Cupid's Queue

Chapter 5

Walking over to the kitchen table, Hannah grumbled, "Let's eat. Not a word Miks," as she dropped into the chair and crossed her arms.

Damien and Mikayla did their best to hold in a laugh as they sat on the opposite side. They could not help but watch the exchange between Hannah and Tariq with fascination. The chemistry between the pair was undeniable, even though it was obvious that they were trying to hide it.

Hannah would have left the penthouse right there and then, but she knew that Mikayla would not have allowed it. Especially as tomorrow was a Bank Holiday and she had already promised to spend the night in order to go over some stuff concerning the wedding.

Taking a deep breath, Hannah tried to calm her nerves. She was always in control of her emotions and would not allow herself to be rattled. However, as she felt Tariq sit next to her, she could not help but stiffen slightly. Straightening her back, she did her best to ignore the heat radiating from his body as they all began to eat.

"This tastes amazing Mikayla! Damien wasn't kidding when he said that you were a great cook," Tariq complimented and then said, "I am honoured that you went through the trouble to prepare one of my favourite Qatari dishes."

Smiling, she replied, "It was no trouble at all, Damien and Hannah helped as well."

"Really? No kidding!" Tariq responded.

Raising her left eyebrow slightly, Hannah asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Damien choked slightly as he tried to stifle another laugh. Mikayla opened her eyes wide as she looked at Hannah, not entirely surprised by her rudeness, but astounded nonetheless.

Clearing his throat, Tariq took a sip of water, "I meant no offense Hannah."

Her blue eyes narrowed slightly, hinting at her disbelief. She held her tongue, not wanting Mikayla's eyes to fall out of her head, as she knew that she was being overly uncouth on purpose. As everyone resumed eating, Tariq reached across the table in order to get himself another helping.

Taking the opportunity, he leaned into Hannah a bit and whispered, "Nice to know that you're feisty during the day as well."

Without letting her face give away anything, Hannah discreetly used her free hand to pinch the side of his upper arm as she softly hissed, "You're sexier when you talk less."

He grunted in pain softly, causing Damien and Mikayla to look over at them with questioning faces. Tariq could not help but grin as he kept eating while idly chatting with the others. After dessert was served, they all remained at the table where the conversation continued to flow.

"How do you two know each other? Didn't you just get in today?" Damien asked.

A nervous chuckle escaped Tariq as he replied, "Yea... about that, I might have come in on Friday."

"Friday? And I'm now hearing about this? What have you been up to?" Damien's eyes lit up mischievously.

Mikayla gave Hannah a teasing look knowing exactly what Tariq had been up to. Hannah's face implored her to keep quiet, before she chugged another piece of Luqaimat into her mouth.

"Well as you know, I was thinking it would easier for me to be closer for a few weeks. To aid with some of the more important parts of the wedding preparations. It would be much more convenient than having to fly back and forth. So, I took my father up on his offer to reside at the London office for a bit to help with some of the ongoing projects. They needed me to come in on Friday for a meeting, so I figured landing two days early wasn't a problem. I remember you said you wouldn't return until Saturday yourself so I didn't bother to check in." he said.