No one knew how unconvinced I was with my fiance, Talal. My secret suitor —for the time being, I hoped. He was the son of my mother's cousin, and he was, to other people, one hell of a catch: good looking, the only son of a business mogul, and an owner of original Kuwaiti restaurants that had a line out the door at any hour of the day.
Despite all the features that seemed good on paper, we were not a match. I saw it clear as day, and I knew that he could see it, too.
Our sit-down sessions together mostly revolved around him: his lifestyle, his success story, and less and less about me. There were a sprinkle of questions about me here and there, but they were enough to render me not so interesting. If he were interested I knew he’d ask more. Oh, and he rarely ever called me. I told my mother this once and she scolded me for distracting him —he was a successful business man. Clearly, that was where his priorities lies.
Our sit-down sessions were also always filled with uncomfortable silence, in which I became more and more confident with my conviction of him not being the one for me. However, my mother had other opinions, and I knew all hell would break loose if I did decide to call it off. Now was not the time especially when my brother was still hospitalized for his injuries from the car crash.
Calling it off would just add another source of shame in my mother's book, and possibly cause a drift between herr and her cousin. Everyone’s relationships would be strained…because of me.
So, I was stuck. The thing was, he was clearly uninterested, too. Why was he still agreeing to this engagement? What was in it for him? A clean slate? A front from whatever he was hiding?
I didn’t even tell my best friend-cousin Jude of my true feelings because A- he was her first cousin, and B- what if it does go through and she’d know how I really feel? Oh, and C- I loved her to death but she had one big mouth.
Anyway, it had been a week since my accident. My concussion fortunately subsided. None of my twin brothers wondered where my car was; they just thought it was out for service. That was what I told the drivers, anyway. I couldn’t let them rat me out.
Wednesday rolled around. That was when I finally received a text at work from Yaqoub. His fourth text since we exchanged phone numbers back in his car.
The first text was:
Alsalam alaikum
Just wanted to see how you’re doing.
Let me know if you need anything.
He checked in on me, and it was sweet. I read the newer text:
Hello Zaina, hope you’re doing well.
Just wanted you to know that your car is ready to pick up. I’ll be there after work at 5 if that works with you?
At least that was a good turnaround.
Hi Yaqoub.
Sounds great, thank you so much again and I’ll see you at 5
I looked at the time on my computer screen; it was 2:40 in the afternoon, and I should be leaving by 3:30. Less than an hour left.
I cannot wait to quit this job and just work at my dad’s company. He wanted me to get a year’s experience at a private firm before joining his company because it was apparently cutthroat and I needed some intensive training before it.
Usually I left the office at 6 pm, but I was making an exception that night.
One of our family drivers picked me up by the entrance of the building in no other than my mother’s Rolls Royce, of all the cars available.
“The Mercedes isn’t available?” I asked the driver, embarrassed that I had to meet Yaqoub in this car. First the Ferrari, and now a Rolls Royce? It looked a bit pretentious if you asked me.
“No, Aziz take,” he told me, and I groaned.
“Okay, please go this garage,” I told him while I opened Google Maps on my phone. It was only a seven minute drive, anyway.
Hi I’m omw
I texted him.
Great. I just parked. Car looks back to normal, fyi :)
I sighed in relief. My parents could never know.
The garage came into view, and my stomach tightened. Why was I so nervous?
“Here,” I told the driver, pointing to the garage. I saw Yaqoub now, clad in a dishdasha from work.
I watched his head turn and his eyebrow cock in surprise at the car I was riding in, but his face relaxed once he saw me open the door.
“Hi,” I said, taking off my Celine sunglasses to look at my car closely.
“Hi,” he replied, looking handsome in his own pair.
“Thank you so much, by the way,” I said, inspecting my car. It looked as good as new. My parents wouldn’t have to know a single thing.
“Of course,” he replied, handing me the keys. I waved for my driver to drive away, offering us some privacy.
“Insurance took care of it all?” I asked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Honestly, I don’t know how to thank you,” I told him, blushing internally.
“Don’t worry about it, I’m just glad you’re okay,” he said with a soft smile. My body was awash with the unfamiliar feeling of piquing a guy's attention, being seen as interesting. Usually, they were into my name, maybe even my face, but my personality was what threw a lot of people off, and I honestly didn't know why. He didn't seem to mind it, or maybe I wasn't being fully myself with him.
Talal hadn't once shown a flicker of interest, not in any way.
“That’s a cool car,” I said about a blue Corvette parked two cars away from mine. In a house full of boys, I inevitably developed an interest for racing, F1 and the jazz.
“It is. I’m prepping it for my race on Saturday.”
My heart buzzed.
He was ticking all my boxes:
Hot. Caring. Racer?
God.
“You’re joking, you race?” I said, raising my brow, realizing I sounded more excited than I should be. His lips parted in a wide smile at my reaction; partially impressed.
“I do, yes,” he replied with a chuckle. Wait…his name was ringing a bell. I’d heard of him.
I pretended not to. “Are you into racing?”
This probably stripped away some of my femininity, but I blushed and answered anyway.
“Being the only girl between four boys made it impossible not to be,” I joked and he laughed.
“No judging here,” he said. He licked his lips before he spoke to me. “I’ll be racing this Saturday. Sirb, ten AM. You should come,” he said, smiling softly. His eyes glistened under the sun, daring but playful.
“See you there,” I said with a smile, unlocking my car. I got in, pretending I wasn’t dancing on the inside, when I was.
My phone buzzed. A message from him.
Hello.
See you tonight, Costa 6pm.
Cold, void of any emotion, like we wouldn’t be married in a few months.
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