Page 19 of A Wish for Jinnie
‘With you in two shakes,’ he said. He thundered up the stairs, two at a time by the sound of it, reappearing a minute later with the mangy old rug rolled up under his arm. ‘I can tell by your face that you doubt your loyal servant.’ He shook out the rug, and placed it on the floor. ‘So, what better way to prove that you’ve conquered your fear — and make me a happy little bunny — than to go for a spin on this?’
He couldnotbe serious! Hell would freeze over before Jinnie would get on thatthing …and then what? Hover outside the window and scare a few locals to death? Plus it might be a beautiful night, but the temperature had dipped below zero. Hypothermia definitely wasn’t on her wish list.
‘Is it Persian?’ asked Dhassim, smoothing out a few crinkles and knots where the vacuum had almost shredded the rug’s fringe.
‘Erm, no. It’s from IKEA.’ As if Jinnie possessed anything as valuable as a Persian rug! The only thing of value she owned was that damned diamond ring, and she was still dithering over what to do with that.
Dhassim stroked his goatee in a thoughtful manner. ‘Geography is not my thing, sweet — Jinnie. Is that in Turkey? No matter. You and I are going tofly!’
He reached out his hand, and despite every fibre of her being screamingThis is insane,Jinnie took it. Together, they stepped onto the rug.
As they did, the lounge window swung open and an icy blast of Scottish air filled the room.
‘Shouldn’t we get some jackets, or blankets?’ They hadn’t moved an inch, yet Jinnie was already trembling. Partly through cold, partly terror, except … was she really scared? Or was this feeling excitement, the anticipation of doing something completely bonkers? A once-in-a-lifetime chance to soar through the skies without a seat belt, sick bag or in-flight shopping?
‘No need,’ said Dhassim. ‘Where we’re going, we don’t need blankets.’ And right on cue the rug twitched, levitated, and steered them through the window and out into the inky night sky. For an IKEA rug, it moved like a Swedish dancing queen.
Up, up, up they climbed, the village shrinking to doll’s-house proportions. Jinnie clung to Dhassim’s hand, aware that she was incredibly warm. She felt like a small child on Christmas morning: snug in bed, but indescribably thrilled about what lay ahead, and itching to see all the magic the day had in store.
‘Look, Jinnie. Just look!’ She hadn’t realised her eyes were closed.Don’t you dare close your eyes, not for this!She opened them, and gasped.
They were gliding above the city of Edinburgh. Below, sparkling lights were already in place for the build-up to Christmas. Above were the twinkling stars of a glorious winter evening, like diamonds stapled to a swatch of black velvet.
‘Enjoying yourself?’ Dhassim regarded her with his intense amber eyes.
Jinnie nodded, no words adequate to describe the feelings flooding through her. She had never felt so energised, so alive. Whatever else life had in store, this was a moment she would relive forever. Oh, wow, now they were just above —
‘The Scott Monument. I did a little research, Jinnie. My WIFI does more than grant wishes, you know. And youdidmention a certain connection between it and your boss, Sam. Aha, now you’re blushing!’
Oops.Jinnie had forgotten mentioning Sam and the reason for his pen name. And perhaps she had babbled on a little too enthusiastically about him.
‘I’m not blushing, it’s the cold air,’ she retorted. ‘Sam’s my boss and a nice man, but that’s it.’
They swooped and soared over the floodlit castle, Jinnie still grasping Dhassim’s hand. She wasn’t afraid, not in the slightest. This was a truly magical experience, seeing the sights of the city she loved but had never taken the time to appreciate fully.
The rug headed towards the Firth of Forth, giving an incredible view of the Forth Bridge. If they kept going, they’d end up over the North Sea. Suddenly the carpet did a three-point turn (Jinnie had always struggled with those, which was probably why she’d failed her driving test five times), and they headed back towards Cranley. The whole journey had taken less than twenty minutes.
As they glided above the high street, the carpet began its descent. Then as they drew close to The Jekyll and Hyde, Jinnie spotted a familiar figure approaching the door. It was Ed, illuminated by the street lamps and the light spilling from the pub windows. Before she could stop herself, Jinnie leaned over the edge of the rug and called out his name.
‘What are youdoing?’ squawked Dhassim, pulling her back to the middle.
Like a souped-up sports car the rug went from cruising to warp speed, propelling them over the pub roof and towards Brae Cottage. Jinnie giggled at Dhassim’s stern expression. She knew she’d been naughty, but doubted Ed had heard or seen her. He’d told her earlier that he’d be around most of the holidays, which pleased her more than she cared to admit.
They sailed back through the open window and landed somewhat inelegantly in the middle of the lounge floor. Within seconds Jinnie was shivering, the adrenalin rush of the adventure replaced by bone-chilling cold.
Still with a face like thunder, Dhassim grabbed a fleecy blanket from the sofa and threw it over her shoulders. ‘Do not do things like that!’ he admonished. ‘If other mortals witness my magic powers, I will be banished for evermore to genie purgatory. And that isnotwhere I want to spend the rest of my days, honeybun.’
Jinnie apologised, and let the sickly term of endearment go unchallenged. She hugged Dhassim, thanked him for an incredible evening, and headed for bed.
By the time Dhassim hauled the rug upstairs and made himself comfortable, Jinnie was snuggled up in her favourite cosy pyjamas and nudging towards sleep. She felt bone-weary, exhausted, but exhilarated. It had truly been a night to remember.
Chapter 22
Ed wason the train back to Carlisle. He hated leaving his mum, even though they chatted on FaceTime once a week. His dad was doing his best, that was clear, but the strain was showing. Ed had always believed his parents’ relationship was rock-solid, unbreakable, but what happened when the person you knew inside-out began to change?
In the few days he’d been home, he’d sensed Ken’s tension each time Mags muddled something up. Just a look — never directly at Mags — or a gesture that signalled his frustration. Banging down a cup or a book just a little too hard. Taking himself off to another room, to put some space between them.
Stirring his takeaway coffee and pulling chunks from a crumbly blueberry muffin, Ed opened another message from Cheryl. He was officially in her bad books, having declined to attend the house party with Cal and his crew.
