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21.
GABI GOT OFF THEbus close to Matías’s house and nipped into the workshop and picked up some clasps and the tools she needed. She walked up the road to the place where she’d arranged to meet Aisha. She was early, so she put down the heavy rucksack and leaned against the wall with the sun on her face. She inhaled the clean air, wondering if she’d gone overboard buying so many things for the kids to make jewellery with. She hadn’t been able to decide, and unsure of how a child’s mind worked, she’d wanted to give them options so no one felt left out. Maybe she should have found some bigger needles in case the smaller ones were too tricky to work with. She rubbed her hands together. Her stomach knotted. It was hard to know which was more nerve-racking—seeing Aisha when their lovemaking was still at the forefront of her mind or meeting the kids Aisha taught. The sensation between her legs answered the question. She sat on the wall and leaned forward to try to stem the flow of blood to her clit. It didn’t work, so she sat up and enjoyed the feeling instead.
Aisha walked towards her, swaying her hips, and Gabi squeezed her legs together. This was going to be a long day. The wraparound sandals accentuated Aisha’s ankles, and Gabi wanted to kiss from them to where Aisha’s skirt started, and just keep going. The skirt was shorter than the others Gabi had seen her wear, and it made Aisha’s legs look longer. Gabi would rather be pressed against the firm muscle of her thigh than heading to a kids’ school. Aisha’s short-sleeved blouse was open at the neck and revealed more than Gabi thought appropriate for the kids to see. She looked radiant.
“Hello,” Aisha said.
Gabi squinted up at her. “I was just thinking how fuckable you look.”
Aisha laughed. She bit her lip as she gazed the length of Gabi. “And?”
Gabi cleared her throat and stood. “That’s not helping.” She picked up the rucksack.
“You look very fuckable yourself,” Aisha said and set off.
Gabi enjoyed the way her hips moved, but she needed to focus on the morning’s tasks, or she’d come across as if she’d lost the plot, which in all fairness, she felt close to. “Tell me a bit about the children, so I can prepare myself.”
“There are two girls and three boys aged between five and eight. They can’t go to school, because that would involve paying for transport, and uniforms, and books, and their families don’t have that kind of money.”
“That’s shit.”
“The children don’t seem to mind too much. They come when they can. I teach them maths, and Spanish, and a little English. The boys prefer to play football, and the girls like to sew. Sometimes we bake cakes and eat them. They’re all very excited that you are coming.”
“I have to say, it’s really intimidating.”
Aisha laughed. “They won’t bite you.”
“Can you be sure?”
Aisha tilted her head. “Well, one of the boys might, but I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“Seriously?”
Aisha smiled at Gabi. “Thank you for doing this. It will mean the world to them.”
“I want to kiss you.” Gabi said and shoved her hands in her pockets and lengthened her stride.
Aisha laughed. “I’d be fine with that if we weren’t in full view of the street.”
There was no one around, but Gabi knew what she meant. Public displays of affection were always going to be off the agenda anywhere they might be noticed, which was looking like that meant anywhere in Granada. It sucked, but it was a price Gabi was willing to pay, for now. To be able to spend time with Aisha was a bonus she hadn’t planned on when setting off on this trip. It didn’t stop her wondering about how she might be able to get Aisha alone and far enough away from Sacromonte that they could relax together and enjoy the freedom that Gabi knew as normal. “Can you take a day off sometime?” she asked.
“What are you thinking?”
“I don’t know exactly. But if you can take a day off, I’ll come up with something. I’d like to take you somewhere you’ve never been before.”
Aisha smiled. “I’ve never been outside the city.”
Gabi frowned. “Really?”
Aisha shook her head. “We can’t afford to travel, though I’ve dreamed of what it would be like.”
“Not even with the dancing?”
“We live off the land. I don’t get paid to teach. The money I earn dancing keeps us out of poverty, but there’s nothing left for luxuries.”
“I didn’t realise.” She avoided Aisha’s eyes. She wished she’d known, wished she could do something to help.
“It’s okay. We have what we need to survive, and we don’t waste anything. Though I’d like to see other places, like history and art museums, and I’d like to go to the theatre. I’d like to study poetry, and music, and science, and talk to more people like me. There is so much to learn.”
