Chapter 7

Mo' walked slowly around his garden. He had just fielded about half a dozen calls from prospective clients and he was tired of putting over the same spiel.

'We can offer this, by that date, in this quantity, '

He knew it all by heart and it was beginning to bore him.

He did not arrive at his business with the same enthusiasm any more. Only in the afternoons, when he knew Shari would be arriving for work, did the spring in his step return. He began whistling and it was his most productive time of the day.

He hoped Shari could pull it off with her folks and turn up tomorrow afternoon. He didn't really imagine her parents trusted him THAT much.

'Oh well it was worth a try, ' he thought.

He sat down on his lawn to watch the darkening sky. His little Terrier 'Fed' decided he wanted to play and dropped a well-masticated tennis ball into his lap.

"Go on... get!" he said, hurling it as far as he could, the dog scrambling off in a flurry of legs and flapping ears.

The cell-phone rang again.

"Oh fuck off," he muttered as he picked it up.

"Al Ghazhli," he said into the damned thing.

"Very formal," said a familiar voice.

"Shari!" he said in surprise.

"Well, Mohammed Al Ghazhli how would you like 2 sexy chicks parading around your pool tomorrow in their swimsuits?"

"Two sexy chicks?" he replied.

"Yes but one will be with her boyfriend so it'll be hands off."

"What, who?" he asked.

"Sherri and Kalil are coming too and we are getting a lift with Sherri's Dad whose home from wherever he goes. Is that all right? They are going to stay out of our way... they said," Shari said breathlessly.

"Hold on, hold on, isn't Kalil going to be suspicious?" he asked.

"He knows... and it's ok... isn't that cool?"

"Cool," Mo' replied doubtfully.

"Seeya tomorrow then, gotta go... bye."

She rang off.

Shari was overjoyed that her parents had agreed for her to go swimming at Mo's. She was able to say that she'd be chaperoned by her brother and they had given their consent. She knew that Kali wasn't terribly happy about her affair but she had an unexpected strong ally in Sherri. Sherri could twist her brother around her little finger, she observed, and he had sullenly complied with each and every request about tomorrow afternoon.

When he had talked to their parents on the phone he even made it appear HE was the one invited and was taking Shari along to keep an eye on her. That had sat well with their folks.

"Just don't get pregnant," he'd muttered as he passed her.

Martin Hamner picked them all up from Shari's on Friday afternoon. It was bright and sunny, promising a hot afternoon.

Sherri was their only daughter and he knew she was spoilt. She was an exceptional daughter, bright, confident, and beautiful.

She'd had a succession of boyfriends since she had become a teenager. Some for only a week or two, and Martin knew she was sexually active. They had an open relationship and they talked about everything going on in their lives. He preferred it that way, even though he was a little afraid that she was growing up too fast.

He looked into the rear-view mirror at her latest boy and his sister.

'Exceptionally good looking pair, ' he thought, 'good genes'.

He knew that this boy was different from all the other boyfriends Sherri had had. She was smitten with him that's for sure.

He was admittedly uncertain concerning their religion. These were difficult times with terrorism and all that.

'What if she wanted to marry him?' he asked himself. 'Would his daughter have to become one of them? Shoot! Would his daughter have to share him with 3 other wives?' he chuckled.

He couldn't imagine she'd fall for that scheme. No, she had him under control, that's for certain.

'So'! He thought, 'I'm to drop them off at the sister's boyfriend's place. Christ! This is high- bracket country!' he mused as he turned into Mo's street.

He looked at the houses in astonishment.

"Are you guys sure you have the right address?"

"Sure Daddy," his daughter replied, "Shari's boyfriend is rich."

Martin saw in the mirror the girl blush quite prettily. The boy squirming in his seat and staring out of the car window towards the river.

'God, she's a pretty one, ' he thought, ' that's some lucky son of a bitch up there.'

"Mary mother of god!" Martin exclaimed when they got to the address.

"Don't profane Daddy!" his daughter chided.

"Whew! That's some pad up there, What does this guy do for a living? He's not in the Mafia is he?"

