Flight to Romance

by Tracy Sinclair

  After the experiences she had been through, going up in the elevator was like going home, and as she walked down the corridor, Jennifer was enveloped by a blessed feeling of safety. It didn't last long.

  Habeeb was standing like a guard outside Kalim's suite, and at first sight of her he disappeared inside. In a matter of moments Kalim erupted out of the room and confronted her so furiously that she took an involuntary step backward.

  "Where have you been?" he demanded, seizing her arms and pinning them to her sides. She looked at him in surprise and opened her mouth, but before she could answer he shouted, "Do you know what time it is? Where were you?"

  His fingers tightened cruelly, almost cutting off her circulation, and she winced. "You're hurting me."

  Instead of releasing her, he increased the pressure until she almost cried out. His face darkened with rage as he said, "I ought to do more than that, you little idiot!"

  At first, Jennifer had felt slightly guilty when she realized how long she had been gone. The premise of this trip was that she was here to do a job. Kalim was her boss, and even though the conference hadn't started yet, if there was any work to be done, she ought to be available to do it. But this treatment was completely uncalled for and her anger rose to meet his.

  "I'm not accountable to you," she stormed. "I can go wherever I please!"

  His punishing grip increased, threatening to leave bruises that would last for days, and his eyes were glacial slits as he hissed at her, "Where have you been?"

  "I don't have to tell you," she said, defying him.

  His hands fastened on her shoulders and he shook her so hard that her long silky hair tumbled over her face. "You will tell me—now!"

  "I went to the Egyptian Museum," she muttered, frightened in spite of herself.

  "That could not occupy you until this hour."

  "Well, then I… I went to a movie." She couldn't quite meet his, eyes, knowing that he was aware of her reason for postponing their meeting as long as possible.

  "You went to a movie." The words were flat with disbelief. "And all this time I have been…"Breaking off, his eyebrows drew together in a scowl that formed two black lines. For a moment Jennifer was afraid that he was going to shake her again, but he controlled himself with an effort. "Do you know what could have happened to you on the streets of Cairo at night? Among other things, you could have been murdered for that silly little bauble you have around your neck."

  Jennifer's fingers closed involuntarily around the jade pendant he had bought her in San Francisco and a stab of pain went through her. It was one of her cherished possessions, but to hear him describe it as a silly little bauble underscored his opinion of it—and her.

  "Aren't you overstating things a bit?" she asked stiffly, unwilling to let him know how much it hurt.

  The brunt of his anger seemed to have dissipated and he gathered her long hair in both hands and used it to pull her head back so she had to look up at him. "What am I going to do with you, Jennifer?" he groaned. "Don't you know the danger you were in tonight?"

  His palms cupped her face and almost absentmindedly he rubbed his thumbs gently back and forth across her jaw. Jennifer tried to ignore the warmth that stole through her and hung on desperately to her anger. Who did he think he was to shout at her like that and then caress her in that casual way and think that made everything all right?

  Pulling away, she faced him coldly. "What I do doesn't concern you."

  His face darkened and his mouth became a grim line. "That is a mistake on your part that I do not wish repeated. As long as you are in this country, you are subject to my rules. I will now spell them out for you. You will never"—he looked at her piercingly—"do you understand, never, go out unescorted after dark. At all other times you will inform me of your whereabouts. I do not wish to waste my time worrying about you or looking for you—is that clear?"

  Jennifer's lips parted mutinously, but her long lashes fell before the adamant determination in his dark eyes. After surveying her downcast face for a moment, he smiled mirthlessly. "Good. I think we now understand each other. You will go to your room and stay there until I summon you."

  By the time she looked up Kalim had disappeared into his suite, leaving her standing there like a small child who has been severely chastised. Feeling as though she had just been through a hurricane, Jennifer walked slowly down the corridor to her room.

