by Emma Nichols
‘C’mon,’ Craig said, interrupting her panicked thoughts. He opened the door to the 4x4 and leapt into the driver’s seat.
2.
Ashley puffed out a deep breath, her heart still racing; placed the cake box carefully on the central seat and her rucksack into the foot-well. She climbed in, slammed the door behind her and slumped, digging frantically into her jeans pocket for her tobacco.
Craig was already belted up and slammed his foot down hard on the accelerator. The older of the company vehicles responded sluggishly, and he raised his eyebrows. ‘Darn heap o’ crap,’ he said, beeping his horn at Zack, who was overtaking them and giving them the middle finger, a broad grin plastered on his smug face. Craig huffed jovially and responded with his salute. ‘Fuckin’ kids!’
Ignoring the banter, Ashley pulled out a thin sheet of paper and tried to position the small line of tobacco down its centre. The land-cruiser bumped and shook its way along the dusty road, and she tutted as the tobacco fell to the floor. Dipping her hand deep into the pouch, she started the process again. She handed over the completed cigarette to Craig and flicked her lighter at its tip.
‘Thanks,’ he said, drawing in the smoke and blowing out rings.
She pulled out another paper and filled it, cursing as she was thrown heavily against the door. Lighting the roll-up, she drew down deeply, willing its relaxing effect to eliminate the tension that had taken up residence in her mind.
Craig eased into the rhythm of the Deir ez-Zor rush-hour, one arm swinging casually out his door window; his other hand tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel. ‘So, c’mon, what’s got ya all worked up?’ He glanced sideways for too long, and nearly back ended the taxi in front of him. Braking hard, he started laughing.
Ashley held out an arm and braced herself against the dashboard, the other reaching for the cake box, as the 4x4 lurched. ‘You need to keep your eyes on the road, bud,’ she said, sucking through her teeth, holding back on the chuckle that was trying to surface.
‘So, what ‘bout our new boss then?’ he asked, changing the subject.
Ashley winced.
‘The redhead,’ he continued, his eyes firmly on the road. She looked out the side window. ‘The new woman at breakfast! Katherine Blackwell, the new boss.’ He persisted, raising his hands and drum-rolling enthusiastically on the steering wheel.
‘I know, no need to keep fucking repeating,’ she blurted, her tone less fervent.
Craig frowned.
Katherine Blackwell. She repeated the unfamiliar name slowly, trying to reconcile the fact that the woman she had known intimately was not only their boss but also married.
‘I know her as Davidson,’ Craig continued. ‘Katherine Davidson.’
Ashley’s jaw dropped at his casual admission, and she could feel the heat instantly hit her cheeks. It hadn’t occurred to her that anyone at the base might know Kate, but of course, they were all in the oil business! Even though she hadn’t seen Kate on the rigs she had been on, paths often crossed. She and Craig had worked together on and off for the last few years. She had joined Schlumberger a year after him, and they had become good friends since. It was entirely plausible other engineers would know Kate Davidson or Katherine Blackwell. ‘Where do you know her from?’ she asked, her curiosity piqued.
‘Houston,’ he said. ‘We worked together for a bit. She was on some kinda temporary reassignment, ‘n’ then went fast-track-management. Not sure what happened after that. It was short but real, real sweet.’ His mouth twitched, and he sucked noisily on his upper lip.
Ashley clenched her teeth, and her face flared, but not for the reasons that he might have surmised. Her legs tensed in the seat, just as the 4x4 bounced, but it didn’t stop her banging her head against the metal back-bar. ‘Fuck,’ she shouted.
‘What?’ Craig asked, in a voice close to falsetto. ‘She’s hot,’ he added, with a shrug of his shoulders. ‘Can’t blame a guy,’ he continued, oblivious to Ashley’s discomfort, grinning at his recollections.
Ashley took a long drag on the cigarette, before throwing the last of it out the window. She was trying to process Craig’s confession while fighting the pressure in her chest that was making it hard for her to breathe. Fuck, Fuck, Fuck! This was officially the worst day in hell. She cleared her throat and tried to control the spinning sensation consuming her head. ‘Right,’ was all that she could say, through clenched teeth.
