“The Daesh…” Fadiyah began, her tone hesitant.
She was referring to ISIS; it was a term that meant both the sowers of discord and also one who crushes underfoot. It was a phrase adopted by many. It was also well known that ISIS had threatened to cut the tongue out of anyone caught referring to them by the name. Because Fadiyah had used it, Jet knew that she was referring to the men who’d killed her father and attacked her.
Jet nodded patiently,, knowing this was hard for Fadiyah, but wanting her to ask what she needed to ask.
“The one that….” Her eyes looked everywhere but at Jet. She made a guttural sound in her throat and said, “Hajam.” The Arabic word for attack.
Jet nodded again, grimacing slightly thinking about what the man had been about to do when they’d gotten to the house.
Fadiyah looked directly into Jet’s eyes then. “You killed him,” she said, her tone strong.
“Yes, I did.”
“Shahidat,” Fadiyah said, saying in Arabic that she’d watched. It surprised Jet, but she simply nodded, even though the surprise reflected in her eyes. “I was happy to see him die.” Fadiyah said, her tone filled with hate, but then she looked at Jet again. “Why did you kill him?”
Jet looked back at Fadiyah looking confused. Finally, she shrugged. “He dishonored you, I couldn’t let that stand.”
Fadiyah looked back at Jet for a long moment. What she had just said sounded like something that an Iraqi man would say in reference to a woman being disgraced. She shook her head slowly, her eyes reflecting incredulity.
“What?” Jet asked softly.
“You are more honorable than anyone I have ever met,” Fadiyah said, her tone reverent.
“You mean for an American?” Jet asked her look expectant, knowing that a lot of Americans were far from honorable, especially when they were in the Middle East.
“Lal eiraqi” Fadiyah responded in Arabic, saying that Jet was more honorable than the Iraqis in her experience.
Jet looked back Fadiyah in shock, drawing in a deep breath, she blew it out, nodding in acceptance for what Fadiyah was saying. She knew that Fadiyah had just paid her an immense compliment; she just had no idea how to respond to it. She was spared having to comment by a voice booming from behind them.
“Were you ever going to answer the door?” Sebastian asked, as he walked out onto the balcony, Skyler behind him.
Jet chuckled, glancing up at them. “Sorry, didn’t hear it.”
Sebastian kneeled next to the chair Fadiyah sat in, putting out his right hand. “Marhaban,” he said, saying hello in Arabic.
Fadiyah looked surprise, but responded by taking his hand in hers, and saying, “Wa’alaykum salaam.” Which meant ‘upon you be peace.’
Sebastian then put his right hand to his chest, bowing his head slightly and closing his eyes momentarily. Fadiyah blinked in surprise, this man knew traditional Iraqi culture as well.
“Fadiyah, may I present Sebastian Bach,” Jet said, beyond happy that Sebastian had remembered Middle East culture so well. He’d immediately put Fadiyah at ease with him.
“And this,” Jet said, gesturing to Skyler, “is Skyler Boché.”
Skyler put her right hand to her heart, bowing slightly, it was the gesture that indicated respect. Jet loved her friends even more at that moment, as she saw Fadiyah’s face light up with appreciation.
“Kayf Halaak?” Skyler queried in perfectly enunciated Arabic, asking how Fadiyah was.
“Bi-khayr, al-Hamdu lillah,” Fadiyah responded, saying, ‘fine, praise God’ in Arabic.
It was a formal response, but in fact held the truth as to how Fadiyah felt at that moment. She was praising God for bringing these people to her when she’d needed them most.
“Your Arabic is excellent,” Fadiyah told both Skyler and Sebastian.
“They were both stationed here at one point,” Jet said. “Have a seat guys.”
“Is that coffee?” Sebastian asked Jet, pointing to her cup.
“Yep, Damascus blend,” Jet said, grinning.
Early on she’d discovered that Sebastian liked his coffee as strong as she did, it was one of their common bonds.
“Ohhhh…” Sebastian murmured. “Any left?”
“In the pot inside,” Jet said, grinning. “You can refill mine too. Fadiyah do you want coffee? Sky, you want some?”
“I am fine,” Fadiyah said.
