Tomorrow Will Never Come: A Surprising Tale of Terrorists, Romance, and Love for Your Country

By Ivette Falto-Heck

It has been over a year since Nicole had parted from her strikingly handsome boyfriend Brent McWilliams, or whom she referred to as the love of her life. Yet, she still used the excuse of not being over Brent to refuse the advances of Hasayn Mosed, a charming and attractive Middle-Easterner who she had met at work. It was love at the first sight for Hasayn, while Nicole struggled with childhood-learned prejudice from the start. But Hasayns persistence was no match for Nicoles resistance. Her heart finally succumbed to Hasayns insistence pursuit. Her acceptance of Hasayn was reinforced after meeting his parents. The Moseds welcomed her with open arms
Just a few months after the most romantic courtship, Nicoles love for Hasayn turned into distrust and fear as she suspected something terrifyingly wrong about the Moseds. With not many to confide on, Nicole hesitantly turned into her former boyfriend Brent, a naval officer and expert on nuclear weapons, to help her find out the truth about the Moseds. Nicoles reunion with Brent was everything she had anticipated, and her desire to reunite with Brent further damaged her relationship with Hasayn.
Nicoles suspicions of the Moseds turned out to be much worse than what she had speculated. Instead of running away from them, Brent and his FBI friends convinced her to help set a trap for the Moseds. Nicole found herself entrapped in a mouse and cat game more dangerous than what she was willing to bargain for: wrestling between the love and loyalty once she felt for the Moseds and her sense of duty.
Fighting for her live became the norm of the day for Nicole: barely escaping from one tragedy to find herself trapped in another. Yet, her unfortunate fate was inconsequential compared to what was coming: the clock was ticking fast for America and not even Nicole could stop it!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 9, 2011
• ISBN: 9781467848121

Ivette Falto-Heck

Dr. Ivettte Falto-Heck is a retired colonel from the US Air Force. She holds several graduate degrees in physics, astronomy, and engineering. She is also a graduate from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, from where she was awarded a M.S. in National Strategy. Dr. Falto-Heck served in numerous leadership positions in program management and engineering of complex space systems and advanced technologies in her 25 years in the Air Force. She also served as an assistant professor of physics at the US Air Force Academy. While in the military, she authored and earned awards for several articles on military, women, and technical topics. She has been working in the defense industry, and living in Northern Virginia since her retirement from the Air Force in 2003. She is married to a fellow Air Force retiree, Joel Heck. They have two children: Joel Jr who is an engineering student at Cornell University; and Brittany Heck, a senior at Flint Hill School. Dr. Ivette Falto-Heck is an avid supporter of women and Hispanic in the fields of science, technology, math, and engineering. Through her work and achievements, she hopes to inspire others to follow suit. By combining science with romance, she would like to show that "science can be fun!"

Book preview

Chapter 1

So, that’s it? Brent asked again, visibly upset, hoping for a different response from his girlfriend Nicole. He reached out and softly grabbed her hand. Nicole tried to pull it back, but he held it firmly. With his other hand, Brent brought Nicole’s chin up, forcing her to look at him. Nicole resisted because she knew that she would lose control if she looked into Brent’s mesmerizing and gorgeous blue eyes. Nicole, please look at me. Are you sure that this is what you want? Brent was still wishing for a change in heart.

Breathing deeply as if she were drawing courage from within her soul, Nicole restated, her lips shivering and her eyes now fixated on Brent’s, Yes, this IS what I want. Quickly moving her eyes away from Brent’s strong stare, she affirmed, I understand your position and you should appreciate mine. Returning her eyes to meet Brent’s for a brief moment, Nicole gave him one more chance, Brent, I love you and would like to spend the rest of my life with you. Unless you can agree to my terms I can NOT continue with this relationship.

Please, Nicole, please don’t do this. You know that I love you, too. But, there is so much more that I want to do, that I would like us to do before … Caressing her hand, Brent pleaded, Why do we have to rush into it? Why can’t we wait a bit longer? Brent’s reasoning was not having the intended result. Nicole seemed to be resolved and unwilling to compromise. She shook her head in disagreement.

