Chapter 11
After an hour inside the party, despite the insanely loud music and all the cigarette smoke, I’m actually having fun.
Josephine is funny in a unique, effortless way, and honestly, I think it was pure luck that Linda ditched me. If I’m being completely honest, we have absolutely nothing in common, and feeling lonely was what pushed me to accept her invitation in the first place.
“So? What do you think?” Josephine asks.
“It’s nice.”
“When you’ve got nothing else to do, it can be fun, as long as you don’t go up to the second floor.”
“Why not?”
“Let’s just say most people here don’t give much importance to privacy when it comes to having sex. So if you don’t want to risk bumping into naked bodies, stay on the first floor. Depending on the fraternity, not even the first floor is safe.”
“My guardian warned me about that.”
She’s about to drink her soda, but after what I say, she chokes, spraying it everywhere.
“Wow, that was not elegant, girl,” I tease.
“I actually choked. Guardian? How old are you?”
“Twenty-one. And he’s not a legal guardian. Or rather, he’s not a guardian in the legal system, but he was designated by my brother which, in my country, basically means the law.”
“Sheik Kaled assigned you a guardian? Why?”
“He’s afraid I’ll be alone in London and end up doing something stupid.”
“And would he be right?”
We’re in a quieter part of the house, where the music isn’t as deafening and we can talk.
I set my soda bottle on the small table behind me while I think about her question.
I sigh before answering. “When I planned to study in the UK, I thought it would be paradise, but honestly? I’ve been feeling really lonely. I haven’t told anyone, not even my best friend, because she’d worry. But reality is so different from the dream I had.”
“Are you regretting coming?”
“No. I love London. The city is so beautiful and full of life! The problem is that it hasn’t been as fun as I imagined. So yes, I get why my brother fears I’ll end up doing something stupid. I’m afraid of that, too.”
“This man who’s your guardian—is he at least a decent guy?”
“Man?” I ask, thinking of Rodrick’s rugged face and intense blue eyes. “He’s not a man; he’s a . . . breathtaking man. He’s one of my brother’s friends.”
“One of those guys?” she says, as if trying to recall something. “What’s his name?”
“Rodrick.”
“Jesus Christ! Girl, you’re well taken care of with a guardian like that. Tell him I need supervision too.”
I laugh so hard my cheeks hurt. “He’s a bit of a grumpy guardian. I’m pretty sure he’s not thrilled about the job he was given. Very bossy too.”
“Oh, but where’s the fun in a sweet guardian?” she asks, smiling with her whole face.
“I’m not just talking about the bad mood. We kind of clash whenever we’re near each other. We’ve only seen each other twice, and both times we argued.”
“Like a cat-and-dog couple?”
“What? No!” My face burns. “We’re not a couple.”
She raises an eyebrow, like she’s keeping a theory to herself. “I need to use the restroom. Wanna come?” she asks after a few seconds.
“Um . . . no. I’ll wait here. Anyway, I was already thinking of leaving. For a first time, I think I’ve stayed long enough. Do you live off-campus? If you do, I can give you a ride.”
“I wish! I live in shared housing, but the building is far. So if it’s no trouble, I’ll take the ride. We can take the opportunity to schedule a time for me to show you the jewelry pieces.”
She sets her soda near mine and heads toward the kitchen. Apparently she’s been here before, because she knows exactly where the bathroom is.
Not even a minute passes before a guy approaches. He looks about my age, maybe a bit older. He’s smiling at me like he already knows me, and I glance behind me, unsure if he’s actually talking to someone else.
“Hey, gorgeous. Alone?”
“Hi,” I reply, awkward. “No. My friend went to the restroom.”
He laughs as if I said something hilarious.
“What?”
“Nobody uses the word ‘restroom’,” he says, and I blush from the jab.
“I use both,” I lie. “Restroom or bathroom, whatever. Anyway, I’m just waiting for her to come back so we can leave.”
“Oh no,” he says dramatically, putting a hand on his chest. “If I don’t dance with you, I’ll go home with a broken heart.”
I glance over his shoulder, praying for Josephine to return, but she’s nowhere.
“Come on. One dance and I’ll let you go,” he says, grabbing my hand.
“Don’t touch me.” I step back, yanking my hand away, and I hear a group of guys laughing nearby.
His face shifts from friendly to irritated.
Another guy approaches. “Don’t mind him. He’s rude. Doesn’t know how to treat a lady.”
I’m uncomfortable with both, but the second guy’s presence calms me a little. He seems easier to handle.
They exchange a few words, but their English is so fast and full of slang that I can’t understand any of it. Someone bumps into me from behind, and panic creeps up my throat. There seem to be way more men than women at this party.
Then Josephine returns. “God, the bathroom line was endless!”
“Hey, another one?” the same guy says, and that’s it. I’m done.
“Let’s go outside,” I tell my new friend.
She seems to understand exactly what’s happening and stares them down. Honestly, if the guy had any sense of self-preservation, he’d retreat. Her eyes are sparking.
“Yeah, let’s go,” she says, grabbing our drinks.
Relief floods me once we reach the porch. The fresh air feels like a balm on the throat the cigarette smoke scorched.
“I’m calling a cab, okay?” I tell her, taking a sip of the soda she just handed me.
“Sure. Did you know those guys?”
“No,” I say, scrolling through my contacts for the taxi company number, while wondering whether the bodyguards have already noticed I’m gone.
Suddenly, fleeing feels utterly stupid. I should’ve called Rodrick and told him I wanted to come. Faced him like an adult.
“You looked uncomfortable in there.”
“And I was, but I think the problem is me. I’m not used to this . . . informality between men and women.”
“Hey, look at me.”
I lift my gaze.
“It’s not because you’re far from your country that you felt that way. It’s because those two were idiots. Anywhere in the world, women deserve respect.”
“Some Western women would say men from my emirate disrespect women.”
“Maybe. There are different levels of disrespect. But in this case? The way they acted is just the standard approach at this kind of party. That doesn’t mean it should be normal for you. ‘No’ will always be ‘no.’”
Her words hit something fragile inside me. The night that was supposed to be full of discoveries turned into a disaster.
“Thank you,” I say, looking back at my phone, but suddenly the screen blurs. I take a step back, stumbling. My eyelids feel unbearably heavy.
“Jazmina, what’s wrong?”
“I . . . I don’t know. I . . . please, call Rodrick.”