by Avery North
Smoothing on a layer of sunscreen, she relaxed into her chair so she could catch up on some much-needed rest.
***
Helen found Jeff in the courtyard, a book on the deckchair beside him, dark glasses shielding his eyes from the sun. In answer to her greeting, he pushed the glasses back onto his head.
“Jeff, I am going to the Ville Nouvelle, the new city, with Louise. Do you want to come along with us?”
He thought for a moment, “Thanks, Helen. But I think I will stay here for the day. I might go to the square later.”
“With Sophia?” Helen sounded amused.
“Why not?” he pulled his glasses down over his eyes again.
“Why not?” he thought as Helen walked away. He could spend any amount of time with Sophia in the square, or anywhere else for that matter. Another week in Marrakesh stretched ahead of him, a week during which they could meet up, explore, love one another.
But what then? When they left the sun behind and returned home, would it be possible to be together? Yes, he was sure it was possible. He just had to make sure it happened.
He needed to commit to her before they left Morocco, and a busy London life swallowed them both of them up again. Otherwise, this would be just another holiday romance consigned to memory, looked back on in years to come. It had to be more than that; it already was more than that to him. At the market, he had promised himself he would buy her pearls, but why not make it diamonds? Marriage had never been on his wish-list, but then again, he had never met someone he wanted to commit to until now.
Realizing he should have gone to the new city with Helen, he jumped out of his deckchair. But what he had decided to do, he couldn’t have done with Helen looking over his shoulder anyway.
***
Sophia woke with a start. She must have slept for far longer than she had intended. But what had woken her? A knocking on her bedroom door answered her question. Her feet still bare, she padded on the warm floor to the door.
It was Jeff, a bouquet of flowers in his arms and a strangely shy look on his face.
“Sophia, can I come in?”
“Of course.”
“These are for you,” he placed the flowers in her hands. “And I got you this as well.”
He reached into his pocket and took out a small, carefully wrapped box.
“What is all this for?” Sophia laid the flowers delicately on the table beside her.
"I am falling in love with you. With you Sophia, the person, not just Sophia with the gorgeous body.”
She blushed. She could feel her heart racing in her chest.
“So, I wanted to give you this as a sign of my commitment to you.” He opened the box, revealing a simple gold ring set with a glittering diamond. “Will you marry me?”
She extended her left hand, and he slipped it on, “Yes! Of course. Oh, Jeff!”
“Really? You’re sure?”
“Absolutely,” she flung her arms around him. “Absolutely. Oh, Jeff, I love you too!”
"Now," he said, tilting her face upwards, "I want to kiss those freckles again."
***
“Look at who we met in Ville Nouvelle,” Louise announced to Joshua. “Your old friend, Emma.”
“Wow! Great to see you, Emma,” Joshua hugged her. He had always enjoyed working with Emma. “We miss you in London. You look well, Marrakesh seems to suit you.”
She laughed, “You are stuck with me for the evening, Joshua. My partner Raoul and I are joining you for dinner. Louise is having a little celebration for those of us who got together here. Did she not tell you?”
“No, she didn't, but it's a great idea, and it will give us time to catch up.”
***
Sophia whirled in front of her full-length mirror. She was so happy with her dress. It was the one she had brought just in case there was a special occasion in Morocco. Well, this was certainly a special occasion. She held out her hand again to admire the ring. It was beautiful, just as beautiful as the flowers that were wafting their heady scent around the room. Going to her dressing table to spray on her perfume, she noticed her other ring nestled in its box, the one her mother had given her. That ring now belonged to a different time, a time when she had felt it brought her the courage she needed. She would keep it safe, but for now, she would wear Jeff's ring, her engagement ring. Slipping on her sandals, she left the room.
The lobby was busy with people checking in and others going to the dining room. She spotted Joshua sitting with a group at his usual table. Louise and Helen were there as well as another young woman she thought had worked with him in London. Emma, she thought her name was. Another woman who had found love in Marrakesh. Joining them, she gave her father a peck on the cheek and sat beside Louise. Of Jeff, there was no sign yet.
“Sophia, you got a new ring?” Louise’s sharp eyes had noticed the band on her hand and the diamond on the band.
“Yes,” Sophia answered quietly, glad she wasn’t blushing.
Jeff’s arrival saved her from having to give further explanations. Sitting across from her, he noticed his ring on her finger and the string of beads hanging from her neck. Seeing him looking, she smiled, her cheeks flushing slightly. He loved seeing that blush, but Louise was calling for their attention.
