by Leah Leonard
“I want to do whatever you recommend. Just make me look gorgeous.”
“We will, ma’am.”
Cindy closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the shampoo and head massage. She eased into sleep as the sound of crunching tinfoil and clipping scissors sent her into a sybaritic trance.
After a few hours of soaking, rubbing and scrubbing, Cindy emerged from the spa completely renewed. Her eyes darted around the garden as she searched for Erick on the way back to her room, but he was nowhere in sight.
Cindy checked her watch. Dinner was in less than an hour! She hurried back to the suite to get dressed, and was stunned when she opened the door and saw her new gown hanging on the bathroom door.
A dozen long-stemmed red roses sat in a vase on the table, along with a note:
Looking forward to seeing your new loveliness tonight. Meet me for drinks in the lobby at 6:00 p.m.
Erick
Tears stung her eyes as she read the card. She felt like a fairy princess swept away by a handsome prince. Regardless of how things turned out, Cindy realized she would be forever grateful to Erick for this experience of a lifetime.
She stared at the locked door between their two suites and wondered if he was back yet, wanting to call him. She would not allow herself to do that. She needed to wait a bit longer for him to call.
Cindy couldn’t resist a closer look at the new emerald green gown. As she’d specified, the top was cut in a halter style, and a long slit went up the side to show off her legs. The back was bare. She hoped it looked as good on her as it did on the hanger.
Erick will be the judge of that!
Cindy squealed when she saw the full set of brand-new makeup and hair products sitting on the bathroom counter. Slipping into her robe, she began to apply it as she’d been instructed by the salon staff that afternoon.
Just then, the phone rang.
Nearly out of breath after running across the room to answer it, Cindy took one deep breath before answering. She didn’t want to sound too desperate.
“Hello?”
“Cindy? Erick.”
“Hi.”
“You ready?”
Cindy looked at the clock. “Uh, I thought we were meeting at six.”
“Yeah, I know. I just couldn’t wait to see you.”
“Give me about ten more minutes, will you?”
“Sure. I’ll knock.”
“Okay. Thanks for the roses, the chocolate and for everything.”
“You deserve it. See you in a minute.”
Cindy’s heart raced as she ran back into the bathroom to check her makeup in the mirror. It still looked pretty good, but she decided to touch it up just to be safe.
Soon she was slipping her gown on, amazed at how well it fit. She heard knocking at the door just as she was putting on her shoes.
“Just a minute!”
Cindy ran her fingers through her hair and looked at herself one last time.
Oops, I forgot my lipstick!
She quickly applied her lipstick as the knock came again. “Coming!”
Cindy took a deep breath and a quick last look, then opened the door. Erick, in a black double-breasted tux, beamed at her.
“Wow, gorgeous! You look good enough to eat!”
He walked toward her and instantly wrapped his arms around her, planting tiny kisses on her neck, her jawbone and her cheek before moving dangerously close to her lips.
“Hey! My lipstick!”
Erick ignored her and kissed her passionately on the mouth, and she forgot about any prior objections. The sensations she felt traveled from the tips of her toes to the top of her head as he talked to her between kisses.
“You…taste…so…mmm…good.”
His hands traveled the length of the gown and quickly found the slit on the side.
“Hey!”
Cindy pushed Erick back and could tell by the smirk on his face that he liked it.
“Whew, you sure are smokin’ hot tonight, lady!”
“You’re not so bad yourself, mister!”
Cindy backed far enough away so they could both calm down and Erick held her hands in his.
“I have something else for you.”
“Are you kidding? Haven’t you given me enough already?”
“Never…here.” Erick produced a square velvet box from his front pocket.
Cindy opened it and gasped at the sight of a gorgeous diamond pendant and gold-and-diamond earrings.
“Oh they’re lovely, but I couldn’t…”
“Not nearly as lovely as you, and yes, you can.” Erick put the necklace around her neck and helped her into the earrings. The touch of his fingers on the softest parts of her neck sent shivers up and down her body, causing goose bumps to form on her arms. When he was finished, he reached for her shoulders and spun her around so she could see herself in the floor-length mirror.
“Well, what do you think?”
“I love it. Thank you.”
“I love it too. You know, we’re actually starting to look like a couple, aren’t we?”
“Yes, we are.”
“Oh…there’s one more thing. Turn around.”
Cindy spun around, anticipating another kiss, and was shocked to see Erick pull another box from the breast pocket of his jacket.
“You’ll definitely need this.”
Erick held the tiny black velvet box for a moment and opened it to reveal a large diamond solitaire ring and a thick diamond band. He reached for her left hand and slipped both of the rings easily on the ring finger of her left hand. Like everything else he bought her, they fit perfectly.
“What’s this?”
“Your wedding ring, darling. How are you supposed to be running around here as my wife if you don’t even have a ring?”
Tears began to fall from Cindy’s eyes as she stared at the set
“It’s beautiful.”
“Oh,good; I thought it was so horrible it brought you to tears.”
“No; it’s just that I’ve only worn one other ring in my life, but that didn’t last.”
