Page 16 of What Happens in Dubai

‘I’m sorry, guys, I need to go,’ I said and turned to face the closed door.

‘How do you two know each other?’ Luke barked, confused at his dad’s reaction.

‘That wasmydate, son. Zara, the girl that told me she was moving to Dubai.’ William was pointing his arthritic finger at me, looking irater than his son as the situation worsened.

‘Wait. No. No fucking way. That’smyZara. She’s just told me the same, Da, that she’s moving to Dubai.’

Both of them scowled at me like I had just took a shite in their kettle.

All I could say was, ‘I seriously am going to Dubai, like right now.’ I looked at my watch; I didn’t have time for this debate and I could feel the buzz of my phone ringing in my pocket.

‘So, you’re telling me I’m sitting up this late so I could text you a “good morning” message because of the time difference, and meanwhile you were up my fucking stairs?’ William shouted. ‘With my fucking boy!’ he bellowed.

‘Sorry. I need to go now.’

I turned around, trembling and striving to breathe, then opened the front door and immediately threw it shut behind me. I stood on the step for a second listening to their blaring voices shout from inside the house and caught my breath as my heart thumped. The Uber was thankfully still waiting outside, and my shaky legs just managed to make their way towards it, too terrified to turn back to the family I had just shafted.

‘The Italian Centre, driver, and please be quick. I’m about to get fucking ragdolled.’

Chapter Six

A few hours of rushed taxi rides, security checks and duty-free later, our arses were finally sat on a luxury Emirates flight to Dubai. My two friends were looking forward to a well-deserved break from the gloomy Scottish weather, whereas I was just thankful for a faraway refuge from a possible lynch mob attack.

We were one of the first groups to be let on the plane, and I found myself wedged between my pals as Ashley demanded the window seat and Raj preferred the aisle to stretch his long legs. Ashley had strutted out of her flat that very early morning dressed in a loosely styled cream maxi dress and an oversized floppy sunhat, which she insisted on keeping on for the entire journey to Dubai, along with a huge pair of sunglasses, even although it was a pitch-black January in Glasgow. The flight was filling fast behind us, and we sat impatiently, observing the remaining groups of people boarding the plane.

‘He’s not bad, Zara, eh, eh.’ Ashley nudged me and lowered her shades for a better view of the man walking up the aisle. I pushed my neck out carefully before seeing a wedding band.

‘Married,’ I shrugged.

‘What about this one coming? Don’t look just now. Don’t look,’ she whispered quickly, but it was too late. I was staring directly at the stranger pushing his case along to his seat.

‘You made that too obvious!’ she hissed.

‘You were the one who told me to look in the first place,’ I snapped back, feeling too hungover for her games.

‘Will you two be quiet!’ Raj muttered to both of us, interrupting our pastime. ‘Ashley, you have a partner, and you’re checking out every man on this flight, and by the looks of you, Zara, you’ve not long finished with one! Let’s just relax, get our headsets on and stop gawking at strangers. I’m not listening to boy chat for the next four days. This is a very important work trip, girls.’

As Ashley and I fell silent from our telling off, I looked down self-consciously at the childish outfit I had just been judged on from the night before. I’d had no time for a change when I arrived back at my apartment and suddenly felt insecure. Raj rummaged through the pouch in front of him and popped his headphones into the TV frustratedly as the plane began heading to the runway. As soon as he had them on, Ashley nudged my arm.

‘What’s up with him? He’d better not be a miserable cunt all holiday!’

I giggled at her doing evil eyes at Raj’s head, while he innocently concentrated on the safety video.

‘He’s just stressed because of the clinic; we’re really struggling to keep afloat.’

Ashley rolled her eyes. ‘So, how did last night go?’ she asked.

‘If I told you, I’m not even sure you’d believe me, Ash.’ I shoved my head in my hands, still in total disbelief myself.

‘Oh, come on. Try me.’

‘Well, I went back to his—’

‘OK, well, I can believe that so far,’ she said sarcastically.

‘We shagged, but his dad was awake, overheard us and started chapping his door.’

‘OK, cringe. But so what? He’s a grown man –just. Maybe his dad wanted in on the action,’ she giggled.

---