Ch 2 - Boys with Abayas

Later that night Lina was jolted out of a dreamless sleep. Something had woken her and she concentrated listening intently. There! The air conditioner was making a high pitched whining sound, she crawled out of bed and went over to it. The cool air blasted her heated cheeks, it screeched again and Lina thumped it. It silenced and the steady purring resumed as the cool air blew through the vent.

Returning to bed, Lina plumped the pillow and tried to sleep, she had to get to work soon and she didn’t want to look pasty in case he showed up. Her eyes flew open and she smiled remembering him, how she wished she had followed him and asked for his number. It was completely out of character for her to get so wound up about a guy, no one had ever come close to keeping her awake at nights, sure she had the odd boyfriend in London, but those boys weren’t serious about their relationship and neither was she. That’s why leaving London wasn’t an issue for her, there was no one there she had feelings for.The next morning, she took extra care to apply a palette of neutral makeup and secured her hijab with her favorite deep blue pin. “Ah, you look radiator, no?” Zari blew on her tea delicately.“Radiator? No, Mum, I think you mean radiant.” Lina quipped trying to contain the bubbling laughter within.“Yes yes, same to same.”Letting out a laugh, Lina grabbed her abaya from the hallway and slipped it on. Outside the sun blazed promising another scorching day and Lina looked around for the pre-booked taxi. It wasn’t there and swearing under her breath she headed back indoors to where it was cooler.“Yes, where are you?” Lina wasted no time calling the driver.“Traffic Madam,” he responded cheerfully, “I near Malik Fahd Road.”“What?” Lina gasped, she couldn’t believe how careless these drivers were. “Why didn’t you call me? I’ll be late for work!”“No, no Madam. I come five minute.”“No you won’t! You’re at least twenty minutes away! Why didn’t you call me? Oh you idiot!” Lina’s voice rose hysterically. She couldn’t be late to work so soon, it was only her third day. The driver remained quiet and Lina hung up seething with anger. She stomped off down the road in search of a taxi, by the time the familiar white car had spotted her and performed dangerously heart stopping reverse in one way traffic, Lina was soaked in sweat. Her hijab clung to her damp skull and a trickle of sweat was making its way down her back, so much for making an effort, she told herself wondering if her makeup had melted off. Inside the taxi the air was stiflingly hot and rank with a rotten meat-like stench that could only be coming from the driver. Lina peered at him and recoiled in disgust, he was a mess of long tangly hair, unshaved cheeks and unruly unkempt clothes. Using her hijab as a barrier, she inhaled her own pleasant scent in an effort not to be sick. Grateful for his erratic driving she was deposited outside the hospital within ten nail biting minutes. She knew there was a slim chance of seeing himtoday, but she couldn’t help scour the crowds for his striking smile. There was an unmistakable connection between them, it fizzled her insides every time she thought of him and she wondered if he felt it too.In between patient requests, she trawled over the electronic patient system trying to find a file for a man with the same surname as Hannan, but it was a useless and time consuming task as he might not even have the same surname as his mother, surnames didn’t work in the same way as the British system, here they took on their father’s first names instead. Giving up on the idea, she checked the date of Hanaan’s next appointment, a week from now. Would he bring her? She didn’t know if she could wait that long to find out. With each passing hour her hopes diminished, he wasn’t coming in today, and why should he? Just to see her? She laughed at her own foolishness. It was already four o’clock and time for her to sign off her shift, Lina gathered the last remaining files and rose to store them away feeling completely deflated at hoping for the impossible. Resolving to push every thought of him from her mind, she promised herself she would forget about the disarmingly handsome stranger and just get on with life like every other girl would. She pushed open the door to the file room marked PRIVATE and waited for the overhead lights to flicker on. “Hi, we must stop meeting like this,” Lina jumped at the melodious voice that breathed in her ear.A delicious thrill coursed through her veins causing the files to scatter all over the marble floor, but she didn’t care - it was him. He was here, all she had to do was turn around and smile. He towered above her by a whole head and a half and his wide shoulders almost filled the door frame. Her gaze was level with his collarbone, covered in the traditional crisp white thobe that Arab men wore. His eyes twinkled as he registered the pleasant surprise etched on her face.“I hope you don’t mind me dropping in like this? But I couldn’t stop thinking about our last meeting,” he bent down to retrieve the files.Lina crouched down next to him, her hands folded in her lap as she watched his masculine frame move with ease. His olive brown eyes were lined with thick lashes and his taut skin was smooth under his light bearded stubble that was a permanent feature. Her eyes lingered on his full smirking lips and briefly she wondered what it would be like to kiss them. “There,” he held out the stack to her.Lina blushed beet red, she hoped her features didn’t betray the tendrils of longing that were snaking through her belly. As a distraction, she focused on his long elegant hands that looked fresh from a manicure, “thanks,” her voice was low and husky. He stayed crouched next to her and Lina was vaguely aware of the passing staff surreptitiously peeking at them as they wandered by. “Is this okay?” he placed the files on her knees, somehow she had a feeling he wasn’t asking about the files.Lina nodded regardless, anything this man did was okay by her. Her hands moved to intercept the haphazardly stacked papers and they both straightened up.“What’s your name?” he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.“Um, maybe you shouldn’t close the door,” Lina cast a wary look behind him.“Maybe you shouldn’t stay in here with me,” he stepped aside allowing her to leave.She didn’t want to. Her feet stayed planted as a sly smile spread across his beautiful mouth, he knew he had her. He stepped closer and removed the checkered head piece that covered his curly brown hair.Running a hand through his styled mane he spoke softly, almost as if talking to himself, “I really don’t know what I’m doing here…”“We really shouldn’t be in here,” Lina felt she had to say something to fill the silence that followed. She could feel the sexual tension that crackled between them. She had no idea things like this happened in Riyadh, wasn’t this meant to be a land of nobility and restraint? Suddenly the automatic lights overhead extinguished plunging the room into darkness. Lina’s eyes widened and she gasped startled reaching out for something to hold onto. In an instant warm hands surrounded her waist and tugged her closer, her chest connected with a wall of solid muscle and a hand reached out and held the back of her head.She wanted to protest, but the words wouldn’t form and her heart rate made it impossible to think. The stranger’s lips searched the darkness for her, sealing her lips with a searing kiss that buckled her knees. There was a rustle of paper signaling the files landing at her feet once more, but she didn’t hear them, her breath came in ragged gasps and desire flooded through her groin as he held her tight. His mouth worked over hers forcing her to follow his alluring rhythm. She went with it, her eyes closing as a free falling sensation took over. Her head began to swim sending sweet tingly messages to the rest of her body, begging it to respond to his touch. Oh shit, what are you doing? Her subconscious reprimanded the rest of her, but her hands weren’t listening, they had knotted themselves into his rough hair pulling him towards her. He let out a soft groan and placed his own hands on each side of her waist. In one fluid movement, he lifted her off the ground and she wrapped her legs around him allowing herself to be turned around and pressed up against the door. She landed with a thump and the air was knocked out of her, she broke away from his lips and inhaled sharply.“Wait, what are we doing?” “I’m taking advantage of you, and you’re letting me.” She could hear his smile in the darkness.“You’ve got to stop,” she halfheartedly pushed on his shoulders.“Mmm,” he responded unfazed as his lips trailed along her jawline.Lina closed her eyes and gave in, this was something else. This was something new, this was something she was going to go with as long as her body begged her to.