in her?
Hannah sat back and rubbed her eyes, tired from looking at the computer screen for so long. She was glad to see that he clearly had the means to make good on his offer, but she was unsure if he was really offering her that kind of money just for singing. He was, after all, quite the playboy—maybe he was just looking for some woman to keep him company for six weeks in more of an escort capacity. Hannah didn’t want to think that was the case, but she had to be realistic.
She thought back again to her father and his experience of having to turn down an offer that was too good to be true. She knew that even if Sadiq was on the up and up, there might be some things he wasn’t telling her. Perhaps he wanted her to sing at really shady places. Perhaps she would have to go to dangerous parts of the region and risk her life in the process. Maybe he would want her to wear some really revealing costumes while she performed. That last one wouldn’t be too terrible, she thought, especially if she could wear them again for the Sheikh in private…
“Stop it, Hannah!” she yelled out loud, standing up from the computer. “You have no idea what this guy wants from you. All you know is that he’s offering you a crazy amount of money to do something that sounds too good to be true.”
She closed the laptop and walked out onto the fire escape. She wanted to believe that the offer was everything Sadiq said it was, and nothing more. She wanted to believe that she could fly off to another part of the world, do what she loved to do, and come back with enough money to finally get her head above water and feel financially secure. She had always dreamed about getting a recording contract and it helping her become financially stable, but if it happened the other way around, she would be totally okay with that, too.
Yet the old fears, that had motivated her for so long, also held her back. She knew that if she took off for six weeks, Harvey wouldn’t hold her job at the Blue Moon. She would be forced to find other gigs, and this one, as average as it was, had been difficult enough to secure. She could go back to the catering company—they were always taking on new staff—but it was hardly a job she was passionate about, nor did it leave her with anything left over once all of her bills were paid.
Hannah wasn’t even considering that with half a million dollars in her pocket, she would have enough money to take her time looking for work. That part didn’t even enter her mind. She had been stuck in survival mode since childhood and it was a place she had difficulty getting out of. No matter how much money she had, or would have, she didn’t think she could ever get past the idea that she had to always work, no matter what.
She looked out across the tiny park and down the few streets she could see from her apartment fire escape. Lights twinkled in the distance and horns beeped. Hannah breathed in the city air, letting it fill her lungs. She smiled. She loved the city. She had loved Atlanta, too, but there was just something magical about New York City, and she didn’t know if she could ever leave it, even for six weeks. But the thought of going and coming back with enough money to have a real terrace, and not just a fire escape, appealed to her greatly.
Hannah crawled back in through the window and closed it behind her. She walked into her room and crawled into bed. She pulled the covers up over her and turned over, gazing through the window at the brick wall that was her view. She knew she would have to turn the sheikh down eventually—it was the sensible thing to do—but for one night at least, she could imagine what it would be like to tell him yes. Hannah closed her tired eyes and fell asleep to the sound of distant Friday-night traffic, the smell of Sadiq’s cologne still lingering in her mind.
FIVE
The following night, Hannah arrived at the club and headed straight towards the dressing room. She closed the door behind her and began rummaging through the dresses hanging in the closet. She wasn’t sure if Sadiq would show up or not, and she certainly hadn’t made her mind up about his offer yet, but she figured she might as well make an effort with her appearance; if nothing else, maybe she’d get a date out of it.
She finally settled on a slinky black cocktail dress. The fabric clung lightly to her frame and the one thin strap sat delicately on her bare shoulder. She pulled her dark red hair up in a loose bun, pulling a few strands out to hang messily around her pale face. She added a touch of red lipstick and put on black and silver dangling earrings, then stood up and checked herself out in the mirror.
“Good. Not too boring, not too trampy. Just right.”
She slipped on a pair of black high-heeled pumps and checked the clock; she was on stage in ten minutes. She cleared her mind of all thoughts of Sadiq and his offer and focused on the songs she would be singing. She had selected some of her favorites and was looking forward to losing herself in the music.
Hannah opened the door to the dressing room and was greeted by Harvey’s scowling face.
“Hello to you, too, Harvey,” she said sarcastically as she stared him down.
Harvey just eyed her without saying a word.
“Okay then,” she said, trying to slip past him. “If that’s how it’s gonna be. Got a show to put on here…”
“Who was he?” Harvey said, blocking Hannah’s exit.
“Who was who?” she asked, not in the mood for his games.
“Who was that guy you were talking to last night?” Harvey hissed the question at her.
Hannah thought. That guy, you idiot, was a sheikh. He was a thousand times more handsome than you’ll ever be, and a million times richer. That’s what she wanted to say, but she bit her tongue.
“First of all,” she said, jabbing her tiny finger in his thick chest. “You and I are no longer together.” She paused for effect. “As a direct result of this type of ludicrous behavior, I might add.”
Harvey flinched, as if the words stung him just a little.
Hannah went on. “Second of all, who I talk to is none of your business. I work for you Harvey, that’s it. I can talk to whoever I want!”
Harvey’s face grew redder as she spoke.
“And you can’t do a darned thing about it!” she added.
“Watch me!” Harvey spat the words at her. “I’m cancelling your show tonight. Now you can spend the rest of the night talking with whoever you want!”