by Leah Leonard
“Where did you learn to speak French?”
“I went overseas in high school once. Took a crash course, that’s all. I really don’t speak it well or often.”
“Sounds pretty darned good to me.”
“Thanks. Want some more tea?”
Cindy nodded as the woman poured more into both their cups.
“I would like to propose a toast.”
Cindy lifted her mug to his. “A tea toast?”
“Yes, a tea toast to the best first date I’ve had on any continent.”
“Well I’ll toast to the best first date I’ve had out of the country, then.”
The warmth of the tea traveled through her arm and into her heart. It certainly was a romantic setting and Erick had obviously gone out of his way to make it a special day for her.
“Thank you for bringing me here, Erick. It really is the adventure of a lifetime for me.”
“You are most welcome. I’m having a great time with you.”
The driver came into the room to get Erick’s attention.
“Oh, it’s time for us to go on to our next stop.”
“Next stop? You mean there’s more?”
“For you? Of course there’s more!”
Back in the car, they drove a few miles toward town and parked in a remote area by a fenced-in pen of camels.
Cindy’s eyes widened. “Is this what I think it is?”
Erick only smiled at her as he helped her from the car and they were greeted by a smiling man in a long robe who spoke to Erick in French.
“I can’t bring you to such an exotic place if we don’t get to ride a camel together, now can I?”
Excitement filled Cindy and she jumped up and down like a child on her birthday. “Are you serious? I’ve always wanted to ride a camel.”
“Well, here’s your chance!”
The camel herder assessed their height and weight and selected one of the gentler camels for them to ride. The man said something to Erick in a stern tone and Erick nodded in agreement.
“What is he saying?”
“He wants to remind us that these camels are pretty friendly for the most part, but it is important not to put your hands near their mouths. They can bite, and they will also spit at you if they get angry.”
“Well I’ve been known to spit at you when I’m angry, and you’ve survived that so I think we should get along just fine.”
“Very funny, Ms. Camel Whisperer. Just keep it in mind, that’s all. It should be okay, it’s just that he has to tell us that. They’re still wild animals.”
“They don’t look wild to me. No wilder than the one in the grey shirt I’m with today.”
“Grr.” Erick leaned in and nibbled her neck as the man brought a stool over to them. Cindy stepped into a rug-lined box atop the camels’ back and Erick stepped up to join her.
“Hey! Wait a minute! You can’t ride in here too, can you? We might hurt him.”
Erick laughed and Cindy felt herself get angry at his teasing.
“Dear, haven’t you heard the old expression break a camel’s back? We don’t weigh that much!”
“Yes, I have, and that’s why I don’t want to hurt him!”
Erick laughed so hard he had to climb down. He bent over, holding his knees to support himself.
“Hey, you! What’s so funny?”
“You are!”
“Why?”
“Cindy…camels are some of the strongest animals on earth. We will not hurt him, I promise.”
His laughter obviously annoyed their camel, who turned his head and spit all over Erick’s new shirt. This sent Cindy into immediate hysterics as she watched Erick try to wipe himself off with a nearby rag.
“Hey, what are you laughing at? That was disgusting.”
“Seems somebody found your little jokes to be even more annoying than I did.”
“Very funny, miss. You’ll get yours sometime, I’ll bet on it.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, get up here then and let’s get going. And Erick?”
“Yes?”
“Try not to anger our camel, okay? He’s sensitive and has a tender back.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
He was still laughing as he climbed up and slid in behind her, wrapping his arms neatly around her body and giving her a squeeze as he whispered in her ear.
“You feel great.”
“Uh huh. Now I see why you wanted to ride the camel. You had this planned out all along, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.”
The musky scent of Erick’s cologne filled Cindy’s nostrils as they began their ride into the hills. The feel of his warm body pressed against her made it difficult to concentrate on the scenery.
After about an hour of riding into what seemed like the middle of nowhere, they crossed a small, paved two-lane road. A sign posted there said Casablanca; an arrow pointed in the opposite direction.
“Look! Casablanca! Is that near here?”
“It’s a ways from here, but yes, that is the road to Casablanca, or at least one of them.”
Casablanca. Cindy recalled the romantic film with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman and thought about how romantic it all was to her. This was the vacation of a lifetime, and then some.
Chapter Sixteen
Erick stared at his face in the mirror as he drew the razor down his cheek.
“Ouch!”
He’d been distracted by his thoughts of Cindy and the camel ride they shared only a few hours ago.
Rrrrriiiinnnnnggggg…
“Erick Redmund.”
“Mr. Redmund, the car is waiting out front sir.”
“Thank you; I’ll be right down.”
Erick dialed Cindy’s number, but got no answer.
She must be getting ready.
He quickly got into his suit and tie, and grabbed the small bouquet of red roses he’d ordered for her before leaving the room. A few seconds later, he knocked on Cindy’s door.
“Coming!” he heard her say.
He heard the sounds of scurrying around, followed by click of her heels as she approached the door. When she opened it, the sight of her took his breath away.
