Sands of Redemption

12

Georgia woke the next morning to blazing sunlight. Alone in Qasim's bed, Georgia reached over for her purse on the bedside table and pulled out her phone. She flopped back onto the pillow with a groan—eleven o'clock. Class was in two hours. She rolled off the bed, gritting her teeth against the pounding in her temples. Holding her head, she entered the bathroom and got changed.

'Goddamn it,' she said, trying to smooth the crinkles in her dress.

Georgia stood before the mirror, trying her best to look more dignified than a one night stand. She wondered briefly where her abaya might be before remembering she had left it in the limo.

Georgia shook her head. Now everyone would see what she had been up to. Leaning over the sink, she tried to remove her smudged mascara from beneath her eyes but soon gave up with a sigh. Hurrying back into the bedroom, she picked up her purse. She had to get back as soon as possible, and to hell what people thought.

Downstairs was a far different scene from last night: everyone was gone; the furniture pushed back into place, everything cleaned; the carpet vacuumed. It was as though Ali's party had never been.

A maid crossed the room, dusting.

'Um—mam? Mam?' The woman turned. She looked African: an older woman, long colourful dress, scarf tied in a knot at the back of her head. 'Can you help me? I need a taxi.'

The woman looked her up and down, her eyes wide. She said something Georgia couldn't understand, then continued with her dusting.

'Mam?' Georgia said again, but the woman was dusting furiously.

Georgia sighed, turned, and saw the man from last night who had opened the door to the Bentley, again dressed in his snappy brown uniform and white gloves. He was standing in the corner of the room, arms folded as he calmly watched her desperation.

'Miss Georgia, it's nice to see you again.' He smirked at her approach. 'I trust your stay was more than satisfactory?'

Georgia jerked back like she'd been slapped. She stared at him, unable to speak.

'How may I be of service to you?' he asked, a sneer curling his upper lip.

'I-I need a cab home.'

*

Georgia would have liked to have crept unnoticed back into the hostel but it was rarely possible with someone always manning reception. Today it was Hana. Expecting to be pulled aside to talk about her classes, Georgia was surprised when she didn't react at all. Instead, Hana stared right through her as though she didn't exist. There was no smile, there was no greeting, there was no comment about the poor state Georgia was in. It was so unlike her that Georgia wondered whether she was sick.

Georgia climbed the stairs and hurried to her bedroom but not before a lewd whistle followed her down the hall.

It was Daniel, and he was grinning stupidly.

'Shut the fuck up!' Georgia shouted.

Safely back in her room, Georgia was about to change for her class when there came a knock at the door.

'Who is it?'

'It's me,' Bianca said.

'Oh, come in.'

'So, what have you been up to?' Bianca entered, closing the door behind her. She leant against it, arms folded, a knowing smile on her face as she took in Georgia's dishevelled appearance. 'Had a fun night?'

'I don't want to talk about it.'

She looked down at Georgia's hand, and her eyes widened. 'What's on your wrist?'