Brent retracted his hand. Feeling defeated, he stood up, glanced at her one more time, and walked away. Nicole had kept her eyes down, now she brought them up to take a final glimpse at the love of her life as he walked out of the café.

I love you Brent, she softly whispered, dropping her head in her hands. What have I done? She asked herself while tears began to run down her cheeks.

Excuse me, Nicole, are you ok? Would you like a diet coke refill? The café waitress interrupted Nicole’s agonizing sob.

Washing her tears off her face with a napkin, Nicole responded, No, no thanks. I just need a minute. Nicole tried to regain her composure. I should be going. I’m late for work. The bill, please.

Brent took care of it. Are you sure you’re ok?

Taking a long breadth, Nicole grabbed her purse and got up, Yes, thanks, Sami. I’ll see you later.

Nicole walked back to her car and drove off to work. She found it difficult to keep track of the road as her eyes continue to swell up with tears. As usual, the DC traffic was horrendous, giving her time to think, to remember the magical times she once had spent with Brent.

In a flash, she was transported back to the time when they met: a few years earlier shortly after Nicole first moved to the Washington DC area. It was through a group of friends. Many of her officemates used to frequent a bar in downtown DC, The Prime Time Grill. One Friday night after work, Nicole accepted her coworkers’ invitation to accompany them to a happy hour at the restaurant. She was standing by the bar counter chatting with her friends when she looked across. On the other side of the counter, her gaze met the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen in her life. They belonged to a gorgeous face that matched them perfectly.

What a handsome creature, Nicole thought. He was staring right back at her, smiling widely. She lowered her eyes in embarrassment and resumed her conversation with her friends. Unfortunately, Nicole’s eyes betrayed her, and she caught herself peeking back in the direction of the handsome stranger. To her disappointment, he was gone. She sighed.

A moment later, Nicole heard an unfamiliar voice next to her.

Hi, I’m Brent. Brent McWilliams. I seemed to have lost my heart. Have you seen it over here?

Nicole broke out in a laugh. She had never heard that line before.

Extending her hand out to him, Nicole said smiling, Hi, I’m Nicole Sadler. And I haven’t seen your heart around here, but will let you know if I do.

He immediately pulled out a business card from his pocket and with a devilish smile said, Here’s my phone number just in case.

Thanks, Nicole replied, rapidly scanning the information on the card. He was a naval officer.

Lieutenant Commander McWilliams. Hmmm. In camouflage clothes? Nicole asked sarcastically; Brent was not wearing his military uniform.

Yeah, don’t want to attract too much attention.

Too late, Nicole wanted to say, but smiled widely instead.

They spent the rest of the evening talking and getting to know each other. Nicole found out that Brent was charming and funny, besides being incredibly handsome and intelligent—a fabulous catch. Although she never gave herself enough credit, Nicole was equally impressive. She was a very attractive young woman of slender build with long brown hair and blondish highlights. Her yellowish eyes were exotic and vibrant, perfectly contrasting with her pale smooth skin. She had a great personality—people always drifted toward her. Her resume was notable for her young age—her degree from Columbia University and several summer internships had helped her land a dreamy job in DC. With such traits, Nicole had no problem attracting men as Brent would soon discover.

Shortly after ten o’clock in the evening, the bar was transformed into a dancing lounge. Nicole and her new friend danced to a couple of fun tunes, followed by a slow song; being so close to Brent, made Nicole tremble. It was difficult to grasp the idea that this gorgeous man could be as interested in her as she was in him.

After completing the dance, Nicole told Brent that her friends were leaving.

Do you have plans for the weekend? Brent asked.

Without giving it much thought, Nicole quickly responded, No.

Making the most of his good luck, Brent invited Nicole on a sailing trip the next morning. He happened to own a sailing boat and was going to the nearby town of Saint Mark in Maryland for the weekend with a group of friends.

Reading the hesitation on Nicole’s face, Brent explained, Separate quarters for the boys and the girls, of course!

Ok. Nicole could not believe that she had accepted an invitation from a complete stranger to go away for the weekend. What was wrong with her? This had been a first for her.

