Chapter 4

• The moment their car door was opened for them, Lia averted her gaze to the beautiful modern-antique building where they were being dropped off for the important dinner Mila was to attend.
• She had chosen a black dress, Greek-style, along with a hijab that had been her favorite while shopping with her friend. She had never dressed this way, but Lia felt like royalty just by wearing the outfit.
• She had even been impressed by how well it fit her slim, not-so-tall body. It made her look slimmer and highlighted points she never found in herself.
• Yes, it was a smile that kept her face from relaxing all the time. “Who would have imagined that an account manager, locked in an old rotten office, today, would be here in Riyadh amid luxury, and about to evidence a meeting with rulers of Arab countries?” That, one could only imagine, Lia thought, and now she was living in the moment.
• A shiver ran through her body from the excitement, walking, escorted as if she were someone important while her friend Mila was typing all the time on her cell phone.
• A piece of oriental-style music swarmed her ears as they entered the place that seemed to be overloaded with security. But it was not for less, here were the important people, high ranks and politicians, even presidents of Arab countries, all gathered in one place.
• Suddenly, she felt her friend stop her in her tracks, and even then she blinked to see that they were passing a metal detector near her body.
• “You're absent-minded again,” she heard Mila whisper next to her, so she watched her with a scratchy look because she had been engaged on her cell phone since they left the hotel. “Don't look at me like that, you know this is work.”
• “Aham...” Lia replied, looking unconcerned.
• “Welcome...!”
• Amabas listened to her pass when the security protocol was over.
• “Your bosses were desperate for your acceptance, to allow a stranger to come with you, in the middle of this whole world....”
• “You are not a stranger... they know you are a professional and that you have skills just like me. Just because you work in that store, doesn't mean you're not smart, you even have better improvement and more skills than myself.”
• Lia's cheeks were tinted red matching her lipstick darker than she had ever worn. Because Mila had let her know that she was not to look like a child on this night, as she usually does, but like a businesswoman. Even more so, in front of this community.
• From one moment to the next, everything began to slow down for the man to come to the hasty end of the meeting, he gave some advice for the next thing to follow and again welcomed all for being in Riyadh.
• Everyone in the place stood up, while Lia thought it was the end of the night... but she was wrong.
• “We'll have a few cocktails, and I promise, we'll leave when these old men leave me alone.”
• Lia wanted to laugh, but on the contrary, she pursed her lips. “It's all right, Madam.”
• They both gave a suspicious smile, they had promised each other to go to the hotel pool place, have a few drinks and relax for the rest of the night. The man at the front desk promised them that they would be almost alone in the place and that they could enjoy the privacy of a pool all to themselves.
• And at this point, Lia wanted to get some fresh air. She turned to her right where a few steps away she could hear Mila, but saw her again surrounded by Almer who seemed to be explaining something important to her, then she turned to her back to see more of the room and noticed a huge balcony, which overlooked a brightly lit garden.
• She was determined.
• “I'm sorry,” she interjected in mid-conversation.
• “Mila, I'd like to get some fresh air, I don't know if....”
• “Go, go,” both men ducked their heads toward her, dismissing her, and Lia nodded to turn around.
• Without noticing anyone she walked quickly, but in certain steps to that balcony that called out to her. The wave of natural, warm air hit her face, and her dress clung completely to her body, for it was blowing faster than usual.
• She was grateful for the change in climate from the air conditioning, her feet felt froze cold from being in there, and she pressed her eyes closed.
• “Why are you so fascinating, Arabian world...?” she whispered low as she smiled still with her eyes closed. “Why don't you kidnap me and keep me in your world?”
• Lia laughed at herself in low sounds, meanwhile, she opened her eyes and admired the beauty of the garden in front of her eyes. There was an artificial waterfall, but it gave the place that sound of tranquility that made her stay more enjoyable.
• “I don't think you want that...”
• Her body trembled and her heart jumped for a second.
• That voice had been so dry and so wet at the same time that everything in her shuddered. Moreover, she thought she was alone.
• She turned suddenly looking for a face but did not find one, however, a hand peeked out into the light giving her a greeting when she saw a man standing in a black suit who was blowing smoke from his dark mouth.
• Lia took two steps backward.
• “I won't be the one to kidnap you... don't worry...” she heard again, but this time she faced him properly.
• She could see his body and face. Maybe she could detail with great difficulty how he was holding a cigar between his fingers, and the other hand was in a pocket. He was tall, very tall compared to her, and with a rather stocky body. But try as she might, the place where he was standing was totally in darkness preventing her from detailing him accurately.
• “Who would that be?” she quickly wondered as she turned into the room, and saw that everything was in order.
• “You seemed to like Riyadh a lot?”
• Lia denied slowly clearing her throat. “No... I, I don't really know Riyadh, but I like it?”
• “Arab cities?” The man cut her off, interrupting her sentence and letting the smoke out of his mouth again.
• “More like its people, its culture and... its landscapes....” Lia noticed how the man lowered his head to stare at the cigar as if from one moment to the next, he didn't feel like it. She did not know from where, but as he turned around he took a glass extinguishing the cigar between his fingers, to then left it on the edge of the thin wall.
• However, he did not move forward to get out of the darkness.
• “I imagine you don't know them either, do you?” She was too embarrassed, she knew something, but if she was honest, that something, was nothing.
• Lowering her shoulders, she stopped looking at him and returned to the front of the balcony where she had been a few minutes before with her eyes closed. However, the presence of that strange man, made her too uneasy, and she couldn't help but look at him out of the corner of her eye.
• “Only some things but, how much do we know in totality something or person, I think it's impossible to know everything unless, of course, we know how to read minds...”
• Lia thought that all her firmness made the man shut up, but the silence was broken in a few seconds later.
• “How did you go from talking about culture, and nature, to accurately characterizing a person?”
• She knew he had moved closer, because his scent, or whatever he was wearing for perfume, had invaded her whole body making her vibrate.
• Never in her life had she ever smelled anything like it.
• She spun around a little, but no, he hadn't moved forward and she blamed the wind that was now swaying her dress.
• “We can never exclude ourselves in absolutely anything in this world, we are part of it, and I like to characterize the personality in everything around me.”
• “Interesting.” she heard the word very deep, and although she doubted it, she could see his teeth.
• The man was smiling as he tilted his head towards her, at the same time his posture and gesture, made her smile, without knowing why...
• ***
• *Suriyah: or thawb, daily garment, wide tunic with long sleeves reaching to the ankles, which in summer is made of white cotton and in winter of dark wool.
• *Kafiyyeh: turban worn on the head.