The house contained many rooms worthy of excitement; a theater, a vast library, and her favorite: the swimming pool. At the entrance was a faux poolside; complete with lounge chairs and other upscale patio furniture. The roof peaked into an oversized skylight that let the sun’s rays in. Tiled stairs led into the L-shaped pool; the water so clear you could see the multi-colored tiles floored beneath it, as if there were nothing in the way.
Amie leaned over and dipped a toe into the water, heavenly and warm, before lazily spinning around one of the stone pillars lining the poolside.
“Okay, so instead of saying ‘we’re going on a tour’, you definitely should have said ‘we’re going swimming, like, right now.’”
“‘Like’ isn’t a big word in my vocabulary,” he teased. He watched her reaction for a moment before asking, “You really want to go swimming?”
“Is that even a question?”
He smiled. “Fair enough.”
The two went their separate ways—Malik having to remind Amie exactly how she could get back to her bedroom—and changed into bathing attire before convening back at the pool.
While Amie bashfully tiptoed down the tile stairs into the water, Malik simply splashed in at the side, racing over to drag her into the water.
“You’re one of those!” she scorned as she tried to run away from him, the water slowing her down.
Eventually, he caught up to her, grabbing her waist and spinning her around in the water, mocking as though he were going to dunk her under. The two laughed and began walking the length of the pool together.
“You sure you wouldn’t rather be in the hot tub?” he asked, pointing across the room.
“I’m pretty sure I’d rather be right here.”
He nodded and began leading her to a smaller staircase by the pool. He walked her up and opened a door at the top. The entrance led to a sprawling garden and a connected pool outside. Tall trees were planted in front of the entrance and gave way to endless greenery.
Amie beamed, taking in the stunning flora and fauna, until Malik came up behind her, picked her up, and carried back into the outdoor section of the pool. The water was perfect, and her new boss wasn’t so bad himself.
With that, she wriggled away from him and splashed water his way. “You are a man of many mysteries,” she said. “Let’s talk.”
“Let’s talk,” he repeated.
“We’re in the Middle East now,” she said factually. “So, aside from pretending to be affianced, I should probably also know, you know, how not to offend people… with my American-ness.”
“You’re trusting stereotypes and American propaganda?” he asked, only partially joking. “You’re not seriously concerned are you?”
“No,” she shrugged, dancing around the pool. “In fact, I’ve always wanted to come; I just want to make sure I know what I’m doing.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. He made his way to the poolside and held onto the edge as the floor dropped to a deeper area. “Ask away.”
“Tell me more about the culture here,” she said simply. “Is it… strict? Do people hate Americans?”
“Oh, come on!” he laughed. “No, not at all. My father has been the ruling monarch for as long as I can remember, and he’s always been fairly progressive.” He paused, as if wondering what else there was to tell. “Rabayat isn’t so strict about tradition; you’ll find things are a little more relaxed here than in some other areas in the region.”
“So… do I have to cover my face?”
He thought for a moment. “Not if you don’t want to; especially not here, or out in the markets. If we approach any spiritual grounds or temples, you might want to cover yourself—just out of respect.”
She nodded at this, taking a mental note as he continued.
“Saying that, you may want to cover yourself, anyway—if only to avoid the sun. Temperatures are usually in the mid-to-high 90s here.”
“Yeah,” Amie said, splashing some water on herself. “I’ve noticed. And what about my clothes; can I show my ankles?”