fantasies about what she could do to hang onto Malik for one more moment. His house? Too suggestive. A café? Too hard to find one open late on a weeknight. And anywhere outside wasn’t an option, now it was dark. But Crown was where it all happened. She loved the big square pillars that would fire up at midnight, the flame sweeping high, and the heat hot enough to feel even from three storeys down. She loved the sound of the slot machines clicking over; the staff at the tables handing cards. The bustle.
Money, restaurants, shopping, hotels, entertainment, gambling; it was all there.
Malik took her hand, and they walked to the parking lot. She was beside him, and he standing by her, like a protective boyfriend, and she wondered again what he would end up being to her.
When they crossed at the lights, she thought about his car parked in the parking lot ahead, and started guessing what he drove. Audi, she decided. He’d be the type to drive a European car. Audis were sleek, fast, and luxurious. That, and they were pricey, and he seemed established enough that he’d have no issues spending that cash.
“Just here,” he pointed.
Pointed to a Ford. Her face must have paled, because he smirked. “I’m a Ford guy. Did you expect a Holden?”
Fords were for families, young guys and girls, car enthusiasts. Ford was an everyman car, for lots of regular people.
“No, no, it’s just … I don’t know.”
“A BMW? A Ferrari?”
She tutted, moving around the car—away from him.
“XR6 Turbo, special edition. Can’t do better, in my opinion.”
Sarah sat on the passenger seat and quietly enjoyed this turnout. She wasn’t sure a guy who would spend half the price of a little apartment was the right type to have long-term. It was when Malik belted himself in the driver seat, started the engine, reversed, and took off with fast precision that she decided she loved this true-to-heart guy who was passionate enough about an Australian car favourite. Just enough cockiness to please, yet not too little to care.
By the time they were a bit into their drive, traffic was scarce. Malik asked if she wanted to put on a particular playlist, but she didn’t mind, so they stuck with the radio, volume turned low.
They pulled up at a red light, and Sarah felt the tension. “How come you didn’t tell me your name at first?”
“I’ve been thinking the same as you.”
“Well, Malik , I asked first.”
He chuckled at that. “Few things. I assumed you’d have a boyfriend. Assumed you wanted to keep to yourself, and then the right time never came up to ask. I didn’t think you’d be in to me. But, mostly, I assumed even if you were, I’m over the hill for someone as amazing as you.”
“That was more than a few.”
“Can’t help that you make me feel many things.”
Sarah didn’t have the confidence to even reply her thanks, so she nodded and hoped he’d see from his peripheral vision. Sarah was freaked, but not in a bad way. No matter how she tried to describe him in her head, the best she could do was a New York male model, minus the attitude, mixed with the personality of a CEO. And both of those weren’t in Sarah’s circles. Not even close to her world.
She’d never moved suburbs. In fact, once her parents split up, her dad moved to the other side of the suburb. Sarah went to one primary school, one high school, one uni and had one job as a register girl at a clothing store before she had her first day in the real world, today.
It didn’t matter that she didn’t know Malik’s history; he still came from a different world.
He glanced at her, then back to the road. “So, you going to make me suffer in silence, waiting?”
“No,” she shook her head. Be cool . “I’m not ready to say why yet.”
“Seriously?”
Yes,she was serious that she couldn’t tell him what she was thinking. She wasn’t ready for him to run off frightened, not now or ever.
“I’m not usually a relationship guy,” he
Money, restaurants, shopping, hotels, entertainment, gambling; it was all there.
Malik took her hand, and they walked to the parking lot. She was beside him, and he standing by her, like a protective boyfriend, and she wondered again what he would end up being to her.
When they crossed at the lights, she thought about his car parked in the parking lot ahead, and started guessing what he drove. Audi, she decided. He’d be the type to drive a European car. Audis were sleek, fast, and luxurious. That, and they were pricey, and he seemed established enough that he’d have no issues spending that cash.
“Just here,” he pointed.
Pointed to a Ford. Her face must have paled, because he smirked. “I’m a Ford guy. Did you expect a Holden?”
Fords were for families, young guys and girls, car enthusiasts. Ford was an everyman car, for lots of regular people.
“No, no, it’s just … I don’t know.”
“A BMW? A Ferrari?”
She tutted, moving around the car—away from him.
“XR6 Turbo, special edition. Can’t do better, in my opinion.”
Sarah sat on the passenger seat and quietly enjoyed this turnout. She wasn’t sure a guy who would spend half the price of a little apartment was the right type to have long-term. It was when Malik belted himself in the driver seat, started the engine, reversed, and took off with fast precision that she decided she loved this true-to-heart guy who was passionate enough about an Australian car favourite. Just enough cockiness to please, yet not too little to care.
By the time they were a bit into their drive, traffic was scarce. Malik asked if she wanted to put on a particular playlist, but she didn’t mind, so they stuck with the radio, volume turned low.
They pulled up at a red light, and Sarah felt the tension. “How come you didn’t tell me your name at first?”
“I’ve been thinking the same as you.”
“Well, Malik , I asked first.”
He chuckled at that. “Few things. I assumed you’d have a boyfriend. Assumed you wanted to keep to yourself, and then the right time never came up to ask. I didn’t think you’d be in to me. But, mostly, I assumed even if you were, I’m over the hill for someone as amazing as you.”
“That was more than a few.”
“Can’t help that you make me feel many things.”
Sarah didn’t have the confidence to even reply her thanks, so she nodded and hoped he’d see from his peripheral vision. Sarah was freaked, but not in a bad way. No matter how she tried to describe him in her head, the best she could do was a New York male model, minus the attitude, mixed with the personality of a CEO. And both of those weren’t in Sarah’s circles. Not even close to her world.
She’d never moved suburbs. In fact, once her parents split up, her dad moved to the other side of the suburb. Sarah went to one primary school, one high school, one uni and had one job as a register girl at a clothing store before she had her first day in the real world, today.
It didn’t matter that she didn’t know Malik’s history; he still came from a different world.
He glanced at her, then back to the road. “So, you going to make me suffer in silence, waiting?”
“No,” she shook her head. Be cool . “I’m not ready to say why yet.”
“Seriously?”
Yes,she was serious that she couldn’t tell him what she was thinking. She wasn’t ready for him to run off frightened, not now or ever.
“I’m not usually a relationship guy,” he
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