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“Mind if I join ya?”
The voice startled Rayan. He opened his eyes and looked up into a silhouette of sunlight surrounding a figure. Was it the spirit of Muhammad in heaven coming to him in a vision? But the voice sounded nothing like he expected. As the figure approached, it eclipsed the sunlight, and the stranger’s face came into view. Its wrinkled skin gathered in a smile from underneath a sun hat, and messy, gray hair fell in curls around its ears. A tropical shirt with colorful shapes of palm trees opened wide at the neck and parted down between his chest, showing a dark tan decorated with silver coils of thick hair. Rayan’s wincing eased, and he opened his eyes to look on a man. He knew this man.
“Oh, hello.”
“Hello, Rayan. Sorry if I’m interrupting.”
“No, not interrupting. I was just finishing my morning prayers.”
“Where’s your wife? Don’t you two usually do this together?”
Slight nausea pulsed in Rayan’s stomach, and his cheeks tightened.
“She wanted to do her morning prayers alone today.”
The familiar face gritted his teeth through open lips. Rayan hung his head.
“Huda is not happy with me right now.”
“I’m sorry. Marriage can be tough sometimes. Do you wanna talk about it?”
Rayan’s stomach tightened. His head still down, he peeked up at the Bohemian. Perhaps he could understand. Rayan felt alone on the island with his secret thoughts. Shameful thoughts. But what if the man would judge him? Or worse, what if he would expose him? Rayan was too desperate not to take the chance. The secrets ate him from the inside. As though losing an arm-wrestling match with himself, he gasped and closed his eyes.
“Yes. I don’t want to talk about it. But I think I need to.”
The man took a seat in the sand beside him and took his hat off, laying it in front of him. His hands messed his hair, releasing the impression of the hat from his thick, grey curls.
“So, my man, what’s your wife upset about? Oh, and it’s Brad, by the way.”
He extended a hand, and Rayan took it.
“Hi, Brad. Nice to meet you.”
Rayan bit his lip and narrowed his eyes to study Brad, sizing him up one last time, deciding whether to trust him.
Well, here it goes, I guess, he thought.
“There’s a particular woman on the island. A beautiful woman. She walks around the resort wearing very tiny bathing suits.”
Brad smiled.
“You mean Jessica.”
Rayan’s chest heaved out a sigh, and his shoulders fell.
“Yes, Jessica.”
“Hard to keep your eyes off of her, isn’t it?”
Rayan’s eyes lit up, and he twisted towards Brad, holding out his hands. His voice lilted.
“Yes! It is impossible. And I am like a moth flying towards a flame that will consume me.”
“I get it. She has the same effect on me. And... “
Brad looked down and fingered the sand next to him.
“I flew into the flame. I got burned, Rayan.”
Rayan’s mouth dropped open.
“Wait. Do you mean you... “
Brad’s eyes stayed locked, staring at the sand, and he nodded.
“Oh, man.”
A lump formed in Rayan’s throat as he contemplated his next question. His voice lowered to almost a whisper, and he choked on the words.
“Wha... what was it like?”
Brad continued to stare, but his eyebrows raised, and his lips pursed to one side.
“It was the hottest, most amazing sex I’ve ever had.”
The words pierced Rayan, sending heat through his chest. He knew it. If he succumbed to this temptation, he would experience something unforgettable. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.
“I’m sorry, Brad. Thank you for telling me this. But I cannot give in to the temptation. I must not. In my culture, it is a heinous sin to betray one’s spouse.”
“Well, that’s what I’m here to talk to you about. I think I can help you with that. You’re going to have to do something, though, that you may not want to do.”
“I will do anything. Anything to be free from this temptation.”
Brad tilted his head to one side before looking up at Rayan.
“You’re going to have to meet Jessica. Face to face. Alone.”
Rayan’s head shrunk back on his shoulders, and his heart sunk like a brick in his chest.
“How can this help me? This is like walking right into the fire.”
“I know that’s what it sounds like. But hear me out. I had a chat with Jessica’s husband, Ron.”
Rayan folded his arms tight against his chest.
“Ok.”
“Here’s what he told me.”
