Hannah looked at him, surprised. “What? You’re not coming up with me?”
Naasir shook his head. “No, ma’am. I am not. Now go, enjoy yourself.”
He scooted Hannah into the waiting elevator and smiled kindly as the doors closed, leaving her alone with her nervous thoughts. When the doors opened again, Hannah stepped out into the evening air and looked at the scene waiting for her.
The table they had eaten at before had been transformed into something out of a romantic movie. Tea lights hung from the large sun shade, making the underside twinkle in the light breeze. The table was covered in a royal blue cloth and sparkling silver and white place settings. Two large glasses filled with bubbling ginger ale sat next to their plates. And standing to the side, wearing tailored suit pants and a fitted dress shirt, open at the collar, was a smiling and adorably handsome Sadiq.
“Welcome to your end-of-tour dinner,” he said, with a smile on his face.
Hannah held her hands to her mouth in shock as she walked over to the table. Her skirt flitted around her knees and the ruffles on the cap shoulders of her shirt danced in the breeze.
Sadiq was in awe at how stunning she looked. It was as if all of the hard work of the past six weeks had washed away and she was finally able to fully relax. His heart ached a little, wishing she could stay longer. He would love to spend more time with her without work interfering. But, he was still afraid, of so many things. Sadiq shoved the thought out of his mind and focused on Hannah and the dinner that awaited them.
“Miss Green,” he said as he pulled her chair out for her.
Hannah looked up and smiled at his gorgeous face. She sat down and caught a whiff of his musky cologne as he put his arms on the chair behind her and pushed it in gently.
She looked down at the empty plates in front of her and then to the side where a large serving tray awaited.
“Maala isn’t serving us tonight?” she asked with curiosity.
Sadiq walked over to the cart and opened it, revealing mounds of food and delicious smells that tickled Hannah’s senses.
“No, she isn’t. She didn’t cook for u
s tonight, either.” Sadiq lifted Hannah’s soup bowl off the table and brought it over to the serving tray.
Hannah watched with amusement. “You mean to say, you cooked this?”
Good-looking, rich, funny, and he could cook? He was killing her, now. Hannah was glad she was leaving in the morning, otherwise she wouldn’t be able to resist her feelings any longer. She was barely holding on as it was.
“Well,” she said, trying to keep things light. “Aren’t you the mysterious one. What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?”
Sadiq placed the piping hot soup in front of her and Hannah inhaled deeply. A mixture of curry, ginger and other spices filled her senses, warming her from the inside out. She picked up her spoon, dipped it into the soup and brought it to her mouth, savoring the rich, full flavor as she closed her eyes.
Sadiq filled his bowl and sat down across from her, watching with anticipation. “Well?” he said. “What do you think?”
Hannah opened her eyes and looked at him as she wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Are you sure Maala didn’t make this?”
The Sheikh cocked his head to the side. “Ha, yes I’m sure.”
Hannah gave him a half smile and then filled her spoon again. “It’s delicious. Really, Sadiq. I can’t wait to try whatever’s next.”
They talked about the tour and how successful it had been as they ate the meal Sadiq had prepared. Towards the end, as he cleared away the dishes and poured coffee from the carafe, she felt herself beginning to get sad. The evening was winding down and that meant her trip was, too.
“Now, before you go,” Sadiq said, for the first time making reference to the fact that this would be their last evening together. “I have something for you.”
Hannah felt her heart skip in her chest. Did he buy me a gift? Did he get a huge diamond ring designed especially for me and now he’s finally going to tell me he loves me?
He reached down under the table cloth and pulled out a flat, square package, wrapped in gold foil paper and tied with a simple white ribbon. On top of it was a piece of paper folded in half.
Hannah scrunched her face up as he handed it to her. Was it possible to get a huge diamond ring in a box like this? She doubted it.
“Open it,” Sadiq said with childlike enthusiasm. He was smiling from ear to ear.
Hannah took the package and pulled the piece of paper out from under the ribbon. She unfolded it and sat up straighter in her chair, looking down at the check with unbelieving eyes as she read the amount it had been written out for.
Sadiq watched her reaction and smiled even wider.
Hannah looked up at him with the largest eyes he had ever seen. “Sadiq?”
“I told you the tour was a success. You were a success. And you are worth every penny.”
Hannah didn’t know what to say; she couldn’t believe that she was holding onto a check for a million dollars, twice the amount she had been promised.
She set the check down on the table and sat back in her chair, her mind spinning. A million dollars. The things she could do with that kind of money. She could pay off all her debt, get a real apartment, with a real terrace, focus purely on her art without having to worry about paying the bills. No, wait, she could buy a studio and record her own songs. She tried to think clearly but the rooftop started to spin.
“Are you okay?” Sadiq said.
“Yes,” Hannah said as she put both her hands on the table to steady herself. “I’m just…”