CHAPTER SIX
It had been the right decision, after all, Gemma told herself as she sat at the outside table of one of the two small coffee shops in Qabiyah. She leaned back against the low wooden seat and gazed down the length of the main street in the town.
The sun beat down upon the town, but Gemma was protected from it by the awning which hung over the group of tables. The air was cooler beneath the awning. Gemma sipped her coffee. It was black and extremely bitter, but she felt she needed something to keep her awake. It was late afternoon and the drive had been longer than she'd anticipated.
But she was here. That was all that mattered.
And she was already beginning to feel the peace of mind which came with total anonymity.
She watched the dozens of people making there way to and fro along the dusty street. They were all dressed in loose robes, perfect for desert life.
The buildings were very basic, consisting of two level structures made of light brown stone. There were some shops on the street, but they were small stores selling food and the basic goods required for the simple life which people lived out here.
Gemma drew in a deep, satisfied breath. It had been the right choice, she reflected. Since she had driven along the dusty street and parked her car close by, she had felt completely at home in this strange, alien place.
Ahmed had been right. This was really off the beaten track, even as far as Qazhar was concerned.
Back in the city, once she'd made her mind up what to do, Gemma had hastily arranged a rental car. Directions had been provided, at first by her, cell phone.
But, as she'd headed out into the desert north of the city, she'd lost the signal, but she'd taken note of the distances to the main junction which split off from the main northbound highway.
Then, she'd driven for miles along a dusty single-lane road, heading northwest. She'd known it had been the right direction, because there was simply no other road in this part of the desert.
Then she had arrived. From the top of a desert hilltop, she'd looked down upon the little town and known instantly that she'd come to the right place.
In many ways, it looked like a town which had been frozen in time. It filled the hollow between two high ranges of desert hills.
As far as Gemma was concerned, right now, given what her life had become, Qabiyah was the most perfect place on earth.
Since arriving she had noticed that, being probably the only newcomer in town, she was the subject of the occasional glance. That was more to do with the fact that, although she was dressed in plain white desert robes, and her head was covered, she was sure it was still pretty obvious that she was an outsider. It was hard to completely hide her blonde hair and strikingly blue eyes.
She didn't mind so much that once in a while, a passing man would glance at her, and visibly take note of her different appearance. But, unlike the life she was used to, there was no recognition, no sudden demand for attention by a stranger.
Instead, anyone who noticed her quickly moved on. Perhaps they respected outsiders here, she reflected. Maybe there was nothing special about visitors. People seemed to just accept her presence, and then they went about their daily business.
Even that was refreshing, Gemma told herself as she sipped more of the coffee, feeling the sudden rush of the caffeine. She wanted to take in everything she could see, and the coffee was certainly making everything seem sharper and more vivid.
She thought about how people would be reacting to her sudden departure. She'd made sure to leave a message for Rashid with the concierge of the apartment house. Although she hadn't said where she was headed, she was sure that at least the reassurance that she had left on her own and that she planned to return within a day or two, might prevent Rashid from assuming the worst.
At least she hadn't called Rashid and told him that she was leaving the country. That this had all been a terrible misjudgment on her part. That she was sorry for the trouble she had caused, but that she needed to go home.
No. She hadn't done that.
She was still in Qazhar. All she needed was some time to think. And some time for the internet storm around her and Ahmed's name to blow itself out. That would happen quick enough, she told herself. The average story on social media lasted about twenty-four hours. Max.
And then everyone simply moved on to the next scandal of the day.
And, Gemma was relieved that, by coming here, by finding temporary sanctuary in a place where no-one knew her, she might just benefit from people's short memories and their hunger for the next big news story.
One thing was for sure. It wouldn't be anything about her.
Since arriving here, she'd quickly realized that sleeping options might be limited. There were some rooms available in an inn at the far end of the street.
She'd gone there and taken a look, but had come to the conclusion that it didn't look clean enough. Also, the man who ran the inn seemed to have taken an unwholesome interest in Gemma as she'd stood outside surveying the ramshackle building.
No.
The rental car might have to do for at least one night, she told herself. In any case, it wouldn't be the first time she'd slept in a car.
Back home, in the States, before all this so-called fame had descended upon her, Gemma had had some rough times. Being an orphan had been tough, and she had spent too many years being passed from one foster home to another. The memories of times out in the cold were still vivid in her mind.
But, it had made her tough. She'd faced everything life could throw at her and, somehow, she had prevailed. She'd survived and even prospered in the most curious and surprising way imaginable.
That had been part of her story, of course. One of the reasons why so many people had taken to her when she'd started to become well known.
She was the girl who had triumphed over adversity, and maintained a clean living life in the process. That story had proven to be irresistible, it turned out.
