Chapter 7
ISAAC
One thing that had stood out to me from the very first time I’d landed in Egypt was how old seamlessly blended with new here.
Just driving down the street was like taking a journey through time.
In some parts of the city especially, the roads themselves were too narrow for modern-day vehicles to fit comfortably and they were lined with buildings that had seen empires rise and fall.
Those very same buildings, however, suddenly had wide glass front doors and state of the art lighting.
The renovations done to some to keep them structurally sound, relevant, and inviting were mind-blowing, and that was without even mentioning the brand-new shopping malls, luxury car lots, and art galleries interspersed between them.
I’d never imagined living in one of those buildings that had seen modern amenities installed in the old stone shell. Yet somehow, thanks to some not-so-gentle encouragement from Basel, that was exactly where I’d ended up.
I stood in the middle of a sea of half-unpacked boxes in my new living room, marveling at the stunning blend of luxury and old-world architecture.
It was the kind of building I could stare at for hours, just standing still on the street, admiring the cream-colored stone and elegant balconies, the intricate wrought-iron railings and carved cornices.
Even my windows were a work of art. Long and wide, they were practically the entire wall, letting in the spectacular Egyptian summer sunlight.
There were definitely worse ways to spend a day than moving through these spacious rooms, deciding where to put what and pausing every so often to gawk at the view.
This was only my second time in Egypt. The first had been for Colin’s wedding and I hadn’t really had much time to explore, so this was my first true experience of the place.
While it was absolutely breathtaking, getting my bearings was proving to be tougher than I’d thought and the jet lag wasn’t helping. With that thought in mind, I opened a map of the city on my phone and wandered out to the balcony.
There were ancient churches and mosques, markets, palaces, and workshops within walking distance of my front door. Unbelievable.
I swept my gaze further afield, but despite the help of the map, I struggled to differentiate between the neighborhoods. Soon, it would be easy, but for now, I wasn’t high enough up or knowledgeable enough about my new, temporary home to know one thing from another just yet.
Eventually, I walked back inside and sliced open another box, wondering what the next twelve months would bring.
That was the deal I’d made with Jane—to give me a year before I made any permanent decisions.
Since she and Colin were expanding some operations to Egypt for Basel’s use anyway, this seemed like a natural next step.
Someone had to be on the ground to manage it all, and for once, it didn’t have to be one of them.
This gave my older siblings the chance to stop boarding international flights every other week.
Some might even call it a break—and both Colin and Jane desperately deserved one of those.
So here I was, stepping up while also exploring some opportunities of my own.
It was a win-win. Aside from the fact that I was currently staring into a box filled with engineering texts after already having wasted most of the afternoon inside.
The sun was starting to dip over the horizon. The light spilling in grew warmer with that golden, early evening glow, and I had the city of Cairo at my fingertips.
Yeah. I think I’ve had enough unpacking for one day.
Instantly, adrenaline shot through me like it had been injected straight into my veins, banishing the jet lag at the thought of getting to go out there with nothing and no one rushing me.
It was still hot enough that I didn’t even have to grab a jacket and people here seemed to live in flip-flops or sandals, so I shoved my feet into a pair and took off, only pausing for a second to lock the door behind me.
I hit the sidewalk enthusiastically, with the intention of seeing as much as I could before dark to get the lay of the land, but nope. Heliopolis, the neighborhood I now lived in, almost immediately demanded I slow down.
It took all of about thirty seconds before I stopped for the first time, staring into an arcade that bordered my building but I’d somehow missed before. A lively little market sat behind the building neighboring that and across the street were a spate of sleek cafes.
The scent of fresh bread and spices wafted through the air, and palm trees swayed in the slight breeze.
Down one alley I passed, kids were playing soccer while old men sat in a sidewalk tea shop crammed into the corner, watching the kids play and blowing out sweet-scented smoke from a massive glass Shisha pipe they were sharing.
It held a place of pride in the center of their table, several tubes leading from it with mouth pieces at the end. I hadn’t tried it, but maybe I would since it seemed to be central to the social culture on Egyptian streets.
A culture I fully intended on immersing myself in.
Everything here was new and different. There were so many things to see, do, and try that I would never get to experience back home and I wasn’t leaving until I’d seen, done, and tried it all.
So I kept walking, covering less than a mile in a whole hour, but eventually, the scent of breads, grilling meat, spices, vegetables, and God only knew what else reminded me that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. But that wasn’t a problem here.
There were little cafes and restaurants absolutely everywhere.
I sat down under the broad awning outside the next corner cafe I passed, barely pulling up a chair before a waiter appeared.
He grinned and offered me a menu. I took it, smiling, but then he pulled out a notepad and started explaining what I could only assume was their specials.
Unfortunately, he was doing it in rapid Arabic, so I didn’t have a clue what he was saying.
“I’m sorry, man. I?—”
His grin widened. “Ah. American.”
I nodded, surprised when he snatched the menu back and hurried inside, returning moments later with a different menu as well as a tiny cup of coffee. “This one English. I come back.”
Once he was gone again, but only after sending me another excited grin, I glanced down at the new menu, relieved to see that he’d been right. This one was all English, written in an alphabet that made sense and mercifully even offering a short description of each dish.
It looks like I chose the right restaurant for my first dinner in my new neighborhood.
Pretty eager for the adventure of ordering my first meal, I started skimming through the appetizers, but before I’d even made it to the mains, the chair across from me was yanked out and someone dropped into it without asking for permission.
It was Jasmine. I didn’t know how she’d found me, but she carried an energy—and a scent—that was unmistakable. I exhaled a slow breath before I lifted my gaze to hers, once again needing a minute to steady myself at the sight of her.