“My God, woman! You look amazing tonight!”
“Thank you; so do you!” Cindy smiled and wrapped her arms around him.
Erick inhaled the faint scent of lilac coming from her hair and couldn’t help running a hand down her bare back and over the black satin of her gown before caressing her neck with his lips.
“We have a special dinner tonight,” he murmured, lowering his hand.
Cindy gently but firmly grasped his wrist and slid his hand up to a higher spot and laughed. “Aren’t they all special when I’m with you?”
“Absolutely, but this one is off-premises in what is supposed to be one of the best views of the city and mountain range.”
“That sounds absolutely wonderful.”
Cindy covered her bare arms with a wrap and took Erick’s arm. They went downstairs to the lobby and were immediately greeted by the driver.
“Mr. and Mrs. Redmund. Allow me.”
They drove quickly up a long, narrow winding road, into a part of town neither had yet to see. They soon arrived at a terraced restaurant built into the side of a hill.
They sat together on the patio sipping wine, watching the sun disappear below the horizon.
“This is so beautiful.”
“You’re so beautiful, Cindy.”
Erick took her hand in his and they silently watched the desert come alive with the golden orange glow of the sun.
Erick thought about Cindy, about how nice she was, how beautiful she turned out to be and how much his father and even the Board would approve of her. It was too soon to talk to her about all of that now, but he hoped he would see her again after this and perhaps share a relationship with her.
“More wine, sir?”
Erick turned to Cindy, gesturing for her t
o make the decision.
“I don’t care either way. Maybe we’ve had enough after last night…”
“Are you sure? I’m happy to get you whatever you want.”
“I think I’m okay, but you can have some.”
“Oh, come on. One glass?”
“Okay, just one though.”
“Just leave the bottle here.”
The waiter poured generous glasses for both of them and Erick stared into Cindy’s eyes and lifted to his glass.
“To my wife.”
The moment he said it, he wished he hadn’t when he saw Cindy look away for a moment before clinking her glass against his.
Cindy took a small sip of her drink. “To a wonderful vacation.”
Over Cindy’s shoulder, Erick was surprised to see the Jibades coming up behind her. Cindy, who was puzzled by the fact he forgot to take a sip of his drink, turned to see what he was looking at.
Moments later, Mr. and Mrs. Jibade stood over the table.
“Good evening, Redmunds. How pleasant to see you both.”
Erick liked the man, but wondered how he could possibly have found them in such a remote place. All he wanted was one night to himself with Cindy.
“Oh….Mr. Jibade, Mrs. Jibade, what a surprise! how are you?”
“Fine.”
Jibade seemed to have a disapproving look in his eyes, which bothered Erick more than he wanted to admit. For some reason, Jibade made him feel uneasy and self-conscious, and Erick wanted nothing more than to please him.
Jibade continued to stare, not at him but at the wine he was so nonchalantly serving his “pregnant” wife. Erick, cottoning on, felt compelled to say something.
“Oh…uh, the wine. I, umm, recently read a new article in the States that said a small amount of wine may be good for pregnant women.”
“See you at the meeting tomorrow, Mr. Redmund.”
Erick couldn’t help but smile as he looked over at Cindy, whose face was twisted in an angry, but cute, look.
“What was all of that? I told you I shouldn’t be drinking. Now they think we’re irresponsible.”
Erick took her hands in his and kissed them both.
She is so cute when she’s mad.
“You’re right, darling; sorry about that. Here, let me finish that off for you.”
Erick picked up her glass and downed it in a single sip as the waiter approached and spoke to him in French while Cindy listened.
“What did you say?”
“You like chocolate, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course; who doesn’t? But don’t think a little hot fudge is going to get you out of the hot water you’re in with me right now, Erick. You need to find a way to be more responsible with these people.”
“More responsible with my lies, you mean?”
Cindy laughed and he knew he was out of the doghouse.
“Yes, with your lies, silly. Now, what did you tell the waiter to bring us?”
“I told him to get us the biggest, most outrageous piece of chocolate something he could find…with two spoons. They also have articles in the States that say chocolate is good for people when accompanied by red wine, you know.”
“Now that’s a study I’ve actually heard of.”
Cindy smiled and clapped her hands as the waiter brought out a huge piece of chocolate cream cake with hot fudge dripping down from all sides.
Erick pulled out his spoon and fed her the first bite while the staff lit the candles on their table. Cindy’s borrowed diamond rings sparkled in the candlelight.
“This is wonderful, thank you.”
“Thank you.”
Cindy yawned.
“Oh, am I keeping you up?”
“Very funny. Just catching up from the trip over still, I guess.”
“We can make it an early night, then.”
Erick took Cindy’s hand and held it as he opened the door for her with his free hand. Their eyes met for a moment, and he leaned over to give her a gentle kiss.
“I’m having a great time.”
“Me too.”
Back at the hotel, they walked back to their rooms. At Cindy’s door, Erick stood staring at her. Cindy backed up and gave him a quizzical look.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“You…aren’t going to try to come in?”