The new friends agreed to meet in a public place early the next day as Nicole neither wanted to have Brent come to her apartment nor wanted to go to his—one prudent decision at least. After discussing the details of their sailing trip, they said good night, and Nicole left the bar with her friends. On her way home, Nicole could not stop reprimanding herself for the crazy and irresponsible way she had acted, falling for someone that quickly and accepting his sailing invitation without knowing much about him. She considered calling him to cancel, but she let her friends persuade her to go on the trip with the captivating stranger. They all agreed that Brent was super hot and, since he was a naval officer, he should be trustworthy.

He’s a naval officer, how much safer would you be? suggested one of Nicole’s coworker. Yes, you’ll be fine, insisted another.

Easily buying into her friends’ arguments, Nicole went on the sailing with Brent. As agreed to, she met him and his friends early the next morning. Brent’s boat was quite nice—he had named it after his mother, Isabel. Following a few minutes of preparation, the boat sailed through the Potomac River to Saint Mark. The new friends had the greatest time, and Nicole discovered a couple more of Brent’s attributes: super romantic, extremely smart and a perfect gentleman. Although Brent tried to rob a kiss now and then, Nicole was able to escape his moves. She was a fervent believer of no kissing during the first date.

The young couple became inseparable after that first date. One weekend, Brent invited Nicole to a Navy picnic in Annapolis near his parents’ home. She actually had the opportunity to meet his parents—his father was a retired admiral and his mother, a real estate professional. Brent had a younger sister who was away attending college in Florida. The McWilliams seemed to be a very nice family.

Walking down by the water later that afternoon, Brent grabbed Nicole’s hand and invited her to sit down on a bench to watch the sunset. It was a spectacular afternoon: the sky was an incandescent blue with a few small puffy clouds up above and a bright golden sun just starting to set behind the mountains. A gentle breeze kept the air fresh and warm. The river was filled with boats of all different sizes on their way back to port.

Nicole and Brent were talking and laughing as usual—Brent was such a clown, always telling funny jokes. Unexpectedly, he took Nicole’s hand and raised it up to his lips. He rubbed his lips on her hand in such a sexy way that made her shiver. He smiled watching her surprised expression. He then let their intertwined hands fall down to their laps and with his other hand brought Nicole’s face close to his. Hypnotizing her with his dazzling sapphire eyes, he softly pressed his lips on hers, and momentarily pulled away to see her reaction. Nicole immediately responded by putting her free hand around his neck and closing the distance between them. She did not know who initiated it, but they quickly embraced in a most passionate kiss. Their affectionate embrace continued. Neither one seemed to want to stop. Nicole finally had to pull back to catch her breath. Her bones felt as if they had melted by the intensity of their kiss.

After Brent dropped Nicole off at her apartment later that evening, she could not stop thinking about him. She had never felt that way for anyone. She was incredibly happy, yet a bit scare. She did not know how far they would go or if she could continue to resist him. She had always been a very old-fashioned person, and never been intimate with a man.

From that day forward, the young couple spent every moment Brent was in town together. A few times he invited her to stay in his apartment or suggested for him to stay at hers, but Nicole always resisted the temptation. She was not ready for that kind of involvement, and she was hesitant to discuss her lack of experience with him. After a while, Nicole found it impossible to avoid Brent’s advances as he mistook Nicole’s unwillingness to sleep with him as lack of interest in him. She finally had to face up to it, and found it quite entertaining to see Brent’s puzzled expression when she explained her religious beliefs and ideas regarding sex. After considering it for a moment, Brent smiled and kissed her. He seemed to be pleased with the discovery that she was still a virgin.

After three months of dating, Brent invited Nicole to sail the Caribbean with him. He had to travel to a naval base in Puerto Rico for work, and was planning to sail for a few days afterward. Nicole wavered on her decision to be alone with him for several days. She was not sure if she could continue to resist the candy.

Anticipating Nicole’s hesitation, Brent assured Nicole, I have no expectations and no conditions. I just want you to be there with me. This will be my first sailing trip in that part of the world and I’d like to discover it with you.