This girl was seriously bad for my health. I swear, one of these days, I really am going to have a heart attack caused by the energy she gives off.
Tonight, she wore a white sundress that made her tanned skin look like it was actually glowing in the early evening light.
Her long hair was tied up in a messy ponytail right on top of her head.
Those famous eyes were lined with dark coal and something shimmery, and maybe it was just the jet lag fucking with my head, but she looked almost… ethereal.
“What are you doing here?” she asked before I could get a word out. “In Cairo, I mean. Not at this restaurant. Just in case you were thinking about trying to be funny.”
She folded her arms on the table. Long, golden feather-shaped earrings dangled from her lobes to frame her face.
A multitude of thin golden rings and necklaces adorned her fingers and throat.
None of it did anything to make it feel less like she was a princess of old who’d somehow stumbled—or maybe strutted—straight into my life.
“Your father didn’t tell you that he offered me a job?” I asked when I finally managed to speak again.
“No, but my mother did,” she said point blank. “Why did you take it? Why agree to come here at all?”
“Uh, maybe because I wanted to?” I replied, sitting back on my chair and picking up my tiny coffee. “Have you seen the city you live in? It’s amazing. Getting to come here and not just visit, but work, is an incredible opportunity.”
“My father collects talented people like others collect stamps, Isaac,” she said, still holding my gaze like a spy who only had ninety seconds to get their point across before they would disappear into the night. “Now that you’re here, he’ll never let you go.”
I shrugged. “What makes you think I wouldn’t be okay with that?”
“I’m serious.” She huffed out a frustrated breath. “He’ll keep giving you fascinating projects and introducing you to the people who can turn them into reality. Before you even know it, he’ll be this looming presence in your life and you’ll never get out from under him.”
“Basel Saad is already a looming presence in my life, but it isn’t the problem you seem to think it is,” I said slowly. “Neither is constantly being handed fascinating projects. That’s literally the dream, Jasmine.”
“You don’t understand.” She looked so thoroughly exasperated by my lack of concern that it was becoming hard to keep a straight face, but I was touched she seemed to care so much about my fate.
“I’m trying to help you here. This is how he operates.
He goes all over, recruiting the best of the best in whatever his current area of focus is.
Right now, that’s building. Development. ”
“Unless you’re saying he’ll fire me once he gets over his current area of focus, I still don’t see the problem.” I smirked. “But thanks for calling me the best of the best. I appreciate that.”
She scoffed. “You really haven’t been listening.
He will move on eventually. That’s how GlobalStar became what it is today.
He always moves on to the next big thing, but not the teams he put in place or the people he recruited.
Every division just keeps growing. Year on year, it becomes bigger, and all those people stay. ”
I leaned forward across the table, sliding my fingers together as I held her gaze.
“I’ll be honest with you here. Everything you’re saying just makes me happier I took his offer, but if it’ll ease your mind, you should know that I asked Jane for one year.
Right now, no one expects me to make a decision until the twelve-month trial period is up, and that includes your father. ”
Strangely, she seemed genuinely relieved by that. Her shoulders lowered a little and her expression softened. I smiled, looking right into her eyes and feeling the weirdest draw to slide my hand across the table to cover hers.
“I’ll be okay, Jasmine. Seriously.” My fingers twitched a little on the table, but I managed to keep from reaching for her.
“My being here not only gives me the chance to work on some projects the likes of which I never even would have touched back home, but it also helps my family. I don’t know how much you know about our history, but if I’m here, it means neither Colin nor Jane have to be.
They can choose when they come and they desperately deserved to have that weight taken off their shoulders. ”
“So this was a selfless act?”
“No, but it wasn’t entirely selfish either. That’s why I didn’t fly back with you and your dad when you left Chicago. I told him I needed time to work everything out and he gave it to me.”
Her eyes swept from one of mine to the other, and while I was still starving, I couldn’t even bring myself to look at the menu, but I was getting pretty used to that.
I always felt this way in her presence, like I was somehow obliged to keep paying attention to her while she still was giving me hers.
Jasmine just had that thing about her that demanded the attention of whatever room she was in, but still. She was pretty argumentative.
“If he gave you that time, it was because he knew he had to so he could get his way,” she said, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder as her chin lifted just a fraction higher. “I really hope you know what you’re doing, Isaac.”
When her spine straightened a little, I sensed she was about to leave, so I just jumped in before she could move.
“Do you have any recommendations for what I should see while I still have some free time? The real work only starts in the fall, so I’ve got a few weeks to settle in and do some sightseeing, but honestly, I’m at a loss about where to start. ”
“Let me guess, the first thing on your list is the Pyramids?”
I shrugged. “I just said I didn’t really know where to start, but sure. That’s right there near the top for sure.”
She seemed strangely disappointed, huffing out yet another dramatic sigh before folding her arms over her chest. “It’s always all about the Pyramids for the tourists.
Seriously, I know they’re impressive and I get that they’re interesting, but there are so many things here that are so much better than some stone triangles. ”
“Those stone triangles are the only surviving wonder of the ancient world.”
She pursed her lips. “This entire country is a wonder of the ancient world. There’s so much to see that most people never get the opportunity to because they’re all so focused on the Pyramids.”
As I looked back at her, it occurred to me that she was definitely right. Most tourists flocked to the big attractions, and sure, the vast majority of them probably did it mostly because they only had such a limited amount of time in the country.
But me?
“Show me,” I said, leaning forward and not letting her look away this time. “Show me your Egypt, Jasmine. There’s nothing I’d like to see more.”