Today is 'THE day. The day my second novel
is published.
If what you saw last few weeks didn't convince you to make your purchase, perhaps this little teaser might do the work.
~~~~~
Extract:
The
following four days were just like the first few months when Peter and I had
got together. He did everything I wanted. No complaining. He was as charming as
I remembered him from the start. It was as if the first four days of our
vacation had never happened.
We
socialised with others. He played tennis with Jason. He let me go riding
without complaint and was waiting for me to come back every time with a rose in
his hand.
I
didn’t see Salah Ali again at the stables. Alnnajm Almuta’alliq waited
for me and I had an escort. Since Rashid was occupied with other hotel guests,
I was accompanied by another man from the stables. He never spoke a word, not
hello at my arrival, not goodbye when I left. He looked almost the same as
Rashid so I presumed they were at least relatives, if not brothers. Every
evening we took the same route as the first day when I rode with Salah Ali. I
already knew the path by heart.
Another
argument broke out at the start of the second week of our vacation.
I
had stayed that morning with Peter by the pool. I knew he preferred the pool to
the sea. I didn’t understand that but I wanted to show my appreciation for all
the effort he had made.
The
pool was divided into several sections with small islands, connected by
bridges.
As
the weather was sunny and hot, I spent most of the time in the water or in the
shadow of the palm trees that grew on the islands. Peter joined me a couple of
times and then he decided to get himself a drink from the bar on the other side
of the pool.
“Do you want anything?” he asked.
“No.
I think the tea guy will be round in a minute. I’ll have tea then.”
“How
can you drink tea in this weather?”
“Easy.
It cools me down. You should try it.”
“No,
thank you,” he said, turned around and went to the pool bar. Knowing it would
take him some time to get back to the loungers I decided to swim some lengths.
The last length took me back to our side of the pool. I swam under the water as
I wanted to see if I was still able to hold my breath long enough to do it.
When
I reached the edge of the pool, I reached up to place my hands on the ledge to
pull myself out. Instead of touching the marble, I clung on the hand that
pulled me out of the pool. My face was soaking wet and my hair dripping, so I
grabbed the towel that was handed to me. Wiping my face, I realised that it had
got very quiet. There was still music playing in the background, but the usual
chatter had stopped.
I
put the towel down, and stared into Salah Ali’s black eyes. We looked at each
other and when I finally managed to glance around for Peter, I saw that
everyone near was staring at us; the guests, the hotel staff, Peter on the
bridge that led to our side of the pool. Everyone. Salah Ali had that kind of
charisma.
I
caught Peter’s eye and shrugged my shoulders in answer to the question in his
eyes.
“Thank
you,” I said. Salah Ali took the wet towel from my hands and gave it to the man
behind him.
“You’re
welcome.” Then Peter joined us, putting his hand possessively over my
shoulders.
“Is
she yours?” Salah Ali said to Peter.
“Yes,”
Peter answered.
“I’m
no one’s possession,” I said and shook Peter’s hand off. I knew I had turned
red in anger. Just at that moment, the tea waiter appeared. As soon as he
spotted Salah Ali in our company, he turned away. The hotel guests went back to
what they were doing. Even the hotel staff returned to their chores.
“Watch
over her,” I heard Salah Ali saying, crystal clear.
I
shook Peter’s arm off my shoulders.
“If
you two are discussing the price, don’t! I’m no man’s possession!” I said to
Salah Ali.
Both
looked at me as though I was some strange species. Salah Ali turned back to
Peter.
“Watch
over her, very carefully. Al-salāmu ʿalaykum.” Then he left, not saying
anything to me.
“What
the hell was that?!” Peter turned towards me.
“You’re
asking me? You two were discussing it.”
“We
certainly were not! How could you say something like that?” Peter sat down in
front of me. “Who was he?”
I
shrugged my shoulders.
“All
I know is his name. Salah Ali.”
“And?”
Peter’s voice started to tremble and he raked his hand through his hair over
and over again.
“And
nothing. He accompanied me the first evening when I went riding. You didn’t.”
“So
every evening for the past four days you went back there hoping to see him
again?” I finally put my sunglasses down and looked straight into his eyes. We
were silent for a moment.
“You’re
nuts. Do you know how old he is?”
“So
what was he doing here?”
“How
on earth should I know? He might be a guest here like we are. Jeez Peter!
Think!”
I
realised I was yelling and I didn’t want to make a scene. I stood up. There was
that man again, standing on the edge of the pool, preparing to jump into the
water. I could see his sky blue eyes, such a contrast to the colour of his hair
and sun-tanned skin.
~~~~~~
Curious what happens next?
