Breeding Dylan

Chapter 38: Disappointing Dylan

"Do I look ok? Should I have worn something nicer? Is this outfit trash?" I second-guessed myself as Tareq parked his car in front of the Zakar estate. I had khaki joggers and a blue, short-sleeved, Hawaiian print shirt.

"You are beautiful. You look very respectable and have no need to worry," Tareq pulled me in for a kiss before getting out and coming to open my door.

He wore pressed khakis with a tucked-in button-up shirt that showed off his impressive biceps and pecs. He looked so hot. After all the weird things he put me through, he still made me drool.

"What is this surprise about? I hate surprises. I feel like I'm in trouble or something." I fidgeted as we walked to the front door and he fished for his keys.

"Trouble for what? You have the paranoids. I assume by surprise they mean good surprise. I do not think they will invite us over to surprise us with a beating or punishment. My parents are not the monsters you believe," Tareq chuckled. He held my hand as we walked to the front door.

"Dylan, my boy!" Mr. Zakar opened the door as Tareq was about to put the key in.

He pulled me in for a hug that lifted me off of my feet. I relaxed into his hold and felt the anxiety leave me. This was going to be a nice surprise. These were decent people who wanted me there.

Mrs. Zakar hugged her son and then kissed both of my cheeks as they ushered us inside the home.

It was unusually quiet and the normally palatial surroundings had a haunted cavern vibe. There was a quiet sadness about this place that I never felt before moving in with the Hamads.

"You are hungry? We have dinner almost ready. I had them make simple food that will be easy for your stomach. No surprise smells or spices." Mrs. Zakar walked us through the foyer and into the first living room.

"Dylan has not had dinner. We have time to eat," Tareq told them. He hadn't had dinner either so I wondered why he framed that in terms of my needs.

"Excellent. We will eat and then show you the surprise." Mr. Zakar beamed. His tone held an unsettled urgency.

"Thank you, sir," I responded politely. 

Tareq took my hand and held it while talking to his parents in Arabic. When I wasn't the topic, I wasn't included. But I'm sure that using a foreign language just for my benefit was probably taxing and unnatural.

We moved to the dining room where four places were set at the oversized table. We took up one end of it.

"Where are the others?" I asked, sweeping my hand across the vast array of empty chairs. I hadn't seen them since I was taken away.

"There is an art show with Luca's work. We will see it tomorrow, but we wanted to spend some time with you tonight. Please, sit." Mr. Zakar pointed to the two places on the right.

Luca was Tareq's brother-in-law and would soon be mine as well. He was partnered with Tareq's oldest brother.

We settled into a dinner of roasted chicken and potatoes. Everything was very simple and mild with few spices. It was actually pretty good, even if somewhat bland. Baby Ahmed didn't like surprises showing up down there. I managed to finish the reasonable portion they served me.

"He like it. Is good to see he finish a meal without my prodding. Thank you, mother," Tareq noted.

"Wonderful!" His mother beamed proudly at us as if she'd cooked it and not the kitchen staff.

"It was very good. Thank you!" I wiped imaginary sauce from my lips with the napkin. It just felt like the right way to end a formal meal.

"We will make sure the kitchen staff makes special meals for you when you are able to return. I don't want you getting sick every time we sit down to eat. We are mindful of your needs." Mr. Zakar reached over and patted my arm.