How could she say no to that? Nicole accepted Brent’s invitation and flew down to San Juan to meet him. It was her first trip to the Caribbean, and she easily felt in love with it: the friendly people, the beautiful beaches, the warm weather, and the delicious food.

The young couple was having a fabulous time scuba diving, touring the various neighboring islands and enjoying the evenings together. Brent kept his promise even though it was not easy for either one of them. They really loved each other passionately, although they had never said the words out loud.

On their fourth cruising night, they decided to dress up for a romantic dinner on the boat. The sky was radiant with a full moon barely coming up on the horizon. The dazzling moonlight reflected on the water making it shimmery. A handful of stars twinkled in the distance. A light breeze kept the air warm and inviting. The boat rocked slightly in the calm waters. It was the perfect setting for romance.

The love birds dined outside on the deck by the moon’s luminous glow. Once they had finished dinner, Brent took Nicole’s hand and invited her to dance. Laughing at his suggestion, she got up and followed his lead. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her very close to him. She laughed again. They danced to the soft music playing on the radio. Brent softly kissed Nicole’s hair and gently rubbed her back. She placed her head on his chest. She could hear the accelerated beat of his heart and wondered if he was aware of hers. They continued to dance for a few more minutes.

Brent stopped dancing for a moment and with his fingers, forced Nicole’s chin up. They stared into each other’s eyes. Nicole thought she would faint for sure. It was hard for her not to shy away from his piercing gaze. He smiled softly sensing her uneasiness. She lowered her eyes, but he forced her to meet his eyes.

Nicole, do you know how much I love you?

In a flash, Nicole went from almost fainting to melting. Brent had just confessed his love for her. Had she heard correctly? Hearing him say those wonderful words made her so incredibly happy, yet she could not respond. She was frozen in place. It was hard for Nicole to accept that someone so perfect would be in love with her. She knew that Brent could have any girl in the world. He was quite a sight and a great catch, but he was in love with her?

Did you hear what I said? Brent asked confused by Nicole’s lack of reaction.

Yes, I did. Nicole managed to whisper.

Unpleased or confused, Brent inquired, And, how do you feel about me?

Instead of putting it into words, Nicole showed him how she felt. She kissed him so ardently that he was the one gasping for air now.

Breaking loose from Nicole’s tight embrace, he said jokingly, Should I take that as a yes?

Nicole smiled back and said, Yes, I love you, too!

He looked at her with his captivating eyes and then said, I want you to be mine.

Nicole’s legs shook so hard that she was having problems staying upright. She shied her eyes trying to hide her embarrassment. Unluckily for her, Brent was not going to let her off that easily. He forced her to look at him, and proceeded to drop the full intensity of his eyes on hers.

I love you, Brent. He took that as permission and swiftly swept her feet off the floor, carrying her in his arms to the bedroom. He put her back on the floor and quickly got rid of his shirt. Nicole was just staring at him shaking, not knowing what to do. He grasped her hands and placed them on his chest. He was so warm and strong. Nicole could not help but to admire his perfect physique.

Please don’t be nervous. There is nothing you need to be afraid of, Brent whispered on Nicole’s ear. Sure, it was easy for him to say that. The initial desire to run out of the room screaming invaded her thoughts. Yet, the feel of his warm chest was so pleasant and the love emanating from his eyes equally hypnotizing that kept her from springing out.

Brent began to unzip Nicole’s dress while passionately kissing her, increasing her nervousness. Brent was trying to fight a smile. Nicole was glad that her discomfort was entertaining to him. He proceeded to take the rest of his garments off. Once done, he soothingly placed Nicole on the bed and lay next to her. He coiled his fingers in her hair and softly traced the features of her face with his other hand. He stopped at her lips and gently stroked them. His fingers were replaced by his moist lips. Effortlessly, he moved his hand down her neck to her chest. Nicole was trembling with emotions that were new to her. She found it hard to breathe, consumed by her feelings. She did not know what to do or how to respond so she just stayed there immobile and silent.

