by Kristi Gold
Six
“How much farther is it?”
Zain glanced back at Madison, who was trudging up the drive slowly. “Only thirty meters or so.”
“My metrics suck, Zain,” she said, sounding winded. “And apparently so does my stamina. But at least you were kind enough to stop for food, however rushed the meal might have been.”
He’d feared being identified in such a public place. Fortunately, they’d somehow escaped recognition. “We are almost there.”
As they rounded the bend, the three-quarter moon provided enough light to illuminate the small flat-roofed structure that had been a second home during his youth. He paused and pointed. “It is right there.”
She came to his side and squinted. “Who lives here?”
“My friend Malik. He owns the surrounding land and raises sheep.”
Madison knelt to retie her shoe. “Does he know we’re coming?”
“No, but he will be glad to see me.” Or so he hoped. Seven years had come and gone since their last contact, but they had been the best of friends though they lived on opposite sides of the social dividing line.
She straightened and secured the band in her hair. “Let’s get going, then, before my legs give out completely. If that happens, you’ll have to carry me the rest of the way.”
He saw no reason not to do that now. Without giving Madison warning, he swept her up, tossed her over his shoulder and started toward their destination.
“Put me down, you royal caveman.”
Had she not been laughing, he would have complied due to the insult. “I am not a caveman. I am a gentleman.”
“A gentleman Neanderthal.”
“I am the Neanderthal who is coming to your rescue, therefore you should refrain from complaining.”
“My hero.”
Ignoring her sarcasm, he continued until he made it up the single step and onto the small porch before he slid her down to her feet. “Are you sufficiently rested now?”
She adjusted her clothing and sighed. “I’m probably a mess.”
“You are a beautiful mess.”
She smiled. “You are a wonderful liar.”
He reached out and touched her flushed cheek. “It is unfortunate you do not realize the extent of your beauty, yet is it also refreshing. I have known too many women whose beauty is only superficial. Yours is far-reaching.”
She laid her palm on his hand. “You are determined to say all the right things tonight, aren’t you?”
He also wanted to do all the right things, avoiding any missteps along the way. That alone prevented him from kissing her now, though he desperately wanted to do that, and more. “I am only trying to give you an enjoyable evening.”
“So far, so good, expect for the marathon walk. Now, do you think you might want to knock before your friend goes to bed?”
“That is probably a good idea.” He reluctantly dropped his hand from her face and rapped on the door.
Several minutes passed before Malik answered the summons. “Yes?”
Zain removed his cap. “Do you have water for two weary travelers, sadiq?”
The initial confusion on his friend’s face quickly dissolved into recognition. “Zain, is that you?”
“Have I changed that much?”
Malik greeted him with a stern expression. “No, you have not changed. You are still the kalet who always appears unannounced.”
Sadly, he had mistakenly believed he would be welcome. “Perhaps I should return another time.”
“I prefer not to wait another seven years before I can beat you at a game of Tarneeb.” He opened the door wide and grinned. “Marhaban, sadiq.”
The warm greeting lifted Zain’s spirits and concerns. He entered the house and accepted his friend’s brief embrace before he remembered Madison was still waiting outside.
He turned and gestured her forward. “Malik, this is Madison Foster. Madison, Malik El-Amin.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Malik,” Madison said as she offered her hand to Malik to shake.
“Come and sit.” Malik gestured toward the familiar low corner sofa covered in heavy blue fabric.
Before they could comply, a dark-haired child bolted into the room and immediately hid behind Malik. She smiled up at Zain as she twirled a long braid and rocked back and forth on her heels.
“Who have we here?” Zain asked.
“This is Lailah,” Malik said as he nudged her forward. “She is six and our oldest.”
“She’s beautiful,” Madison said from behind Zain.
Malik smiled with pride as he swept Lailah into his arms. “She fortunately resembles her mother, as do the rest of our daughters.”
When a sudden, bittersweet memory filtered into Zain’s mind, he pushed it aside. Yet he couldn’t quite dismiss the regrets over losing touch with his friend. “How many children do you have?”
“Three more,” Malik said as he set Lailah on her feet, prompting her to exit as quickly as she’d come into the room. “Badia is five and Jada is four. Ma’ali is our youngest. She arrived three months ago.”
Zain patted his back. “Congratulations. It appears Mabrứuk has been good to you.”
Malik frowned. “Perhaps too good.”
He looked around for signs of his friend’s wife. “Is Helene so exhausted she has already retired for the evening?”
“She is putting the baby to bed.”
“Unfortunately, I have not been successful in that endeavor.”
Zain turned his attention to the former Helene Christos, who breezed into the room, her thick brown hair flowing over her shoulders, a swaddled infant nestled in the crook of her arm. He immediately went to her and kissed both her cheeks. “You have not changed since the day you wed Malik.” A somewhat controversial wedding between an Arabic farmer and a Greek-American restaurant owner’s daughter. Clearly they had survived that controversy.
