“They did?”
She hums. “We’re leaving the house now. Are you packed?”
I sigh. “I will be by the time you get here.”
“See you soon.”
The call ends. I don’t want to do this, but what choice do I have? Groaning, I pack. Knowing Jasmine, there will be fancy dinners, so I pack two nice dresses, a swimsuit, and some more casual clothes. When I’m packed, I make my way to the lobby of the hotel just as a dark SUV pulls up. I’m surprised to see Jafar behind the wheel. Jasmine is next to him, and they both look mad. I drag my suitcase outside, going to the back of the SUV. A door opens and Al makes his way over to me.
“Here. Let me help you.”
He lifts the bag with ease, loading it into the trunk, where I spot several of Jasmine’s bags taking up most of the space. Good thing I didn’t pack more than this. There wouldn’t be room for it.
“Thanks.”
“No worries.” He eyes me. “You look nice, Ellie.”
I’m wearing a yellow sundress and sandals. Nothing fancy, but I appreciate the comment. He’s dressed in khaki shorts and a blue polo shirt.
“You look nice, too.”
“I picked this color because it reminded me of your eyes.” He bumps his shoulder against mine. “Ready to have some fun?”
I’m about to answer when Jafar hits the horn, making both of us jump.
Al rolls his eyes. “Be prepared for World War III in there.”
“That bad?”
“Worse.”
We’re both grinning as we get in the car. I sit behind Jafar, which I thought was the better choice to make until I realize that I can see his gaze in the mirror. And he’s mad. At me, if his glare is any sign.
“I’d like to get on the road if the two of you are done flirting,” he snaps.
Al answers, “We’re ready.”
Jafar speeds off, making other vehicles honk around us. Great. This trip is starting out just perfectly. Jasmine glares at her husband before putting her earbuds in. I should do the same, but I don’t want to be rude to Al.
“What do you do for a living, Al?”
He smiles. “I work for Jafar.”
So he’s not a coworker, as Jasmine said. He’s an employee, which makes more sense.
“At one of the hotels or…?”
“No, I work on the other side of the business. I’m a soldier.”
“What does that entail?”
Jafar snaps from the front, “Things innocent people like you don’t need to hear about.”
Al shrugs, unfazed by Jafar’s outburst. “I do whatever it takes to keep the city safe. What about you?”
“I work at a clinic in Wichita, Kansas. I’ve been there for five years now.”
“Five years? That’s pretty impressive. What do you do there?”