One morning, Eliza went ahead of Meera as the latter was not feeling well. She just said it is her monthlies so though a bit apprehensive, Eliza took the bus to work. She has a transportation allowance but she did not really mind taking the bus, besides it afforded her a view of the city while travelling. She could also use the extra money to send back home. She promised herself that she would go walking during her off days should her employer not require her that is. She was already oriented by Ami so to speak. She was wearing her second pair of heels this time black to go with her black ensemble. Yesterday was a skirt, today trousers. Although there was no specific dress code so long as it is professional, the employees enjoy the freedom to choose what they wear, besides it is a fashion industry. More often than not, some employees are asked to wear some of the clothes they will be selling in stores. It is their marketing strategy. If people give positive comments on what they were wearing, the clothes will be sold in stores, if the designs garner negative reactions, they are ditched or upcycled. As Eliza entered Mariam’s office, she was surprised that her employer was already there. The monarch Al Fahezi gave her a sheepish smile like she was caught doing something naughty.
"Good morning, Eliza, I trust you had a lovely rest last night. I apologize for not being here as my daughter's nursery needed additional teachers and these past few months was busy for her so she needed extra hands." Mariam shared.
"No worries, Ma'am, Mr. Theo and your other employees were kind enough to show me the ropes." Although she felt disappointed that her son hasn’t been popping in lately. Deny it all she wants but she actually enjoys exchanging barbs with him no matter how much he annoys her. She actually misses him this morning, would you imagine that? It has only been a few months but she already felt empty when he isn’t around. Oblivious to Eliza's thoughts, Mariam commented, " I am just glad that for once Matan agreed to do the training on your first day. Most of the time, he grumbles or declines. Maybe it is you my dear who convinced him to do it." Her employer smiled which caused an alarm in Eliza. Oh no, what is her employer thinking. To cover up her thoughts, Eliza answered
"Maybe he just got bored. He doesn't seem to like me so it is unlikely that he took on the job because of me."
"Why do you say he dislikes you? Did he do something unpardonable before? Tell me so I can ask my husband to give him some needed trashing," Mariam asked.
"Oh no ma'am, it is nothing. Maybe I just got the wrong impression. Please forget I said that. Furthermore, I do not think we would be crossing paths often as I've heard he's quite busy." Eliza defended.
"He is indeed busy between managing his own bar to doing some music stuff or whatever he is supposed to be doing. I do not know; he seemed a bit changed after Ali got married. You've met my Ali, haven't you?" Mariam asked.
"Yes ma'am, Ami introduced him to me at the cruise ship and then at the wedding. What do you mean he changed?" Eliza asked puzzled.
"Have you ever noticed his looks? He doesn't look anything like us at all. Ali got some of his features from his dad and some from me and so does my first and youngest children. My Matan, I wish he is mine..." She suddenly sniffed and Eliza was alarmed to see tears glistening in Mariam’s eyes. Although Eliza was confused with what the former said, her concern overshadowed her questions.
"Ma'am, are you okay? Should I get you some water?" As Eliza got up from her seat to fetch some water, Mariam stopped her.
"No, habibti, I am fine. Please forgive me if I won't tell you more, I am not ready to give him up yet. I know he is a full-grown man now but he has been one of our babies for a long time now. He is such a sweet, loving boy that I couldn't be parted from him. If he marries that is fine but if someone takes him from us, I will die." Mariam suddenly sat down and broke into sobs, prompting Eliza to go to her and gather her in her arms. In no time at all they were both crying, Mariam for remembering that sooner rather than later when everything is revealed, she might lose her son. Eliza because she knew how it felt to lose a child. It was in that position that Theo found them when he entered the office of his boss. Panicked as he was, he calmly called for someone to bring water for both ladies. The ladies feeling there was another person in the room reluctantly let go of each other. They both stared at each other then burst into laughter. Theo was confused and that elicited another laughter from the ladies.
"You must think us insane Theo but please forgive our mood, let us just say, there was a shared bond so we both ended up crying." Mariam reassured the poor manager who was at a loss as to what to say. Eliza for her part grabbed for some ice from the ice bucket and discreetly applied them to her eyes to reduce the swelling caused by her crying. Mariam appeared to be none the worse for wear, how could that be while here she was, all eyes swollen. It just isn't fair, she thought. When Theo offered her a glass of water, she gratefully accepted it and drank the cold water thirstily. She noticed her employer drinking hers as well. When Theo ascertained that everything was fine, he excused himself and went out of the office but after a few seconds, came back to talk to Eliza.