“Yeah, I’ll take mine unleaded please,” Skyler said, winking at Sebastian.
“Cream, coming up,” Sebastian said, moving to stand, and turning to nod at Fadiyah before stepping back inside the room.
“He certainly understands our culture,” Fadiyah said, looking at Jet.
Jet nodded. “He was a Ranger stationed over here for about four years,” she said. “He picked up a lot of things in that time.”
Fadiyah nodded, agreeing that he seemed to have.
When Sebastian returned, he handed Jet her mug back, now full with steaming coffee. He then handed Skyler hers, and went back inside to get his cup, as well as a pitcher of cream for Skyler.
“You are my new best friend…” Skyler told him as she took the cream, adding it to her coffee.
“Yeah, that’s what they all say,” Sebastian said, grinning as he sat down.
Skyler, who had already taken a seat in a chair next to Jet’s, chuckled.
“You two check in?” Jet asked them.
“I called Devin,” Skyler told her. “She’s worried about you.”
Jet sighed shaking her head. “I’m waiting for my phone to blow up when Ash gets my message about getting shot.”
“That’s how the little woman gets…” Sebastian said, his tone teasing.
“Bite me, Baz!” Jet said, giving him a dirty look.
“Ash?” Fadiyah queried.
“Ashley,” Jet said. “She’s a… friend.”
Sebastian coughed pointedly. Jet narrowed her eyes at him. He looked back at her trying to look innocent.
“Little woman,” Fadiyah said, her tone speculative. “That is an American colloquialism for a wife, is it not?”
Jet looked surprised by her comment, and it made her realize that Fadiyah understood more than she’d imagined.
“I’m not married,” Jet said quickly.
“But Ashley is the little woman?” Fadiyah asked, confused.
“No,” Jet said, her tone patient. “Ashley is a friend, and Sebastian is now going to find his own way home to LA.” She said the last with smile at Fadiyah, but with narrowed eyes at him.
Sebastian let out a deep and rumbling laugh.
Fadiyah looked over at Sebastian. “Are you married?” she asked.
Sebastian scowled. “No,” he said, with a shake of his head. “But Sky’s getting married.”
“You are?” Fadiyah asked, smiling happily. “Happy tidings…”
Skyler grinned. “Shukraan,” she said, saying thank you in Arabic.
Then Fadiyah looked at Jet again. “But you are not married.”
“No,” Jet repeated.
Fadiyah nodded, looking like she wasn’t sure she believed Jet, but not pursuing the discussion.
Jet’s phone chimed and she opened the message.
“Oh!” Jet said, grimacing.
“What?” Skyler asked.
“She’s pulling out the middle name now,” Jet said, turning the phone to Skyler.
“Oh, yeah, that’s not good,” Skyler said.
“What did she say?” Sebastian asked, grinning.
“Uh…” Jet uttered, looking at the message. “It says ‘Jet Blue Mathews, you send me a picture of that wound right now!’ ”
“You want me to take a picture of it?” Skyler asked.
“Yeah,” Jet said, grinning. “Better or she’s really gonna yell…”
Jet pulled her shirt up to expose the wound, and Skyler took the picture for Jet to send.
Jet’s phone rang then, and Ashley’s picture and name appeared on the displa
y. Fadiyah caught a glimpse of the picture of a beautiful woman with blue eyes before Jet reached over picking up her phone. Jet moved to stand as she answered it, walking to the other side of the balcony farthest from the group.
“Hey…” Jet answered the phone, her tone soft and affectionate.
Skyler and Sebastian exchanged a look as the both saw Fadiyah tense. Skyler and Sebastian did their best to ignore the conversation, but they noted that Fadiyah watched and listened intently to everything Jet said and did while she was talking to Ashley.
Jet stood with her back to the group.
“No, I’m okay, really,” Jet was saying. She laughed then, a happy sound bowing her head for a moment. “No, I’m not lying to you, sheesh,” she said, then her voice raising slightly, but still smiling as she turned to pace slowly as she talked. “As a matter of fact, I did. Yes it was a real doctor,” she said, her tone exasperated, then laughed again, shaking her head. “You are way too suspicious, I’m going to start taking that personally…”
Fadiyah could see that Jet was very close to the person she was talking to on the phone. She also noticed the way she smiled when the other person was talking. She suspected that Ashley was a love interest for Jet.
