Adored in Oman (Book 2 in Teach Me, Love Me Series): Interracial Romance (4 page)

The next two weeks were busy ones for Abdulla and Shan. Ramadan was winding down to a close and Shan had gone with him to several Iftar gatherings with his cousins, friends and even immediate family. She did not find it odd to meet his family because that is what the people here did, they fellowshipped with their families often.

She found his circle to be extremely diverse. As his father’s assistant, he had the opportunity to meet a wide array of people who were active in the Omani community as service providers, business owners and to her surprise, a great many expatriates. He played fútbol in a competitive community league. He spoke a multitude of languages, some better than others, but to date she had never seen him struggle to communicate with anyone, anywhere they went.

Abdulla loved how comfortable Shan was in her skin. She never met a stranger. She might struggle with names, but she was charming and always attempted to remember everyone. She was funny and kept people who could understand her English laughing. She didn’t mind being in a group where English wasn’t the primary language, she managed to laugh in all the right places and did not seem to need to be the center of attention at all times.

Once she returned to work, it was a bit more difficult for them to spend as much time together as Abdulla would like. He wanted to see her every day. She did not allow it. They did talk each morning and evening. She was unable to message very often during the day as her job was very different from his. Nevertheless, they got to know each other very well.

One thing bothered Abdulla. She had been very forthcoming in all things except her past marriage. She refused to discuss it. When he pressed her, she always said the same thing. “I was married, now I’m not. It is in the past and I don’t talk about it.”

It made him uneasy that she was so steadfast about not discussing it. He knew her ex-husband had hurt her very badly. It was apparent in her clipped tone, stiff shoulders and averted gaze on those occasions when he brought it up with her.

He wanted to know what happened because he was interested in spending the rest of his life with her. He knew her view was dating should go on for quite some time before marriage, as she had dated her ex throughout college. Abdulla felt it unnecessary as they had both been married before and were at an age where they should know exactly what they wanted.

This too, was a topic she shied away from when he brought it up in conversation. If he didn’t know better, he would think she did not want to marry. He hoped that wasn’t how she felt. Even still, if she needed convincing and reassurance, he was the man for the job. He would have her as his wife. That, was an absolute.

Shan could tell that Abdulla was getting to the point where he would insist on answers concerning her failed marriage. She dreaded having to revisit that time in her life. It made her feel stupid and exposed. She refused to consider that she might still be hurting. She was too tough to be hurting ten years later. She wouldn’t allow it. Lies we tell ourselves are just as dangerous as the ones others tell us.

She also knew he wanted a deeper, more permanent relationship. She wasn’t a fool, he was the marrying kind. He had been happily married before fate snatched his love away, cruelly and permanently. His view on marriage was the opposite of hers. It scared her that he might be imagining her in that role. She was absolutely, not ever marrying anyone else, not even Abdulla. She tried to apply brakes by distancing herself and seeing him only three times a week instead of every day. She pretended she couldn’t message during the day, which was untrue. She saw all his messages and she could have returned them during her break or during her planning period, but she didn’t. She was afraid of what she was feeling. So, she tried to withdraw. Abdulla was having none of it. He had taken to sending her little gifts, such as scented oils, chocolates and even whipped shea butter. Lord only knows where he found whipped shea butter in Oman. She mentioned once that she was having a difficult time finding it and the next thing she knew, he had a basket delivered. How was she supposed to keep him at a distance when he insisted on being so sweet and thoughtful?

Abdulla may have only had one wife, but he knew a woman on the run when he saw one. Good—on one hand, it meant she knew his intentions. Bad—on the other, it meant she was undecided as to what she wanted. No problem, it was Abdulla’s pleasure to prove to her that he was unlike whatever bad memory she held of her ex. It was his intention to provide for her experiences she could not for herself.

He would protect her from life’s troubles as much as he could, though no man could deflect all. He wanted to make her his wife, as soon as he could convince her. His family and friends thought they were a good match. He was hopeful to eventually meet her mother and impress upon her what a blessing he and her daughter could be to each other’s lives. For now, he would wait patiently for his Shan to relax enough to let down her guard. He wasn’t a liar or a thief of hearts, he had no doubt he would be able to win her trust. Then, he would guard it like the most precious resource on Earth.

Shan was at home laminating masks for her classroom. Her students would be reenacting
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
during the morning assembly next week and she wanted to give them ample time to practice before their big show.