“There’s Gilbert; I think dinner is served. Shall we go in?"
Following her to the dining room, Sophia inhaled the heady scent of perfume and flowers and the elusive scent of Jeff’s aftershave as he walked beside her. He had dressed for the occasion as well, his white shirt tucked into the slim waist of his trousers, a tan belt matching his tan loafers. She was looking forward to seeing him in uniform and imagined how his strong shoulders would fill the jacket.
“Just here, Sophia,” Louise’s voice broke into her reveries. “I have put you and Jeff together as you are the younger members of the group.”
Taking a chair beside Jeff, Sophia looked across the table at Joshua. She raised her wine glass to him in a silent toast. His answering smile was all that she needed.
The arrival of the sommelier with a magnum of champagne in an ice bucket drew smiles from the assembled party.
“We have a lot to celebrate,” Gilbert said as the cork was popped. Once the champagne flutes were filled, he rose to his feet to propose a toast. “To everybody who began their romantic journey here. Let’s drink to them.”
He ran his eyes over the group. "I believe we have other things to celebrate, as well. A regular visitor to our Riad, Joshua, has received some good news this evening. His son in London, who also met his partner here, sent along a message this evening that he will shortly become a dad. To Joshua, new grandfather of the group, raise your glasses.”
Sophia watched Joshua’s eyes filling with tears as the toast was made. Touching his glass with hers, she congratulated him warmly.
“And you are going to be an aunt,” he told her excitedly.
Heavens, so she was. That hadn’t occurred to her.
“And another celebration, I think,” Joshua continued. “Did you seriously think I hadn’t noticed that ring, Sophia?”
Her cheeks flamed as Joshua got to his feet, raising his champagne flute to announce, “There is another couple to toast as well. Sophia and Jeff have just become engaged. Long life, and happiness to them!”
“I feel I am becoming old very quickly,” Sophia whispered to Jeff when the congratulations had died down, and everybody was enjoying their food.
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” he said with amusement. “Let’s celebrate our youth later, by the pool.” His eyes were grinning wickedly over the brim of his champagne flute.
“You can’t be serious?” She whispered back, though she couldn’t deny she liked the idea.
“Yes, I am,” he whispered in her ear.
After dessert, the group ordered coffees and relaxed, chatting happily. “Where have Sophia and Jeff gone?” Helen asked, noticing the two untouched coffees at their places.
Louise shook he
r head. She knew exactly where they had gone, but she wasn’t going to tell anybody. They deserved some time alone tonight. She became less relaxed when she saw Joshua rise from the table, but how would he know they were at the pool? The porter had told her, but he wouldn’t have told Joshua. Excusing herself, she made a beeline for the pool.
She had been right. There they were, standing by the water with their arms around one another, pointing at the stars in the night sky. But Joshua, where had he got to? She spotted a shadowy figure at the far side of the pool, a cigarette glowing in the darkness. But Joshua had kicked the smoking habit, or so he said.
Skirting around the edges of the pool, she reached him.
“Hi Joshua, are you OK? I thought you had quit?”
"I've cut down, but with all the news tonight, I couldn't resist. Want one?" He offered her the packet, but she refused with a shake of her head.
She heard cheering behind her and turned around to see their fellow diners entering the courtyard. Sophia and Jeff had been locked in a deep kiss but now jumped apart startled. Louisa and Joshua headed over to join them.
“We thought we should continue the celebrations out here,” Gilbert showed them the ice-bucket and magnum of champagne he was carrying. A server carried the flutes behind him.
The popping of the champagne cork and voices raised in happy conversation mingled with the music and cries of hawkers from Djemaa el Fna.
“Riad Dubois, you’ve done it again,” Gilbert whispered in Louise’s ear before kissing her tenderly.
Epilogue
Gilbert and Louise, arms around one another, waved off the airport taxi. Looking at Joshua sitting beside the taxi driver, Louise turned to Gilbert and remarked, “He looks really happy. Everything seems to have worked out very well for him.”
“Even more so for Sophia and Jeff,” Gilbert answered, waving to the young couple in the back of the taxi.
“Yes,” Louise cast her mind back to the shy young woman who had come to visit only a few short weeks earlier.
“Amazing what the love of a good man can do for a woman,” she reached for his face, giving him a peck on the cheek.
