I'm in so much trouble.
Sarah kept moving her foot nervously as she rode on the back seat of the black Audi A8 Hamdan had sent out to pick her up. Seeing Saeed Hilal's friendly face as she came down from her apartment was a relief, but when he looked over his shoulder from the passenger seat to say that they were almost there, her anxiety climbed up again. She glanced at the driver, wondering if he was some sort of robot. He barely nodded back at her greeting when she got in the car, he had not spoken one word since then and even though it was night time and the windows were dark, he was wearing sunglasses.
She looked down at her outfit and smoothed out the silky fabric. After putting on quite a fashion show for Tom via Skype, they opted for a black, long dress she got at a little boutique she and her mom found in Cartagena. It had a round neck, short sleeves and embroidery flowers from the left shoulder down to the length of the right knee. She matched it with a thin belt around her waist, which accentuated her figure, and a peach colored clutch. Her hair was done in a soft braided updo with a few loose strands.
From the main road in the heart of Nad Al Sheba, the car took a detour into a street that would have gone unnoticed to most people given the dense foliage around the entrance. The deserted road was flanked by perfectly landscaped gardens and signs warning about security cameras recording and prohibiting pictures.
Sarah peeked in between the two front seats and saw massive tall gates with security booths and armed guards on each side of those. The car barely made a stop, since the gates started to open before they got to them. Once inside, Sarah looked both ways and saw endless green gardens when suddenly, something jumped quickly and ran into the darkness before she could figure out what it was.
"What is that?" She asked.
"Probably a gazelle, ma'am." Saeed replied.
Gazelles? Wow.
"Please Saeed, you can call me Sarah."
"That is one thing I can not do for you, ma'am."
She shook her head and her smile turned into a dropped jaw when she got the first glimpse of Hamdan's home. It was not what she expected, at all. It looked like the traditional homes she had seen in Old Dubai many times, but taken to a much larger scale. Thick walls gave the entire place the characteristic earthy tones of the adobe they were built with, topped by several wind towers that surely kept the interiors cool despite the high temperatures outside.
They stopped at the main entrance and Saeed got out of the car to get Sarah's door.
"Welcome." He smiled as she stepped out.
She took a deep breath as Saeed walked in front of her to open the main door. First thing she saw when she walked in was Hamdan, waiting for her in a white kandura and headscarf wrapped around his head. He was standing in front of a round table in the middle of the foyer, which was surrounded by the double staircase. Over the table, that could seat about ten people, was a sumptuous flower arrangement that Sarah thought was probably taller than her.
She saw Hamdan's eyes glint with delight as they met hers. "Thank you, Saeed," he said without removing his stare from her.
Her heartbeat went up to her ears as she heard the door close behind her.
"Hi." She beamed, tightening the clutch in her hands.
He stepped closer but she noticed he was hesitant about how to greet her so she closed the space between them, leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. He kissed her back and she breathed in his now familiar smell.
I still have to return his hoodie.
"Thank you for coming," he said when they were back face to face.
YOU ARE READING
Promise This (English Version)
Fanfiction"A strand of hair was laying over her left eye and he slowly tucked it behind her ear with his index finger. His hand kept going down to the back of her neck and he caressed her blushing cheek with his thumb. She did not seem to be cold anymore. His...
