laugh,” I said, my eyebrows high. “But you were a part of an elaborate bet with my best friend.”
“Ah. So you were making fun of me,” Angie said, her voice growing hollow. “I should have known. Tell me, why don’t men ever grow up? It’s horrible. They just play game after game…”
“We weren’t making fun of you,” I said sincerely. “Seriously. It was… My friend Alim said I couldn’t get just any girl if they didn’t know that I was a man of royalty. If they didn’t see my clothes. And…” I shrugged my shoulders. “It appears he was right about you. I wasn’t able to get you. You were stronger than most. And definitely on the side of being tight-lipped.”
“Don’t insult me while you tell me this,” Angie said, her shoulders falling. She looked wounded, almost fragile. “You’re not helping your case.”
“Well, you hated me, didn’t you?” I asked. There seemed to be something of an understanding between us, although I couldn’t have placed it with words.
“Now, you have this extreme wealth. This bet,” she said, her voice quivering. “Am I just meant to forget all of what I thought about you, and give into your every whim?”
“Absolutely not.” I shook my head. “In fact, I would think less of you if you did. I want you to know that my opinion of you is incredibly high.”
“And why should I care about that?” she asked. “In fact, now that you mention it, I don’t care about you at all. Or your status. Or about your stupid bet. In fact, I’d really like you to leave my classroom as soon as possible.” She pointed toward the door. “I have a lot of work to do. And the likes of you, a man who’s been given the world, are not welcome here. Not when I have my own life to deal with.”