She tore her gaze from his. “I’ll just get dressed then. Would you, um…you know? Leave?”
Rasheed tapped his forehead. “Sure, of course. I’m going. Yes. I’ll just wait for you outside.”
He sprinted to the door with his heart pounding in his throat.
Next time he saw Rose she’d be fully dressed. Hopefully his mind would be able to settle then.
Chapter 11
The lecture ended, and the students were already gathering their belongings.
Emily turned to Rose. “Would you like to come over to my place tonight? Malik’s out of town and so are my folks. You can even sleep over if you want. We can binge-watch some cheesy series. I’m so up for it.”
Rose’s stomach hardened. Emily’s proposal sounded wonderful, and she surely needed a night with her girlfriend. Rose would’ve been willing to let Emily in on the mysteries that were going on in her life, but she’d never quite found the right occasion to with their busy schedules.
Rose swallowed. No, that was just an excuse. She hadn’t told Emily about Rasheed because she still hoped that there might be something more happening between them than just preparing for Aisha’s dance competition.
For now, her hopes remained nothing more than a mirage of her hungry soul.
Rose’s eyes flicked to Rasheed who was washing off the writing he’d scribbled on the blackboard during their lecture. He turned, and their eyes met.
A chill settled in Rose’s spine. How was it that each time his dark irises encountered hers she felt so special? Rasheed winked and cocked his head toward the door.
Ah, yes. He wanted to remind her of their date.
No, not date. Meeting. Because that’s what they’d been doing. Meeting, and not dating.
Rose should tattoo it on her chest or something in order to keep her mind from wandering away from the disappointing truth.
Emily tapped on Rose’s shoulder. “So are you up for it, or what?”
Shoot, Rose was so absorbed in admiring Rasheed that she still hadn’t answered her friend. She had to decline it, of course. But how? She didn’t want Emily to get suspicious, or worse, offended.
Rose bit her lip. “It’s a superb idea, Emms. But I have to take a rain-check.”
Emily’s jaw dropped. “You have something else to do tonight?”
A bitter taste invaded Rose’s mouth. She knew Emily was her best friend, and as such, she surely didn’t mean anything bad with her incredulous tone. But the realization that a person so close to her found it impossible that Rose could have anything worthwhile to do on an evening was…well, quite frankly tragic.
Rose plastered on a smile. “As a matter of fact, I do. The results of the LeGrand scholarship will be up tonight at nine p.m. I want to be home to check them as soon as they’re published.”
Emily frowned. “I totally forgot that you went through with it. I’ll miss you so much if you get accepted.”
Rose sighed. “Me, too.” Yes, she would miss Emily, too. And this country.
She would’ve never thought the feelings possible when her father declared, after the last year of her high-school, that once again their family was moving. And nowhere else but to the small Arabic country of Sauda.
She blinked at her friend, and her throat dried out.
Emily was one of the reasons Rose began to feel at home here. Guilt racked her for lying to Emily about what she was doing tonight. But she would tell her everything. If not sooner, then tomorrow after the competition was done.
Her heart squeezed. Was there anything to tell?
Her secret encounters with Rasheed would come to an end once there was no longer a reason for him to drive her to Aisha’s classes. Tears welled up at the realization, and she did her best to hold them back.
Emily launched forward and hugged her. “Oh, silly. There’s no reason to cry. If you won the scholarship, it would be a good thing. I’d come to visit you in Oxford, I swear. Even though the British climate is probably garbage compared to Sauda’s.”
A chuckle bubbled up from Rose’s throat.
Emily patted her head. “Now, that’s better. Anyways, you can sleep over on Friday, the evening before the ball. We can pick our dresses together and put on some facial masks. My parents will be back by then, but I’ll tell them to keep the upper floor clear for us.”
Ah, right. The ball.
Rose had completely forgotten about it with all the dance competition preparations. She didn’t even have a date yet. Maybe it would be wiser to fall back on Elliott’s suggestion?