And always, there had been the unspoken question. Was Gemma as pure as she made herself out to be? The fact that she claimed she'd never really found the right man to spend her life with, surely implied that her life was pure in the most obvious sense.
In fact, was Gemma a virgin? No-one had ever asked her straight to her face, but there had been plenty of speculation on social media, none of it she could control.
She'd always avoided the question, never commenting on it. But, when she'd seen some of the headlines last night, that had been one of the most common.
Speculation had been rife that somehow Sheikh Ahmed had found a way into her heart, that he was the one who was finally going to change everything for Gemma.
Well, she wasn't about to let that happen. She'd had plenty of time to think about Sheikh Ahmed while she had been driving up to Qabiyah.
And there was one thing about which she was certain. In spite of the obvious fact that he was just about the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen, there was no way she was going to get involved with Sheikh Ahmed.
Not even if, as she'd seen, he was definitely attracted to her. That much had been plain to see ever since she'd set eyes on him in the garden. She wasn't about to become his latest conquest, especially since it would probably just be motivated by his rivalry with Rashid.
Who did he think she was? Someone for whom wealth and power and sexuality would simply cause her to open herself up to him.
No doubt that was what he was used to. She could tell he was experienced. She was sure he'd had plenty of women drooling over him over the last few years.
But, Gemma was determined not to be the next.
Was that why she'd raced away from the city so quickly? That she needed to make a statement of some kind to Ahmed?
If so, then she was sure he'd get the message loud and clear, once he tried to contact her after their encounter last night. And she was sure he would call her apartment; try to invite her out to dinner. He was the kind of man who would not give up easily. Hadn't he admitted that to her? That when he wanted something, nothing would stop him from claiming it?
Well, it wouldn't be her, she told herself firmly as she finished her coffee and left the cafe. She banished all thoughts about Ahmed and spent a long while exploring the town, wandering along the narrow lanes and exploring the ancient buildings. She'd always had a fascination with architecture and she'd never seen buildings quite like these.
All through her wanderings during the late afternoon, she never felt unsafe for even a moment. As far as the inhabitants of the town were concerned, she was almost invisible. She was more than happy with that.
The afternoon passed quickly and evening approached. She started to feel hungry and she went back to the same cafe again where she enjoyed a savoury dish of exquisitely seasoned and spicy lamb and vegetables.
While she ate she watched the sky begin to darken and she saw the orange glow on the far horizon as the sun began to set. The air started to become noticeably cooler and she knew that soon she would have to think about going back to her car.
She finished her meal and said farewell to the proprietor.
Gemma walked to the edge of town and paused, taking in the spectacle of the bright orange sky. It was a glorious sight, something the likes of which she'd never seen back home.
Stars began to flicker in the wide, darkening sky. As she gazed upon the sight, she felt a tremendous peace fill her entire being. Nothing had ever made her feel anything like this before. There was a reality here that was totally unique. She felt more alive, now, than she'd felt in a long time.
For a long time she watched the sky become darker, savoring the peace of this place. As darkness fell the town began to quieten. The townsfolk disappeared into their homes. Then it was almost dark and she knew it was time to go to her car.
She headed back to where she had left the rental car, just on the outskirts of the town. She found it where she had left it, safe and intact, just as she'd expected to find it. She couldn't imagine ever having any trouble out here. The people she'd seen since arriving seemed so good-natured, so authentic.
The idea that this could be a dangerous place seemed ridiculous to her as she opened the car door and slid into the seat, closing the door firmly. The door locked automatically.
It was quiet in the vehicle and she suddenly started feeling tired. The emotions of the last twenty-four hours seemed to catch up with her within a short time of sitting in the car. She realized that if it became too cold, she could use the car's heating system. But, for now, that wasn't necessary.
She closed her eyes and felt herself drift off to sleep.
Dreams took hold her quickly. In the dreams she saw everyone she'd met since arriving in Qazhar. But somehow they all seemed different from real life. More vivid, more intense.
At one point her dreams became noisy, and she saw faces calling to her, shouting her name, demanding her attention, wanting things from her. She wanted to ignore them all, desperate to be left alone. To tell them that that life was over and done with. That she'd moved on. But they wouldn't stop calling her name.
And then one voice became more insistent than the others.
Ahmed.
She saw his face in her dream and he was calling her name.
Then, something shifted in her body, and she felt herself awakening. Then she realized that it wasn't just in her dream that she could hear her name.
She opened her eyes, sleepily and slowly. It was dark outside and in the car. The only light was a faint glow which came from the half moon high in the sky.
And by that light she could see something that took her completely by surprise, almost making her call out in surprise.
Outside her car, seated on the back of a glorious looking dark stallion, and looking right at her, was Sheikh Ahmed.