CHAPTER 2 How it all began

 Five moths ago....        

        "You will do well, trust me. The Al Fahezis are good people, I wouldn't leave them if not for Rain. We agreed that it would be best for us both to return home and start our lives together. I have wasted my life pining for things that were not possible until he came", Ami paused then continued with a laugh, "to his senses."

          Eliza laughed with her but she was all jitters inside. From what she heard, Ami did an amazing job as Madam Al Fahezi’s PA. What if she failed miserably. She owes this job to her godmother, Rain's mother, and to Ami as well as she was the one who referred Eliza as a replacement. They were meeting with Mariam in one of the cafes along Abu Dhabi corniche. It was the first week of July, the hottest month of summer in the UAE. The cafe is owned by Ami's cousin's husband, Varick Devlin. and thankfully the AC is working nicely as the cafe is cool and comfy compared to the outside. He saved Ami's cousin, Mabel from a white slavery gang. At least that is what she was told as she was not at Mabel's wedding. It was originally agreed upon that the meeting and interview would take place at the Al Fahezis' residence in Al Reef but as it was her first time in the UAE, Eliza was hesitant. Her would-be employers also realized it wouldn't do as the Al Fahezi matriarch decided to move her offices to the city proper closer to her youngest child's workplace, a nursery they built solely for the children of their employees and open to other expats as well. 

         "Why are we not meeting at her offices?", Eliza asked Ami.

          "Because honey, they are aware that you just arrived last night and probably have not had your breakfast yet.

          Eliza was about to deny that fact when her stomach started to growl. She tried to apologize but Ami merely smiled.

          "Do not be embarrassed as it also is the same with me. I am also quite hungry to be honest, but you know that, don't you? I know you heard the jokes about me being always hungry but never growing an inch." Ami grinned as she was saying this which reassured Eliza immensely. To be honest, she was not able to eat anything since last night as her nerves were on edge. Ami and Rain were supposed to fetch her from the airport but Rain couldn't make it so they sent Matan instead. It was a bit puzzling for Eliza as he is the son of the bosses but, she can’t really understand the odd couple sometimes.

         When she saw him last night, she was struck anew with his looks. He wasn't as handsome as his brother Ali but he is more appealing. He has the masculine aura of a predator which always appealed to Eliza. She met Ali Al Fahezi at Rain and Ami's wedding and was infatuated with him at first until she learned he was married, and then the couple introduced Matan and she was hooked. His masculinity made her giddy and confused. To her astonishment though, he always annoys her incessantly and so when he was waiting for her last night, she was dumbstruck and a bit lightheaded.

         "Looks like you've seen a ghost, I thought you were part of the wall." were his words of greeting. She felt insulted and the first word she uttered was, "bastard!" She almost didn't see it, but he winced. He recovered instantaneously and replied none too kindly, " Why thank you shitface!" Eliza was so hurt because it was the first time someone called her that. She was tempted to just find a taxi rather than ride with the rude man but she wasn't sure where she would go. She was not a scaredy cat but she is practical. She only has enough pocket money and she heard it is quite expensive to take a cab from Abu Dhabi airport to the city proper. She swallowed her pride and followed Matan quietly to the waiting car. 

         For his part, Matan immediately regretted his words when he saw how Eliza reacted to them. He admired her though for instead of answering back in kind, she just kept quiet and followed him when he pointed to the car. He couldn't help it, every time he sees her, she seems so unflappable that he just wants to shake her control. it doesn't mean that he enjoys what he is doing because he was raised to be respectful to everyone specially women no matter the nationality. There is just something about the woman that bothers him. She seems so in control yet so vulnerable at the same time. She looks so precious and fragile. That was what bothered him when they were first introduced at the cruise ship, she looked so fragile and vulnerable at that time. She still has that fragility but also a determination that he hasn’t seen before.

         It was that same thought as he saw her at the cafe this morning, but God, how beautiful and refreshing she looks. He sucked in his breath when Eliza bestowed a sweet smile on one of the cafe's male attendants.  Suddenly, he wanted to fire the guy. He scowled at the thought, what was he thinking? They dislike each other, don't they? Well, she seems to dislike him but he does not dislike her. Quite the opposite which is really puzzling because they only met a couple of times. Nevertheless, he wore his most dashing smile as he entered the cafe and was rewarded with her stunned expression. Despite the shock and sudden frown, he has the urge to kiss those luscious lips. The Al Fahezi couple was unaware of the undercurrents between the two unlike Ami who was observing the exchange with an amused expression. Matan noticed her smiling so he said, "Anything amusing Mrs. Zaragosa?"

          "I am not aware of a ban about smiling Mr. Al Fahezi, unless you just outlawed it today. Isn’t he dashing today, Eliza?" Ami teased.

          "How should I know, Ami? All I see is another panelist to this interview. Nice meeting you, kind Sir!" Eliza retorted putting a lot of emphasis on the word kind. Before Matan could react, Mariam shooed him out of the cafe. 

           "Wait, why?" Matan was bewildered.