Craig’s strawberry blond hair and sleazy laugh flashed into her mind and she winced. No, she would rather go with Emily and Malik together, or even alone, than with her brother’s friend.
Rose nodded. “Fine, Friday. It’s a date, then.”
Emily clapped her hands. “Great.” She peeked at her watch. “Well, if you’re not coming tonight then I better hurry. If I’m lucky, I can still get to that Zumba class in the fitness studio near our house.” She packed her bag and strolled toward the exit.
Rose waved. “Of course, go, go. I’ll see you on Friday.”
Emily stopped and turned back to her. “Won’t you be in class tomorrow?”
No, no class for her. She’d be rehearsing with the other dancers all day.
Rose shook her head. “I decided to take a day off after the LeGrand news. To either celebrate or to mourn. I’ll see.”
Emily smiled. “To celebrate, surely.” Her eyes drifted over to the podium. “Did Professor Morgan grant you a free pass then?”
Rose paled. He didn’t need to. He wasn’t coming to the class either. He’d be driving Rose to the dance show. “No, not really. I was just about to go ask him.”
Emily gave her a thumbs up. “Okay, use your seductiveness, and all shall be fine.” With that she whirled around and off she was.
Rose blinked around in the room. The hall was empty. Only Rasheed and she were still there.
She quickly stuffed her book into her backpack and marched down the stairs to Rasheed’s podium.
In her brain Emily’s last words were still swirling.
Her seductiveness?
Even if Rose had some, Rasheed was probably not affected by it. The embarrassing scene from last week when she’d stumbled upon him in the dark came back to her, and her face burned.
She’d never been so close to him before, and it was likely that she never would be again.
Rose took the next step as if in a trance.
The intoxicating perfume of his skin, a mix of hazelnut and something musky, seemed to appear out of nowhere around her, and she inhaled deeply.
Was her mind able to conjure all of his details so vividly now? If so, how was she going to escape from this man’s spell? Even if she left the country for Oxford, she would still carry him in every cell of her body.
Her feet slipped, but two strong hands grabbed her waist. She peeked up and found herself face-to-face with Rasheed.
He was smiling. “You need to be careful. Aisha would kill me if something happened to your leg the day before the contest.”
Rose relaxed. Okay, so it wasn’t the superpower of her brain after all. Then the tingles from her sides registered, and she wiggled free from his grip.
“Shoot, thanks. I was caught up in my thoughts.”
He furrowed his brows. The tiny lines on his forehead made his face so serious and adorable at the same time that Rose’s breath caught.
“What were you thinking about?” he asked.
About how good you smell. About how I don’t want you to stop seeing me outside of school. About how I’m madly in love with you.
Rose froze. Had she just confessed to herself that she was in love with Rasheed?
Her eyes flicked to Rasheed’s lips and her heart quivered.
Good grief. It wasn’t just a moment of brain-freeze. No, it was the voice of her own soul, the one she had worked so hard to connect to in these past weeks.
Well, s
he’d managed to reach it. And it was telling her the undeniable truth that she wasn’t just having a crush on her university professor. No, she was in love with him.
Quick, she needed to say something before Rasheed saw through her. “I was thinking about the scholarship. The results are due tonight.”
Rasheed’s face became serious. “Yes, I know.” A dark shadow passed his eyes and his jaw tightened. Then, as fast as a summer tempest, he was smiling again. “In honor of this, and also because it’s the last night before the contest, I thought I could take you to a proper dinner. You know, to celebrate.”
Rose jerked back. “Celebrate?”
Rasheed’s gaze moved to the blackboard, drifted over to the table, and then moved back to Rose. “Yes. The best time to celebrate something is always before it happens. After that, reality might temper our mood.”
Rose bit her lip.
Did it mean that she was actually going to sit in a real restaurant with Rasheed?
Till now, eating together had been always limited to drive-ins on the way home from the dance school. “Okay, fine. I’d love to. But shouldn’t we head over to Aisha’s first?”