  A warm bath refreshed her tired body, but nothing could soothe her wounded feelings. The nerve of that insolent man! Who did he think he was to talk to her like that? If he had given her the slightest opening she would have told him exactly what he could do with his rules. But remembering the fury that had transfixed his handsome face, Jennifer had to acknowledge that she wouldn't have had the courage to do it.

  After drying herself and putting on a robe, she realized that she was starving. The light lunch, only half eaten, was scarcely a memory now. Was part of her punishment being sent to bed without dinner? No, Kalim wouldn't do a childish thing like that, but he cared so little about her that he might not even think about it. Did she dare go down to the coffee shop in spite of his warning to stay in the room? A knock at the door solved her dilemma.

  Jennifer was dressed in the same robe she had worn the night before and everything was so reminiscent of that harrowing experience that her whole body tensed in alarm. If Kalim thought he was going to do an instant replay, he was very much mistaken. This time she wouldn't even open the door.

  "Who is it?" she called sharply.

  To her relief, a foreign voice answered, "Room Service."

  She opened the door to a smiling black-coated waiter, who wheeled in a table filled with silver-lidded dishes that gave forth delicious aromas. After positioning a straight-backed chair, he waited attentively to seat her and then bowed out of the room.

  Rapidly removing the covers, Jennifer inspected a veritable feast and then began to eat with an appetite that did it justice. Pouring herself a second cup of coffee, her thoughts turned to Kalim. What a strange man he was. After reading her out like a marine top sergeant, he turned around and did a thoughtful thing like ordering her a magnificent dinner. Or did he order it himself? Most likely he just called downstairs and said, "Send something up to Miss Fairchild." Or had someone else do it.

  It would be foolish to start ascribing any noble motives to him. Kalim was hard as nails. There wasn't a single chink in his armor, and if she started being grateful or trusting him even a little bit, it would be only strengthening his already powerful advantage.

  Wandering over to the broad window, she curled up on the window seat and tucked her bare feet under her. Cairo was spread out like an animated canvas—a wicked, exciting, romantic city that was forbidden to her. In the distance she could see the enigmatic Sphinx and the wondrous Pyramids looming disproportionately large like statues in a primitive painting. The bright light that bathed them underlined their star billing in a city filled with major attractions.

  Jennifer heaved a deep sigh. Was this as close as she would ever get to them? Had she come halfway around the world to view Egypt's mysteries through a pane of glass?

  Chapter Five

  Breakfast was delivered the next morning by a different waiter, this one in a white jacket, and Jennifer began to wonder bitterly if she were under house arrest.

  After listlessly lifting the covers, she rejected the appetizing-looking dishes and settled for a piece of melon and some coffee. She was moodily pouring herself a second cup when there was a light tap at the door. Probably the waiter coming to collect the dishes. Carrying her cup with her, she went to tell him he could remove everything else. But it wasn't the waiter—it was Kalim.

  Smiling at her surprised face, he walked in without waiting for an invitation. He was dressed casually in pale gray slacks and a matching silk shirt unbuttoned at the neck and Jennifer couldn't help staring at the strong column of his tanned throat.

  Strolling over to the table, he viewed the untouched food
with a frown. "Why didn't you eat your breakfast?"

  "I had melon and coffee."

  "That is not enough." Eyeing her slender figure, he said, "You are too thin."

  Probably by his standards she was. Thinking of the voluptuous Ayesha, Jennifer was annoyed at the unfavorable comparison. "Just chalk it up to one more way in which I fail to please you," she snapped.

  With half-closed lids he surveyed her indolently. "Oh, I don't know. There are certain ways in which you please me very much."

  Jennifer felt her face turn scarlet. "I wasn't talking about that!"

  "It bothers you to talk about that, doesn't it?" he asked, mimicking her emphasis on the word.

  His eyes were brimming with merriment and Jennifer was coldly furious. Why did it always turn out like this? He had a positive knack for putting her on the defensive, making her feel naive and unsophisticated.

  While she was scrambling wildly in her mind for some suitably cutting remark, he threw back his head and laughed, white teeth gleaming against the deep tan of his face. "As I told you once before, you are a delight to tease, little one. But for today we shall call a truce because I have come to take you sight-seeing."