“No, babe, it’s okay,” Jet said then, her tone warm. “If you need to head up there, go ahead… The house will be fine… No, just set the alarm, honey.” She laughed again, shaking her head. “No, they don’t need to be babysat, I promise. If they croak while I’m gone, I’ll just replant.” After a few more minutes, Fadiyah heard Jet say softly, “I miss you too.”
She hung up a few minutes later, and walked back over to where the other three sat.
“Everything okay on the home front?” Sebastian asked, his tone pointed.
Jet narrowed her eyes at him again, but nodded. “Yeah, Ash was just saying she’s gotta go up to Seattle tomorrow, she’s gotta meet with the editor.”
“I think I am going to go try that shower,” Fadiyah said, moving to stand.
Jet, Skyler and Sebastian all stood. Fadiyah looked around at all of them surprised yet again, her eyes staying on Jet and Skyler longer.
“It’s a butch thing,” Jet told Fadiyah.
“A butch thing?” Fadiyah repeated, clearly confused.
Jet grinned. “I’ll explain later.”
“Okay,” Fadiyah said, nodding.
“Let me know if that faucet gives you too much trouble, it’s kind of weird,” Jet said, knowing that Fadiyah wasn’t used to proper plumbing, but not wanting to embarrass her by saying as much.
“I will,” Fadiyah said, smiling and nodding to both Skyler and Sebastian before she went back into the hotel room.
“So…” Sebastian said, moving to sit in the chair Fadiyah had just vacated. “How’s Ashley?”
Jet gave him a sideways look. “She’s fine, thanks for asking,” she said, her tone pointedly casual.
“So how’s this going to go?” Sebastian asked, obvious ire in his tone.
“How’s what going to go?” Jet asked, raising a black eyebrow.
“You bringing Fadiyah home,” Sebastian said seriously. “How’s Ashley going to take that?”
Jet looked back at him, her eyes saying, It’s none of your business but she actually said, “She knew it was a possibility that I’d be bringing her back with me.”
“Did she?” Sebastian asked, his tone disbelieving.
“Yeah, Baz, she did,” Jet said. “What are you trying to get at here?”
Sebastian looked back at her for a long moment. “This girl is going to require a lot of your time,” he said, “and I’m just wondering where that’ll leave Ash.”
Jet heard Skyler clear her throat behind her and glanced over at her.
“You have something to say here too?” Jet asked.
Skyler held up her hands in surrender. “Stayin’ out of this,” she said simply, as she gave Sebastian a sharp look.
Jet was looking back at Sebastian. “Ashley is free to do whatever she wants, Baz,” she told him. “She’s a free agent.”
Sebastian gave a short sarcastic laugh, nodding his head, his gray-green eyes narrowed slightly.
“I think you underestimate how much Ashley cares about you, Jet,” he said.
“And I think you overestimate how much of this is your business, Baz,” Jet countered.
“Jet?” Fadiyah said from the door, her voice soft. She’d heard the way they were talking when she’d walked up to the door.
Jet’s head snapped around, and she stood. “I’ll be right back,” she said over her shoulder as she followed Fadiyah inside.
In the bathroom, Fadiyah turned to look at Jet, her abaya swinging around her feet because she’d moved so quickly.
“Why are you fighting with Sebastian?” she asked, her tone worried.
Jet smiled patiently at her. “I’m not,” she assured Fadiyah, “he’s just voicing his opinion on my love life.”
“So Ashley is your love life?” Fadiyah asked, her look furtive.
Jet blew her breath out, moving to lean against the counter in the bathroom, her hands on either side of her on the counter.
“She and I have been together…” she said, her voice trailing off. She sincerely wished she were anywhere else right now, but she didn’t want Fadiyah to think she couldn’t ask questions.
“Then you are a couple?” Fadiyah asked.
“No,” Jet said immediately, “well, yes, but… it’s complicated Fadi.”
Fadiyah nodded, looking like she was trying to understand.
