The Sheikh's Faux Bride - Completed

Chapter Four

Entering his office, Karif waved Tommy into his chair, while he took his, behind the desk. "Care to tell me what is really going on." Tommy looked at him unsure. "I can't help you, or your sister, if I don't know what is going on. This is what I do. I fix problems, and I am very good at what I do."

Tommy licked his lips, and lowered his eyes. "There has been some cheating going on in the school. Quite a well oiled cheating scheme actually, by the older boys, so I reported them. I mean, what is the point, if your going to cheat your way through life to get scores that aren't a true measure of who you are?" Interested, Karif waved him on to explain how he informed the education department, because he didn't trust anyone in that school system. "If you don't have money or a well to do family, you're ignored, and anyone can do whatever they like to others. The bullying in the school is bad."

"The principal said you had no friends. A bit of a loner."

"He's a jerk that struts around like peacock, and does nothing."

Karif coughed to cover a choking laugh. Just like his sister. Karif looked at him carefully, leaning back in his seat, fingers pressed against his lips. "I think you better tell your sister, and what you did was very brave. So you were set up, because of what you did."

"It was supposed to be kept hushed up."

"The question is why Mr. Claremont turned a blind eye."

"As I told sis, they are a bunch of freaks."

A smile touched his lips. "I'm sure they would say the same about you, especially if you don't fit in."

"I don't." Tommy stated. "Sis thinks she doing the best by me but..."

"You don't want to be there. Tell me Thomas what do you really want to do?"

"Build things, like the Burj Al- Arab."

"Trying to impress me," he noted.

He shrugged. "The Eiffel tower, then. Something that would be magnificent and remembered, like the Sydney Opera House."

"That was a commotion about that building. Even today some say it was a disaster. Personal, I think it is a piece of art."

Tommy's eyes lit up. "See, you get it. Sis just looks at me blankly,  smiles and nods, but she doesn't get it."

"Like a certain car," Karif grumbled. Tommy nodded. "Because we all have our own interests. Engineering or architecture. So the questions is do you want to draw or build them?"

"That car cruised. It was like, amazing." Karif arched a brow in regard. "Oh, I love to do both."

"Hmm," thoughtfully he removed a pen to tap on his desk. "No matter what you do, you have to be good at maths, even to look into this. So what is your maths like?"

"Good, best subject."

Karif eyed him closely. "You have been thinking about this for a long time, haven't you?" Tommy nodded. "Leave it in my hands, and I would talk to your sister."

Tommy stood to leave. "Could you tell her about the other thing?"

"Of course. Ask her to come in, and Thomas," he looked back. "I would have your name cleared," he promised.

With a knock at his door, Karif called enter, to have Julia entered, looking anxious. "Please sit down," he waved at the chair Tommy had just left. She crossed over to sink into, hands clasped tightly in her lap. He stood to circle the desk to lean against, crossing his arms, in front of her. "I just had a interesting conversation with Thomas." She nodded warily. "You should be very proud of that young man."