Brent continued his gentle touch, down her thigh and to her leg. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he brought her even closer to him. He looked into her eyes once more and whispered in her ears, I do love you. Following her instincts, Nicole draped her legs around him, and fervently kissed him—her response surprised both of them. He pushed her under him. She could feel the heat that their unclothed bodies were radiating.

I love you so much, Brent!

They made love until dawn as they could not get enough of each other. Nicole quickly discovered how pleasurable life could be when one was in love. She was amazed by the way she had responded to him; she did not know she was capable of so much passion. And he had matched every feeling, every emotion, and every touch. She was so unbelievably happy and could have stayed in bed for days. Regrettably they needed to replace the energy consumed by their fire.

The new lovers went home a few days later, although they hated having to leave Paradise that soon. Nicole wished she could have stayed there with Brent forever. She did not care to share him with anyone, not even for an instant. She just wanted to love and be loved by him for the rest of their days. It had been the most incredible vacation of her life. And Nicole thought she had found the man of her dreams, her Prince Charming.

Nicole’s unbelievable happiness came to a heartbreaking conclusion. After almost a year of dating, she decided to call it off. She was too insecure and ridiculously jealous; incapable of dealing with the attention other women paid Brent and his responses to them when she was around. He claimed he was being courteous, yet Nicole saw it as flirting. The frequency of their arguments increased with time, and Nicole could not trust that Brent would remain faithful to her, especially since he regularly traveled worldwide with the Navy.

To ensure Brent’s fidelity, Nicole demanded marriage. Unluckily for Nicole, her demand turned out to be too high of a price for Brent to accept. Regardless of Brent’s initial negative reaction to her marriage demand, Nicole decided to give him a week to think about it. The time was now up and the young couple agreed to meet at their favorite café by Brent’s apartment earlier that morning to discuss his decision.

Brent tried in vain to reassure Nicole of his love and fidelity, nevertheless Nicole refused to accept anything short of a marriage proposal. With a painful tone in his voice and tremendous sadness in his eyes, Brent explained that he did not think that either one of them was ready for marriage. In his views, they were too young and still have many experiences ahead of them before settling down and starting a family as Nicole wanted. Exhaustively, he bargained for more time as he did not want to break up with her. Nicole was, however, unwilling to compromise. Unable to reach an agreement, they decided to apart from each other.

Coming back to reality while sitting in her car in the parking lot of her office building, Nicole realized that the first and greatest love affair of her life was over. She wiped the tears off her face one more time as if she was trying to erase all memories of Brent. Like after reading a good book, she put the memories of Brent aside and got ready to start a new chapter, one without the love of her life, but a new chapter nevertheless. It was autumn in DC …

Chapter 2

Over a year later, the day after July 4th, Independence Day in the United States of America, somewhere in the desert of Yemen

We interrupt our normal programming to report that a man has tried to set off explosives on a flight headed for Washington DC. A Yemen man allegedly tried to explode a powdery substance aboard a United Global flight that originated in London. The man and two other passengers were injured in the attempt according to US Government officials. The 25-year-old man, identified as Shafal Taher, is said to have been acting on behalf of Al-Qaeda. He is believed to be an engineering student at the University of London and was coming to the US for a religious event. Federal officials are continuing to investigate the incident, reported the ZNN news anchor.

NO, NO, NOOOOOOO. Not another failure! angrily shouted a middle-aged man in Arabic while listening to the news on a small portable television set in a large and dusty room. He began to pace anxiously around the room, raising his hands up to his head and shaking it in gross disappointment. The man was of medium build, average height and rough appearance. His long, grayish beard contrasted with his tanned skin; and dark shadows framed his reddish, almost diabolic looking eyes. His gaze was penetrating and defiant. Yet, there was something special about him and an inexplicable charisma in the toughness of his words. He wore the typical Arabian attire: a Dishdashah or a long sleeved white dress that covered his whole body; and a Gutrah or a white head cover. Both garments were of the finest quality and looked out of place—better fitted for a successful business man than for a desert rat. Around his waist, the man carried a large pistol with extra magazines on a military belt.

