The Segment (Completed)

13. Desperate

A/N: My beautiful wonderful readers, thank you for staying with me and this story. I cant even begin to tell you all about the mental, emotional, and physical stresses that I've been through the last couple of weeks. Anyways, thank you for reading. 

Remember; votes and comments spur me to write more. 

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Richard rested his head back, fully relaxing into the plush leather seat of the aeroplane and closed his eyes. It has been days since he last met Farrah but her smell still lingered  in the air around him. Sometimes he'd get a whiff and like his life depended on it, he'd try to pinpoint where it was coming from. But it would be gone before he could even identify it.

A small smile played on his lips as he thought about that evening he spent with Farrah; chatting with friends, eating pizza, hell he even decorated the Christmas tree. Something he had long since stopped doing. And the compelling picture that she made as she stood at the door; hands holding the door and her head leaning against it. She looked at him with bright brown eyes, that danced under the dim lights and a smile flirting on her lips. She made such an arresting picture that the words he was about to say melted on his tongue. At that moment all he wanted to do was to crush her in his arms and to feel the heat of her skin under the pads of his fingers. He had never felt as desperate as he did that night wanting to touch, to hold, to kiss someone. 

"I'm heading to the US in a couple of days," he said as he looked at Farrah who was standing by the door.

"I know," she said quietly, looking at him with her big brown doe eyes. "The literacy campaign, right?"

"Yes," he said swallowing thickly.

"Have a good trip," she said quietly. He stood there taking her in, wanting to say something, anything so that at least she would think about him while he was gone.

Unfortunately for him, he waited too long for behind her, Charlie screamed, "Bye Sexy-Ben. Call me!"

Farrah and Richard shared a look and burst out laughing.

"Goodnight Richard."

"Sweet dreams Farrah."

He wondered why instead of retreating from the intensity of his feelings like any normal person would, all he wanted was to get closer. His fingers itched to unsnap the rubber band that she used to tie her hair, to run his fingers through her long midnight black hair. He wanted to softly trace the curve of her spine with his fingers and watch goosebumps bloom on her skin. He wanted to sit her in his lap and listen to her talk, tell him about her day. He wanted normalcy and an everyday, something he got a taste of that night at her flat, and he wanted more. He wanted to be able to come home to her, to kiss her and have her kiss him back with equal if not more passion. A hunger had ignited in him and he was embracing it wholeheartedly. He wanted her, he wanted all of her.

But he knew that it was impossible. Of all the women in the world, he was desperate for the one who refused his advances with witty comebacks and the strength of her iman. Iman; another new word that he picked up that night. He saw it swirling in her eyes, her faith and belief in the Almighty as she explained things about Islam to both Ben and himself with both patience and humility. Never once did she make it uncomfortable, even when Charlie and Ben said the most outrageous things.

It's a right laugh, this situation that I am in, he thought to himself. After being with his fair share of women; he was falling for a practicing Muslim. Oh, he's known enough Muslims who are Muslims merely in name and not at all in practice. He'd partied with the Sheikhs and Crown Princes of the Middle East and had been left in awe at the amount of bubbly they go through each night. He'd been invited to private parties by the rich, famous and influential in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia; where Islam was their official religion. They served everything from Coke to champagne to cocaine. Hell, he had even been groped by the daughter of the Pakistani Ambassador a few years ago!

Rubbing his jaw, Richard could feel the beginnings of a light stubble on his chin. He decided that once he was done with the campaign and the photos that were involved, he'll grow his beard again. Farrah seemed to like it, even if she did call him a lumberjack bear. He chuckled to himself. A few pair of eyes turned to look at him questioningly, he shook his head and signalled that all is alright. God, it was times like this that he missed Ben the most. Ben had been assigned to him five years ago as his security detail in London. The man had fast become someone he considered one of his best mates, and he literally trusted him with his life.

It helped that Ben was only a year younger than him and had been around the block with women as much as Richard had if not more. Yes, between the two of them the list of women that they were involved in could read like a grocery list in a household of ten. It wasn't as if they had never been serious about relationships, it just so happened that there never seemed to be the right time, or the right woman. None of them wanted plain old Richard, who had panic attacks and nightmares; they just desired the fairytale prince, Richard scoffed internally.

The moment Farrah had wrapped her arms around him, anchoring him in his panicked state, he was a goner. He was already smitten with her before, but the fact that she didn't shy away from him when he was clearly having a break down showed him her strength of character. Something that is so rare in the current state of the world where everyone is simply consumed by their need for likes, hearts and thumbs up.

Looking out the window, he couldn't wait for this two weeks to fly by. He was already missing Farrah's presence. It amused and astounded him at the same time how he felt so much for her in such a short time. Whatever this connection was between them, Richard was not going to give up on it. No, regardless of what Farrah said or did, there was something there and he'll be damned if he let it slip through his fingers. I'll fight for this, tooth and nail if I have to – even if it means fighting with Farrah, Richard thought steeling his resolve as he continued gazing out the window.