  This abrupt change of mood from last night was startling and she looked at him warily. "Where are we going?"

  "Anywhere you like. What do you wish to see?"

  Jennifer hesitated for a moment, wanting to act disdainful, but the prospect he held out was just too enticing. The opportunity of seeing Cairo was irresistible.

  "Oh, Kalim, do you really mean it?"

  "Certainly. But we need not bother with the Egyptian Museum, since you have already seen that… thoroughly."

  His mouth curved wryly, and for all his urbanity this morning, she knew he hadn't forgotten about last night. A certain hard purpose about him warned her not to repeat the performance, but she was too happy right now to care.

  "Could we go to see the Sphinx and the Pyramids?"

  "Of course. What would a trip to Egypt be without that? Dress in something cool and I will be back in one half hour."

  The minute the door closed after him, Jennifer started scrambling into her clothes. Choosing a pale blue sleeveless linen dress with a white lace collar and a full skirt, she looked regretfully at a pair of spike-heeled white sandals and chose a low-heeled pair instead. This was no time for vanity. She was off on the sight-seeing trip of a lifetime and meant to make the most of it. Just as she was running a comb through her hair, Kalim arrived, and grabbing up her purse, she hurried to join him.

  "Very nice," he said, surveying her approvingly. Draping a casual arm around her, he guided her out the door. She barely came up to his shoulder and, glancing down, he smiled. "I keep forgetting how tiny you are. 'Little one' is indeed the correct name for you."

  She looked up from the circle of his hard, muscular arm and her cheek brushed his shoulder. Suddenly the casual embrace didn't seem as casual and she colored and moved away. There was a mocking gleam in his eye but he made no effort to detain her.

  A car was waiting for them, and as it pulled away from the hotel Jennifer surveyed the sparkling Nile with increased wonder.

  "It's beautiful but nothing like I imagined," she commented. "I never expected to see it meandering so peacefully past the city like this. Whenever I hear the name it always conjures up pictures of a wild river racing through vast steaming jungles with great big crocodiles slithering along the banks."

  "Your visions are partially correct. The Nile comes to us from distant equatorial Africa where the waters do rush savagely and there are indeed crocodiles, crafty devils that often disguise themselves as logs in the river to await their unsuspecting prey."

  It seemed impossible that this sun-kissed water, so placid between its tree-lined banks, could change character so drastically and Jennifer stared in fascination. The excitement of Cairo soon claimed her attention though as the car snaked in and out of narrow streets, some scarcely more than alleys.

  "Is this the way to the Pyramids?"

  He smiled at her absorbed face. She could hardly tear her eyes away from the window to ask the question. "I thought we would go to the Bazaar Khan el-Khalili first. I think you will enjoy seeing it. Shoppers have flocked there since the fourteenth century. There are still many wondrous things to be found but also many fakes made especially for the tourists." He shrugged. "I do not suppose it matters. They haggle, the shopkeeper makes a great show of anguish, the price is reduced, and everyone is happy. Bargaining is almost a national sport over here. You must do it or you cheat them of half the pleasure." He smiled at her. And then the smile faded. "But you will never come here alone."

  Even though it reminded her of his autocratic prohibitions the night before, Jennifer couldn't work up any anger. Looking at the motley throng in the crowded smelly streets, she was very happy to have Kalim beside her.

  Some of the people were obviously tourists. The omnipresent cameras slung around their necks were mute evidence along with the cumbersome over-the-shoulder flight bags. But they were outnumbered by the fellahin, the swarthy natives in their traditional galabias and skullcaps, and by the tall Nubians and the Bedouin, who bore the sharp features of the pure Arab.

  "Would you like to walk for a while and look in the shops?" Kalim asked.

