EIGHT

It wasn’t long before we got to a table set for two; Aunt Sa’adiya smiled sweetly at me as she gestured at the seats.

“There there, have a seat”. She said to me.

“Thank you”. I said once more as Haidar held my seat out for me.

He waited for me to settle down before he made his way around the table and sat down as well.

“I’ll leave you two to talk”. Aunt Sa’adiya said. She offered me another smile before walking away confidently.

The space in which we were seat seemed private, it was secluded from the rest of the hall and the lights here were dimmed considerably, I was thankful for that, that way he wouldn’t see how flushed she was. An awkward silence stretched between us for what seemed to be a lifetime, and I felt even fainter with every passing second, I felt my guts clench and I felt nauseous.

I squirmed uncomfortably, I could no longer hide my restlessness, I felt as though I would pass out anytime soon. He seemed to notice and he let out a subtle sigh before saying:

“Good eve