by Leslie North
He had not seen her for years and was not sure what kind of response to give. She stood in front of him and said, “Hello, Amir.” Her voice was calm and seductive. Sara raised her eyebrows. Soraya and Aaliyah were looking at the green-eyed woman with curiosity.
“Hello, Tariq,” she greeted him. Sara whipped her head in Tariq's direction. His face wasn't expressionless for once. He looked awkward.
“Hello,” Tariq replied. Sara narrowed her gaze at him and returned her attention to the mysterious woman.
“It has been a while,” she said to Amir. He stood up to greet her, as he kissed her on both cheeks.
“I trust you have been well?” Amir asked. She gave him a small smile.
“How have you been, Tariq?” she asked. Sara was curious and uncomfortable. This woman was beautiful and the Botros brothers were completely awkward in her presence. Of course they would be, as she was beautiful. She also spoke to them informally, which meant that she was quite familiar with them.
“He is fine,” Sara answered and stood up from the table. The woman looked down at Sara. She was much taller than she was. “I am Sara, his wife,” Sara added. The woman laughed.
“Wow, Tariq, you actually got married. Congratulations.” She crossed her arms over her chest and poked her hip out. Tariq laughed softly. “Oh my, Malik? You have changed,” she said. She walked over to them. She kissed both Tariq and Malik on both cheeks. Sara felt dismissed. The woman clearly had not gotten her point when she introduced herself as his wife.
“I have not changed that much,” Malik said with a smile.
“Who are you?” Sara could not help but be blunt. No one else was asking and the guys seemed to know her very well. The woman turned and looked at Sara.
“An old friend,” she replied. Sara was about two seconds from browbeating her or physically beating her. She was being cryptic and it was working her nerves. Sara turned and looked at Amir with a you-better-talk-now expression.
“Her name is Faiza,” Amir said. Soraya and Aaliyah continued to watch the interactions. They were as curious as Sara was. Who was she and why was she all mysterious.
Chapter 7
Faiza and Amir went inside to talk. As soon as they left, Sara marched over to Tariq with Leylah on her hip. Soraya played with her fingers. She did not have a good feeling about Faiza. She wondered what it was that she wanted to talk to him about and why it was so private.
“Who is she?” Sara asked Tariq. He sighed before he replied. He looked down at his small wife and placed his hand on her waist.
“Someone we once knew and relax, there was never anything between Faiza and me,” Tariq said.
“So, between her and Amir,” Soraya interjected. Tariq shrugged his shoulders. He was not sure what the correct response in this situation would be.
“Just how serious were they?” Sara whispered.
“Very,” Tariq whispered back. Sara sat down and kissed Leylah on the forehead. This wasn't right. Why had Faiza returned if their relationship was a thing of the past? It was weird. All Sara could do was eat and wait for Amir's return.
“What is the matter with you all?” Fiddah asked as she entered the room. Soraya looked nervous, as she continued to play with her fingers. Sara was eating but her facial expression was glum. Aaliyah had her elbow on the table and her jaw resting in her palm. Malik and Tariq were having a silent conversation.
“Hi, Fiddah,” Sara said.
“Hello, where is Amir?”
“With Faiza,” Soraya said.
“Oh, dear.”
“You know her too?” Sara asked.
“A bit. Come, I need to show you girls something,” Fiddah gestured for them to follow her. They reluctantly left. “Let me have my grandbaby,” Fiddah said to Sara with her arms out. Sara passed Leylah to Fiddah who smiled and kissed her on her cheeks.
They headed out toward a high stone wall with a gate. Fiddah opened the gate and gestured for them to go in. Soraya and Sara dropped their jaws as they entered the secluded area. It was as if they had stepped into paradise.
The green was the colour of emeralds with a fountain made of rocks in the centre that looked as it if had always been there. Cabanas lined the stone walls inviting visitors to come inside as sheer curtains billowed in the breeze.
“What is this place?” Sara asked.
“This is where Sheik Bomani and I wed,” Fiddah said.
“It's beautiful,” Soraya said.
“What was he like?” Sara asked.
“A little bit like Tariq, actually,” Fiddah laughed. “He named this city after me,” she added. They sat down in one of the cabanas. She told them about how they had met. She was twenty years old at the time and he was twenty-three and in the army. She was a volunteer in the medical clinic and he came in with a wound. Fiddah cleaned and dressed the wound for him but it was not easy. He was very stubborn and arrogant.
“Very much like Tariq,” Sara said and laughed.
Fiddah agreed with her. He had given her so much trouble before they were together but when they were together, it was good. “He always came to see me when he could. Once, he really wanted to see me, so he tried to climb up to my window in the middle of the night. He fell and scraped his arm.” The girls laughed. “It left a scar,” Fiddah said. Leylah laughed with them as if she understood what they were talking about.