"Eliza, I am sorry, I do not know what happened to the both of you but I came back to ask you for a dinner with me, tonight if that is okay?" Theo asked.
Not wanting to disappoint him as he has been kind to her despite her awareness of his attraction to her; and this was the second time he asked so Eliza accepted. Theo's eyes lighted up and would have kissed her had Mariam not noticed him speaking to Eliza.
"Theo, did you forget something?" she enquired.
"I only asked her something Ma'am," he replied. When their employer's eyes were averted, he placed a kiss on the back of Eliza's hand then left. Eliza wasn't amused though and waited for Theo to be out of the room before she went to the toilet and washed her hands. Men! She thought. She couldn't back out of the dinner date though because that is what it is going to be. Why else would he invite her to a rotating restaurant near her accommodation, that means formal wear. She groaned as the only formal wear she brought was a backless black silk dress. She has no time to buy a different one.
She was picked up by Theo at exactly 7 pm that evening and his eyes went round with appreciation as he took in the whole package. He thought he hit the jackpot. While he was rejoicing, Eliza was feeling the opposite. For some reason, the person she has in mind as a date was a European-looking male with deep set gray eyes who happened to be staring at her when they entered the restaurant. Those gray eyes are looking stormy right now as he took in the pair who just entered the restaurant. Eliza's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when her eyes collided with his. Did she just conjure him up. Why is he causing unwanted sensations in her? Isn't she finished with rakish men? But why does he look so handsome? It just isn't fair. If only she can crush these unwanted feelings, she should be angry with him for all his insensitive remarks and insults. To add insult to injury, ladies couldn't hide their appreciation of him which irked her some more. So, what if he gets all their notices, he can also bed them all if he wants. Wait, where did that thought come from. No, she doesn't want him bedding them, only her. What?! Foolish Eliza, her brain screamed. Two mistakes are enough, hasn't she learned that yet?
Feeling frustrated with his campaign to win Eliza’s hand, Matan went straight to the Al Fahezi official residence in Al Reef. He escorted Eliza back to her accommodation and when he tried to hold her hand, she managed to avoid the contact which annoyed him. He immediately took his leave as soon as she entered the apartment for fear that he would do something irrevocable. He respected her enough for what he had in mind. True, it might strengthen his bid to claim her as his wife, but he might earn her hatred and resentment later. That is why he is currently feeling at odds with the world. If Ali would see him now, he would probably laugh his arse out. When Ali decided to marry for honor instead of love not so long ago, Matan scoffed and chided him for his choice. He told him so arrogantly that he would only marry for love and look where it got him. He couldn’t even express his feelings for one stubborn woman who was bent on distancing herself from him believing that she isn’t w
Eliza has been going out with her officemates every Friday night in succession and every single time Evan was there to her dismay. It might have been fun if the gentleman was another. True, Evan was handsome, the cliched blue-eyed blonde but she was longing for the tall, dark and handsome person who was with her when her mother died. She hasn’t heard from Matan for how many months now and she dreadfully miss him. What a silly heart she has, longing for that which is never going to happen. She couldn’t forget the stolen kisses they shared as they awoke a hunger in her for more. Silly, silly longings for a silly girl. As if a rich man such as Matan would deign to lower himself to a poor expat like her. But then, this is her dream, and she just wants to indulge just for once. She couldn’t sleep with these thoughts running in her head. After much tossing and turning about, she finally dozed off. Her dreams were filled with Matan’s kisses, and she ended up getting sweaty and restless in her
“Are you coming with us, Eliza?” Meera asked as she was putting on the last touches of makeup. Most of the staff in the office were invited to celebrate their manager’s birthday. Theo dropped his planned courtship for Eliza as he saw how Matan was so possessive of her. Why bother when he found out that the woman who first caught his attention actually had feelings for him. Meera was already part of the staff when he joined. He found her pretty when they first met but she was somewhat shy whenever their eyes met. Before he could summon the nerve to invite her out, Eliza happened and as always, his impetuosity won. He acted without thinking. True, he was ecstatic when Eliza finally agreed to a date with him but when he saw the sparks between her and who they thought was one of the Fahezi sons, he knew he got no chance. It was a blessing in disguise when a project was given to him and Meera was the obvious choice to help him do it. Although Meera was hesitant at first, she soon
