Ch 6 - Boys with Abayas

The wind was like glass through her open visor, pricking her cheeks with icy needles. Cold tears streamed down Lina’s cheeks but she didn’t care. She was on a ride of a lifetime, not even winning the lottery could compare. It was no wonder bikers risked their lives to feel even half of what was coursing through her body.
Cars careened around her and horns honked angrily, she wasn’t scared, not at all. She longed to wrap her arms lovingly around Ahmed, she wanted to feel his bikers jacket against her skin. Closing her eyes, Lina inhaled long and hard, the air pulsed around her system releasing a feeling of euphoric liberation that no drug could bring. Grappling hold of Ahmed’s shoulders she clung tightly careful not to fall off the powerful machine beneath her. “You okay?” Ahmed yelled bringing her thoughts back to the blurring road.“Yeah. This is amazing!” “Glad you could come,” he released the accelerator and the Yamaha began to slow.They were at a traffic light and the bike swerved between stationary cars to get to the front of the queue. Street lights glared from the edge of the road and headlights shone luminescent on the couple. Nervously Lina lowered her visor and the world plunged into darkness, she could barely make out the scene that lay ahead, spotlights blurred her vision and she pushed her visor back up keeping her eyes averted from the cars around her. It would do no good for them to see her smudged eyeliner, surely they would know she was a woman.The bike shuddered and launched forward letting out a roar of power. Lina felt as though she was flying, the decision which entered her mind when she first hopped on the back of the bike now solidified into a hard promise. When she returned to London she would apply to the local motorbike school for her CBT. How exhilarating would it be to roam the streets without the confines of the metal cage that was called a car? Lina felt giddy with delight at the thought of being able to control her own future, but for now she would sit content behind the man who had brought such happiness into her sheltered life. She would not forget tonight in a hurry. Ahmed mounted a pavement, throwing them both a couple of inches off the seat. Lina’s arms automatically encircled his waist squeezing him against her body.“As much as I like being held, you need to let go now,” Ahmed drawled turning the key and silencing the engine.Lina detached herself and sat up straighter, “why are we stopping?”“Coffee?” Ahmed placed both feet on solid ground.Lina took that as her cue to slide off the pillion. She discreetly hoisted up the waistband of her trousers hoping that her curvy frame wasn’t too noticeable. Although out here in the busy street, she blended right in. Her side of the road was lined with quaint cafes, some with outdoor seating and some with partitions for the women that felt brave enough to walk through the gathered men. Lina breathed out in an effort to fill her body, but there was really no need, many of the men before her had a fair chance of rivaling Kate Moss’s small waistline. Back home in London, Lina had never encountered a man so petite, it just wasn’t heard of, but here in Riyadh, there were men who were not only short, but they were almost skeletal to boot. Surveying the clientele of the biggest cafe, Lina saw smart men dressed in thobes sipping from cardboard cups. The next table down held a mixture of men, some wore casual western clothes while others wore biking gear minus the helmet. Lina reached up and adjusted her own helmet wishing she could take it off. The heat inside was beginning to make her sweat.“Um, you do realize I can’t take this thing off?” Lina sidled up against Ahmed emphasizing her helmet with a single knock of her knuckles. “Lina, we are not gay. You’ve got to keep a respectable distance.” Ahmed whispered putting half a yard between them. “Sorry,” Lina fumbled. She almost forgot she had to act like a man, this could be a challenge she’d rather not tackle. Holding her arms out on either side of her body, Lina mimicked Ahmed’s walk. She felt like a penguin. It was no good so she dropped her arms and followed him at her own pace to an empty metal chair outside a quieter café. Mazen and Fawzi hopped off their bike to join them. Throwing his feet on a nearby chair, Mazen leant back and placed both hands behind his head. “So babe, how was that?”Lina turned her attention on him, her eyes glinted with excitement, “incredible. I loved every minute of it.” “Yeah, biking is great isn’t it?” Fawzi lit up a cigarette and held up three fingers to a passing waiter. “Coffee Lina?”