Erick encircled her in a warm embrace. “You look beautiful tonight.”
She dabbed at her eyes and smiled. “Thank you…for everything.”
Erick seemed to be losing focus again. This time, he was staring at her legs. “Let me see those shoes.”
“Ah ha! I thought you were trying to put your hand up my dress again.”
“Nope. Just saw those shoes and I wanted to take a closer look.”
Cindy pulled back the silk to reveal handmade beaded heels.
“What do you think?”
Erick bent down and began nibbling at her thighs.
“Delicious!”
“Hey, you! Knock that off! We’re going to be late!”
He silenced her with a powerful kiss and she gladly wrapped her arms around him, wishing the fantasy they were creating was real. Knowing it never could be left a sad feeling in her heart.
I am here to have an adventure, nothing more! I can’t fall for this guy!
Chapter Thirteen
Impressed at how well Erick acted the part of perfect gentleman as he held her hand, Cindy couldn’t help but smile as they shared a glass of wine and watched as the sun dipped below the horizon.
“This is absolutely beautiful, Erick.”
“Yes, you are.”
The growl of her stomach broke the spell of the moment and they both burst out laughing.
“Sorry about that!”
“Hungry?”
“Yes, actually, I am.”
Erick looked at his watch and around the patio.
“The Jibades should be here any moment. If you want, I can go ahead and order an appetizer or something for you.”
Cindy smiled and lifted her glass.
“I can live on this for a bit longer.”
“Okay, but five more minutes and we’ll get something, okay?”
“Fair enough.”
“Having a
good time?”
Cindy nodded, but before she could give her response, she was interrupted by the approaching couple.
“Mr. and Mrs. Redmund.”
Mr. Jibade and his wife bowed, as was custom, and Cindy followed Erick’s lead by rising and bowing until they could all be seated together.
“How are you since our game this afternoon?”
“Just fine, Mr. Jibade, although I think my wife and I are getting hungry.”
“Yes, Dalila was saying the same.”
Jibade clapped his hands and instantly two servers were by their side. He spoke to them in the local tongue and in less than a minute, a large platter of traditional fare was in front of them.
“Enjoy.”
“Thank you.”
Cindy wanted to reach in, grab a potato and inhale it, but she held her breath and waited until Erick could serve her.
“How are you enjoying Morocco, Mrs. Redmund?”
Cindy could hardly stand being called Mrs. Redmund. It wouldn’t be half bad if that were true, but the game was getting more than ridiculous by the minute.
“I am enjoying it very much, although I’m sure I’ll sleep well tonight. I look forward to seeing more of the area in the next few days.”
“Was it hard for you to get away from your home and children to be here?”
Mr. Jibade and Dalila smiled at Cindy, who tried not to choke on her potato. She was completely blindsided by the question; her lunchtime rehearsal hardly prepared her for this.
“Uh…”
Erick, unfortunately, took the liberty of filling in the blanks for her. “We’re still trying. We don’t have any children yet.” He smiled as he reached over and squeezed Cindy’s knee.
If Cindy’s mouth hadn’t been full, she would have screamed.
“Oh, I see,” Mrs. Redmund said. “So who is watching your home while Mrs. Redmund is not there?”
Cindy nearly choked at the question.
“Actually, nobody ever does that because I work. I have a job.”
Erick kicked her under the table. “She works for now, but certainly when the baby arrives, she will stay home.”
“Oh, so when is your baby due?” Mrs. Jibade assumed her husband misunderstood what was said earlier.
“I…”
“In the summer of next year. We just found out Cindy was pregnant last week.”
Cindy fought to keep her jaw from dropping to her dinner plate.
This dream was quickly turning into a nightmare. She wanted more than anything to correct Erick and tell these nice people that this guy was a complete fraud, but somehow she couldn’t do it to him.
She was just as much a part of this international nonsense as he was. It was called “guilt by association,” and Cindy knew it. That thought made her feel nearly as queasy as she had on the flight over.
Erick held Cindy’s hand and gently put his arm around her, smiling as he made his phony announcement. They certainly looked like a young couple in love, and their obvious affection towards each other did not go unnoticed by their hosts.
Dalila smiled at Cindy and, much to her dismay, began offering unsolicited motherly advice.
“You certainly seem to be so much in love. I can remember when Haji and I first met. It was exactly the same, and with your new baby on the way, it is an exciting time in your relationship.”
The hole Erick had dug for them was getting increasingly deeper, and Cindy had no idea how to get out, so decided she was better off keeping her mouth shut.
“Uh…yes, we do love each other very much.”
As she continued to perpetuate the lie, Cindy felt a flush go from her heart to her head at the words, the queasiness turning into full-blown nausea she was certain she could not hide.
Dalila looked at Cindy with concern. “Are you feeling ill? You do not look well,” she observed.
“I’ll be fine, thank you.”
The music played on, and the late night entertainment hadn’t yet started when Cindy began to yawn. At first she tried her best to stifle them, but soon she couldn’t stop, and it was happening frequently enough that Erick couldn’t help but notice it too.
“Are you tired, my love? Are you feeling okay?”
