the chance she was taking. She was proud of herself for taking the risk. And above all, she was happy to be spending the next six weeks with Sadiq, her mysterious Middle-Eastern playboy.
SIX
By the time her phone went off the next morning, Hannah was already showered and ready to go. Sadiq texted her telling her that he was on his way, and should arrive at her building in about ten minutes.
Hannah stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn’t know what was appropriate to wear on a trip with a sheikh, but she was pretty sure jeans and a tee shirt would be frowned upon. She settled on a pair of tan slacks and a floral-print blouse that opened just low enough to show her neckline without being too revealing.
She looked at the stack of luggage she had piled up at the door and hoped it wouldn’t be too much. As a performer, she needed several different ensembles, and since she would be performing for six weeks, that required a lot of luggage.
She glanced at herself again and felt pleased with how she looked; smart, but still feminine. She opted to put her hair up in a tight ponytail that showed off her long, slender neck and delicate cheekbones. Hannah had never been a fan of heavy makeup when she wasn’t on stage, and normally she only ever wore a little concealer and lip gloss. Today was no exception, and she was satisfied with how she looked, whether Sadiq like it or not. She wasn’t trying to impress him; this was strictly business. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.
The buzzer rang and Hannah ran over to it a little too eagerly. “Hello,” she said into the little square box by her door.
“Good morning. I’m looking for Miss Hannah Green?” a voice that wasn’t Sadiq’s said through the speaker.
“Speaking. Who is it?”
“My name is Naasir, ma’am; I’m His Highness’ driver. I’m here to help you with your luggage.”
His Highness? Before Hannah could say anything she heard the buzzer sound again.
“Good morning, Hannah, it’s Sadiq. May we come up and help you with your bags?”
Hannah smiled at the sound of Sadiq’s voice. What a gentleman, she thought. “Sure, I’ll buzz you in.”
She pressed the button that unlocked the door to her building, cracking her front door open so that they could come in. A few moments later, she heard voices in the hall and stepped outside to see Sadiq walking towards her, alongside a smaller, older gentleman dressed in a driver’s uniform.
Sadiq’s smiling face made Hannah’s heart flip in her chest and she smiled back, forgetting for a moment that he was her new employer.
“Good morning,” she said to the men as they walked toward her.
“Hannah,” Sadiq said as they approached. “I’d like you to meet my friend Naasir.”
Naasir took off his hat and bowed slightly to Hannah. “The pleasure is all mine,” he said politely. “I’m Sadiq’s chauffeur, aide and personal assistant.”
“But the most important of all of those is friend,” said Sadiq, jabbing Naasir with his elbow. The two men smiled in a way that showed they had a deep bond with each other, despite their age difference.
“So, are you ready?” Sadiq said, looking at Hannah with childlike enthusiasm.
She wondered if he got this excited about everything he did, and smiled to herself at how infectious his mood was.
“Yeah, I think I am,” she said, feeling somehow at ease with this man who had been a stranger just 48 hours before.
“Are these your bags, ma’am?” Naasir asked, referencing the pile of luggage by the door.
“Yes,” Hannah said softly. “I hope it’s not too much.”
Naasir and Sadiq looked at each other and laughed.
“It is too much. I knew it.” Hannah said, starting to feel flustered as a wave of embarrassment crept over her.
“No, no,” Sadiq said, reaching out and touching her arm lightly as she started to grab for the bags. “It’s not that at all.”
“Well,” Hannah said, looking from Sadiq to Naasir and back again. “What is it?”
“We’ve just never seen a woman pack so lightly before!” Sadiq said, and both men erupted into laughter.
Hannah watched, mock-irritated, as they tried to compose themselves, but after a few moments she found herself joining in on their infectious laughter. She really was entering a whole new world; a place where people had drivers, money was counted in half millions, and women who packed lightly were as rare as unicorns. She couldn’t wait to see what else was in store for her.
The two men waited in the hallway with her bags as Hannah quickly walked around her tiny apartment and checked that all of her lights were off and that the windows were locked. When she was satisfied, she grabbed her purse and walked out the door, closing and locking it behind her.
Sadiq and Naasir began making their way down the hall with Hannah in the rear. As she walked behind them, she laughed at the sight of a famous sheikh carrying a nightclub singer’s bags down two flights of stairs in a Brooklyn walk-up. If only the tabloids could see him now, she thought gleefully.
The waiting limousine was much like all the others Hannah had seen on the streets of New York City—the difference with this one was that she was going to be riding in it.
Naasir set the luggage on the curb and walked over to the door, opening it for Hannah. Once she was inside, Sadiq slid in after her and closed the door behind him.
The quiet of limousine took Hannah by surprise. The normally loud streets were muted instantly, and the stillness of the cabin brought with it the reality of what was happening.
Hannah looked over at Sadiq and smiled nervously.
“Are you all right?” he asked, his body inches away from hers.
“Um, yeah, sure. I’m fine.”
Keep cool, she told herself. Hannah had a bad habit of running at the mouth when she was nervous or mad. It had gotten her in trouble many times in her youth, not to mention the scene at the Blue Moon just last night. Hannah had again let her anger rule her mouth, even though she knew better than to talk to Harvey that way. Even though he had been way out of line, he was still her boss and she needed the job at his club.
Now, sitting in the back of a limo with a very rich, handsome man, Hannah tried her best to make sure her nervousness didn’t get control of her mouth.
Sadiq smiled suspiciously. “You don’t look fine.” He paused as he realized what he’d said. “I mean, you do look fine. You look more than fine. Actually, you look,” he looked down briefly as if he were embarrassed, then their eyes met. “You look beautiful.”