030 Sitting Alone, Meeting Again

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I had been to a bar back home once. It was smoky, filthy, and deafeningly loud; I lasted less than ten minutes before fleeing in desperation. But Balasdi Bar completely erased the grimy, raucous image I had of such places. It was more like a relaxed and pleasant retreat.

During the day in Dubai, foreigners were invariably busy while the locals appeared utterly at ease. It always gave the impression that the locals were the masters and all the foreigners worked for them. Yet once night fell, the city seemed to change hands, and fashionable foreigners could be seen everywhere.

According to Lianlian, locals were not permitted to enter legitimate bars, and even if they did, they had to disguise themselves. As I looked around the bar, I saw not a single figure in a black or white robe. Instead, Europeans and Americans made up the majority, and even the live band was playing music with a distinctly British flavor. For a moment, I felt as though I had been transported to Europe. Inside and outside the bar seemed like two entirely separate worlds.

The bar’s dining area was separate from the dance floor. It was not yet fully dark, and only a handful of people were dancing, so Lianlian and I found seats in the dining area and decided to have something to drink first. The waiter handed us a long menu with a broad smile. I glanced at it and paused in surprise. Back home, bars were associated with dancing and romantic encounters; as far as I knew, they served little more than desserts and drinks. But the bars in Dubai offered everything from appetizers to desserts.

We had eaten only until we were half full that evening, but the sight of the green menu made my stomach contract again. I casually ordered a Thai crab cake with garlic aioli, a serving of fried feta balls with black-pepper barbecue sauce, and tried the sea bass with steamed potatoes and almond oil. The food here also leaned toward Western flavors, and was somewhat lighter than the heavily spiced cuisine of the Middle East.

I devoted myself to savoring the food, while Lianlian busied herself casting flirtatious glances around the room. Halfway through the meal, I suddenly sensed a shadow falling across the edge of our table. When I looked up, a handsome young white man was pointing at the empty seat beside me and smiling.

“May I sit here?”

I was just about to refuse in astonishment when Lianlian answered cheerfully, “Of course.”

Once again, she had been seduced by a handsome man.

The young man was tall and powerfully built, with the faintest suggestion of a hooked nose. He sat down with easy familiarity and introduced himself directly.

“My name is Bill.”

Lianlian smiled and gave him her name. Out of politeness, I lifted my head from my meal as well and muttered a false name.

Judging from the way we responded, Bill quickly selected his target and shifted his attention to Lianlian.

“I’m British. Are you Chinese or Japanese?”

“Chinese,” Lianlian answered truthfully once again.

After they had exchanged introductions, they were considered acquainted. Bill was handsome, witty, and amusing. He told us many entertaining stories about his time in Dubai, like a first-rate comedian, and had Lianlian laughing loudly. Lianlian and I shared some of our own experiences since arriving in Dubai. He raised his thick eyebrows and said with a smile, “You haven’t truly experienced Dubai’s charm yet!”

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By then, the sky had darkened, and more and more people were gathering on the dance floor. After saying this, Bill extended his hand to Lianlian with gentlemanly grace, looking deeply earnest.

“Miss, may I have this dance?”

Lianlian pretended to be demure and nodded. Hand in hand, the two of them stepped onto the dance floor, cheerfully abandoning me where I sat.

I watched Lianlian and Bill’s retreating backs and once again silently mourned Jia Yi in the depths of my heart. The people around me were making a tremendous racket, while I sat alone. Suddenly, feeling rather dispirited, I decided I wanted a drink and raised my hand to summon a waiter.

But before the waiter could come, two people who had just entered my line of sight noticed me first.

Ayoub, and… Moussa.

!!

I had been to a bar back home once. It was smoky, filthy, and deafeningly loud; I lasted less than ten minutes before fleeing in desperation. But Balasdi Bar completely erased the grimy, raucous image I had of such places. It was more like a relaxed and pleasant retreat.

During the day in Dubai, foreigners were invariably busy while the locals appeared utterly at ease. It always gave the impression that the locals were the masters and all the foreigners worked for them. Yet once night fell, the city seemed to change hands, and fashionable foreigners could be seen everywhere.

According to Lianlian, locals were not permitted to enter legitimate bars, and even if they did, they had to disguise themselves. As I looked around the bar, I saw not a single figure in a black or white robe. Instead, Europeans and Americans made up the majority, and even the live band was playing music with a distinctly British flavor. For a moment, I felt as though I had been transported to Europe. Inside and outside the bar seemed like two entirely separate worlds.

The bar’s dining area was separate from the dance floor. It was not yet fully dark, and only a handful of people were dancing, so Lianlian and I found seats in the dining area and decided to have something to drink first. The waiter handed us a long menu with a broad smile. I glanced at it and paused in surprise. Back home, bars were associated with dancing and romantic encounters; as far as I knew, they served little more than desserts and drinks. But the bars in Dubai offered everything from appetizers to desserts.

We had eaten only until we were half full that evening, but the sight of the green menu made my stomach contract again. I casually ordered a Thai crab cake with garlic aioli, a serving of fried feta balls with black-pepper barbecue sauce, and tried the sea bass with steamed potatoes and almond oil. The food here also leaned toward Western flavors, and was somewhat lighter than the heavily spiced cuisine of the Middle East.

I devoted myself to savoring the food, while Lianlian busied herself casting flirtatious glances around the room. Halfway through the meal, I suddenly sensed a shadow falling across the edge of our table. When I looked up, a handsome young white man was pointing at the empty seat beside me and smiling.

“May I sit here?”

I was just about to refuse in astonishment when Lianlian answered cheerfully, “Of course.”

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Once again, she had been seduced by a handsome man.

The young man was tall and powerfully built, with the faintest suggestion of a hooked nose. He sat down with easy familiarity and introduced himself directly.

“My name is Bill.”

Lianlian smiled and gave him her name. Out of politeness, I lifted my head from my meal as well and muttered a false name.

Judging from the way we responded, Bill quickly selected his target and shifted his attention to Lianlian.

“I’m British. Are you Chinese or Japanese?”

“Chinese,” Lianlian answered truthfully once again.

After they had exchanged introductions, they were considered acquainted. Bill was handsome, witty, and amusing. He told us many entertaining stories about his time in Dubai, like a first-rate comedian, and had Lianlian laughing loudly. Lianlian and I shared some of our own experiences since arriving in Dubai. He raised his thick eyebrows and said with a smile, “You haven’t truly experienced Dubai’s charm yet!”

By then, the sky had darkened, and more and more people were gathering on the dance floor. After saying this, Bill extended his hand to Lianlian with gentlemanly grace, looking deeply earnest.

“Miss, may I have this dance?”

Lianlian pretended to be demure and nodded. Hand in hand, the two of them stepped onto the dance floor, cheerfully abandoning me where I sat.

I watched Lianlian and Bill’s retreating backs and once again silently mourned Jia Yi in the depths of my heart. The people around me were making a tremendous racket, while I sat alone. Suddenly, feeling rather dispirited, I decided I wanted a drink and raised my hand to summon a waiter.

But before the waiter could come, two people who had just entered my line of sight noticed me first.

Ayoub, and… Moussa.

!!

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