Page 24 of Miss Typed

Sean was already signaling the waitress, ordering another round of gin and tonics for the two.

Peter answered. “So far, so good. At least the drinks are decent.”

“How long have you been here in Dubai, Chloe?” Sean queried.

“Nine months now.”

“How do you like it?”

“It’s remarkably westernized, with Starbucks, fast-food chains, and even Ikea. Yet beneath the surface, it’s as conservative as you’d expect a city in the Middle East to be.”

Dubai was considered progressive for an Arab nation. However, it was still conservative by Western standards. Most women wore a long black abaya which covered their bodies with a black Shayla covering their hair. There were some who were even more traditional, wearing burkas to cover their entire faces. The local men mostly dressed in long white kanduras and wore white ghutrahs on their heads. The city was a myriad of cultures, including the local people, ex-pats who’d come here to live and work, and a transitional tourist population.

“What shocked me was that despite all of the grand buildings and money here, the infrastructure is behind. You’ll see trucks lined up for hours taking sewage to the one treatment facility,” I continued.

Aiden cocked his head to the side, addressing me. “It’s fascinating, isn’t it? As if the city grew too fast.”

About to answer, I momentarily forgot there were two others at the table.

Then Sean spoke up. “Where are you from?” Of the two, Sean was the most attractive, in a frat-boy, boat-shoe, and pop-up-collar type of way.

Peter interrupted. “I bet Canada with the weird way she says her o’s.”

I turned to him, clenching my jaw even as I managed a smile. When people teased me about being from Canada, I normally didn’t mind. I did say I was sorry a lot. I did say my o’s differently. But when a guy like Peter mentioned it with a sneer— Well, it pissed me off. He wasn’t allowed to make fun of my home country. With the exception of Canadian geese. They were assholes, and probably his spirit animal. “I am from Canada where the o’s aren’t weird, I assure you.”

Sean’s gaze bounced between us, and he decided to interject. “So, Chloe, your boss wasn’t any help, probably because he’s older, but I bet you’ll know. Where is the nightlife in the city?”

My eyes flickered to Aiden who was barely containing his annoyance.

“The nightlife here is spread out. No street to go bar hopping like with other destinations. And all of the nightclubs and bars are usually part of hotels. I’d recommend the marina area as there are a number of hotels that have nightclubs, like the Marriott and Westin.” I was about to mention the drinks being on the pricey side, but I doubted they’d notice given the way one was wearing a Rolex and the other sporting diamond cuff links.

“You should come out with us, Chloe. Show us around,” Peter said, making no effort to hide the way he was staring at my chest.

Ugh. Didn’t I put up with enough of this on the weekends at the club? But just as I was about to turn him down, Aiden beat me to the punch.

“Chloe has a boyfriend.”

Well, this was certainly news to everyone at the table, including me. I turned to quirk a brow at my boss as if to say “what the hell?”

Peter shrugged. “Eh, not like you’re married. You can still have a night out and have some fun, right?”

Aiden was about to describe his version of my life again when I interrupted. Only one person got to tell my story. Me.

Even if it was a gross misinterpretation of the facts. I could handle myself, especially with two rich, preppy boys who appeared to be spoiled jerks, but were basically harmless. I certainly had to do it on a weekly basis at the strip club. If I had a dollar for every drunken asshole who’d offered me a night I would never forget, I’d be a rich woman.

“I’d love to join you, but what Aiden didn’t mention was my boyfriend is super possessive. A bit ragey, I guess you could call it, considering the last assault charge he got for thinking another man was staring at me. Makes for some awkward family gatherings since the guy was his own brother, let me tell ya.” I sighed as if the whole thing was a real inconvenience.

Peter shifted in his chair. “Jesus. What does he do for a living?”

I sipped my sparkling water before stealing a glance at Aiden, who was trying to hide a smirk. He was probably curious where I’d take my story. “He’s in the military. Special forces. So, you know, he’s good with his hands.”

I hadn’t meant it the way it sounded, but thankfully, the boys were oblivious.

My boss, however, had to cover a laugh with a cough. “I wasn’t aware he was in the service. Where is he stationed?”

Really? He’d started the lie, and now he was challenging me on it? “Um, he’s in Germany.” I was pretty sure there was a military base there.

“What does he do in the special forces? Go on missions and stuff?” Sean asked.