Accompanying him were two younger men, probably in their late twenties or early thirties, of similar brown complexions, common to those living in the desert. The two younger men wore military camouflage uniforms with rifles strapped around their shoulders. Their muscular physiques were visible through their uniforms; their facial features were rough; and their expression as severe as the older Arab. They were leaning against a long and old wooden table on the other side of the room, attentively watching the older man pace back and forth, clueless on how to respond. Behind them lay maps, photographs and other documents as well as cellular phones and battery-operated radios. Food and water canteens were also visible on the other end of the table.

A small light crudely fastened to the middle of the ceiling casted a dim glow on the windowless room. A strong sweaty smell saturated the air as an old squeaky fan and small entry door provided the only means of ventilation. The arched wooden door with rustic metal hinges and an old handle marked the entrance to the otherwise plain room. On the other side of the door stood two guardsmen dressed in the same military garb and as heavily armed as the younger Arabs.

The Great Leader is going to be furious, blasted the older man in an agitated tone. Who’s going to explain this to him? he loudly scolded the others.

Pointing now to the TV set, he complained exasperatedly, We’d planned this operation for months, months, considered every angle, practiced each step and rehearsed all possible scenarios. It was perfect, so perfect that I assured the Great Leader of its success—I gave him my word.

Shaking his head again in disgust, he scuffed, And now, what in the name of Allah am I going to tell him? How will I explain this failure when even I don’t know how it happened?

Confused and outraged, he demanded, HOW could Shafal have failed? It’s just not possible. What did he do wrong?

The two men at the table stared at each other, speechless, searching for a response that would help calm the shouting man. Regrettably, they did not understand the reason for Shafal’s failure themselves.

One of the two younger Arabs, the one called Yasein, tried to reason with the shouting man and hesitantly suggested, Sahim, our operations in the Infidel’s mainland have become extremely difficult. Sahim turned away from the TV and focused his fiery eyes on him. Ignoring Sahim’s strong gaze, Yasein continued, The Evil Enemy is getting better and better at discovering and hindering our activities. The Americans are spending lots of money trying to deter us. We never expected them to respond so forcefully.

Outraged by Yasein’s explanation, Sahim shouted, EXCUSES, EXCUSES. Is that what you really expect me to say to the Great Leader?

But, Sahim…

NO, Yasein, there is NO excuse for our stupidity, and our leader does NOT accept failures!

Yasein briefly looked in his companion’s direction, and shrugged his shoulders. Convinced that there was no point in reasoning with Sahim, he became silent.

Walking back toward the TV, Sahim sighed, Now we must also concern ourselves with what Shafal may disclose regarding our plans and hideouts. We need to be swift in adjusting our future operations, and we might even need to relocate the Great Leader.

Upon deliberating silently for a fraction of a second, Sahim pondered, He’ll certainly be upset about having to move once more.

Turning around to face the two men at the table, Sahim yelled from across the room, Yasein, call a meeting of the principals for nine o’clock tomorrow morning.

Scratching his long beard, he had a second thought. Hmmm, you should also notify our brothers in Iran and Sudan as we’ll need to quickly devise a new plan, a successful one, if we want to see the sun again.

Are we inviting the Great Leader? Yasein asked.

No, not yet. Let’s wait until we have crafted a concrete plan. In the meantime, I’ll let him know about our meeting, Sahim replied.

Pausing for a long minute, Sahim then addressed the other man at the table, Mohamed, contact our cell in Washington DC. Ask them to keep track of the American investigation on Shafal’s failed attempt. We must stay appraised on what he tells them.

Approaching the men, Sahim asserted, This is just a minor delay. We’re smarter than the Infidel, and Allah is on our side. Pounding on the table, he predicted, We’ll succeed; we’ll find the way to prevail over America once and for all. Their end is near!

Chapter 3

A few days later in Washington DC

Oh, look Nicole, that’s Rick’s friend by the door. He’s the one I told you about, Nicole’s best friend, Elize, exclaimed while grabbing Nicole’s arm.

Who? Nicole asked turning in the direction of the patio door. The two friends were at a pool party of one of their coworkers.

