though. Lily wandered if she should go and look for them; but just then a young, brown-skinned man wearing a round hat with a flat top appeared at her table, smiling.
"Drink?" he enquired.
"Oh!" said Lily, not sure of what to order. "Erm…what do you have? Could I get a red wine maybe?"
The youth shook his head, laughing. "Sorry, we don't serve alcohol here", he explained. "We're Muslims, you see".
"Oh!" Said Lily again, suddenly feeling awkward. But the young man laughed again, noticing her discomfort.
"That doesn't mean this place is only for Muslims. This place is for everyone !" he laughed, spreading his arms wide and instantly putting Lily at her ease again.
"We have a wide selection of teas. Would you like to see the menu?"
Lily considered. She did not really know anything about teas (apart from black tea of course) and did not trust her ability to choose. "Why don't you pick one for me?" she suggested. "Your favourite, if you want". The youth nodded warmly and disappeared again.
Lily sat back, relaxing. Actually this was working out very well, she thought. She had told herself that she should be drinking less alcohol and now here she was in a place where she couldn't drink even if she wanted to. And it was such a pretty bar! She gazed around again, fascinated by the paintings, trying to work out how the painters had fit together the patterns so perfectly.
As she gazed, lost in art, she heard the door opening again and turned instinctively to look at who was entering. It was a tall, tanned man wearing what looked like a very expensive suit; so well-fitted was it to his powerful frame. Somehow there was something familiar about him…
To her immense surprise she recognized him as the man who had offered to buy her a coffee a few weeks ago; the man she had so viciously (and possibly as an overreaction, she conceded) turned down. What on earth was he doing here?
He turned around, surveying the bar, and noticed her. He paused, fixing his eyes on her in surprise, and she locked gazes with his blue-green eyes for what felt like a very long moment. Then he blinked and, smiling, he approached her in the corner.
“I don't believe you gave me the pleasure before," he said, in his deep American voice, "of knowing your name. I would be delighted if you would indulge me now…if you wish?"
He flashed her his beaming smile, the one she remembered from the cafe, that seemed to emanate perfect happiness. Confused, still feeling a bit bad about her previous overreaction, she flustered; "Oh! It's Lily…"
“Lily!" repeated the man, entranced. She fidgeted uncomfortably and said, "Look, um, look do you want to sit here? I mean, I think maybe I was a bit…rude to you before but…"
“I'd be delighted", he cut in, sliding into the chair opposite her across the table.
She looked up at him, still a little confused. At least he did not appear to have been offended by her behaviour in the slightest. Still smiling, he offered her his hand across the table. "My name is Edwin", he beamed, as she took his hand. "Please, don't worry about any past events".
“I do think I was a bit rude though", admitted Lily. "I mean, I don't even know you…"
Just then the waiter returned with a silver teapot and painted glass cup on a little, intricately carved golden tray. Lily was so delighted about how every detail of this place was concerned with beauty. Even the tray was intricately carved! As the waiter placed the tray on their table, he recognised her companion and said, "Good evening, Mr Waterman!"
“Salam Aleikum, Sayeed", smiled Edwin. "How are you?"
“Very good, very good! Shall I bring another cup for you?" Edwin looked enquiringly at Lily, who nodded, pleased.
"I'd be happy to share", she said.
Edwin's warm, friendly manner was appealing to her more and more, and she could sense something…mysterious about him that she wanted to
"Drink?" he enquired.
"Oh!" said Lily, not sure of what to order. "Erm…what do you have? Could I get a red wine maybe?"
The youth shook his head, laughing. "Sorry, we don't serve alcohol here", he explained. "We're Muslims, you see".
"Oh!" Said Lily again, suddenly feeling awkward. But the young man laughed again, noticing her discomfort.
"That doesn't mean this place is only for Muslims. This place is for everyone !" he laughed, spreading his arms wide and instantly putting Lily at her ease again.
"We have a wide selection of teas. Would you like to see the menu?"
Lily considered. She did not really know anything about teas (apart from black tea of course) and did not trust her ability to choose. "Why don't you pick one for me?" she suggested. "Your favourite, if you want". The youth nodded warmly and disappeared again.
Lily sat back, relaxing. Actually this was working out very well, she thought. She had told herself that she should be drinking less alcohol and now here she was in a place where she couldn't drink even if she wanted to. And it was such a pretty bar! She gazed around again, fascinated by the paintings, trying to work out how the painters had fit together the patterns so perfectly.
As she gazed, lost in art, she heard the door opening again and turned instinctively to look at who was entering. It was a tall, tanned man wearing what looked like a very expensive suit; so well-fitted was it to his powerful frame. Somehow there was something familiar about him…
To her immense surprise she recognized him as the man who had offered to buy her a coffee a few weeks ago; the man she had so viciously (and possibly as an overreaction, she conceded) turned down. What on earth was he doing here?
He turned around, surveying the bar, and noticed her. He paused, fixing his eyes on her in surprise, and she locked gazes with his blue-green eyes for what felt like a very long moment. Then he blinked and, smiling, he approached her in the corner.
“I don't believe you gave me the pleasure before," he said, in his deep American voice, "of knowing your name. I would be delighted if you would indulge me now…if you wish?"
He flashed her his beaming smile, the one she remembered from the cafe, that seemed to emanate perfect happiness. Confused, still feeling a bit bad about her previous overreaction, she flustered; "Oh! It's Lily…"
“Lily!" repeated the man, entranced. She fidgeted uncomfortably and said, "Look, um, look do you want to sit here? I mean, I think maybe I was a bit…rude to you before but…"
“I'd be delighted", he cut in, sliding into the chair opposite her across the table.
She looked up at him, still a little confused. At least he did not appear to have been offended by her behaviour in the slightest. Still smiling, he offered her his hand across the table. "My name is Edwin", he beamed, as she took his hand. "Please, don't worry about any past events".
“I do think I was a bit rude though", admitted Lily. "I mean, I don't even know you…"
Just then the waiter returned with a silver teapot and painted glass cup on a little, intricately carved golden tray. Lily was so delighted about how every detail of this place was concerned with beauty. Even the tray was intricately carved! As the waiter placed the tray on their table, he recognised her companion and said, "Good evening, Mr Waterman!"
“Salam Aleikum, Sayeed", smiled Edwin. "How are you?"
“Very good, very good! Shall I bring another cup for you?" Edwin looked enquiringly at Lily, who nodded, pleased.
"I'd be happy to share", she said.
Edwin's warm, friendly manner was appealing to her more and more, and she could sense something…mysterious about him that she wanted to
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