‘What, you don’t think she’s hot?’ Craig persisted, totally unaware the impact his revelation was having on his buddy. He started to whistle, chirpily.
‘Fuck off, Craig.’ Ashley spat out the words, causing him to turn sharply and face her.
‘Seriously, Ash! What ya hissy fittin’ ‘bout?’ He flicked the last of his roll-up out the window and turned his attention to the road, muttering incomprehensibly. He switched on the radio and cranked up the volume, the noise penetrating the silence that hung heavily between them.
Ashley breathed out deeply, her eyes set on the Deir ez-Zor suspension bridge in the near distance, her body rocking with the bouncing of the vehicle. ‘Sorry,’ she shouted, over the music. She flicked her hair behind her ear, pinched the bridge of her nose, and squeezed at her tear ducts. She watched the side of his head and followed the line of his jaw, and his rugged stubbly chin, as his mouth moved with the words of the song playing on the radio. Betrayal burned in her chest. She needed space. Thinking of him with Kate, the woman she had fallen in love with, touched something deep inside, something very uncomfortable, something lingering. Was she still in love with Kate? She breathed in deeply and rubbed at the tears that had started down her cheeks. She needed to get to work, and quickly.
Craig pulled the vehicle to a sudden halt. ‘Ya okay?’ he asked. The compassion in his tone didn’t go unnoticed, and Ashley put on a brave smile.
‘I’m okay,’ she said. ‘Just don’t like the feeling of getting older,’ she added, deflecting the conversation from her real concerns.
‘Ah huh,’ he said, unconvinced.
She avoided his gaze. ‘Got a card from my parents,’ she added, continuing to stare vacantly.
‘Ah huh,’ he said nodding. He reached across and punched her affectionately on the arm. ‘Damn, that sucks, babe!’ he said.
‘It’s okay. I’ll send it back. They’ll get the message eventually,’ she said, tilting her head.
‘Shoot!’ He paused. ‘We need a few drinks later t’ celebrate,’ he said, in a more upbeat tone. ‘You be at my place at eight, got it?’ There was no question in his tone.
‘Sure,’ she said, rubbing her arm, a tight smile on her face. ‘I’m good, honest. Come on; we’ve got kit to pressure test before it needs to go to the rig.’ She pointed at the road to direct Craig’s attention.
‘Ah huh, ain’t that a fact,’ he said with a tilt of his head and a slight smile. There was a loud crunching sound as he rammed the stick into first gear. He slammed his foot on the accelerator, bouncing them both up and down in their seats as the 4x4 pitched forward, leaving a trail of dust in its wake. It wasn’t long before the base came into view - a series of portacabin structures of varying sizes - encased in a giant wave of heat emerging from the desert sand. ‘Gonna be hot as hell today,’ he remarked.
‘Yep,’ she responded, but she was still thinking about Kate. She hadn’t realised her ex was bi when they were together at Imperial College. The year that had ended, for her, with her heart broken. Seeing the redhead again at breakfast had brought back a strong sense of desire. Her mouth dried and she tried to swallow. Kate had clearly moved on, if she had ever been into her in the first place? Ashley’s chest constricted, and she pushed the unwelcome thought to the back of her mind. She had work to do, and that, thankfully, would require her full attention.
*
Niomi placed the large tray of lamb kebabs in tomato sauce onto the middle shelf of the oven. ‘What are you making those for?’ she asked abruptly, wiping at her forehead.
Iman was wo
rking in a dreamlike state, delicately folding the semolina dough around the homemade sweet walnut paste. Her soft features twitched at the unexpected challenge. Craig had asked if she would prepare something for Ash’s birthday party and she had agreed willingly. But, it was supposed to be a surprise, so she hadn’t involved Niomi, instead, leaving her to get on with preparing the kebabs and vegetables for the restaurant’s evening meal. ‘It’s for a birthday party for Ash,’ she said, wanting to keep the conversation short.