Also, Eid al Fitr was approaching and everyone would be going on a five day holiday. Typically, she went to one of her teacher friends’ home and celebrated the fast breaking. She enjoyed participating in the fun occasion. She always donated a box of food items to the less fortunate through her school community. Her first year in Oman, Shan had intended to travel during Eid with a group other Western teachers. However, her co-teacher invited her to her family home and Shan thought it would be rude to decline. So, she had researched the holiday, baked brownies, made gift bags for children and shown up at the appointed time and place. She had met a group of gracious and kind ladies and still saw them for tea at least twice a month. The food had been plentiful and nonstop!

Zeinab, her co-teacher, had already invited her to this year’s celebration and Shan had confirmed. It was only afterward that she thought Abdulla might have wanted to invite her to a celebration with his family or circle of friends. She had asked Zeinab about bringing a friend and been assured he could come, though he would spend his time with the other men. Dating wasn’t really a cultural practice, but Oman was a very relaxed place and the citizenry practiced a fairly high level of tolerance. It was her intention to ask Abood about attending when she spoke with him today. She chuckled at her familiarity; she had begun to use the affectionate nickname recently. The first time she used it, he had grinned ear to ear and flashed his dimples.

She had finished laminating and was carefully cutting the masks out when her phone chimed softly. She called out, “Answer,” and when she saw the screen switch to the speaker icon, she said, “Hey Abood, how are you today?”

“Salaam Alaikum, Shan, I am very well,” was Abdulla’s reply. He followed his greeting with a question, “Did your children give you the business today?” and chuckled.

Abdulla loved using what he called Shan’s Americanisms. He teased her about her word phrases. “I’ve known many Americans, none of them enjoy words quite the way you do.”

“Abood, you know my babies give me the business every day! However, today, they were a bit less energetic because we went on a field trip to the park and they ran themselves tired. The return to the school was quiet because they all fell asleep,” she told him with a laugh.

Then, “Babe, what are you doing for Eid?”

Abdulla was surprised by her request. “I usually spend the night before Eid delivering food baskets to the families who have offered services to our family throughout the year. I spend the next day with my family at my Uncle’s. We drive into the UAE and spend three days in Al Ain.”

“What kind of service providers do you mean?” Shan asked.

“There are the men who work on our farm and care for the animals. When they have worked with us for three years, we bring their wives and children over and they live in a building with all of our worker’s families. We also give food gifts to our housing staff, the maids, drivers and former nannies. They usually have a late evening feast, after our official feast and we donate all leftovers. Still, it is nice to have your own foods from your home country that you can make into a dish of your liking.”

“Wow, Abood. That is incredibly generous. I was asking because my sister teacher, Zeinab, invited me to her feast on the first day of Eid. She said I could bring you as a guest.”

Abdulla’s heart kicked into overtime. This was a big deal; they had mostly been alone or with his family. She had not shown interest in introducing him to any of her friends. He had wondered if she would ever be willing to include him in her life on a wider scale. If he had been at her home, he would have kissed her. Ramadan was almost over; he would do more than kiss her very soon. He would honor his fast and maintain his self-control, but after Eid, it was his intention to see under Shan’s clothes. He was not without honor, but he wasn’t made of iron. All these sweet kisses they had shared were only stoking the flames. It was killing him to keep his hands to himself.

“Are you there?” he heard Shan ask.

With a start, he realized he had been daydreaming of her naked form and lost the thread of the conversation.

“Yes, I am here. I would love to go with you. I will prepare my mother for the disappointment of my absence. I wish I had thought to invite you first. Mohammed and Lari will be at my Uncle’s home in Al Ain. That would be a great reunion for you two.”

“Oh! That is too bad. The holiday is three days long and I have all those days off, so we could drive to Al Ain on the second day of the Eid holiday. I mean, if you wanted to. I can book a hotel room at the Rotana. I love it there. I imagine you will stay with your family.”

“Nonsense, you can stay with us at my Uncle’s home. We can absolutely make our way to Al Ain on the second day. The holiday starts on a Tuesday, so we will be in Al Ain on Wednesday. We can stay the whole weekend and return on Saturday afternoon,” Abdulla planned aloud.

“Oh! A five day holiday! I will need to schedule a body scrub and massage, since I am taking a mini vacation,” Shan agreed with delight.

