by Holly Rayner
Hannah giggled in spite of herself, and with her hand in his, she tiptoed barefoot across the cool marble floors and into the elevator that led to the roof. The doors opened with a swoosh a moment later, and, their hands still clasped, Hannah and Sadiq stepped out onto the rooftop terrace.
“Now this is a terrace,” said Hannah, thinking about her little fire escape at home.
She dropped Sadiq’s hand and walked to the edge, looking over the vast expanse of lawn below. The shimmering pool, the ponds and the fountain all caught the setting sun perfectly and the flowering fruit trees cast long shadows across the lush grass.
Hannah saw a clutch of tables and chairs set up under a sun sail, one of which was filled with silver serving dishes and glasses. She turned and looked at Sadiq with questioning eyes.
“Yes, that’s for us,” he said, smiling. He had shown many women the rooftop before, but none of them had acted like Hannah. She was so curious, so childlike with her enthusiasm and gratitude.
“This is amazing,” she said as he pulled her chair out for her.
The elevator doors opened again and Fatima and Maala came out. Maala pushed a large serving cart over to the table and nodded at Sadiq as Hannah took a fluffy pair of slippers from Fatima and slipped them onto her feet.
Sadiq watched with a grin as Hannah closed her eyes and opened her mouth, letting out a long groan.
“That feels soooo good,” she said slowly.
Fatima smiled up at her and then disappeared back into the elevator.
“You weren’t kidding, Sadiq; these are the most comfortable slippers ever!”
Sadiq laughed at her enjoyment.
“And you’re never getting them back!” she added.
“Nope, they’re yours to keep. Think of them as a souvenir.”
Souvenir? What’s that supposed to mean? Is this like a trip to Disney World or something? ‘Okay lady, you can come ride the ride and see the show, but all you get to take home is a pair of slippers. Oh, and a half a million dollars.’
Hannah didn’t know why she was upset about what Sadiq had said, but she felt like he was doing everything in his power to let her know that her stay here was only temporary.
Maala bustled around the table serving soup and steaming hot dishes of rice and fish, Sadiq explaining each dish as she did. When their plates were full, Maala disappeared back into the elevator and left them to eat alone.
They ate quietly, making small talk about Hannah’s in-depth tour of the palace, and what Sadiq had in store for the next day. Hannah let the rich food fill her belly and watched contentedly as the sun fell behind the mountains. The sky turned a burnt orange and the distant city lights flooded the grounds like twinkling stars floating on a desert sea.
“This is one of my favorite places,” Sadiq said as they sat back, full and satisfied.
“I can see why,” said Hannah. “It’s beautiful. The view is amazing.”
Sadiq looked over at Hannah as she watched the last of the sun dip behind the horizon. “Yes, it is.”
***
After dinner, Sadiq walked Hannah back to her room. They arrived at her door and Fatima greeted them. Sadiq leaned in and kissed Hannah on her cheek, letting his lips linger a moment longer this time. He felt the warmth of her skin against his lips and once again felt the stirring inside his stomach. He pulled back and smiled as she padded inside her room in her slippers.
Once inside, Hannah walked as if on air to the sofa and flopped down in it, looking over at the maid. “Fatima, is it customary for Sheikh’s to kiss their employees on the cheek?”
Fatima smiled coyly. “Well, I’ve worked for His Highness for a very long time, Miss Green, and to date, he has never kissed me like that.”
She winked at Hannah and then disappeared into the bedroom to turn down her sheets.
After Hannah showered, she slipped under the thick covers and closed her eyes, playing back the events of the day. He never kissed Fatima like that. So, she thought. Maybe he does think of me as more than just an employee.
NINE
The next morning, bright and early, Naasir ushered Sadiq and Hannah out of the palace doors and into the waiting limo. He drove down the long estate driveway and out into the city, passing glittering high-rises and low-lying strip plazas.
“Where are we going?” asked Hannah, curious to see what Sadiq had planned for her.
“We are going to start with the Shimab. It’s a 16th century city famous for its walled exterior. It’s been referred to as the Big Apple of El-Shakanish because it has so many tall buildings and structures. After that, we will visit Katnuk; it’s in the valley and holds the best preserved ruins in all of El-Shakanish. It’s called the Brilliant City because of the way the sun reflects off the ruins. There’s a large, ancient market there where you can find all of our country’s best delicacies. I thought that would be a good place to stop for lunch.”
“Sounds wonderful,” said Hannah.
They arrived at Shimab an hour later and parked just on the outskirts of the main artery. Sadiq escorted Hannah down some of the busier streets, pointing out famous banks, clothiers and restaurants.
“And here is one of the clubs you’ll be performing at,” Sadiq said, taking her by the hand down a long alley.
“Sadiq,” cried Hannah as she entered the cobblestone road. “This all seems a little sketchy! Are you sure we’re in the right place?”
