The Uber had finally arrived, and the moment Nora's back was turned, Ali removed the small bottle of hand sanitiser from his pocket, and applied it liberally. The alcohol stung the ripped skin around his nail beds, but he ignored the pain as he entered the car, taking the space Nora had left for him.

The journey was somewhat quiet, and it surprised Ali that the woman beside him was able to keep her lips sealed. A glance in her direction however, quickly determined that she was considering a plan regarding the arrangement they had made. He had never seen someone perusing their mind so overtly, and each factor she considered seemed to express on her countenance. Still, despite knowing this stranger for less than seventy-two hours, Ali was quick to decide that any plan she made, was not one he would follow, and so he laid out his own thoughts, instead.

"I think we should leave tomorrow," He decided. Leena would be back to collect Billy in three days, and it would likely take a whole day to travel to get to Inverness. They needed as much time as they could get. "Early," He enforced and the red haired woman grimaced, adjusting her seatbelt so that it only bound her stomach to the seat.

"How early, is early?"

"I wake up at 5am, so shall we say 6?"

Nora audibly gulped. "Erm, well my morning usually starts at 11:30, but for you....shall we say 10am?"

"9:30am," He negotiated, and she yelled 'deal', gaining the driver's attention as she outstretched her hand. Ali didn't exactly want to have physical contact with her again, but the fire in her brown eyes suggested to him that he had no choice but to comply. He'd reapply hand-sanitiser, the moment she left, at the take-away restaurant she had requested to return to.

"I'll organise an itinerary," Ali also announced. "I am rather particular, and prefer to have things prepared in advance, I hope you don't mind?" Though he questioned her, his tone was clear and thankfully Nora received the message with a salute. She was a surprising woman, and when she offered a wave when they arrived at her stop, Ali sank back into the seat with a small sigh.

"Where we headed to?" The driver asked, and Ali revealed his home address, knowing nothing could soothe him more than a shower.

Once he was scrubbed clean, and changed into clothes that were not tainted by the outside world, Ali headed into his art studio, to start the work that had just been commissioned. It was by a local author who wanted a map created for the story he was just about to release.  Ali adored world-building, and so after preparing his canvas, he stopped in the lounge to pray, had a bite to eat, and got to work.

Nora's response to his life as an artist, was not one Ali was unfamiliar with. He knew that most regarded him as...odd, but his quirks had been a part of him, and he'd had 60 years to find a way to balance and use them to his advantage.

Art gave him the opportunity to break down the walls that he had, in a precise, controlled manner. The paint followed the lines that he determined, and it was very rare he made mistakes.
That was unless he was distracted, but when it came to penciling his sketches, all thoughts no longer existed. Or that had been the case until  Billy started to appear uninvited.

A small sigh release from his lips as he thought back to the cat he was desperate to find, and the daughter who had placed her trust in him. The guilt was quickly eating him alive, and he removed his gloves to locate the mobile in his pocket.

Leena answered on the third ring. "Hey dad," She yelled into the phone, her smile wider than he anticipated. The busy sounds of machines interfered with their connection, but he shouted back, immediately asking how she was.

"I'm doing great," She beamed, temporarily using the phone as a mirror to push back her helmet, leaving a dusty mark on the  black headscarf beneath. "Work has been incredible,"

"What project are you working on?" He moved into the lounge, ignoring the small ache in his back, gained from standing at his canvas. Ali knew well he shouldn't be standing for as long as he had, and from the sheer amount of steps he had attained according to his Fitbit, he really should be resting. The aged scar that travelled from his to knee was a daily reminder of tat, but his pain once more failed to distract his attention from the daughter he saw on the screen. Leena had also travelled, heading to a quieter space so that they no longer needed to strain their voices.

"This is the construction for Tower Bridge," She explained, flipping the phone so that he could see the mighty bridge covered in dust, and scaffolding. "We're working on the mechanism; the bridge keeps getting stuck, so we're just trying to fix it. Last week even a boat got stuck!" She exclaimed with a small giggle, passion burning in her brown eyes. The eyes Leena had inherited from her mother. It was enough to cause a lump to form I. The father's eyes and deter his gaze, taking a momentary breath before continuing.

"It sounds like a difficult job," He commented, and she nodded, with a small grin. When Leena had told him that she worked in construction, Ali couldn't quite believe that his daughter had paved her way into an openly male-dominated field. What impressed him further was that she owned her own business, and hadn't allowed societal, or cultural norms dictate what she wanted to do. She had loved building and fixing things ever since she was young, and if that was the way she wished to leave her mark on the world, than Ali had no qualms. So long as she was happy.

"We'll be working on it for the rest of the week. This construction team is incredible, and we've just secured some work on Buckingham Palace in a fortnight or so, it's going to be busy,"

"Do you think you'll be back this weekend?" The slight falter in her expression told him otherwise, and he smiled supportively, using the opportunity to tell her of his plans. "Don't worry," He assured, "I might be going on a trip," He expressed, "There is a...client in Inverness and she can't travel, so I've agreed to meet her,"

"You're travelling?" Leena asked, her eyes sparked with surprise, "Oh dad, that's so great! It's been so long since you've been anywhere, I think this will be really good for you. But wait, are you driving? Inverness is very far away, and who will look after Billy?" Her sudden attention on the matter he wished to avoid caused the lump to reform in his throat, but Ali swallowed and did his best to retain a poker face.
"I have a driver," he revealed, "and as for Billy, he'll be with me," he promised; the word 'eventually' added silently to combat the lie. And it wasn't a complete lie...it was just the omitted truth.