            "Because Habibi, it is clear that you are upsetting the young lady. Based on my observation of her back in the Philippines, she seems to be a very nice young woman and I would not like to look for another applicant as she comes highly recommended. Go find another person to annoy, or better yet, go find Devlin and talk about his plan of expanding. Yallah, just go." Mariam gestured him away.

            Matan was not ready to leave just as yet and would have barged back in if not for Abdullah raising his brow at him. Deprived of his prey, he walked back to his car and sped away hoping to dislodge the uneasiness in him. That is how he felt ever since he met Eliza. Funny, he thought he would pursue Fiona but when he finally managed to speak with her during the wedding, he wasn't at all feeling any excitement unlike when he was unintentionally annoying Eliza. Eliza makes him feel alive and surprisingly, his uneasiness vanishes whenever she was around.  Scowling, he just kept driving until he arrived at Galleria Mall. He went to a branch of Devlin's cafe and ordered an Americano which was a mistake because it reminded him of Eliza's eyes. Damn the woman, he thought. Why can't she leave his senses? 

           He was still scowling when he felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned and looked up at the owner of the cafe.

           "Devlin, you devil! Where the heck have you been hiding? Don't tell me under your wife's skirt? ", he joked. 

           "Be mindful of your tongue, crazy boy-o. I can kick you out of my shop if I want to." Devlin strongly replied.

            "Easy there American, I was just kidding. You know I like your wife, you're just lucky she chose you over me. Thankfully, I didn't like her that much, otherwise, you'll still be a lover boy still adrift on a loveless journey." Matan continued to rib him just when he caught a movement on his periphery.

           "Stop badgering my husband, you crazy you!", a woman suddenly whacked him on the shoulder with her bag. 

           "Mabel, my Mabel, how are you sweetheart?", Matan w

Five months ago...

"You will do well, trust me. The Al Fahezis are good people, I wouldn't leave them if not for Rain. We agreed that it would be best for us both to return home and start our lives together. I have wasted my life pining for things that were not possible until he came", Ami paused then continued with a laugh, "to his senses." 

          Eliza laughed with her but she was all jitters inside. She should be hating Ami because she ended up marrying Rain when Eliza in fact boasted to friends and relatives that it was she, who’ll become Mrs. Rain Gonzales. Surprisingly, she didn’t dislike Ami because she has known that Rain would never love her the way he loved Ami. It was pure wishful thinking on her part as she was infatuated with Rain since High School. Her unpleasant experience when she was a child prompted her to be blunt with her feelings so she told Rain how she felt about him thinking he’ll return them in time. She didn’t begrudge the couple their happiness. Maybe she was meant to be alone all her life, maybe there is something wrong with her that only the unsavory people would have an interest in her. Shaking those thoughts away, she was thinking about the current state of her emotions. From what she heard, Ami did an amazing job as Madam Al Fahezi’s PA. What if she failed miserably? She owes this job to her godmother, Rain's mother, and to Ami as well as she was the one who referred Eliza as a replacement. They were meeting with Mariam in one of the cafes along Abu Dhabi corniche. It was near the newly acquired office of the Al Fahezis. It was the first week of July, the hottest month of summer in the UAE. From what she heard from Ami, the Al Fahezi’s American business partner is currently in talks with the owner of the cafe so the Fahezis are testing the ambience and food as a favor for Varrick Devlin, their partner. Thankfully the AC is working nicely as the cafe is cool and comfy compared to the outside. It was originally agreed upon that the meeting and interview would take place at the Al Fahezis' residence in Al Reef but as it was her first time in the UAE, Eliza was hesitant. Her would-be employers also realized it wouldn't do as the Al Fahezi matriarch decided to move her offices to the city proper closer to her youngest child's workplace, a nursery they built solely for the children of their employees and open to other expats as well. 

         "Why are we not meeting at her offices?", Eliza asked Ami.

          "Because girl, they are aware that you just arrived last night and probably have not had your breakfast yet.

          Eliza was about to deny that fact when her stomach started to growl. She tried to apologize but Ami merely smiled.

          "Do not be embarrassed as it also is the same with me. I am always hungry to be honest, but you know that, don't you? I know you heard the jokes about me being hungry all the time but never growing an inch." Ami grinned as she was saying this which reassured Eliza immensely. To be honest, she was not able to eat anything since last night as her nerves were on edge. Ami and Rain were supposed to fetch her from the airport but Rain couldn't make it so they sent Matan instead. It was a bit puzzling for Eliza as he is the son of the bosses but, she can’t really understand the odd Al Fahezi couple sometimes.

         When she saw him last night, she was struck anew with his looks. He wasn't as handsome as his brother Ali but he is more appealing. He has the masculine aura of a predator which always appealed to Eliza. She met Ali Al Fahezi at Rain and Ami's wedding and was infatuated with him at first until she learned he was married; and then the couple introduced Matan and she was hooked. His masculinity made her giddy and confused. To her astonishment though, he always annoys her incessantly and so when he was waiting for her last night, she was dumbstruck and a bit lightheaded.

