Waking up, I take a moment to stretch before getting off my bed and looking around. Some sunlight comes in through the large glass windows and doors to my left, and the curtains let in a bright amount.
Getting off my bed, I walk over to the windows, and open the door. Putting on my shoes, I walk out onto the veranda, and see a beautiful view. The ocean that Azrael indicated yesterday night is present, and it sparkles in a soft green hue and a garden sits between the beach and hotel building, the trees rustling in the morning breeze.
I hear a door open, and I see Azrael come out onto the veranda from his room. He rubs his eyes with the back of a hand, and the action from me is cute enough that I want to give him a hug. He stops rubbing his eyes and notices me, and smiles.
"Good morning, Hogarth. Did you sleep well?" he asks politely.
"I did," I say with a nod as he walks over closer to me.
The veranda or ours are connected, but a fence-like thing separates us, but not really. He's in a simple T-shirt and shorts, and in the mildly cool weather that the morning has, he seems comfortable as he looks around, squinting his eyes a little in the bright sun.
"How about you? How was your sleep?" I ask him.
"Oh, wonderful," answers Azrael as he looks down at the garden, and at the sea, "it's been some time since I came here last, but it's still beautiful, I see."
"What's on the agenda today?" I ask, though I should know since I'm his secretary.
"We'll have today to rest, and tomorrow we'll meet up with a few people who are related to agriculture here in Bahrain. Then the last day here will be left to going around Manama to sight-see, and perhaps lounge on the beach again," says Azrael.
"Out of all of this trip," I start, "which place are you the most excited for?"
"Actually," says Azrael as he laughs and leans on the railing of the veranda and looking at me, "I don't know. All of it really, but I guess that's not really an answer."
"I'm waiting," I say playfully as I also lean on the railing of my veranda.
"I'd say that I'm excited for something from each part of the trip," answers Azrael, "for London, I was excited for seeing something new, which London was to me. Also meeting a friend there. Here in Manama, I suppose I'm here for business, and I always like working. And in Japan, specifically Tokyo and Hakone, I think I'll be there for relaxing and food."
"Aren't we to relax here too?" I ask.
"Yes," laughs Azrael with a nod, "but, Japan has hot springs. I don't like the heat, but those have their own pleasurable experience ready."
"Also sushi, I suppose," I say with a laugh.
"That too," says Azrael with a smile.
"What good is there here in Manama?" I ask curiously.
"Oh, well, Manama actually has a lot of diversity when it comes to food," says Azrael, "because more than half the population is not actually Bahraini, there are other cultures here too. Many of the foreigners here are from India and Pakistan."
"So I'm guessing there's a lot of Indian and Pakistani cuisine here as well," I say.
"Correct," says Azrael, "I like to call Bahrain, 'Little India' because there's so much of that presence. Little Pakistan also too sometimes."
"You might actually see that kind of cuisine served in the restaurant here at the hotel, if we go there later," says Azrael with a smile.
"Do you plan on going out today beyond the hotel?" I ask.
"Not really," says Azrael, "I'd like to just stay in the confines of it and remain relaxed. We can stop by for lunch at the restaurant, as it's around ten now, and then in the afternoon we can enjoy the beach."
"Should we tell James and Levi?" I ask.
"I'll text them later to say we're at the restaurant," says Azrael to me, "and they can join us if they want. I know James recently got news of a deal he's in, and I think perhaps he may have to attend to that as well."
"Hopefully he can relax too," I say.
"I hope he can as well," says Azrael.
Standing for some time as we gaze at the view, we wait some more time before we get hungry, and head down to the restaurant. It's relatively desolate in the hotel, with not many people around, instead calm and serene. It must not be the right season, as many of the restaurant tables are empty, as Azrael and I don't have trouble getting a seat where we want and we are the only people for now.
Azrael orders some pizza and fries for him saying we can share the pizza and fries, and I order a curry that sounds delicious, and I hope it's not too spicy.
It arrives, and it does have heat on my tongue, but it's not terrible and I eat through it. Half-way through our meal, James and Levi show up, ordering food as well, and together the four of us enjoy a meal together.
After we eat, the four of us head out to the beach, which again is relatively lonely. Perhaps we were lucky, and Azrael admits he didn't do anything, so it must just be our luck.