“I wish I had met him,” Sara said.
“That would have been interesting,” Fiddah smiled warmly.
“He was quite a character. I miss him,” Aaliyah said. Fiddah rubbed her hand.
“Me too, dear.”
They stayed there for a while enjoying the sun and some cool beverages. Aaliyah was playing with Leylah. Soraya had been enjoying herself but her mind went back to Amir. She wondered if he was still talking with Faiza. She did not want to be one of those insecure women. She wanted to forget his past and trust him but the way Faiza behaved set her on edge. The way all the guys reacted when they saw her worried her even more. Tariq never paid attention to women, let alone allow them to kiss him on the cheek.
“Is it lunch time yet?” Sara asked. She was feeling really hungry, as if she had not eaten.
“It's 2 pm now, we can go and eat,” Fiddah said.
“I get really hungry really quickly,” Sara commented as she rubbed her stomach.
“Of course, dear, you are with child,” Fiddah laughed.
“No, well yes, but this is more than my first pregnancy,” Sara rolled to the end of the mattress and got up. Soraya and Aaliyah laughed at her. She was either lazy or her body was already too heavy for her.
The women returned to the courtyard. None of the men was present. Only Mr. and Mrs. Botros were sitting there. Mr. Botros immediately opened his arms to welcome Leylah. Aaliyah handed her to him. He kissed his granddaughter multiple times.
Fiddah asked the servants to bring some lunch. Moments later, they returned with cutlery and plates. They set the table and then brought out trays of food.
“Where is my husband?” Sara asked one of the servants.
“He went somewhere with Malik,” she replied and bowed her head. Sara thanked her before she left. If he was with Malik that meant Amir was still with Faiza. What could they still been talking about?
Sara was feeling fatigued after lunch. During her first pregnancy, she did not take afternoon naps in her first trimester. It wasn’t until the end of her second trimester that she noticed the excess fatigue. She went upstairs to take a nap.
* * * * *
Soraya was sitting in her room reading a book. A knock sounded at the door. Amir opened the door and walked into her room. Soraya closed her book and put it on the nightstand. Amir sat on the bed and kissed her on the forehead.
“How are you habibti?” he asked her.
“A little tired,” Soraya wasn't sure what to say. She wanted to ask about Faiza but she did not want to show him that she was bothered by the other woman. She wanted to trust him on his own. He leaned toward
s her and hugged her tightly. Soraya rested her head on his shoulder. He pressed a small kiss on her shoulder.
“Faiza and I used to be together,” Amir too wasn't sure how to approach the subject. Soraya pulled away and sat up.
“Figured. When?” Soraya asked. He sighed before he replied. He had known Faiza for a few years before they had started dating. When they were twenty, they became intimate, but Amir never took it seriously.
“When did you last see her?” Soraya asked.
“Three years ago,” he replied. Soraya nodded. Amir told Soraya that Faiza and he had been catching up. They had known each other most of their lives, so there was much to talk about. He did not want to make Soraya uncomfortable or insecure. It was hard to tell what she was thinking because she did not say much.
After straightening things out, Amir kissed Soraya and retired to his room. Even though he had told her that they weren’t serious, Soraya now felt more uneasy. They had known each other for most of their lives. She too had known him for years but this was different. Faiza was intimate with him. Soraya only knew Amir from a distance and through her brother. Faiza was also beautiful. Why had she come back to Amir? He said they were catching up, but Soraya felt like Faiza had a reason for showing up.
Chapter 8
Faiza was still the hot topic the next morning. Sara's curiosity, always the best of her, couldn’t wait to find out what was going on. After having her shower and getting dressed, she rushed over to Amir's room. She knocked on the door and let herself into his room. He was in the midst of getting ready. He turned quickly to see who it was. He was surprised to see Sara. She walked in holding a bowl of grapes and made herself comfortable at his desk.
“Sara, what brings you here?” Amir asked as he reached for his shirt. He was still half-dressed.
“Faiza,” Sara said and raised her eyebrows. Amir smiled as he buttoned his shirt. He was expecting her to ask and he had been waiting for her.
“Faiza and I were friends,” he told her. Sara raised her eyebrow at him. Clearly, they were more than friends. He laughed softly. He started telling Sara about Faiza. He told her how they met and the nature of their relationship. Faiza and Amir had known each other for years and yes, indeed, they were intimate.
“So, friends with benefits,” Sara concluded. Amir laughed.
“I suppose you can say that,” he replied as he gestured for the door. The two of them left his room and headed downstairs. Sara stopped halfway and grabbed his arm.
“I just remembered, I saw Faiza at the restaurant,” Sara suddenly realised that she hadn't told him about it yet.
“What? You saw her?”