“And Sebastian does not like that it is complicated?” Fadiyah asked.
“Sebastian is way more interested in Ashley than he wants to let on, and he’s pissed off that she’s with me, and not him,” Jet said, her tone sharper than she’d meant it to be.
She blew her breath out in an audible sigh, closing her eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I didn’t mean to snap at you. My shoulder is hurting and I’m wishing I had a drink right now. Take your shower. There are clothes here,” she said, pointing to the cabinet in the bathroom. “I arranged to have them send up a bunch of things, not knowing what you’d want. There is an abaya, hijab and veil in there too, if you want to do that, okay?”
Fadiyah nodded, knowing that Jet was trying to change the conversation, and willing to let her. Jet moved forward, demonstrating how to turn the shower on and adjust the temperature. She left the room then.
Out on the balcony Skyler was looking over at Sebastian.
“Are you trying to piss her off?” Skyler asked sharply.
“I’m trying to get her to fuckin’ think,” Sebastian responded.
“And you think she’s not?” Skyler asked looking surprised.
“I think she’s not worried about Ashley in this.”
“And I think you’re too worried about Ashley in this.”
Sebastian looked back at her, a frown on his lips. “I just want her to do the right thing.”
“And what do you think is the right thing, Baz?” Skyler asked.
“Ashley cares about her, Sebastian said.
“And Jet cares about Ashley,” Skyler said. “But she hasn’t promised that girl a damned thing, I guarantee it.”
“And that matters?” Sebastian asked.
“In our world, yes it does.” Skyler said, nodding.
“Your world,” Sebastian said, his tone annoyed.
“Yeah, Baz, in the lesbian world, butches don’t promise anything they don’t plan to give.”
Sebastian curled his lips, he knew it was true. Kashena was his best friend, and her word was gold. She’d always been completely above board with the women she’d dated before she’d met Sierra. Even then, she’d been agonizingly honest with Sierra. Jet definitely was like Kashena.
“You know,” Skyler said, lightening her tone, “if you’re interested in Ashley, I say go for it.”
“She’s into Jet,” Sebastian said dismissively.
“Everyone’s
into Jet.”
“Including Fadiyah,” Sebastian said, his tone warmer then.
“Yeah…” Skyler said, nodding.
By the time Jet rejoined them, Skyler and Sebastian were both standing to leave.
“We good?” Jet asked Sebastian, her look searching.
“We’re good,” Sebastian said, nodding.
“Uh… guys…” Skyler said, looking at her phone. “Have you seen your email?”
“No, why?” Sebastian asked, pulling out his phone.
“Read Midnight’s email,” Skyler said, her look shocked.
Jet and Sebastian both checked their phones, and started laughing.
“Now, that’s what I’m talking about…” Sebastian said, grinning.
After Skyler and Sebastian left, Jet sat down in the living area, turning on the TV and lazily flipping channels. She heard a sound behind her and turned, seeing Fadiyah standing in the doorway. She wore black slacks and a cream colored blouse, her hair was uncovered and down, reaching to her waist in a silky black curtain.
Jet moved to stand, turning to look at her again in awe.
“Fadi…” she said. “You look amazing…”
Fadiyah bit her lip, smiling hesitantly.
“How do you feel?” Jet asked, walking over to stand in front of the other woman, her light green eyes searching Fadiyah’s.
Fadiyah took a deep breath, blowing it out and nodding. “I feel good,” she said.
Jet nodded, smiling at her again. “You look great,” she said, her tone sincere.
Fadiyah pressed her lips together. “I was not sure if I should wear at least the hijab,” she said, her tone cautious.
“It’s up to you,” Jet said. “We’ve now got a private plane home, so you don’t have to worry about anyone really seeing you on the flight.”
“A private plane?” Fadiyah asked, her eyes wide.
“Friends in high places, babe,” Jet said, grinning.
That evening the four of them boarded Joe Sinclair’s private Gulf Stream jet for their flight home. Midnight’s email had informed them about their upgrade in accommodations. Her words had simply been, “For American heroes and our newest friend, Joe thought you should travel in style.” The email had included a picture of the sleek jet.
Jet Blue (WeHo Book 5) Page 16