Niomi huffed at the mention of the engineer’s name, rolled her eyes and slammed the oven door. Iman always seemed too joyful and enthusiastic when talking about Ash, in a way that she had never been about Rifat. Yet, Rifat was a good-looking man and a wealthy one too. He had been very keen to date Iman, but she had always been distant with him. ‘How is Rifat?’ she asked, forcing Iman’s attention away from the engineer.
Iman ignored the question, lost in the softness of the dough playing through her fingers. She had only ever agreed to chaperone Niomi and Joram for trips and meals so that the young couple could go out together. Rifat, Joram’s brother, had joined the three of them occasionally for reasons she didn’t care to understand. And she certainly hadn’t ever considered herself to be on a date with him. More to the point, she hadn’t seen Rifat for a long time now, and she knew Niomi knew that too. Her heart dulled with the image of Rifat that was now planted in her mind and she cursed Niomi for invading her reverie. Yes, he was a good man with an excellent job. But, she wanted someone who made her heart sing. ‘I don’t know how Rifat is,’ she said, finally answering the question. ‘And, you know he’s not the one for me,’ she added, glaring at her friend. She felt a strong urge to close the conversation. She didn’t want to think about Rifat. Not now. Not ever.
‘You never know,’ Niomi continued, in a more jovial tone, poking Iman on the arm, taunting her.
Iman forced a smile, but Niomi’s young mind was too lost in its world of deep romance to notice. ‘Just because you’ve found love already,’ Iman said, steering the conversation to the more comfortable topic of her friend’s love life.
Niomi floated around the kitchen, consumed by her dream world. She was in love, but not with Joram. Not anymore. Iman didn’t know that though, and she hadn’t worked out how to tell her yet either. Heat flushed her face as Zack’s deep blue eyes and short dark hair entered her mind’s eye, sending a trail of goose bumps down her spine. She played with the towel in her hands as the prohibited thought caused a wave of confusing sensations to pass through her. If her parents found out that she had strong feelings for Zack she could be ostracised. Embarrassed at the idea of bringing her family into disrepute, she cleared her throat to shake off the thought. She pulled out a bag of onions and started cutting one into thin slices. ‘Ouch!’ She dropped the knife with a clang and pressed her apron to her finger.
Iman looked up from the workbench. ‘You okay?’ she asked, holding back a snigger. A small nick on the finger was an everyday occurrence in their job.
‘Fine.’ Niomi responded curtly, heading for the plasters.
Iman continued to manipulate the dough into triangle shaped cakes. No matter how much she tried to think of Rifat that way, it just felt wrong. She sighed and her pace of working slowed. What if she never found someone to make her feel that way? Or worse still, what if she found someone who didn’t feel that way about her? She finished preparing the sweet cakes, adding her touch of crushed pistachios on the top, and wiped her hands on the apron hanging from her waist. She moved the completed tray to the side and pulled out a jar of flour to start on the pastry. As she began to work the butter into the dry mixture, an image of Ash’s brightly coloured birthday cake came to mind, and she smiled. Making the cake had given her such pleasure. She blushed, disconcerted by the fluttering sensation in her stomach that rippled throughout her body. She shook the image from her mind and concentrated on working up the dough in her hands.
Niomi noticed the shift in colour in her friend’s cheeks and the soft smile on her lips. ‘See, you like him! You’re hot for him,’ she mocked.
Iman’s cheeks burned, and she stopped working. Excusing herself, she walked calmly out of the kitchen and into the adjoining restroom. She stood, staring into the smeary mirror, waiting for her heart to settle in her chest. What is wrong with me?
*
Katherine yawned and stretched, her eyes scanning the L-shaped first-floor room; from the oak-style writing desk to the matching coffee table in front of the dark-brown leather two-seater sofa; from the king-sized bed with its coffee and chocolate coloured duvet, to the small box-shaped television which sat on a cabinet. She hated having a tv in her bedroom, and this room wasn’t styled in her colours either, but the expat houses were set up like any other hotel room in which she had stayed. It was clean enough, austere, with whitewashed walls and small square windows that let in the light, and too much heat. She switched on the air conditioning.