"Of course not, silly, at least I don't think so, Shari?" Sherri asked.

"He's a very successful businessman," Shari replied, "Imports foods and stuff for restaurants... all over the state."

"Shoot! Business is good!" Martin said in wonder.

Martin watched as they trio negotiated the security gate and walked up the cobbled drive. Particularly he watched the swaying bottom of the young Arab girl.

"Yes... a lucky son of a bitch," he muttered before driving off.

Mo' stood on the second floor balcony and directed them to the side gate. This led to a flight of concrete steps that took them up to the second level.

They saw that the bottom level was only one room wide and that the house was built on a slope. At the top of the steps they came to another gate which, set in the side wall, led into a courtyard.

The back of the house had a row of French doors that extended the entire width. These opened onto a patio area. The pool was adjacent to this.

Beyond the pool was a garden area with grass walkways. On this fine day it gave the impression of a park.

Mo' came out from the lounge area smiling in greeting. Shari introduced Sherri whom Mo' had never met.

"Hey," Sherri teased, "I thought that this was you guys holy day. Aren't you suppose to be praying or something?"

"Pray?" said Mo'.

"Pray?" said Shari.

"Me too," added Kalil.

"Now we have prayed, shall we swim, you can change inside, down to the left through the double doors."

"Can we have a look around first Mo'?" asked Sherri.

"Of course," said Mo', "I'll give you the grand tour."

The house was certainly impressive. It contained a Jacuzzi off Mo's bedroom. Sherri had nudged Shari as they saw the giant king size bed and made some rude comment to which Shari had blushed bright red.

"We can go for a Jacuzzi later," Sherri announced happily. Kalil had sucked in his breath at that.

"I couldn't do that Sher, not with my sister and her..."

"Oh well," she'd whispered, "I guess it'll have to be the two of us then."

They spent the next hour or so horsing around in the pool and chilling out on the deck chairs. Mo' and Shari never seemed to spend much time away from each other. Kalil felt uncomfortable around them.

Suddenly Sherri grabbed Kalil's hand and pulled him towards the house.

"C'mon you, we're going to check out the Jacuzzi."

"What!" said Kalil, "What if someone comes in?"

"I have the key, silly! Mo' gave it to me," replied Sherri, and pulled Kalil stumbling after her.

On cue Mo' took Shari's hand and said,

"Come! Let me show you something, down the back of the garden."

Laughing Shari followed.

"You arranged that didn't you?"

"No," said Mo', "It was Sherri, she's a born conspirator."

"Yes, I know," replied Shari.

They walked hand in hand through the garden. Mo' pointed out plants of interest and told little stories about them. Shari beamed, she loved listening to him talk, on this beautiful day, in this beautiful place.

Eventually they came to a summerhouse set among the trees. Mo' pointed out the back of the property and for a few minutes they listened to the birds, and the swish of the trees.

Mo' guided Shari inside. It was furnished with a double-cot and a few tables and chairs.

"I sometimes use this as a guest room," he explained, "And sometimes I sleep down here and meditate with the birds and the trees."

"Its beautiful!" Shari said in wonder.

"No," he said, "Now it is beautiful because you are here," and with that she melted into his arms.

Mo' kissed her forehead, then nose, pausing to touch her nose with his own. He kissed each eye, then her throat, eventually finding her mouth. Softly at first he savored the feel of her sweet lips, then gently parted them with his tongue.

As their tongues played with each other Mo's hands encircled her small back drawing her against him. Shari felt her nipples come in contact with Mo's bare chest through her one-piece.

Mo' had a nice body she'd concluded. His chest was solid to her touch and he had hair in all the right places.

She ran her fingers over his chest, feeling the little nipples.

"Mo'?" she asked, "Are they as sensitive as mine?"

"I don't know, love, how sensitive are yours?" he replied running his fingers over her chest.

"Oh... very!"

"Shall we get on the bed love?" Mo' suggested.

"Mo'?" she replied, "I'm not on the pill or anything."