He said I made Dubai feel like home

He arrived with a guarded smile and a carry-on full of suits. A CEO from Paris, in Dubai for just five nights. The kind of man who'd stayed in too many five-star hotels to be impressed by thread counts or skyline views.

I met him at the Four Seasons lounge as discussed, dressed in deep green silk soft, flowing, quiet like the tone he used when he asked, “Is it okay if we just talk tonight?”

We talked for hours about his grandmother’s cooking about losing people about how he hated the way hotel rooms always smelled the same like something temporary other then Dubai, UAE.

The next day, I surprised him with a vintage oud candle I knew he’d love that night, he told me I had the ability to slow down time.

We didn’t follow an itinerary. Instead, we made our own little rituals: Arabic coffee at sunrise. Handwritten notes on napkins. A long silent walk through Al Fahidi at dusk. He taught me a card game from his childhood. I showed him my favorite secret rooftop in Deira.

On the final evening, we danced barefoot in his suite. No music. Just laughter and the hum of city lights outside. Before I left, he whispered:

"I travel everywhere… but with you, Dubai felt like home."

I didn’t reply. I just smiled and held his gaze for a second longer than usual. Sometimes the most meaningful connections don’t need a label just presence, warmth, and someone who sees you.