“Yes, but you don't seem surprised to learn that she was there,” Sara crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him suspiciously.
“I asked her how she knew I was in town. She said she had seen me at the restaurant two days ago.”
“Oh.”
“Sara, relax, we are just friends.” They started walking again.
“She is beautiful. It’s not very easy to be friends with an attractive woman.”
Amir looked at Sara as if she had just said something in a different language. He opened his mouth to say something but she shoved him to the side before he could utter anything.
“It isn't what you are thinking. I am simply saying that men can be easily tempted,” she clarified.
“I have Soraya. That is all I need.”
Sara smiled. That was the response she was looking for. She really liked Soraya and she liked her for him. They suited each other very well. It would be sad to see them end. Sara and Amir walked into the dining room together. Everyone was already gathered at the table eating their breakfast.
“Morning, all,” Sara greeted everyone as she sat down next to Tariq. She pressed a small kiss to his lips. Leylah was sitting on his lap. She smiled when she saw her mother. Sara bent down to hug and kiss her daughter.
* * * *
Fiddah and the Botros parents had their own matters to attend to after breakfast. The rest decided to take a camel ride. Tariq had suggested it since he knew that Sara had shown interest in riding a camel.
Sara let the cool breeze caress her face. The sun was nice and warm. The air was fresh and clean. She took a deep breath and smiled. It was a beautiful day and a perfect day for riding. Neither she nor Soraya had ever been on a camel. They both looked over at the camels with such excitement. The camels were much larger up close.
Tilting her head, Sara stared at the camels. “I thought camels had two humps.”
“That’s a Bactrian camel,” Tariq replied. “These are dromedaries, or Arabian camels. They only have one.”
“Oh,” Sara replied. She couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Tariq helped Sara onto her camel. He kissed her on the forehead before he went to climb onto his. Sara felt animated and energetic. Soraya was equally excited. She could not believe that all her life she had never been on a camel. Once again, Amir was with her on another first. She liked experiencing her firsts with him. Today, she wanted to enjoy herself and forget about Faiza. It bothered her that Faiza was beautiful and knew Amir better than she did. For today, she wanted to pretend as if she had never shown up.
“Oh my gosh!” Sara called out as her camel stood up and started moving. “It's so high,” she added in a squeak.
“You all right?” Tariq asked her. She nodded at him and gave him a thumbs up.
Amir's camel was next to Soraya's as he wanted. Soraya reluctantly turned to look at him; it was creepy how he was that close to her all the time, even on a camel.
“What are you doing?” Soraya asked Amir.
“Looking at you,” Amir replied.
“Why? It's creepy.”
Amir laughed before he responded. “You're beautiful,” he said. He watched her for a while. His gaze made her shy. She tucked a hair strand behind her ear and looked away.
The six of them rode off into the desert. Miles of sand stretched before them. It was a few degrees hotter away from the city. They rode for a few miles before they stopped at an oasis. The water was the colour of turquoise and surrounded by palm trees and small shrubs. Tariq helped Sara down from her camel.
“This place is gorgeous,” she said. She had never seen anything like it.
“Does not take much to please you,” Tariq said as looked at her with fascination.
“It is a blessing, brother,” Malik said to him.
“You never did have the best of luck with women,” Amir said to Malik. He nodded in response. He really did not have good luck with females. Most of them knew that he had a great a job and was close to the Botros family. They always wanted to be with him to better themselves.
Amir took Soraya's hand and helped her down from her camel. He pulled her closer to him. She tried to protest because her brother was there. Amir pulled her even closer to him; it was as if he had not heard a single word she had said. Lucky for him, Malik was walking ahead of them. He gently rubbed his nose against hers.
“I want you,” he whispered to her.
“Not the appropriate time,” Soraya warned him quietly. He ignored her and kissed her. His tongue caressed hers. She responded to his kiss as his hands cupped her waist. The kiss was short but tantalizing and when they parted, Soraya was disoriented. She blinked a couple of times until she returned to reality. Amir laughed softly. He could tell that she was aroused. He slapped her bottom and walked off.
“Damn it, Amir,” she called out. He was always slapping her bottom. She followed him to the oasis. She stood between Sara and Tariq.
“Isn't it beautiful?” Sara asked Soraya.
“It is magnificent,” Soraya replied.
Tariq looked down at Soraya. He did not speak to her that much. It was strange, he saw her growing up and now here she was; all grown up and in a relationship with his brother. She was close to his wife. They had all come so far, well except for Amir. He walked up behind Aaliyah and pushed her towards the wate
r. She screamed as she almost fell in. She turned around with an angry face before chasing Amir.
“That is your man,” Tariq said to Soraya. She shook her head.
“He is so childish,” Soraya replied.
“He is fun and spirited,” Sara defended him. Tariq let out a laugh.