Erick certainly knew how to play it up—and right into the hands of their hosts.
“I’m okay; I’m having a wonderful time.”
“It looks like your wife is tired, sir, you better take her to bed,” Mr. Jibade said.
“You’re right, sir; I think we’d best go on, if that’s okay. I don’t want Cindy and the baby to get tired out. Thank you again for meeting us. We enjoyed it very much.”
Erick held Cindy’s hand all the way to the elevator and after the doors closed behind them.
“You can stop now. We’re alone.”
“What if I don’t want to stop? I want to hold your hand. I actually like it, if that’s okay.”
Cindy yawned and nodded. She wanted to yell, but jetlag was quickly taking over.
“I’m sorry I’m so exhausted. It’s from the jetlag and all of that mess in London, but when I wake up tomorrow I’m going to have a bone to pick with you about this baby business. You are a pathological liar, Erick! This has gone too far!”
Erick’s laugh was becoming annoying, Cindy noticed. If she weren’t about to fall over, Cindy would have slapped him for being so brazen about the entire situation. As it stood tonight, she was far too tired for any more drama.
“It’s not a big deal. It could actually work to your advantage if you don’t want to hang out and attend any of our boringly stuffy meetings. You can just tell people you’re tired and they will understand. It will also explain why you got sick on the plane, should anyone find out mention it later. I don’t think they will, but it’s a good excuse, just in case.”
Cindy yawned again. “But I thought you said this festival would be so glamorous and exciting that I wouldn’t want to miss a single minute. Were you making that up, too?”
“No, sleepyhead, of course I wasn’t. It will be a very exciting event, but not every single minute of every single day will be like a Hollywood party. There will be times when Mr. Jibade and some of our other partners will be in meetings. You’re certainly more than welcome to come, but…”
“But I’m really not invited. That’s fine; I’m too tired to care.”
“I didn’t say that. I just meant it won’t be that exciting for you. Plus I’m doing business and my negotiations are very important.”
“Erick, I get it; I’m not always invited. That’s okay. I’m a big girl, and I can certainly entertain myself. I know my purpose as your lucky charm – to be seen and not heard.”
“That’s not true…”
“That’s fine. We don’t need to keep rehashing it, okay? And about tonight; you can go on to the party without me if you want. I just need to go to bed. Baby or no baby, I am truly exhausted. I won’t be able to stay awake another five minutes, if that.”
“Okay.”
As they stood outside Cindy’s door and she turned the key in the lock, Erick peeked longingly inside.
“Do you need me to tuck you in?”
“Very funny, and no, not tonight. I wasn’t kidding when I said I’m exhausted. But thanks. I really did have a great time tonight, and at lunch today. It was uh…neat, to say the very least.”
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, many parts of the trip were turning out much better than expected, despite all the lies.
“Glad you enjoyed it.”
Erick leaned in for another of his lengthy gropes, but Cindy stopped him with a palm to the chest and quickly kissed his cheek.
“Goodnight…have fun.”
Cindy pushed him away and quickly closed the door behind her. Quickly, she slipped out of her gown and fell into bed.
Chapter Fourteen
It was nearly one in the morning when Cindy opened her eyes, sat up and looked around her room, panicking at the sight of the strange rounded archways
, inlaid tile floors and the canopy surrounding her.
Where am I?
As soon as she asked herself the question, the answer came floating to her forefront of her mind. Morocco. She’d traveled around the world to date a sexy stranger, and now here she was, unable to sleep.
She pulled back the red canopy and took a quick look at the clock, realizing she had no idea what time it was in Texas right now.
It must be about time to get up and go to work.
She turned over on her side and concentrated on sleep, but found the more she tried, the more awake she became. She rolled over to her back, with no success.
As she lay there looking at the top of the bed, she began to wonder what the big party downstairs was like, and whether Erick was still there. She could always call his room, but what if he was sleeping? She didn’t want to wake him.
Cindy pulled back the canopy and saw her gown draped across the chair where she left it.
She hopped out of bed, slipped the dresson, and went to the bathroom, where she put on her lipstick by the light of the nightlight. Then she fluffed her hair, threw on her beaded shoes and headed out the door.
She pushed the ground floor button, having no idea where the festivities would be happening and ran into a bellman in the lobby, “Excuse me, but is there a party going on someplace?”
The man spoke no English, only French. Shortly after arriving, Cindy had noticed this was the case for many native Moroccans. She was happy Erick was fluent in French, but she had no idea where he was, so that was of no help to her now.
“Parrrtteeee…”
She spoke slowly, as if slowing down her English was going to help the man understand her any better.
He must have heard the word before, though, because he nodded and smiled, pointing to a crowded corridor just beyond the lobby.
“Merci,” Cindy told him, using the only word she could still recall from high-school French.
The entrance to the dark, smoky bar was filled with men, and Cindy had to maneuver her way through them to see what was happening. There were exotic looking dancers on a stage, feathered headdresses on their heads, beautiful men and women all over the place and a few bit actors she’d seen in movies. She could place their faces, but not their names.