"Stop it, you love birds," Helen appeared behind them. “I’m getting the late train to Casablanca. Aryn is waiting for me.”
“And who are you calling love birds?” Louise laughed. Helen would always love the Moroccan hunk she had left London for.
***
“Rain is so romantic,” Sophia brushed drops off her face as she joined Jeff at his favorite London pub in Covent Garden.
He looked up, smiling. “You think so?”
Despite the weather, she still had her Moroccan tan and was still wearing that cheap string of beads he had bought her on their rural adventure. He could see it now, peeping from beneath the collar of her raincoat.
Reaching up, he brushed away a raindrop she had missed.
“You even look amazing in the rain,” he remarked. “I have come across a nice apartment that you would like.” He opened his laptop. “See here, it’s close to the tube for both of us, so we won't have a lot of traveling to do."
“Yes,” she said appreciatively. “And we will finally be out of my dad’s hair.”
Jeff had been staying with her at Joshua’s since their return. But with her brother and his girlfriend’s baby on the way, he would want all the space he could get so he could play with his grandchild.
“Joshua has been very good to us,” Jeff said thoughtfully. “I think I might actually miss him when we move out. But, of course, there will be compensations. I will have you all to myself for a start.” He put an arm across her shoulders.
“Mmm,” she snuggled up to him. “And there is that return trip to Morocco to arrange.”
“Despite the rain here being so romantic?” he said teasingly. “Anyhow, let’s forget about Morocco for the moment. This apartment is available to view today. Shall we go see it?”
“Yes,” she reached for her umbrella.
Standing outside the building in Charing Cross, she turned to Jeff. The apartment was perfect, within their budget and ready for immediate occupancy. It ticked all the boxes.
“Oh, Jeff! Just imagine, we will be living here in less than a month.”
He embraced her, kissing the raindrops from her face.
Reviews
I really hope you enjoyed reading Riad Dubois Boxset.
It would be amazing if you could take the time to give me a fair and honest review of the book on Amazon.
Thank you.
Love,
Avery
Stay in Touch With Avery North
Find Avery North at:
Facebook: authorverynorth
Instagram: authoraverynorth
Twitter: authoraveryn
Website: www.authoraverynorth.com
Free Book
Join our mailing list and get your FREE BOOK, plus all the latest updates, news, freebies, fun and new book releases.
More Books By Avery North
Chiltern Hotel Series:
Breaking Barriers: ( Book 1)
Breaking Christmas Traditions: (Book 2)
Breaking Liberty: (Book 3)
Breaking Rules: (Book 4)
Breaking Promises: (Book 5)
Breaking Boundaries: (Book 6)
Eden Spa Series:
Seduction At The Spa: ( Book 1)
Reconciliation At The Spa: ( Book 2)
Devotion At The Spa: ( Book 3)
Production At The Spa: ( Book 4)
Redemption At The Spa: ( Book 5)
Rejuvenation At The Spa: ( Book 6)
Riad Dubois Series:
Exotic Allure: ( Book 1)
Unexpected Passion: ( Book 2)
Finding Freedom: ( Book 3)
Endless Desire: ( Book 4)
Another Chance: ( Book 5)
GRAB 33% DISCOUNT ON ALL 6 BOOKS IN MY CHILTERN HOTEL SERIES
TRUE VALUE 5,94 USD
YOU PAY ONLY 3,99 USD
OR READ THEM ALL IN KINDLE UNLIMITED FOR FREE! CLICK HERE!
GRAB 33% DISCOUNT ON ALL 6 BOOKS IN MY ROMANCE AT THE SPA: EDEN SPA SERIES
TRUE VALUE 5,94 USD
YOU PAY ONLY 3,99 USD
OR READ THEM ALL IN KINDLE UNLIMITED FOR FREE! CLICK HERE!
Join Avery North’s Readers Group
Do you want exclusive access to all Avery’s new releases before they’re released to the public?
If the answer is YES
Join Avery North Star Readers Group on Facebook !
https://www.facebook.com/groups/averynorthstarreaders
A place to talk about Avery North’s books !
About Avery North
Author Avery North is a romance author who is very passionate about writing and prides herself in giving her readers what they want. She writes short, steamy and sweet romance stories ,which includes alphas and super vivacious women.
Join the conversation on my
PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP!
Stay updated about new releases, giveaways, get exclusive content and be the first to see new covers, Join My Newsletter
Find Avery North at:
www.authoraverynorth.com
Thank you for reading !