A million thoughts were going through his mind but not a single one was helping him concentrate on what he needed to. He seemed to be listening but he was far from there. The past few months had been rough to say the least, something broke inside of him when his older brother passed away and he had been feeling completely lost ever since. Hamdan never conceived the idea of Rashid not being there for him, they were only a year apart in age and the best of friends. This was going to be the first Summer without him and it all seemed pointless.
Of course he had other friends, many friends, he was hardly ever alone, and he also had a good relationship with his other brothers, but nothing could compare to the bond he shared with Rashid. He was always thinking about the good times they had together, all the memories, all the jokes, all the endurance races, all the brotherly fights and the mischievousness from when they were kids. And with Rashid's death being so sudden, at such a young age, he could not stop questioning his own life; what was he doing with it? Was he wasting time? He was always busy, yet there was this void that nothing seemed to fill. Perhaps he was looking in the wrong places.
"Hamdan?" Salem's voice brought him back to reality.
He snapped out of it to find Salem Ghadayer, general manager of his stables, looking at him and waiting for an answer.
The two men were sitting alone at the meeting room at F3 Stables. Hamdan, who despite being a Sheikh and the Crown Prince of Dubai, always asked people to call him by his name alone.
"So, who do you think is our best option?" Asked Salem one more time, pointing to the papers on the table.
Hamdan looked down at the resumes of three different riders, the stables needed to hire someone new for the upcoming endurance season, Salem had already conducted the interviews and was briefing him about the top candidates.
Hamdan's big brown eyes looked down at the papers and he blinked a couple of times before giving up.
"You know what?" He finally sighed. "I trust that you will make the right decision."
"Okay... " replied Salem, frowning his eyebrows a little. "I'll make the call then."
They both stood up and Hamdan put the F3 cap that he had set on the table back on. He was wearing a white t-shirt and his favorite pair of black sweatpants. He was used to wearing kanduras most of the time, so when he was out of those, casual as possible was always his choice.
"Make sure to let someone in charge of showing the ropes to the new rider, since you and I won't be here much for the upcoming months," instructed Hamdan.
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow," Hamdan replied. "We'll be back after a few days for some work stuff and then off again for the Royal Ascot."
"We will see each other in London for sure," Salem extended his hand to the prince. "Have a safe trip."
"Thank you," he shook his hand firmly. "Let me know if anything comes up."
Hamdan left the room and met Saeed Hilal. His most trusted bodyguard was outside, entertained with his phone.
"I'll drive," said Hamdan, asking for the car keys.
It had been a quiet day in the car. Saeed — who had been working closely with the Crown Prince for years — knew that something was bothering him and the he had not been the same lately. But the bodyguard could also tell when space and quiet was what the Sheikh needed. So he just sat there on the passenger side of the black Mercedes G Class and didn't say a word all the way back to Hamdan's Nad Al Sheba residence. When they got there Hamdan turned off the car, grabbed his phone and started checking some messages he had received during the drive.
"See you tomorrow, Saeed," he said without taking his eyes from the phone.
"Have a good night, sir," replied Saeed — who held the utmost respect for the Al Maktoum family and refused to call the Sheikh just Hamdan.
Saeed opened the door but before he could get out of the car the Prince called his name one more time.
"Yes, sir?" replied the bodyguard, turning to Hamdan, who was now looking back at him.
"Thank you."
Saeed knew exactly what that meant; it wasn't just a thank you. It was something more like — thank you for putting up with me and knowing what I need without saying it. After so many years of working together, a lot of things didn't need to be said, they knew each other, they had each other's backs. So much so, that Saeed had become more of a personal assistant rather than just a bodyguard. Saeed's gratitude towards the Prince was immense because he had been so good to him and his family so many times, and Hamdan knew that his bodyguard's loyalty was one thing he could count on.
"My pleasure, sir," nodded Saeed.
Back at the F3 Stables meeting room, Salem was still looking at the resumes and tilting his head from one side to the other trying to make a decision. He took his job very seriously and was known at the stables as a tough guy that did not like to put up with any nonsense or whining from any member of the team.
"Alright then..." he finally whispered to himself.
He grabbed his phone and started dialing a number from one of the resumes, took the phone to his ear and waited.
"Hello?" Answered a sweet voice on the other side.
"Sarah, how are you? It's Salem Ghadayer."
"Hi, Salem! I'm good, how are you?"
"Good, thank you. So, listen... I have some good news for you."
"Really?" replied Sarah, unable to hide her excitement.
"How would you like to be a part of the F3 Stables team?"
Sarah let out a little gasp that made Salem smile.
"Oh my God! Yes! I would love to!"
"Good! Then stop by tomorrow at 10 so we can work out the details."
"Thank you so much for the opportunity, Salem," she said. "I promise you won't be disappointed."
YOU ARE READING
Promise This (English Version)
Fanfiction"A strand of hair was laying over her left eye and he slowly tucked it behind her ear with his index finger. His hand kept going down to the back of her neck and he caressed her blushing cheek with his thumb. She did not seem to be cold anymore. His...
