It was a sunny Saturday when we gathered at the company club to engage in some sports activities. Erica liked to organize the event at least once a month, inviting all the biggest stakeholders of Harrington Company to play tennis or swim.
As I had had a very busy night with the hot reporter I was seeing, I slept until noon and delayed going to the club until the afternoon. Of course, I went alone, because if I took Inaya, she would think we were in a relationship and start putting her nose in my business. Women were like that.
Everyone was already in the middle of their games. On one court, Erica and Joseph played Jeffrey and Inaya.
Inaya was beautiful! I stopped near the entrance before anyone saw me, just to watch the woman who wouldn’t leave my thoughts, not even when I slept. It was difficult, but necessary to hide these feelings, seeing her day after day and pretending I didn’t see her, having to ignore her when what I really wanted was to be with her, to touch her, to make her mine. It was impossible and I knew I couldn’t, so I had to bury my feelings deep inside, but it was getting harder every day.
She wore mini skirt and a white, knitted t-shirt with sneakers of the same color. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her dark skin, without any makeup, seemed to glow in the sunlight, tanning her in a way that made her look even more enchanting, sexy, and irresistible.
I’d never seen her so comfortable before, having fun, smiling, and laughing. I wanted to be the responsible for that, but I knew I wasn’t. Jeffrey called me last night, after leaving her home from the concert. He was rejoicing, saying that he kissed her for the first time, that she finally let him in. He looked like a boy telling his father about his first time, and that might be why she was smiling.
I didn’t know why the revelation affected me so much. I couldn’t sleep and felt a terrible loss, but I was the responsible for bringing them together, for making this happen.
Every part of me said it was the biggest mistake of my life to give up Inaya for Jeffrey’s sake. However, when I was thinking straight, I knew it was the right thing to do. After all, he could give her a future, and I’d only bring her pain in the end.
“Jared! I thought you wouldn’t come.” Erica almost yelled and I needed to force a smile, avoiding making eye contact with Inaya.
“I’d never miss this,” I said.
As she always did, my cousin kissed the corner of my mouth.
“Bet you were sleeping until now after expending all that energy with the reporter,” Jeffrey grinned and Erica grimaced.
“Let’s avoid irrelevant subjects,” she said. “Joseph is leaving, you can take his place.”
I was going to say I didn’t want to play this one, but Joseph seemed relieved when I arrived. I was certain it was because he wanted to get away from Erica’s overbearing personality, so I took his place in the game.
“Who’s winning?” I asked.
“We are.” Jeffrey boasted. “Inaya is a great player.”
I couldn’t avoid it. I had to look at her and I saw those amber eyes, brighter with the sun, looking at me. The obvious desire in her expression made my heart beat faster in my chest.
I wanted to ask where she learned to play tennis since she lived in a harem, but I couldn’t find my voice. I only felt the intensity of her look.
“Have you seen it before, Jared? A Moroccan girl who can play tennis?” Erica said. Her voice was sour and rude, bringing me out of my reverie.
“Ok, let’s start. You know you can take advantage of my skills.” I said and silence permeated the air before we started.
I couldn’t play for more than one hour. I was tired. Pretending this was natural, everyone left the game, all agreeing that they were equally tired. We went to the snack bar and ordered some refreshments.
Erica and I sat side by side, while Jeffrey and Inaya sat opposite us. Acting like a lovesick puppy, my brother sat and pulled her by the wrist to his lap. Knowing her temper, I fully expected that she would make a scene, but she just smiled and looked at his face for a long moment. She was enjoying it and it was like a knife on my throat, slowly slicing deeper.
“Don’t be lewd in front of people, Jeffrey Harrington,” Inaya said, still smiling. She slipped to the chair beside him.
“And who said I can control myself when I’m beside you?” he answered.
“Oh, how cute! I’ve never seen my cousin fall for a girl before.” Erica said. “He has always been promiscuous.”
“You didn’t need to say that in front of her, Erica.” Jeffrey rebuked her, ironically.
“Feel free to speak, Erica.” Inaya was relaxed.
I was the only miserable one in the group. I wasn’t happy, but it was my own fault, I suppose.
“Don’t they make a cute couple, Jared?” Erica continued. “My cousin and a Moroccan girl. Who’d guess.”
She said as if Inaya’s ancestry was blemish. At the same time, she tried to insinuate Inaya was intellectually inferior to us because she was Moroccan. The fact that Inaya did not answer my cousin just showed she had more class and grace than my ignorant cousin.
“Yes, a beautiful couple.” -It was a bad attempt at humor.
The waitress came to us and we ordered strawberry juice, ice and sandwiches.
“What about the journalist. Didn’t she want to come?” Jeffrey asked and Inaya looked in my direction.
“You know I don’t mix sex and my personal life.”
Jeffrey and Erica smiled, but Inaya remained serious.
“That’s because your heart hasn’t beat faster for anyone yet.” My brother put his hand on Inaya’s thigh and faced me with a sweet smile.
“Maybe it did, but he didn’t notice it.” My cousin was very subtle.
“As subtle as a bulldozer, aren’t you, Erica?” Jeffrey laughed and Erica grimaced again. Inaya looked from one to the other, understanding what was happening.
When the juice arrived, I asked the girl to bring me a double vodka to mix with it. Maybe the alcohol would made me relax, or at least stop caring about Inaya’s and Jeffrey’s romance. The whole time, he tried to rub his body against hers and she seemed to like it. They would be having sex long before that child was born and I don’t know why I felt so angry, but I did.
The vodka wasn’t helping. As the time went by, I grew angrier, cursing myself for not taking Inaya when I had the chance and for pushing her to my brother. I knew things had progressed as they should, it needed to be this way, but I couldn’t stop feeling it was wrong.
When Inaya got up and went to the bathroom, neither I nor my brother could look away. Holy shit! She was so hot in that skirt. She was different from American women and that made her more attractive. She had a narrow waist and large hips. Her butt was big and hard, and her legs were long and firm. She seemed to be designed for the sole purpose of driving men crazy and she did that to me. Still watching her, I excused myself and told the others I needed to go to the bathroom as well, when, in fact, I followed her, hoping no one noticed.
I hurried down the hallway and reached her before she entered the lady’s room. I thoughtlessly obeyed the hunger inside me, pulling her by the arm to the first door we found. It was a dark room filled with boxes that looked like a storage room.
“What are you doing?” Inaya asked, confused, as I closed the door behind us.
“I don’t have any idea. The only thing I know is that I’ll lose my mind if I’m not with you.”
I touched her face, but she avoided me, stepping back as I approached her.
“What are you talking about?!” she demanded. “You ignore me and act like you don’t know me all the time in the office, and always push me at your brother. I’m getting along with him now. Things are moving the way you wanted, why don’t you…”
“Shut up, Inaya,” I said.
Consumed by my desire, I reached out and grabbed her by the hair at the nape, pulling her to me and wrapping my other arm around her waist to keep her locked in place. I attacked her mouth, pressing my lips against hers, feeling the desire inside me while she struggled to get away. Her efforts were in vain, soon giving in to her own desire and parting her delicious lips to receive my tongue.