by Holly Rayner
“Well, I haven’t really had much time to think about it.”
Sadiq jumped to his feet and went over to the wall beneath the television. “If you won’t think it too pushy of me, I’ve already come up with a few ideas.”
Hannah simply nodded and smiled at how enthusiastic the Sheikh had suddenly become.
“I’ve downloaded some of my favorites onto my phone. Why don’t I play them for you and you can let me know what you think? No pressure or anything.”
He grabbed a remote control tablet and moments later the sounds of a classic jazz instrumental came streaming through concealed speakers. Hannah closed her eyes and sank deeper into the sofa, letting the tunes fill her up. She recognized the beats of Nina Simone’s backing band and started humming the tune out loud.
Sadiq stood across the cabin, watching as Hannah breathed the music in and softly sang along with the tune. He felt his stomach flutter and put a hand on it to try and stop it. What was that feeling? Maybe it was turbulence or he was reacting to the altitude; perhaps it was just the deep, soulful music he was hearing. He told himself it must be one of these things, but he knew better.
How could Hannah not see how incredibly talented she was? Sadiq let himself fall into the groove from across the room. Hannah’s foot tapped gently on the plush carpet and Sadiq found himself tapping his fingers on the counter. Darn, she was good. And she was so beautiful, too. He had noticed that the moment he went into the Blue Moon.
It had been a Friday, several weeks before he actually approached her. Sadiq had gotten Naasir to help him sneak away from his security detail as he so often did, and Sadiq had come across the Blue Moon.
The moment he walked in, he knew he had found the voice he wanted to take back to El-Shakanish. It was sultry, steamy and soulful, and it was coming out of one of the most beautiful women Sadiq had ever seen. He found a seat at the bar and stayed for the entire set and then for the set after, sung by a curvy black woman. But it was the first woman, that red-headed, green-eyed Venus that had touched Sadiq the way the greats had when he’d first started listening to jazz.
Now here she was, doing it again. Only this time, she was on his jet, flying with him back to his country. Sadiq had only intended to ask Hannah to come as a performer, but when she’d accepted his offer, he had felt a spark of hope that maybe, just maybe, her visit might turn into more than that.
Who was he kidding, though? In all of Sadiq’s 28 years, he had never even gotten close to having a serious relationship. His critics had always called him a rich playboy, and maybe they were right, but deep down, there was something inside him that wanted more, that yearned for meaning and substance.
When he’d heard Hannah sing that first night, when he’d seen her standing there on the stage, it stirred up emotions the like of which he had never felt before. And now he was feeling them all over again.
“Okay,” he said, breaking the spell. “How about this one?”
Hannah snapped out of her trance and sat up straight. For a moment, she had forgotten where she was, and who she was with. She wasn’t on stage singing for a crowd, she wasn’t home alone singing to her own music, she was on a jet with a sheikh. The whole thing was just so weird.
“Sure,” she said, standing up in an attempt to wake herself up. The more uncomfortable she was, the less chance she’d have of letting her guard down in front of this guy, this really hot, rich, super-nice guy. Yeah, stay uncomfortable, she thought.
They kept listening to music until Naasir brought dinner through. After three courses of sumptuous food the quality of which Hannah never would have expected could be served at 35,000 feet, they sat on the sofa and watched a movie as the sun set over Europe. Hannah tried to keep her eyes open, but the events of the day had overwhelmed her and within minutes, she was asleep at her end of the sofa.
Realizing Hannah had dozed off, Sadiq got up and tucked a blanket around her. He reached under her head, letting her warm long hair spill onto his arm as he propped a pillow up against her cheek.
Hannah stirred slightly and then settled back into sleep. Sadiq stood up and watched her, mesmerized, again feeling the strange flutter on his insides. He could have stood there all night if Naasir hadn’t come in.
“Sir, I’ve turned down your bed for you.”
“The queen?”
“No sir, the twin. I’ve turned the queen down for Miss Green, should she wake up and choose to sleep in it.”
Sadiq glanced at Hannah one more time before walking back toward the sleeping compartments. “Good man, Naasir, good man,” he said as he patted his friend on the shoulder.
“Goodnight, sir,” Naasir said, smiling.
“Goodnight, Naasir.”