“No, not tonight.”
Cindy looked surprised, which is exactly how Erick hoped she’d look. If he could hang in for another day, she would be eating out his hands; he was certain of that.
Chapter Seventeen
The next day anticipation was hung heavy in the air. The film festival was about to begin, and Cindy could hardly wait.
She met Erick for breakfast and a walk around the gardens before the events kicked off later in the afternoon.
“I have the seamstress coming to see you at eleven again. You’ll need a special gown for tonight and I want it to fit you as well as the other one did.”
Erick reached for her hand, holding it tenderly and sending a chill up Cindy’s spine. They walked slowly on a hand-laid tile path covered by a canopy of huge, leafy trees. Cindy turned and stopped to observe the incredible view.
“I can’t believe you’re doing all this for me, Erick. Thank you. I’ve never had a handmade gown before, and now I have two.”
“First, you deserve it for putting up with me, and second, it’s so easy to get tailor-made clothes around here, I thought it would be more fun for you than having things sent in off the rack.” Their eyes met and he smiled at her.
Cindy couldn’t help but wonder what made him tick, why he acted the way he did, and what kind of family he had. She felt something had hardened his heart along the way, and she hoped she could discover what it was and soften him a bit.
“What?”
“Nothing.” Cindy didn’t know where to begin regarding all the thoughts that were swirling around in her mind.
“Tell me. I want to know. Let’s sit here.” Erick gestured toward bench in the middle of the flower gardens and took both her hands in his once they sat down.
Cindy looked at the tile for a moment, then raised her eyes toward his. “I was just thinking about you, wondering about your life, your past, your family. Just wondering, that’s all.”
Erick sighed deeply and looked down at his feet. For the first time, Cindy sensed his vulnerability regarding the subject, and it touched her heart.
“I didn’t have the happiest childhood in the world, if that’s what you mean. My parents were divorced when I was nine and my dad was—still is—a womanizer. He treated my mom horribly until her death a few years ago. I guess I still feel bad. I took after him and probably didn’t treat my mom as well as she deserved while she was alive.”
Cindy’s heart went out to him. She could tell by the look on his face it was hard for him to open up and talk to her, or anyone else for that matter, about his family and she appreciated his willingness to share.
“I’m sure she knew how you felt about her.”
“I’m not sure. You never know what people are thinking, you know? I just wish I could have been there for her in the end. She was back in New York State and I was out in L.A. running with the fast crowd, never wanting to slow down for a minute to think about what was happening in my life. It was a different time and place and one I am really starting to regret, especially the more I spend time with you.”
He brushed her cheek and Cindy smiled at him, not knowing what to say.
“I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks. It all happened so long ago, and I’ve accepted it for the most part, but now….”
“What?”
“Oh, I don’t know, I don’t want to be a downer or anything on our fantasy vacation.”
“You can tell me anything.”
“My dad and I aren’t getting along right now. We’ve never had a problem before, but lately he seems to be on me about everything. I didn’t leave things with him very well last time we
saw each other.”
Cindy was amazed by his candor. It was the most open and honest communication she had shared to date with the man currently masquerading as her husband.
“This explains so much, Erick. Thank you for sharing that with me. I know it must be difficult for you, but I’m sure whatever it is, it will be fine again by the time you get home.”
Erick smiled and managed a chuckle.
“I thank you for giving a damn enough to ask. You are something special, Cindy, and I apologize if I haven’t treated you like you deserve on this trip. I’m getting a bit older now, and I’d like to think more mature, and I want to change for the better. I want to know what real love is like and how it feels to care about someone more than you care about yourself. It’s something I’ve never felt before, but with you, I feel I’m getting closer and closer to knowing that feeling each day we spend out here. So I’m the one who needs to be thanking you, Cindy Brown. I don’t know why you’ve chosen to put up with me, but I want you to know I do appreciate it, more than I can possibly tell you.”
Cindy was choked up by the sincerity of his words and the fact he actually made eye contact with her when he was saying them.
Maybe the playboy had a genuine capacity for deep feeling after all…
Cindy’s eyes filled with tears that spilled on to her cheeks, and she quickly brushed them away. “I…don’t know what to say. You’re a good man, Erick, from what I can tell.”
“Thanks. I sometimes wish I’d had a better role model growing up. I mean, my dad was a great role model when it comes to business, making money and getting all you want out of the world by squeezing it out of people. That has definitely helped me get where I am today with all my financial successes, but it’s the other aspects of life—you know, love, relationship, family—where I sometimes feel like the down and out guy under the bridge. I would do anything to have what the Jibades have. They seem so committed, so happy, so together....”
Cindy reached out and cupped his cheek with her hand and felt him relax into her touch.
“Yes, they are a wonderful couple, and you are also a wonderful person, so don’t you forget it. Your desire to have that kind of happiness will bring it to you just like you’ve managed to get all the other things you’ve wanted out of your life. I’m sure of it. Based on what I’ve seen of you so far, I believe you can have whatever you want if you just set your mind to it.”
