Hannah giggled in spite of herself, and with her hand in his, she tiptoed barefoot across the cool marble floors and into the elevator that led to the roof. The doors opened with a swoosh a moment later, and, their hands still clasped, Hannah and Sadiq stepped out onto the rooftop terrace.
“Now this is a terrace,” said Hannah, thinking about her little fire escape at home.
She dropped Sadiq’s hand and walked to the edge, looking over the vast expanse of lawn below. The shimmering pool, the ponds and the fountain all caught the setting sun perfectly and the flowering fruit trees cast long shadows across the lush grass.
Hannah saw a clutch of tables and chairs set up under a sun sail, one of which was filled with silver serving dishes and glasses. She turned and looked at Sadiq with questioning eyes.
“Yes, that’s for us,” he said, smiling. He had shown many women the rooftop before, but none of them had acted like Hannah. She was so curious, so childlike with her enthusiasm and gratitude.
“This is amazing,” she said as he pulled her chair out for her.
The elevator doors opened again and Fatima and Maala came out. Maala pushed a large serving cart over to the table and nodded at Sadiq as Hannah took a fluffy pair of slippers from Fatima and slipped them onto her feet.
Sadiq watched with a grin as Hannah closed her eyes and opened her mouth, letting out a long groan.
“That feels soooo good,” she said slowly.
Fatima smiled up at her and then disappeared back into the elevator.
“You weren’t kidding, Sadiq; these are the most comfortable slippers ever!”
Sadiq laughed at her enjoyment.
“And you’re never getting them back!” she added.
“Nope, they’re yours to keep. Think of them as a souvenir.”
Souvenir? What’s that supposed to mean? Is this like a trip to Disney World or something? ‘Okay lady, you can come ride the ride and see the show, but all you get to take home is a pair of slippers. Oh, and a half a million dollars.’
Hannah didn’t know why she was upset about what Sadiq had said, but she felt like he was doing everything in his power to let her know that her stay here was only temporary.
Maala bustled around the table serving soup and steaming hot dishes of rice and fish, Sadiq explaining each dish as she did. When their plates were full, Maala disappeared back into the elevator and left them to eat alone.
They ate quietly, making small talk about Hannah’s in-depth tour of the palace, and what Sadiq had in store for the next day. Hannah let the rich food fill her belly and watched contentedly as the sun fell behind the mountains. The sky turned a burnt orange and the distant city lights flooded the grounds like twinkling stars floating on a desert sea.
“This is one of my favorite places,” Sadiq said as they sat back, full and satisfied.
“I can see why,” said Hannah. “It’s beautiful. The view is amazing.”
Sadiq looked over at Hannah as she watched the last of the sun dip behind the horizon. “Yes, it is.”
***
After dinner, Sadiq walked Hannah back to her room. They arrived at her door and Fatima greeted them. Sadiq leaned in and kissed Hannah on her cheek, letting his lips linger a moment longer this time. He felt the warmth of her skin against his lips and once again felt the stirring inside his stomach. He pulled back and smiled as she padded inside her room in her slippers.
Once inside, Hannah walked as if on air to the sofa and flopped down in it, looking over at the maid. “Fatima, is it customary for Sheikh’s to kiss their employees on the cheek?”
Fatima smiled coyly. “Well, I’ve worked for His Highness for a very long time, Miss Green, and to date, he has never kissed me like that.”
She winked at Hannah and then disappeared into the bedroom to turn down her sheets.
After Hannah showered, she slipped under the thick covers and closed her eyes, playing back the events of the day. He never kissed Fatima like that. So, she thought. Maybe he does think of me as more than just an employee.
NINE
The next morning, bright and early, Naasir ushered Sadiq and Hannah out of the palace doors and into the waiting limo. He drove down the long estate driveway and out into the city, passing glittering high-rises and low-lying strip plazas.
“Where are we going?” asked Hannah, curious to see what Sadiq had planned for her.
“We are going to start with the Shimab. It’s a 16th century city famous for its walled exterior. It’s been referred to as the Big Apple of El-Shakanish because it has so many tall buildings and structures. After that, we will visit Katnuk; it’s in the valley and holds the best preserved ruins in all of El-Shakanish. It’s called the Brilliant City because of the way the sun reflects off the ruins. There’s a large, ancient market there where you can find all of our country’s best delicacies. I thought that would be a good place to stop for lunch.”
“Sounds wonderful,” said Hannah.
They arrived at Shimab an hour later and parked just on the outskirts of the main artery. Sadiq escorted Hannah down some of the busier streets, pointing out famous banks, clothiers and restaurants.
“And here is one of the clubs you’ll be performing at,” Sadiq said, taking her by the hand down a long alley.
“Sadiq,” cried Hannah as she entered the cobblestone road. “This all seems a little sketchy! Are you sure we’re in the right place?”
They ran down the street and ducked under a green awning where Sadiq stopped outside of the unmarked door. “Yes, this is the right place. I told you, jazz isn’t popular in my country. It’s kind of like, how do you say it, a…subculture?”
“Oh,” Hannah said, not sure how to feel. She liked the excitement of sneaking around with Sadiq, there was no denying that, but she hadn’t expected the venues to be quite so underground.
“So, the clubs are disguised. Only people that know about them can get into them. The culture is growing though, so there will plenty of people coming to watch you perform.”