“So, I see we have a plan. Tuesday we will break the fast with your sister teacher and then we will spend Wednesday to Saturday with my Al Ain family.”

“Great, I will book my hotel room today,” Shan assured him.

Instead of arguing with her that she could stay with his family, Abdulla acquiesced. There would be no privacy at his Uncle’s house. They would be watched like falcon’s prey! So, maybe it would be to their mutual benefit that she reserved a hotel room. It was past time for him to cover her skin with kisses.

Shan had sent all her charges off with hugs and kisses on both cheeks that Monday afternoon. They were all revved up with expectation about the coming holiday. With cries of “Eid Mubarak” ringing out, teachers drifted to their cars and made their escape. Shan was thinking of all the things she needed to do so she could be ready for tomorrow’s festive fast breaking and the subsequent travel. She was getting in the car when she received a call from Abdulla. Using the Bluetooth feature on her rental, she answered with a singing, “Hel-l-o.”

Abdulla’s low chuckle emanating from her speakers made her feel tingly. “Hello to you too,” was the return greeting she received. Followed by, “What has you in such a good mood?”

“I will spend the next five days resting; my life is great,” was Shan’s eager response.

“I will be at your home a little before noon tomorrow, so we can get to your teacher friend’s home just before prayer. Is there anything I should know about the family?” he inquired.

“I only really know Zeinab and her children. I have met her husband just a couple of times and then it was in passing. He wasn’t really sitting with us during my previous visits. He has always seemed very nice, though, so I think you will be fine.”

“Great, I thought so, but it is good to ask. Wednesday, we will leave about ten in the morning. I will stop at your hotel so you can check-in and then head to my Uncle’s. Have you spoken to Lari?”

“I am so excited to see Lari! She knows we are coming and has lots of questions, but I told her I would tell her all about it face to face,” Shan explained laughing.

“I bet she did have lots of questions, so did Mo. I told him to concern himself with his new bride and let me worry about you,” Abdulla responded. Laughing, they said their goodbyes and made their way through the To Do lists they each were responsible for.

Shan went home and attacked her kitchen. She made brownies and packed little treat bags for the children. Her treat bags always had a pencil, an eight-count pack of Crayons, a mini notepad and brightly colored pen. She packed for her weekend and admitted to herself this might not be as PG as all their previous outings. So she also packed lingerie and condoms. She was too old to pretend she didn’t want a man, when she clearly did! Since they were going to be away for three nights, she packed a red teddy, sheer black baby doll nightie and one dark purple satin spaghetti strap ankle length nightgown. No panties. She couldn’t see a reason for them. She also packed her own incense and mini speakers so she could set the ambiance. She had decided to test Abdulla’s limits. They had restricted themselves to kisses and not even indulged that often, because they were both respecting the season of fasting. However, as of tomorrow, fasting was ending. It was time for Shan to end this drought she had been suffering through for far too long.

As she packed and prepared herself for the journey, she wondered what made her decide after all this time to indulge herself with Abood. The simple fact was he was a really good guy. She never felt unsure about his interest, it was always clear he wanted to be in her company and know her better. He did not have wandering eyes. When the fiasco with her ex-husband all went down, one of the reasons she felt so fooled is that he had always had a wandering eye. Everywhere they went his head would be following every pair of breasts and behind that walked by him and he would inevitably respond with, “I’m just looking,” when she called him out on it.

Abdulla never did that. He made it his business to speak with her at least twice a day and he saw her every chance she allowed. She found it funny she had been trying to limit him to three times a week and now they were about to spend the next five days mostly together. He wasn’t trying to rush her. He realized she was a little wary and he could always tell when she was backing away; he didn’t make her feel uncomfortable or guilty for her hesitancy. He simply maintained his patience and kept pursuing.

As Shan thought about the past few weeks and the way he had become a fairly important person to her pretty quickly; she had to marvel at her situation. If you had told her she would be dating again, after years of keeping most men at arm’s length, she would not have believed it. Yet, here she was, packing for a long weekend. She had met his parent and siblings, cousins, and friends. Each person had seemed happy to see him with someone. They had all, in their own way, expressed how glad they were to see him content. Funnily enough, she felt the same way. Content, that is. She felt safe with him, like he was probably the most honest man she had met in a very long time. He reminded her of the men in her family. Steadfast. Shan didn’t know it, but when she admitted to herself he was honest and reminded her of men she trusted; she had already fallen. Somebody give the fat lady a mic.