“Yeah right,” Ahmed shook his head. “No one else is wearing a helmet. Aren’t I attracting more attention this way?” Lina complained running a finger under the now moist foam. “Yeah, maybe. But there’s absolutely no chance you’re taking it off.” Ahmed grabbed Fawzi’s cigarettes and slid one out.“I didn’t know you smoked,” Lina cringed at her accusatory tone. She didn’t mean to sound so severe, but surprise had got the better of her. Mazen raised his eyebrows and smirked, leaning closer to hear Ahmed’s response that never came. He simply shrugged and sucked on the end of his stick.Lina stared at the checkered table cloth desperately thinking of something clever to say. Her mind remained blank, so she fiddled with her fingers twisting them on top of the table. “Ahlan Momo!” The shout came from a few tables away.“Abdul Ghafoor…” Mazen shouted back cheerfully and launched into a tirade of fluent Arabic.The boys jeered and Lina turned to look at the group of five boys all dressed in pristine white thobes sitting a few tables away. There was a flurry of activity as coffee cups were raised and chairs were scraped back.“No, no,” alarmed at the commotion, Ahmed held up a hand to warn Mazen. Lina strained her ears hoping to understand what was being said. The coffees arrived and the waiter threaded his way through the group of moving bodies to place three steaming cups of coffee in front of them. Through the resonant voices Lina heard the unmistakable sound of a sharp audible breath being taken right above her head. Puzzled she turned and found herself looking into the face of the astonished waiter whose own eyes were fixed on Lina’s hands. Slender and fair. The tips painted pink. “Shit,” Lina’s voice was barely a whisper. She had forgotten about the gloves. In a useless flash she whisked her hands off the table and shoved them between her knees that were hidden under the table.The waiter glanced up and into the open visor taking in the dark kohl and thick masara. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open revealing two stained yellowing front teeth. For a loaded few seconds neither of them moved, then as if a light had been flicked off, the waiter closed his mouth, regaining his composure and backed away hurrying into the café.“Ahmed…” Lina’s heart thudded with dread as she called to him.But he was too busy reprimanding Mazen, who was too busy greeting the bodies that were squeezing around the table. There were hugs and kisses flying through the air and suddenly a large hand was stuck out in front of Lina to shake.Ahmed grabbed that hand and steered it clear. But it was too late, a face bent down low and peered into the visor. Lina snapped it shut and prepared to flee.The previous flow of conversation that breezed around her came to a sudden stop and an unsettling silence descended. Lina opened her eyes and looked out into five sets of amused eyes.“This is Lina,” Ahmed said pulling her chair closer to his.There was a round of hello’s and cheerful nodding. Then Arabic filled her ears once more as the jaunty conversation continued.“Ahmed, we should go…” Lina leant in as close as the helmet would allow. She had an ominous feeling about the waiter and what he would do once his head cleared.“Sure, in a minute.”“I look stupid, none of you are wearing your helmets. And besides, I think the waiter…”“Ssh. Wait,” Ahmed stuck a hand up in the air.Lina blushed a furious shade of red, was he telling her to shut up? She was about to give him a piece of her mind when she heard it too.A distant wail. A siren. “Oh fuckin’hell. Now you’ve done it.” Mazen stood up and craned his neck down the busy road.Ahmed stood up too and immediately both men sat down again. “Muttawa,” Ahmed’s voice was low.Lina knew that word, it meant religious police. They were coming. “Where?” One of the men asked.Ahmed ignored him, “Lina, listen there’s a white Fortuner a few cars down. That’s the muttawa, they’re probably waiting for the police to come so they can approach us.”Lina felt the blood drain from her face.“We need to go. Now.”“But, they will see us leave…” Lina whimpered.“They can’t do anything without the police. Sure they can follow us, but we can lose them. Right, guys?” Ahmed turned to receive confirmation from his friends.Fawzi chewed on the end of his cigarette and grinned wickedly. He drew imaginary lines on the tablecloth hashing out a brief plan of escape, Lina marveled at his calm exterior when her own insides were twisting in anguish. Clearly Fawzi was the right man for the job and briefly Lina wondered if this was a regular thing for him.“Right, guys listen. On three, we break. Ready? Wahad, ithnaan, talata! Run bitches! Run!” he bellowed tipping the table in his haste to escape.