Better Late Than Never

59

Ayra and Ayman slept on the bus throughout the near four hour trip from Toledo to Córdoba, catching up on the sleep they'd missed courtesy of the steamy shenanigans they engaged in all night long.

From the bus stop, they got a cab to take them to their new temporary home which sat just off the Calle Abad de Rute in the El Naranjo area of the city. They met the house manager, Josephine, who literally had to run after giving them the keys to pick her daughter from dance class. The house was a small cosy bungalow that was fenced round; made just for two people to stay in, and Ayra loved it.

The house had a little foyer beyond which was the open plan living room that bled into the kitchen. The living room had cute square shaped windows that lined the upper part of the walls, an L-shaped cushioned sectional with lovely patterned pillows, a high coffee table, and a flat screen TV. The kitchen, just like the apartment they'd occupied in Toledo, was fully equipped with everything they needed and the shelves and fridge were stocked.

The bathroom was separated from the room and it was decorated in honey brown tones, the shower area separated from every other part by a glass wall. There was no tub and both Ayra and Ayman didn't mind it at all. The room was small but perfect enough for the both of them and Ayra loved that the bed had so many pillows. She loved that the bed wasn't too wide too.

There was a garden at the back and black lounge chairs right by it. In her opinion, the garden area would have been better if there was a small pool. In Ayman's opinion, it was just alright the way it was. They accepted each other's view and moved on. They went back in, unpacked the essentials, prayed Zuhr, and went straight to bed, holding each other tight.

Just like in Toledo, they had five days to spend in Córdoba. Later that evening, after praying Maghrib and placing an order for dinner from one of the restaurants close by, Ayra and Ayman sat in the living room to go through their itinerary so they could balance out indoor and outdoor activities.

They wanted enough time to see most of what Córdoba had to offer while also getting enough time to fully explore each other's bodies. They laughed at how naughty their minds were now that there wasn't really any reason to hold back. They went to bed a little later, promising to stick to the schedule from the following morning, and they made sure to fulfil the promise.

They explored the Cordoba Mosque-Cathedral, enjoyed the Caballerizas Reales show, had massages in Moorish themed spas, saw many sights possible from the upper level of the hop-on hop-off buses, biked down lanes alone and with other people, and then made sure to marvel the sights of the Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs, the Medina Azahara, the Palacio de Viana, and the Royal Stables of Córdoba.

When they weren't touring and taking as many pictures as possible, they explored restaurants and shops, tried new things and relished old ones, bought some stuff to take home, or simply enjoyed walks. If they weren't out, they were either satiating each other in the privacy of the home or watching something while being cuddled up.

Sometimes, they simply enjoyed the peace and quiet of each other's company or they had even more pillow talks. They made the most of every minute and it brought them closer. It made them fall deeper for each other too.

At the end of their Córdoba stay, they got on a flight and left for Barcelona; the one city Ayra always wanted to visit and a city Ayman had been to more than once. The manager of the apartment they were to stay in for an entire week, Leonardo, had gone as far as getting a cab pick them up from the airport. It was more of a minivan with heavily tinted windows than a usual vehicle and a stunned Ayra and Ayman did their best to be comfortable in it.

The building with apartment units was housed in the affluent Dreta de l'Eixample; a neighbourhood that housed popular landmarks such as the La Sagrada Familia, the Casa Batlló, and La Pedrara. Leonardo and his wife – Louisa – were already on ground when Ayra and Ayman arrived, and both duos instantly got along well with each other.