We swim out to the ocean, the water' not too hot, but not too cold. Here and there a jellyfish bobs in the ocean, and we swim a safe distance away from them. We go near only when we want to gaze at the hanging beautiful stinging tentacles.
"I wonder what this one is called," wonders Azrael aloud as he, James, and I watch one jellyfish in particular, pink and blueish in color.
Levi being a little older than the rest of us has retired to one of the reclining chairs to rest, as the sun and waves have taken a little bit of an effect on him.
"I wonder too," says James as he looks at the jellyfish with his eyes taking in the details.
"Thinking of ways to put it to your technologies?" asks Azrael as he grins.
Luckily, Azrael wears a rash-guard with his swim trunks so his body is not fully exposed to me to see. But, his figure is, and that only draws my eye about every other second.
"Possibly," says James with a nod, "I don't know how exactly, but it'd be interesting if I could do so. These jellyfish really are fascinating creatures."
"Yeah," I say as I continue to look at it, "I wonder if you could keep one as a pet."
"It'd cost much," says James, "they're not easy to keep, I'm sure."
"Yeah, there'd be the oxygen filter, and the tank itself, and lighting," says Azrael with a nod, "not to mention food."
"They eat fish, right?" I say.
"I think so," says Azrael, "fish, and plankton."
"That's probably difficult to acquire," I admit.
"Most likely," agrees Azrael.
"But," says James as he leans closer to the jelly, "they still are beautiful, all the same."
"You can always take a picture," suggests Azrael.
"Oh yeah," says James, then says something in French as he moves away to the beach where near the chair Levi is reclined on is James's belongings, and from there he pulls out his phone and comes back.
Positioning his phone, James snaps a few pictures while changing his perspective and viewing the jellyfish from different angles.
"Got what you wanted?" asks Azrael with a smile.
"Sure did," says James with a smile, "I'll be right back."
"Oh, careful," says Azrael as he gestures to the jellyfish as it bobs around some bit and almost touches me.
"Right," I say as I move away from it safely and it bobs away while we don't follow it.
James is at his chair again and is putting his phone away. Levi talks with him, and they share a laugh while Azrael looks out over the ocean in the afternoon light.
"What are you looking for?" I ask curiously, and Azrael turns back to me.
"Nothing in particular," says Azrael with a smile, "just looking at the scenery."
"It really is strange," I say as I look at the horizon, "how the dust creates that strange line on the horizon."
"Yes," says Azrael with a nod, "it is."
We're both speaking of how out near the horizon the skies turn a dusty color due to the environment of Manama having a desert touch to it. Not that it's bad, but simply because it is so, a belt of darker sky is present. It's strange, as I've never seen that, and it's something to catch your eye.
"I'm still amazed by it," I say as I bob closer to Azrael and connect my eyes with his.
"I am too, whenever I see it," says Azrael, "it's not much, but there's something about it I suppose that I can't keep my eyes away from."
That's how I feel about you, Azrael.
But I nod, again, keeping my mouth shut and not saying anything.
After more swimming, and bobbing in the ocean, we go back inside and shower in our hotel rooms, before once the sun has set we go to the garden where we have dinner outside. The evening is very cool and even though we're in a part of the world that is associated with a hot climate, it's not at all so right now with us here.
We order some food, and while we wait, Levi gets a message on his phone, and he looks troubled.
"Is there some issue?" asks Azrael as he takes a drink of water.
"Well," says Levi as he frowns, "there seems to be an issue with my family."
"What is it?" asks Azrael as his brows furrow, "Did something happen to Marco?"
"Oh, no, thankfully," says Levi as he smiles, "simply, one of my in-laws is sick and in the hospital."
"Do you need to return?" asks Azrael as he begins to pull out his phone to facilitate Levi's return.
"I...I'd like to, but I don't know if it would be wise to," answers Levi.
"It is no trouble at all," says Azrael, "I understand family matters, and I say you should."
"If it's alright with you then," says Levi thankfully.
"It's alright," answers Azrael, "I don't know if my jet can be here, but if it can't then I'll pay for your return flight."
"Best boss ever," says Levi with a broad grin.
"I try to be," says Azrael with his own smile.
Levi smiles, and the four of us enjoy the rest of the meal in relative calm. James and I talk about some technology, mainly headphones and how they interact with airplanes, which does yield some interesting conversations.
Though, I have to admit that my eyes do wander toward somebody in particular.
Azrael.