  With a sense of deja vu, Jennifer remembered how they had done the same thing in San Francisco. But there the resemblance ended—this was like a different world! As soon as the car door opened, they were immediately surrounded by a group of ragged children with outstretched palms, all shouting for baksheesh. Kalim distributed a handful of coins and then dispersed them with a few words. Jennifer noticed that a couple of tourists nearby were not so lucky. They were being besieged much as she had been last night, and at the memory she slipped her hand into Kalim's, unaware of the gesture.

  His warm hand closed comfortingly over hers and he led her to a shop that displayed Egyptian pottery. Shallow uneven bowls and strange little statues with eyes deeply outlined in kohl crowded the window. To her untutored eye, they looked authentic, but reason told her that by their very profusion they were probably clever fakes mass-produced for the tourist trade. The door to the shop was curtained by long strings of colored glass beads and a slight breeze made them jangle together, adding to the cacophony around her.

  "Do you wish to go in?" Kalim asked.

  "I don't think so." She shook her head. "I just want to look."

  He nodded and they strolled down the street, Kalim holding her hand and pausing obligingly whenever her attention was captured by a window display. Pottery gave way to the goldsmith section and Jennifer admired the exquisitely wrought jewelry and artifacts but still declined when Kalim wanted to take her inside for a closer inspection.

  The exotic atmosphere was exciting, but after a while the heat and noise began to be oppressive. The odor of animal debris in the street mixed with the smell of overripe mangos, strong Arabic coffee, and the pungent aroma of spices, creating a curious mosaic for the nose. But when they passed an open-air butcher shop with an array of freshly butchered lambs on display, Jennifer turned to Kalim and said, "Could we get back in the car now?"

  There was amused tolerance in his eyes. "Yes, I think it is time. We will go to see the Great Pyramid and your spirits will be soothed by its clean lines."

  During the twenty-minute ride Kalim pointed out a few more sights along the way and Jennifer paid dutiful attention, but she was eager now to get to Giza. Although she had viewed the Sphinx and the Pyramids from a distance, the close-up view was breathtaking. In spite of the crowds, the intrusive merchants, and the swarm of dragomen offering donkey and camel rides, these mysterious relics from the past were awe-inspiring. As Jennifer stood in the shadow of the Great Pyramid of Cheops and realized that it had been conceived more than 4,600 years ago, a great wonder filled her at the marvelous ingenuity of those ancient men.

  As though guessing her thoughts, Kalim remarked, "Archaeologists have argued for many years a
bout the method used for erecting these monuments. Especially since the pulley was unknown in Egypt before the Roman period. Some of these stone blocks weigh seven and a half tons. It was indeed a prodigious feat. Would you like to go inside?"

  She nodded eagerly and he led her to the entrance. A scant half hour later she emerged slightly shaken. Although it was an experience she wouldn't have missed, Jennifer was glad to get outside once more. Reason should have warned her that since this was a tomb it would naturally feel constricted. But nothing had prepared her for the darkness and the stale air or the steep narrow ramps leading to a rabbit warren of connecting rooms. They must once have been magnificent when they were filled with golden treasure, but the low ceilings, sometimes only four feet in height, induced a claustrophobic feeling. And the thousands of tons of rock overhead were a sobering thought.

  Emerging into the brilliant sunlight, Jennifer drew a deep breath of the hot dry air and Kalim regarded her understandingly. "I know. It is a somewhat frightening experience, but at least you can tell your friends at home that you were inside the tomb of the fabled Cheops." Snapping his fingers to an alert dragoman, Kalim said, "Now we will give you a different experience."

  The man led a huge camel toward them and some money changed hands. Then, before Jennifer realized his intentions, Kalim lifted her onto the animal. Perched sidesaddle and looking down from a great height, she hung on desperately.

  He laughed at the startled expression on her face and swung easily up behind her, putting his arms around her waist. "In deference to your skirt I did not put you astride, but do not worry, I will not let you fall."

  The great beast turned his head and gave them a malevolent look, but the keeper tugged on the lead and with a swaying motion they lurched off across the sand.

  With a gasp of delight Jennifer turned to Kalim. "This is another first for me."