Three months have passed since Matan and Eliza went back to the UAE but after that airport pickup, the former got so busy with work that he wasn’t able to sustain his vow of picking Eliza for work. They were both so busy with their work that neither noticed until she overheard her employer talking with someone over the phone. She didn’t mean to eavesdrop but sharing the office with Mariam means hearing her conversation with people over the phone. “How long will you be gone? Who will run your businesses? Oh well then, I guess that is alright. I didn’t know that Devlin’s brother remained in Italy. It has been what, almost five months now, hasn’t it? Eliza? Yes, yes of course, that you would even ask. Take care of yourself and of your father, we hope you’ll come back safe and whole. You’ll always be my son, love you. See you when you get back.” Mariam ended her call and waved at Eliza when she noticed her hovering by the door. “Do come in habibti. That was Matan, he and his f
In the don’s villa, Vigo and Brio were able to corner Greta on her way to her bedroom. Vigo laid out his plans to Brio beforehand so that he would be assured of his brother’s cooperation. Greta upon seeing them wanted to flee as no good can come of this meeting as usual. “Come va?” Greta asked warily? “Cut the pleasantry woman!” Vigo snapped. Even though you were able to twist the old man’s hand and convinced him to propose to you, admit it, with his heir found, our chances at his riches are nil so you better work with us if you know what’s good for you.” Planning to play along as she ran out of ideas on how to proceed after getting the don to finally propose to her, Greta ushered the brothers into the attached parlor to her bedroom where she served them each a finger of brandy while she poured champagne for herself. Why relegate champagne to special occasions only when the don has an abundance of it. He has a winery and a vineyard after all. Brio wa
Matan ended up going back to the UAE by himself as Eliza’s ticket didn’t coincide with his. Their talk at the Gonzales Manor proved enlightening. He managed at least to get Eliza’s consent for him to formally court her as she deserves. The courtship is all but a formality for Matan because she is already his despite her objections. He laid her concerns to rest. Her spouting gibberish about her lack of virtue was no concern to him as he jokingly teased her that he himself is no longer a virgin as well. Eliza was torn between laughing and angry with him but at least he was able to make her smile. Although he did not get his heart’s desire that they would fly back together, he could at least pick her up at the airport with no awkwardness whatsoever between them or so he hopes. He brought Eliza back to her house so she could pack up. Her brothers agreed to Claudia’s plan of having Eliza stay with them at the manor until it was time for her to fly back. Her brothers and her niece
That kiss during Eliza’s vulnerable moment emphasized her susceptibility to temptation in the form of a handsome man named Matan Mansour Vanni Vittore. But who is she kidding, despite Matan’s not saying anything, she fell for him, hard. How couldn’t she, she felt safe around him, safe and cared for. Her mother has been buried and all the customs and traditions had been dealt with so she can now go back to the UAE. Matan’s offer still stands, he extended his stay and was awaiting her decision. Dare she hope for more? He mentioned that he won’t say anything until they got back to the UAE and that he respects her mourning period, but what does it mean? He heard her confession to her family about her past but he doesn’t seem bothered by it. Her grief over her mother’s death is still too much but for her family, she must remain strong. With that in mind, she opened her social media account and read loads of messages of sympathy. She was busy responding to some of the
Aware that they were left alone, Eliza looked at Matan with questions in her eyes. “What is it habibti?” Matan asked refusing to let her out of his embrace. “When did you arrive? And how did it go with your travel? Is your great-grandfather dead?” Eliza asked in succession but not moving away from his embrace although her rational mind was wanting to. Her heart’s desire won. She wanted to be held by him longer than what propriety entails. “One at a time, sweetheart.” Matan didn’t regret using the endearment. God knows they both need it now. “As you can see, I am as whole and hale as the last time you saw me, although to be honest I was quite upset when I found out you weren’t there when I got back. I know, I have no right to be, but I was hoping that my previous gallant gestures would have given you a clue as to what I feel towards you. But that matter could wait, what matters is I am here to offer you a shoulder to cry on and sturdy arms to hold you should y
“Mama, what did you get yourself into this time?” Eliza teased her mother as soon as she arrived at the hospital trying to mask the pity she felt for her. She went straight to the hospital from the airport. Her father embraced her as soon as she arrived, it was unexpected as her family isn’t very showy when it comes to emotions. She only just noticed how her parents have aged most specially the matriarch of her family. She looked so gaunt and emaciated in her hospital gown. Her parents have mutually agreed on a beneficial separation instead of the legal process. Not because of another family but because of bad habits that never changed. “The usual I guess.” Her mother replied in a weak voice. She too seemed to want to ignore the pain she is currently feeling. “Glad you could come home, my daughter. Were your employers unhappy that you came home? I hope they are not giving you a hard time, we do not want that for you. But really, you didn’t need to come home for my sa