Rasheed shook his head. “No need. My sister is busy tonight with her mystery date. And tomorrow morning you’ll have plenty of time to go over the choreography before the contest.” Rasheed pointed at the door. “Shall we?”
“Where are we going?” Rose asked.
“To a small place called Al Farash. It serves the best food in town, but only locals go there. We won’t bump into anyone from the faculty.”
Rose’s heart dropped.
Of course. Even on their last night together they had to keep up appearances. How lucky Rasheed had mentioned this. It reminded Rose once more that the realization she’d just made didn’t change their situation. She loved Rasheed, but she was just a student to him.
Or maybe some sort of friend by now. But surely not one that he would be ready to parade around with in front of other people.
This was the truth, and she had to accept it.
Chapter 12
Abdullah greeted them with his usual enthusiasm. “Habibi! Long time, no see. Come in. I’ll have your usual table set up in a second.”
Rasheed’s stomach warmed. He loved this place. Though it was located outside of town and he had to drive at least twenty minutes each time to get here, he still came. He felt at home here, and the food was amazing
This was the reason he wanted to bring Rose to see it. It was his last chance to show her a piece of his life before they returned to their teacher-student status.
Or before she left for good.
His heart skipped a beat, and he glanced at Rose who was shaking hands with Abdullah.
“Tasharrafna,” she said smiling.
Abdullah clapped his hands. “Wonderful, tasharrafna habibti.” He turned to Rasheed and, with his index finger, pulled at the corner of his left eye. “Keep an eye on this one. She’s special,” he said in a rapid Arabic.
Rasheed nodded. As if he didn’t know. Rose was the most incredible creature he’d ever met. So many contradictions and depth molded into one single person. Only the fact that she existed assured Rasheed that some higher power had to govern above humankind. Her soul and her bright eyes were masterpieces. Such a woman couldn’t be just a random experiment of nature.
Abdullah patted his shoulder. “It’s the first time I’ve seen you bring someone else along apart from your sister. Should I assume it has a meaning?”
Rasheed shrugged. “We shall see, my friend.” He turned back to Rose. She was admiring the pictures on the wall, and didn’t seem to notice their exchange.
Relief flooded over Rasheed. He didn’t feel like translating for Rose what they’d talked about. It would only disturb the amiable atmosphere between them.
When their table was ready, they walked to it and sat down.
Rose studied the menu, her brows drawn into a funny little grimace above her pointy nose. “What’s good here?”
“Basically, everything. But I usually take their Special. It’s a mix of various local dishes, a bit like Spanish tapas.”
Rose clapped the menu shut. “That sounds perfect.”
After they ordered, their plates arrived quickly. It was such a thrill to watch Rose trying his favorite flavors and see how her face lit up when she liked something.
“Does your family ever eat out in local restaurants?” he asked.
Rose shook her head. “Not really. I guess it’s because we’ve moved so many times. My parents are tired of adapting to new things. So they just keep to their expat community, and the usual places that serve the food they know. It’s a pity really.”
Rasheed cocked his head to the side. He’d never asked Rose how she felt about living in an Arabic country. Even if Sauda was one of the most liberal of the Middle Eastern states, it still had to be challenging as an American-born woman.
“And what about you? Do you like it here?”
Rose twirled her glass between her fingers. “Yes. I never thought I would, but I do. You know, when Dad first told us we were moving here, I closed myself in my room for hours and refused to speak with anyone.”
Rasheed’s brows shot up. He had a hard time picturing an angry Rose. She seemed so good-tempered and kind all the time.
Rose laughed. “Don’t forget I was eighteen at the time. Anyways, I don’t make friends that easily. So the idea of having to build a new circle of trust didn’t entice me. But when I laid eyes on the reddish dunes of the desert and watched the first sunrise from our balcony, I was sold.”