She frowned. “And you are forever the royal charmer, Zain Mehdi. But then I suppose I should be calling you King now. Forgive me for not bowing. I have my hands full.”
He decided not to point out he was not the official king yet. “Clearly Malik has his hands full as well, since you have given him four daughters. I suppose he deserves that much.”
She patted his cheek. “As do you. I wish for you many daughters and much grief protecting them from rogues like you and Malik.”
“I’ll second that,” Madison added.
Zain felt bad for not including Madison in the conversation. Without thought, he took her hand, pulled her forward and kept his palm against the small of her back. “This is Madison Foster.”
Helene eyed her for a few moments before she handed the sleeping infant over to her husband. “Are you a souvenir Zain brought from Los Angeles?”
Madison shook her head. “Not hardly. I’m currently serving as a consultant during his transition from prince to king.”
“Helene’s family owns the restaurant where we dined tonight,” Zain added.
“The tapas were wonderful,” Madison said. “I haven’t found anything remotely as good in the D.C. area.”
Helene’s expression brightened. “You’re from D.C.? My family is originally from Baltimore, although I haven’t lived there since my father saw an opportunity and opened his restaurant here fifteen years ago.” She reclaimed the baby from Malik before gesturing toward the sofa. “Have a seat and tell me what’s the latest in spring fashion in America.”
When the women settled onto the sofa to converse, Malik nodded to his right. “Let us escape before we are asked our opinions on footwear.”
Zain followed Malik into the modest kitchen that had been fitted with modern appliances. “I see you have made some improvements.”
Malik leaned back against the counter and folded his arms. “After my mother passed four years ago, I felt the need to make Helene feel more welcome in our home.”
“I was not aware of your loss.” A loss to which Zain could relate. “My sympath
ies. She was a good woman.”
“She was a hard-working woman. She was forced to be the sole support following my father’s death. I do not wish Helene to endure such hardship if I can prevent it.”
Yet Malik had turned down Zain’s loan offer several years ago. “Is the farming going well?”
“It has been for the last few years. After I married Helene, we were shunned by a few traditionalists but fortunately accepted by those who have blended, multicultural families. Those people kept us afloat until we finally gained acceptance.”
He felt a measure of guilt that he hadn’t been around to offer moral support. “I am sorry it’s been so difficult for the two of you, Malik. My wish is for your continued success and a prosperous future for your family.”
“You can assist us with that, Zain.”
Finally, the man would let go of his pride and accept help. “How much money do you need?”
“I am not speaking of money,” Malik said. “The local madrasa is in great need of funds for supplies and books. We cannot afford a private school and we want our daughters to have the best education.”
Only one more change he would need to make among many. “Consider it done. I will add that to the budget now under consideration.” And hoped he would not face another battle with the council.
“I appreciate whatever you can do.” Malik inclined his head and sent him a curious look. “What is your true relationship with this Madison Foster?”
That happened to be one question he wasn’t prepared to answer, perhaps because he was still uncertain. “As we previously explained, she is a contracted employee.”
“Is serving as your lover one of the requirements?”
The question took Zain aback. “She is not my lover.”
“Yet that is precisely what you are wishing for, sadiq.”
“I did not say that.” He sounded too defensive to support a denial.
Zain was certain Malik saw through his guise after his friend laid a hand on his shoulder. “When you escaped the palace to play with the local boys in the village streets on the day we met, I recognized you were destined for greatness. And when you became the chosen successor to the throne, I knew that would come to pass. Are you willing to give up your destiny for a woman who would not be deemed suitable?”
Zain tamped down his anger for the sake of friendship. “Are those not the words of a hypocrite, Malik? You did not let suitability sway you when you chose Helene.”
“Yet I am not the king with an entire country following my every move.”
He reluctantly acknowledged his friend had a point. “The people of this country should not be allowed to dictate my personal life or who I choose to be with.”
Malik narrowed his eyes. “It is apparent this woman means more to you than another conquest to add to all the others.”
He felt the need to be truthful. “I am not certain what she means to me. I do know she seems to understand me in ways no one has before. When she’s not in my presence, she is constantly in my thoughts. When I am with her, I dread the moment she has to leave me. Have you felt as if you had known someone your entire life, yet you’ve only known them for a few days?”
“Yes. Helene. And you, sadiq, are in the throes of love.”
He had to believe that his current state was only the result of unrequited lust. “I cannot afford those emotions, Malik. I do know I can only consider the time we have now before she returns to America.”
“And when will that be?”
“Following the coronation.” The time had come to pose a request, one his friend could adamantly refuse. “Do you have a vehicle I could borrow for the evening? I will see that it is returned to you tomorrow morning.”
“You did not arrive in an official car?” Malik asked.
“We walked into the village so that Madison could see the sights. Tonight I desire to be only a man with no responsibility other than being with a remarkable woman.”
His friend scowled. “Yet you are a king with no car and obviously no guards.”
“I do not need guards where I have been, or where I am going.”
