Finding Mr Perfectly Fine

Oh yes. Ruby. The family example of what happens to women who focus too much on their careers and don’t focus enough on finding a husband. The women who have dared to spend their twenties and early thirties studying hard, working hard, living abroad and experiencing life. The women who are ‘too fussy’, ‘too unrealistic’ and ‘too experienced’; who aren’t willing to compromise because they’ve already tasted the finer things in life and anything less than perfection isn’t worth settling down for. Women who want partners who will complement their already fulfilled lives; not bring them down.

Well, you know what? If Ruby’s happy, and living her best life, then good for her. Only .?.?. I don’t want to be single, and childless, forever.

‘Right. So, Sam, what do you make of all this?’ I say to shift some of the attention away from me and to see if Sam will finally reveal what’s going on with her.

Samia shrugs, as though she hasn’t made a deal with her dad to get her biodata sorted. ‘I’m open to meeting people.’

‘Just open?’ Yasmin probes, nudging me discreetly. I nudge her back, harder. Shut up!

‘Well, yeah. I mean, obviously I have a lot more time than Zara so it’s not exactly a pressing concern right now .?.?.’

‘Are you actively looking then?’ Yasmin asks, and I take a long drag of my pipe and wait for the answer.

‘Not really. I’m not on a quest like Zara.’ She laughs uncomfortably and looks away, while steering the discussion back to me. As I struggle with how to shut this conversation down, I spot a familiar gait sauntering over to us. Although I know it’s him, for a second, I see him as though it’s the first time; tall, slim, with thick, dark brown wavy hair and a smattering of a beard caressing his strong jawline. He’s wearing a black T-shirt that shows off his toned arms and I drag my eyes away from all that golden skin and look into his amused face.

‘All right, Z?’ Adam grins cheekily down at me. ‘I couldn’t help but notice all the racket you ladies are making, although to be honest I almost didn’t recognise you. You scrub up well. Mind if I join you for a bit?’

I don’t know if I’m relieved or annoyed by the surprise appearance. I had a feeling I was going to bump into someone I know today, but I wouldn’t have guessed it would be Adam. I’m grateful that it wasn’t Hamza, or worse, Tariq, and I’m also glad that it’s interrupted Sabina’s line of questioning .?.?. but there’s something about the way the others are eyeing him up like he’s a juicy steak that makes the hairs on my arms bristle.

‘Ooh, of course you can, please take a seat,’ Sabs coos before I can open my mouth to refuse, scooting up and offering him a seat between us. Although Sabina is happily married, she likes a good flirt with a hot guy every so often. That’s not my main concern, though. I know it’s stupid, but I can’t help but hope that Adam is immune to her beauty and prefers me over her.

Ever since our bike ride back in the spring, Adam and I have become a lot closer and I’m beginning to see him as a real friend. He’s changed a lot since the days he would constantly berate me and I’ve realised that he’s not as immature and annoying as I thought he was. Hanging out with him is never boring.

Even so, we rarely spend time together outside the office, unless it’s a quick Turkish after a long day at work, so seeing him here amidst my sisters and cousins, while I’m dressed to impress and cradling a shisha pipe in my hands, is a tad unnerving.

I grudgingly move up and as Adam settles in between us, Sabs looks over at me and mouths, ‘Who the hell is that?’ and I glare at her, hoping he doesn’t notice. He has a big enough head as it is, without all this extra female attention to inflate it further.

Adam’s presence changes the vibe of our little table completely. The conversation has thankfully steered away from me and my (lack of a) love life and on to other topics, like work and family. All of a sudden, Samia has become deep and insightful, with her little rendition of how she tried to save the children of Zimbabwe; Yasmin is being sexy and aloof, barely talking but smiling her wide, seductive smile every so often; Amina has gone completely quiet and keeps checking him out from the corner of her eye when she thinks no one is looking; and Sabs is her usual outgoing self, laughing loudly and joking away with him like they’re old mates.

And me? I don’t know what they’re talking about half the time because I’m completely distracted by the fact that his bare bicep is touching my own. His skin is smooth and every time he laughs, it slides up against my arm creating instant goosebumps. This is a completely different experience from the night I rode on the back of his bike when there were at least six layers of clothing between us. Now, there’s just his cotton T-shirt and my flimsy silk top, and I can feel his warmth radiating through the fabric and setting my skin alight.

Bloody hell, I think I need a cold shower – and it has nothing to do with the temperature outside. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t usually get like this around Adam of all people. I see him every day, for God’s sake! So why is this happening now, at the worst possible place, with the worst possible audience? Is the shisha getting to my head? Or is it because I’ve been celibate for so long – my entire life, in fact – that anyone with a bit of facial hair and tanned skin gives me the kajeejees?

Everyone suddenly turns to look at me, and for a second I’m petrified that they’ve somehow read my thoughts. Did I say something out loud by accident? OH MY GOD. I did, didn’t I?

‘I was joking,’ I croak, grabbing my drink and taking a big swig, hoping they believe me.

‘Joking about what?’ Sabina replies, confused. ‘We were asking Adam how you two met and he said that we should ask you?’

‘I figured you could tell the story better than me,’ Adam adds, turning to look at me. As his eyes meet mine, something in his expression shifts and I wonder if he can read the desire scribbled all over my face. I shuffle my body away from his as much as I can and look away.

‘I hate this story!’ I moan, elbowing Adam. ‘Why would you do this to me?’

‘Right, now we have to hear it,’ Yasmin insists and the others agree.

Taking another gulp of my mocktail, I tell them all about the day I met Adam.

‘So, it was my first day at work and I didn’t know a single soul, or where anything was.’ I pause and look at my captivated audience. I take another swig, wishing, not for the first time, it were something a little stronger.

‘At lunch time, I got up to go to the loo and whilst sitting in the cubicle getting on with my business, I heard a male voice.’

‘That was probably my voice, by the way.’ Adam grins.

‘For a second I thought someone had come into the ladies by accident .?.?. until I heard the sound of weeing, and more male voices and realised I was in the men’s toilets!’

‘Shit!’ Samia gasps.

‘Yeah, thank God I wasn’t doing one of those.’ Everyone laughs and I let them, not revealing that my heart had stopped and my knees started to shake as I sat there, my knickers around my ankles.