They ran down the street and ducked under a green awning where Sadiq stopped outside of the unmarked door. “Yes, this is the right place. I told you, jazz isn’t popular in my country. It’s kind of like, how do you say it, a…subculture?”
“Oh,” Hannah said, not sure how to feel. She liked the excitement of sneaking around with Sadiq, there was no denying that, but she hadn’t expected the venues to be quite so underground.
“So, the clubs are disguised. Only people that know about them can get into them. The culture is growing though, so there will plenty of people coming to watch you perform.”
Sadiq turned and buzzed the box outside the metal door. He spoke something into it and Hannah heard a loud click as the door unlocked.
“Come,” he said as he took her hand and led her inside.
Hannah walked through the door and down the stairs into a dark, smoky club. It was like something out of a movie. The floors were dark wood, polished to a fine shine, the tables covered in crisp white linen tablecloths. Small lamps were centered on each table and a velvet rope stood along the back wall, separating the standing room from the table guests.
“Wow,” Hannah said, admiring the formality of the place.
“I told you, the subculture is growing. And mostly among the wealthy.”
Hannah liked the sound of that. That usually meant better contacts and connections. Maybe, if she played her cards right, she would meet someone with ties to the recording industry when this was all over with.
Hannah watched as a dark-haired young man appeared from behind the stage.
“Raffi,” Sadiq said with a grin as he walked over to the man and slapped him on the back.
“Sadiq, good to see you, my friend.”
Sadiq introduced Hannah to Raffi and they spent a few minutes in the club talking about Hannah’s upcoming performance. After they left, Sadiq took Hannah to visit several other trendy spots in the city before they returned to the limo.
“Off to Katnuk, Naasir,” Sadiq said when they slid back into the limo.
Hannah watched as Shimab disappeared from view and they once again headed out onto the long roads along the desert.
They arrived in Katnuk thirty minutes later. Hannah stepped out of the limousine and was confronted with the fragrance of a thousand delicious foods.
“Oh my goodness! That smells so good!” she said, looking down at the market in the center of the valley.
“You just wait!”
Sadiq led her between the bustling stalls as they tried small bites of the myriad foods on offer. Hannah tast
ed flavors she had never experienced before, while Sadiq laughed at her reaction to the spicy foods of his homeland.
They walked side by side, talking and laughing, as Sadiq taught Hannah more about the history and culture of his country. As the day wore on, they found themselves outside the bazaar, walking among the ruins. They wound in and out of remnants of buildings built centuries before, coming to rest on large slabs of concrete that had once been steps down into a colosseum.
The sun began its descent behind them and as they talked, it flooded the market in the valley, lighting up the entire basin in a bath of bright gold.
“That’s spectacular!” Hannah said.
Sadiq watched the reflection of the light in her eyes and felt himself drawn even more to her. “That’s why they call it the Brilliant City,” he said, wanting to move closer to her.
“It’s a fitting name. It’s remarkable,” she said softly as she stared down at the valley.
They sat in silence awhile longer as the sun slowly disappeared behind them and the cool desert air rose up. Hannah felt the crispness of the night come over her and shivered. Sadiq saw her chill and took his jacket off and draped it over her shoulders, pulling her close to him. She was surprised at the gesture, but grateful for the warmth of his body. She knew it went against everything she had told herself—to keep her distance, to remain professional—but feeling his warm body against hers just felt so good. She closed her eyes and let herself melt into him as he tightened his grip around her.
Neither one of them said a word, but they both felt there was something happening between them; they just weren’t sure what it was and where it would lead. A while later, they got up and walked back to the car arm in arm. Naasir opened the door and nodded to Hannah as she slid inside. Then he winked at Sadiq, who scowled playfully back at him, before closing the door behind them.
Sadiq and Hannah rode home with the sunroof open, watching the night sky fill with a million stars as they sat in each other’s arms without saying a word.
TEN
The rest of the week passed by in a flurry of sight-seeing and mixed signals. Hannah and Sadiq would start each day acting casual and professional with each other and by sunset they would be holding each other close in a way that neither of them could argue was strictly employer–employee.
Hannah tried to follow Sadiq’s lead, but he didn’t seem to know what he wanted at all. One day he would be holding her tight, or brushing her hair off her face, almost as if he wanted to kiss her. The next he would keep his distance and try to joke and play all buddy-buddy. By the end of the week, Hannah had had enough.
Her first performance came just in time. She had had her fill of seeing the sights and had certainly had enough of trying to figure Sadiq out. She was ready to get back to work. The show was being held in the same club that Sadiq had taken her to in Shimab. Naasir drove Sadiq and Hannah to the city and parked in the alley just outside the covered door of the club.
“Isn’t this a bit conspicuous?” asked Hannah, knowing what Sadiq had said about jazz still being an underground subculture.
“No, it’s fine. You see, I don’t get out here.”