Rasheed took a sip of water to hide that his voice sounded husky. “I think you fit with this country well. Just look at your dancing. Somehow the Arabic beats come natural to you.”
Rose’s lowered her eyes. “You really think so?”
Rasheed recalled her undulating hips and the graceful movement of her fingers from the last dance practice. Oh, hell yeah. Rose always danced from her heart, as if the rhythms were flowing in her blood.
Rasheed nodded. “Absolutely. Just like in your writing. You have talent for both.”
Rose blushed, then grabbed her napkin and dabbed at her lips with it. “Anyways, this was amazing. Truly the best meal I’ve had since we moved here.”
Rasheed smiled. “I’m glad I could show you something new.”
Why was his voice suddenly so deep? They were only speaking about food, for crying out loud.
Rose leaned forward, and her eyes sparkled in the candlelight. “Oh, Rasheed, you’ve shown me a lot more than you think.”
The way his name rolled on her lips sent shivers down Rasheed’s back. How would it be if she whispered it while he planted kisses on her neck?
She bit her lip and shrugged. “I mean, you taught me many things in the class room, but also outside in these past weeks. I’m really grateful for it. I know it had to be a pain chaperoning me around. If it’s worth anything, I think you’re a great brother for doing this.”
Rasheed blinked at her.
Her face glowed in a soft shade of pink.
Was this what she thought? That he had picked her up as an altruistic case? That he drove her and spent time with her just to please his sister?
He slammed his palms on the table and as they hit it with a bang, he cringed.
Rose batted her lashes quickly. “Did I say something that upset you?”
Rasheed inhaled. “No, I’m fine.”
It wasn’t her words. It was his growing frustration at being in a situation where he needed to pretend. Perhaps it shouldn’t matter if Rose thought he was spending time with her to content his sister.
But it did.
Somewhere deep down, Rasheed wanted Rose to see his actions for what they truly were. He wanted her to know the desire he felt for her. The ache that was assaulting his heart at the thought of losing her, without actually ever having her.
He felt like a fool. He had the most amazing woman he’d ever met sitting
across from him and he didn’t even try to reach out and see if she wanted to give him a chance.
But it would be selfish of him to expose her to the truth. So very selfish.
He didn’t care about his own teaching career anymore. Even if he loved his lectures at the university, to have a chance with Rose, he would be ready to find another job.
Rose, however, didn’t need a scandal when she was about to be awarded one of the most prestigious scholarships. Because she was going to get the LeGrand, he was sure of it. They would be fools not to take her.
If he loved this woman, and his pounding heart told him he did, than he had to keep his distance.
Rose gave him a faint smile. “Good, I wouldn’t want to offend you.”
Rasheed observed how her cheeks moved up, elongating her eyes and darkening their shade to the color of the ocean. His mouth turned dry.
Abdullah came with the bill, which provided a welcome distraction from Rasheed’s thoughts. After paying, they went outside.
As they strolled silently toward the parking lot, the quietude of the night descended upon them.
Rasheed stopped and searched for his car keys, but Rose continued toward a small path that crossed the road and led toward the sandy dunes of the desert.
“Where are you going?” he called out.
Rose turned. The moonlight surrounded her with a silver halo.
A crescent moon.
That’s what Aisha had called her. There was something magical about the moon. It could assume so many forms and still be the same.
Just like Rose. She could be shy, quirky, smart, seductive and tender. And that all in one night. Sometimes even in the same minute.
When she didn’t answer, he strode over to her.
“You don’t want to go yet?” he asked.
Again she didn’t say anything, only stared at him. Her eyes had an unreadable expression.
Then she stepped closer to him. Without letting go of his gaze, she reached out and caressed his cheek with one hand. Her touch was velvety and tempting.
Rasheed gulped. “Rose, what are you doing?”
She tilted her head to the side. “I need to know. I know it’s probably a crazy idea, but if I don’t try it now, I might never know.”
A Lesson in Love: A sweet forbidden love story Page 7