She yawned again, fatigue rapidly catching up with her. The early flight in and a shift in the time zone were taking effect, and she would also need time to adjust to the persistent heat. She nodded to herself. Declining the birthday party had been the right decision, and not just for the reason that she was exhausted!
Wiping the sweat that was cooling on her forehead, she sought out the en-suite bathroom, contemplated skipping supper and grabbing an early night. Maybe she would explore the downstairs kitchen for food. The large garden and house’s private swimming pool would have to wait until tomorrow.
She stared out the small window and sighed. Ashley Roberts. She had seen the organisation chart before she took the job of course. Their paths crossing had been inevitable. But, she hadn’t expected the rush of heat and quivering in her stomach that had made breakfast impossible to swallow. She hadn’t expected her heart to thump through her chest. The feeling had been even more disturbing than when she had briefed a group of cynical engineers in her first role after leaving the management school. She hadn’t expected her heart to flutter, or the sharp pain that pricked at her awareness. She fiddled with the indentation at the base of her ring finger. So much has happened. She sighed.
Stepping into the shower, she turned the knob. Nothing. Shit! She stepped out of the shower and tried the sink taps. Nothing. Throwing on her jeans and t-shirt, she headed downstairs to the kitchen. No water there either. Looking under the kitchen sink, she turned what seemed like the mains stopcock. Nothing. She stood and ruffled her hair, irritation flaring in her chest. She ran back up the stairs, grabbed her bag and headed for the hotel.
‘We need to put you in another house tonight.’ Lars Eriksen said into the phone. ‘The manager can’t get a plumber out until tomorrow, and they have no idea what the problem might be. I’m so sorry Katherine, this shouldn’t have happened. The hotel is already full otherwise I’d suggest that you stay there. Ashley’s house has a spare room, so you’ll be in good company.’
Kate gulped into the crackling line. ‘I’m sure we will be fine,’ she said.
‘The hotel has a spare key,’ he added. ‘Can you give Ashley my apology, please? Your place should have been checked, and we shouldn’t be in this position,’ he continued, muttering crossly at the apparent incompetence. As the company’s country manager he had more important issues to worry about than dealing with routine administration.
Kate shuddered. ‘Sure.’
‘Kate.’
‘Yes.’
‘Thank you. I can assure you; we’ll have you in your place as soon as possible,’ he added, apologetically.
‘Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow.’ She turned, returned the handset, and took in a deep breath. The receptionist was holding out the key with an apologetic smile on his face. ‘Is there anywhere I can get a drink?’ she asked.
‘Yes, there is a bar to the right. There’s a breath-taking view from the terrace, out over the desert.’ He smiled warmly and indicated towards the back of the hotel. ‘Your drinks this evening will be on the comp
any,’ he added.
‘Thanks.’ she responded with a tired smile. I so need that drink!
3.
Ashley ambled down the dusty street to the fifth of the nine detached properties that housed the expat staff working for Schlumberger. Although refreshed from lazing in the pool since returning from the base, and the long cool shower and brief nap that followed, the late evening heat still left a light sheen on her skin. The sun, descending over the horizon, firing red flames from the white ball at its centre and creating shades of purple where it merged with the darkness, attracted her attention.
Adhan, the call to prayer, started and she stood still. Chanting voices drifted across the night sky and echoed around the houses, as the minarets throughout the city joined together, their tones blending effortlessly, drawing in their people. Ashley’s thoughts silenced, compelled to listen and moved by the haunting resonance that consumed the space around her. The voices eventually faded, then stopped.
She glanced around, suddenly. Kate! Curiosity piqued, she wondered what Kate might be doing. She hadn’t seen her at the base all day, and that thought should have brought a sense of light relief. It didn’t. She glanced towards the manager’s house, but there weren’t any lights on. Her eyes drifted to the windows of the rooms inside the hotel, drawn to the slightest movement, the rising intensity serving only to heighten the anxiety nestling in her stomach. The last thing she felt ready for was bumping into Kate. Some birthday treat that would be!