         "Looks like you've seen a ghost, I thought you were part of the wall." were his words of greeting. She felt insulted and the first word she uttered was, "jerk!" She almost didn't see it, but he winced. He recovered instantaneously and replied none too kindly, " Why thank you shitface!" Eliza was so hurt because it was the first time someone called her that. She is not a vain person but she knew she isn’t plain or ugly or unattractive. She was tempted to just find a taxi rather than ride with the rude man but she wasn't sure where she would go. She was not a scaredy cat but she is practical. She only has enough pocket money and she heard it is quite expensive to take a cab from Abu Dhabi airport to the city proper. She swallowed her pride and followed Matan quietly to the waiting car. 

         For his part, Matan immediately regretted his words when he saw how Eliza reacted to them. He admired her though for instead of answering back in kind, she just kept quiet and followed him when he pointed to the car. He couldn't help it, every time he sees her, she seems so unflappable that he just wants to shake her control. it doesn't mean that he enjoys what he is doing because he was raised to be respectful to everyone specially women no matter the nationality. There is just something about the woman that bothers him. She seems so in control yet so vulnerable at the same time. She looks so precious and fragile. That was what bothered him when they were first introduced at the cruise ship, she looked so fragile and vulnerable at that time. She still has that fragility but also a determination that he hasn’t seen before.

         It was that same thought as he saw her at the cafe this morning, but God, how beautiful and refreshing she looks. He sucked in his breath when Eliza bestowed a sweet smile on one of the cafe's male attendants.  Suddenly, he wanted to fire the guy. He scowled at the thought, what was he thinking? They dislike each other, don't they? Well, she seems to dislike him but he does not dislike her. Quite the opposite which is really puzzling because they only met a couple of times. Nevertheless, he wore his most dashing smile as he entered the cafe and was rewarded with her stunned expression. Despite the shock and sudden frown, he has the urge to kiss those luscious lips. The Al Fahezi couple was unaware of the undercurrents between the two unlike Ami who was observing the exchange with an amused expression. Matan noticed her smiling so he said, "Anything amusing Mrs. Gonzales?"

          "I am not aware of a ban about smiling Mr. Al Fahezi, unless you just outlawed it today. Isn’t he dashing today, Eliza?" Ami teased.

          "How should I know, Ami? All I see is another panelist to this interview. Nice meeting you, kind Sir!" Eliza retorted putting a lot of emphasis on the word kind. Before Matan could react, Mariam shooed him out of the cafe. 

           "Wait, why?" Matan was bewildered.

            "Because Habibi, it is clear that you are upsetting the young lady. Based on my observation of her back in the Philippines, she seems to be a very nice young woman and I would not like to look for another applicant as she comes highly recommended. Go find another person to annoy, or better yet, go find Devlin and talk about his plan about this place should he acquire it. Just go." Mariam gestured him away.

            Matan was not ready to leave just as yet and would have barged back in if not for Abdullah raising his brow at him. Deprived of his prey, he walked back to his car and sped away hoping to dislodge the uneasiness in him. That is how he felt ever since he met Eliza. Funny, he thought he would have pursued Fiona but when he finally managed to speak with her during the wedding, he wasn't at all feeling any excitement unlike when he was unintentionally annoying Eliza. Eliza makes him feel alive and surprisingly, his uneasiness vanishes whenever she was around.  Scowling, he just kept driving until he arrived at Galleria Mall. He went to a branch of Devlin's cafe and ordered an Americano which was a mistake because it reminded him of Eliza's eyes. Damn the woman, he thought. Why can't she leave his senses? 

           He was still scowling when he felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned and looked up at the owner of the cafe.

           "Devlin, you devil! Where the heck have you been hiding? Don't tell me under your lover’s skirt? ", he joked. 

           "Be mindful of your tongue, crazy boy-o. I can kick you out of my shop if I want to." Devlin strongly replied.

            "Easy there American, I was just kidding. You know I like you despite you sniffing after my sisters, especially Mabel. If you are interested in her, why not up the ante?” Do not be like Ali who gave up his love for honor’s sake although he is happy now, I can say.” Matan returned.

“Fuck you Emirati! Up the ante my ass, when you are so protective of her. Tell me, don’t you really feel anything for her besides brotherly love? But just like what you told me before, mind your own beeswax!”                     

             Matan turned beet red and sobered after hearing this. Noticing Matan's red countenance and realizing that he was getting serious, Devlin sat down and they chatted about his expansion plans.

as about to kiss her on the cheek when Devlin suddenly interposed himself between the two thereby getting the kiss instead.

            "Yuck! Man, go kiss someone besides me and my wife, better yet, go find yourself a wife. " Devlin managed to say wiping his face with his sleeve while Mabel was shaking and snorting with laughter.

             Matan turned beet red and sobered after hearing this. Noticing Matan's red countenance and realizing that he was getting serious, Devlin sat down and they chatted about his expansion plans.