"Are you sure?" Leena asked, turning over her shoulder momentarily to check the work going on behind her, before expressing a frown. This would be the longest time she would have left Billy with her father, and he could overtly see her concerns. "I know Billy can be hard work, and he hates travelling, putting him in his carrier cage is hard enough,"

"Leena," ALI interrupted with a smile that his own conversation, Billy will be fine," Her father assured, mentally gratifying the opportunity God had bestowed. He had been given time. And Ali was going to need as much as possible, in order to find that darn cat.
"...I'm really sorry," Leena concluded, drawing him away from his thoughts and he shook his head, allowing a small smile to spread his lips.

"It's fine Leena," He promised, "I understand, the world of construction is a type of art, it needs to be perfected before you can move to the next piece,"

"I really appreciate it dad," she grinned, "Where is Billy anyway?" The slight turn in her expression- a raised brow and quirk of her upper lip expressed her curiosity and once more Ali successfully hid the dread he faced at communicating another lie.

"I think he's with Mrs Oldwin's cat, you know the lady who lives opposite me?"

"Oh, the one with the ginger tabby?" She asked, and he nodded, confirming the lie.

"Yeah, they've really hit it off, I'd say they're even best friends," The fib continued to spiral and Ali could feel sweat bead on his brow, as he painfully attempted to maintain his smile.

"Oh, well that's nice then...I suppose," Leena mused. "Just don't let him out of the house too much, wouldn't want him to get lost," His laugh was immediate, a sight of his nerves, and somehow his daughter was unable to read through the mask he was failing to hold. She giggled with him, and when her name was called, Ali's smile dimmed as he realised this was goodbye.

"I'll call you tomorrow okay," She promised, "Thanks dad, I owe you one, and give my love to Billy too," He nodded, returning the affection as she hung up the call, giving Ali a moment to ponder and acknowledge how disgusting he felt.

This time, Ali changed into sweatpants, before returning to his studio to complete the sketch. The artwork wouldn't be due until the following Monday, which would give him plenty of time to paint and scan the work into his computer. Still, he wanted to get the foundations completed, and so read the criteria he had been emailed, before continuing with his work.

Ali had never been much of a reader. He rarely watched television, or spent his time playing trivial games, but he loved his art, and thankfully it had become his main source of income. Still, the silence could often become drowning, and so he had learned to listen to Audiobooks as a means to remain grounded. He had just finished a series of horror stories based in the Midwest, and had moved on to thrillers. Leena had once suggested romances but even the thought was shuddering. Ali much preferred to feel as if he was on the edge of seat, and the latest story he'd found recommended on the app would apparently suits his tastes.
It was only 6pm by the time he was finished, and though he urged to complete the first paint of the map he had created, Ali knew he still had a timetable to create. After cleaning up the small room, and mopping the laminate so that the loose charcoal shards didn't stain the wood, he moved back to the lounge area, where his laptop was waiting for him.

There was a small desk that Ali kept for work, that allowed him to communicate with his commissioners,  without sitting on his sofa like a potato, and it was the perfect place for him to begin his research.

Inverness was right at the tip of Scotland and in spring, one should expect healthy bouts of rain and sunshine; which was quite typical of the year. The first thing he needed to do was locate a hotel that was close enough to Harriet Jones' address, that Nora had already texted him.

Thankfully there were plenty, and the more he searched, the more he acknowledged that the location was in fact a hot spot for tourists, and that there were plenty of things for him to do, had the circumstances been different.
It may be a location that he would return to with Leena, and he pushed the thought to the back of his mind as he located a Word document.

Inserting a table, he noted the plan, and the times, including where the pair could stop, and at what times he could pray.

Itinerary:
Key dates- 15/03/2022 to 17/03/2022
*Please note, all timings have been created with considerations of traffic and prayer times.

The itinerary was a very loose plan but now that it had been written, Ali could feel his shoulders relax in relief.  He printed the table, and the hotel reservations before tucking it into his diary that he kept on his desk, before moving to the kitchen to cook some dinner.

Ali was very used to cooking for himself, and rarely had any leftovers. Knowing that he would be away for the next few days however, forced him to face the tubs that were currently harbouring space in his fridge. There was left over kofta that he'd made, that his grandmother insisted he took home, as well as a steak dinner he'd made on Sunday night.

Choosing the red meat option, he plated the food and placed it in the microwave, before returning to his room, to pack his belongings. Ali was a simple person. Most of his clothes consisted of shirts, which varied in shades of blue, and black trousers. He preferred French seams and cotton to polyester, and knowing he'd be sat for hours at a time, encouraged him to pack clothes he considered comfortable.

He packed an additional pair of trousers, along with his blue plaid pyjamas, and an extra shirt incase an accident should occur. His toiletries took a little longer, and Ali had difficulty packing his hand sanitisers into the leak proof wash bag but eventually they all fit inside. Though Coronavirus was considered a plague of the past, Ali had learnt it was better to be safe than sorry. He had always been a clean person, but now he took extra precautions, and he was lucky to claim he had never been sick.

Still, he threw an extra bottle inside, to ease his doubts, before adding his spare toothbrush, paste, shampoo and soap. Though he knew the hotel would provide their own toiletries, once more Ali was not going to take any unnecessary risks. Moreover, the products at smaller hotels tended to be of a cheaper quality, and likely had a drying effect.
At least, with the products and clothes he packed, Ali knew he was prepared, and after adding his spare charger, tablet and it's stylus which he would need to keep him occupied at night, he returned to the kitchen to eat his dinner.

It was going to be a long night, but it was the cost of saving his daughter the panic she would likely ensue. At least Ali knew that by going out of his way, regardless of how unsettled it made him, he knew he was doing the right thing. He could only hope that Nora Torres didn't back out, and would be able to drive him there, just as she had proposed.