Rick’s hot neighbor, the one I told you about. I believe his name is Hasayn. We must ask Rich to introduce us. I’ve been hoping to meet Hasayn for the longest time. Do you think it would be ok for me to ask him out on a date? Elize suggested excited about the prospect of going out with the attractive stranger.

No, of course, not. You know nothing about him. And you should wait for him to ask you in any case, Nicole was quick to reprimand her friend.

You’re so old fashioned, Nicole. You need to get on with the times, Elize said in a disappointed tone. Oh, oh, he’s looking this way. Where is Rick when you need him? Elize searched around for Rick anticipating meeting Hasayn.

To Elize’s satisfaction, Rick came out of nowhere to meet Hasayn by the door. The two neighbors exchanged a brief conversation. Elize continued to watch the two men, while Nicole turned away, completely uninterested.

Nicole, they must be talking about us. Oh my, they’re walking this way. Finally! Elize’s excitement was building

You’re terrible, Elize. I’m going to get a drink and leave Prince Charming to you. Nicole began to walk away, but Elize was quick to grab her arm.

Oh no, you aren’t going anywhere. You’re staying here with me!

Hasayn and Rick reached the girls before Nicole could make her escape.

Nicole, Elize, please meet my friend Hasayn,

It’s a great pleasure meeting you, Hasayn shook the girls’ hands.

Elize could not hide her excitement. She immediately began the conversation with Hasayn, and was pleased when Nicole excused herself to get a drink. Hasayn offered to get it for her, but Nicole did not give him a chance.

Elize tried unsuccessfully to monopolize Hasayn’s time during the rest of the party. Unluckily for Elize, Hasayn showed a greater interest for her best friend. Several times, he tried to break away to talk with Nicole. To his disappointment, Elize was not willing to give up so easily. Realizing his predicament, Hasayn maximized his time with Elize to learn as much he could about Nicole.

On the way home from Rick’s party, Elize spilled the beans about Hasayn to Nicole. According to her, Hasayn was in his mid-twenties like them; was of Arabic descent; had lived in many places around the world; and attended colleges in the Middle-East, England and the US. He was fluent in several languages, and had the reputation of being a computer wizard. He worked for a large computer company in new business development. He and his family had become American citizens a few years earlier. His parents lived nearby in Virginia while his older sister was married and resided in New York City.

After their first meeting, Hasayn seemed to show up at every office social event Nicole attended. According to Elize, many of their coworkers were crazily attracted to him. In fact, several of them openly flirted with Hasayn at the parties hoping to win his attention. It was funny to watch them try. Nicole, however, did not seem to care much about him. Although she agreed that Hasayn was handsome, smart, and courteous, she was not interested in a romantic relationship with him, or anyone else for that matter. Although it had been over a year since Nicole had broken up with Brent, the love of her life, she was still having a tough time getting over him. Just the thought of dating someone else was daunting to her. Thus, she tried to ignore Hasayn as much as she could. To her misfortune, she had caused a different impression on him.

Through their mutual acquaintance, Hasayn found out more about Nicole and managed to run into her at other office social engagements. He intentionally became good friends with Elize in his quest to get to Nicole. After a while, he became part of Nicole’s inner circle—he was at every office event and friend’s party. Despite how much Nicole tried to avoid him at these events, Hasayn always managed to find his way to her side. It was not easy to walk away as he was one of the most charismatic people she had ever met. He seemed to be knowledgeable in a wide range of topics. It was quite fun to debate any topic with him. Little by little, Hasayn made Nicole aware of his real intentions. She could not deny that she was flattered by his insistence. However, this was not enough to make her change her mind about dating him.

Nicole’s girlfriends were jealous and baffled by her continuous refusals to go out with Hasayn. Their disappointment was flared by the constant arrival of flowers, balloons, and other gifts from Hasayn. He sent something to Nicole’s office at least once a week. It was becoming kind of embarrassing to Nicole. Even the delivery boy teased Nicole about her dedicated admirer.

You’re crazy, Elize commented one morning after Nicole received the most beautiful bouquet of flowers with an invitation to dinner. "What’s wrong