“Where would that be?”
“I wish to show Madison the lake.”
Malik gave him a good-natured grin. “You wish to show her more than that, I fear. Perhaps you need protection not from guards, but from the powers of Mabrứuk.”
“I only need a vehicle.” In terms of lovemaking, the protection issue would warrant discussion only if the situation arose once he had Madison alone. “Will you accommodate me, or will I need to go door-to-door to make the request?”
Malik walked to the back entrance, took a key hanging from the hook on the wall and returned to offer it to Zain. “This is to my truck. It is old and it has no rear seating, but it runs and it does have fuel, as well as two blankets for your comfort. Please return it in the same condition.”
Zain pocketed the keys. “I am eternally in your debt.”
“You may repay me by proceeding with caution. But then you have always been the master of escape, which leads me to believe you have a plan.”
He planned only to leave as soon as possible before he had to endure more of his friend’s counsel. “If you are finished with the advice, we need to be going before the night is over.”
“I only have a few more words to say.” When Zain opened his mouth to protest, Malik held up a hand to silence him and continued. “I understand your need to hurry, but I urge you to think before you head down the path of no return. And after some consideration, you may keep the blankets as a memento.”
They shared in a hearty laugh as they returned to the living area to find the women still engaged in conversation. Zain was surprised to see Madison holding the baby against her shoulder and rocking slowly, back and forth.
She seemed very natural with the child, yet he saw a hint of sadness in her eyes when she glanced at him, and perhaps longing. That telling sign led Zain to believe she had not been honest when she’d firmly stated she had no interest in having a family. Perhaps she had not found the right man to father her children. He could be that man.
The thought came to him clear and concise, rendering him mentally off balance. He could not wish for the unattainable. He would not subject her to years of regret by wanting more from her than he could give her. But he could give her this night. A night she would not soon forget.
*
“Are you sure this thing is going to make it?” When Madison failed to receive a response from Zain, who had his eyes trained on the treacherous road, she gave up trying to talk to him. Between the vehicle’s squeaks and groans, and the whistling wind, which had picked up steam, conversation was out of the question.
She’d climbed into the monstrosity on the assumption they were returning to the palace. She soon realized she’d been wrong when they headed away from the village and started toward the massive mountain.
Madison gripped the top of the windowless door as Zain guided the truck on a downward trek through a narrow passage comprised of boulders on both sides. She decided in this case ignorance was truly bliss and closed her eyes. She stayed that way until they came to a teeth-jarring stop.
The moon and the headlights provided enough illumination for her to view the shimmering lake spread out before them. Zain rounded the car, opened the passenger door, held out his hand and helped her climb down.
“So this is it?” she said as soon as she had her feet on solid ground. “I just wish I could see it better.”
“I promised to bring you here before your departure, and with the upcoming chaos, I felt tonight would be the best time.”
She didn’t want to think about leaving Bajul, about leaving him, so she wouldn’t. “I’m glad we survived the drive so I could see it.” Or see as much as she could.
She did spot a path leading to the shore, and immediately saw relief for her aching feet. Without another word, she took off toward the lake and, after arriving on the sandy beach, toed out of her sneakers
and socks and rolled up her jeans. The minute her toes hit the cool water, she sighed at the sensations. A soothing balm for her sore soles.
“Take care of the piranha.”
Madison spun around and did a little dance out of the water. When she heard the sound of Zain’s laughter echoing over the area, she glanced up to see him standing above her. She considered sending him a dirty look but doubted he could see it, so she chose to give him a verbal lashing. “That was not funny at all, Zain Mehdi. It’s bad enough that you took me on a dangerous joyride to get here, and now you’re trying to scare me with killer fish.”
He slipped his hands in his pockets. “My apologies for frightening you.”
She snatched up her shoes and started toward him. “I take it there are no flesh-eating fish?”
“There are fish, but they do not crave flesh.”
“Good to know, after the fact,” she said when she reached him. “What now? Midnight scuba diving? Underwater basket-weaving?”
“Whatever you wish to do.”
What Madison wanted to do and what she should do were two different animals. She stared up at the mist that had formed over the looming mountain, and the clouds gathering in the distance. “Since it looks like it’s about to rain, we should probably head back to the palace.”
“Are you afraid of rain?”
She turned her attention to Zain, specifically his eyes, which seemed darker than midnight. “I’m afraid of what might happen if we stay.”
“You fear we’ll make love.”
“Yes, I do. I told myself I wouldn’t be alone with you where anything was possible. And here we are.”
He moved a little closer. “And I have told you I have certain conditions before that will happen.”
“You want me to say I trust you.” And if she didn’t, that would be the end of it.
“Do you trust that I would never hurt you?”
Not physically, but he could hurt her in so many other ways. “I know that.”
“Do you trust that what has been said about my relationships with women is not the truth?”
“Do I think your sexual exploits are overblown? Probably.” Though she wasn’t sure how exaggerated they might have been.
