Chapter One
Juliet
“I can’t believe that I’m doing this. I don’t know what compelled me to take this leap of faith. I don’t want to go out on a limb and say that it had anything to do with what I heard while eavesdropping on a conversation between a couple of lost friends. They were very convincing.” I looked out the window of the plane and I knew coming along on this dig was the right thing.
“I know I’m a stranger, but you are allowing your heart to make you do things that you would never normally do. Be careful and some risks are better left to the imagination. This land can be quite inhospitable to outsiders.” Her name was Amelia and she was local to Cairo.
“I know I’m taking a lot for granted, but I won’t know how he feels until I give him a reason to see me. A romance out here in the middle of nowhere is exactly the adventure I’m looking for.” I could literally feel the heat through my clothes.
“I think it goes without saying that caution is something you should live by. I am only here as a courtesy to Professor Jenkins. We’ve known to each other by correspondence only. I came to the states to see him. It wasn’t what I was expecting. You might be the ray of light to make him live again.” Her dark complexion was a perfect contrast to my pale skin.
“I probably shouldn’t have come here thinking that I’m going to be sleeping in his bed. I just thought that if it worked for Rita and June then maybe the same thing could be said for me. This two-month expedition will give me plenty of time to reveal my feelings. I hope that I can trust on your discretion.” I was fascinated by ancient cultures and the main reason for being here wasn’t just to capture his heart.
“It’s really none of my business, but I appreciate that you found it necessary to confide in me. I’ve had my fair share of disastrous relationships. Juliet, I don’t want you to think that he’s going to be your Romeo. Besides, that relationship was doomed to fail because of their family obligations. You need to write your own story by starting with the first chapter.” She was a wealth of information and I was glad that I was able to bend her ear on the flight.
“I don’t think I would have even broached the topic without thinking I had a chance. Those girls were the kick in the pants I needed. I haven’t ventured outside my own hometown. I’m still pinching myself at the very idea of being here in a strange land.” The heat did not help to quell the desire for Professor Jenkins. I could see his head over the rows of those students who had come on this grand adventure.
“I’m going to do you the courtesy of giving you the benefit of my advice. I have been touched by your story of unrequited love. I feel that I can help you navigate the pitfalls of getting together with an older man. You are still a babe in the woods and you still have a lot of living to do. I can help you make sense out of what a man says. There’s always an underlying meaning behind their words. Knowledge is half the battle.” I felt lucky to have her along for the ride. Amelia was a little older and wiser with a lot of experience that I could learn from.
“I told my parents about this trip and they were stunned to learn that I was even thinking about it. They want me to be a doctor like the rest of the family. I don’t want to disappoint them, but I have to follow my own passion. This is my life and I’d rather follow my own path than to do something that will always feel like work. I want the opportunities to uncover priceless artifacts and treasure that has been lost for too long.” The courage to finally stand up to my parents was bittersweet. They did support me, but I could tell they would rather that I follow in their footsteps.
“We’ve all had that conversation with our parents and it never goes well. It could be about an ill-advised romance or a profession that they will never understand. It really doesn’t matter. Their love is unconditional and they don’t have to understand everything we do.”
“You have no idea how much it has meant to me to talk to you. Getting this off my chest has made it easier for me to breathe.” I touched the cool pane of the glass and there was this haze in the air outside.
“I take it that you didn’t have anyone to confide in. I take it as a personal honor to give you my shoulder to lean on. I never had any sisters or brothers. We are different in so many ways, but maybe that is what makes us good friends. I hope that I haven’t made the wrong assumption. I can show you Cairo like you’ve never seen it before without all the tourist traps.” She took my hand and it was a comfort to know that she had gone through this in one form or another.
“These last few hours getting to know you made me see you as a sister I never had. I don’t know how it’s possible, but it feels like I’ve known you all of my life.” The doors were open and those closest to the exit were making their way off the plane.
“I don’t want you to do anything foolish about this crush you have on the professor. Take it one day at a time and I will be there with you every step of the way.” She was quite the dish and it wasn’t lost on me the way the other young men were looking in her direction.
“I don’t think I have to tell you, but you have several admirers.” She tossed her hair and giggled like a schoolgirl. The way her body moved had all of her curves called into question.
“They are little boys and what you require is someone with an experienced hand. If I were into girls, I would gladly show you that you’re missing out on half the population. Keep your options open. Your fascination with a professor might be short lived. Egyptians are fantastic lovers and I know this from personal experience. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” I felt like I was given something priceless. She didn’t have to say anything, but she allowed herself to open up to me.
“I haven’t even considered somebody else. Darryl… I mean Professor Jenkins has always been something of a mystery. I want to peel back the layers and see what I can find. Good or bad, at least, I will find out and be able to finally put this to rest.” I saw his mane of salt and pepper hair and I had this desperate need to run my hands through it.
“I don’t want you to get carried away over something that may not happen. I’m sure you’ve seen him in the company of other women. I believe they are his way of making people believe that he is over the divorce. We are only friends and we tried to be something more. I just didn’t feel that way about him.” Amelia was a classic beauty with hardly any makeup. I was the exact opposite in so many ways.
“Your story is amazing. Escaping prosecution and then clearing your name with his help is a story begging to be told. I have to ask the reason why you haven’t cashed in on your fame and notoriety. I’m sure there have been several publications vying to put you on the New York’s bestseller list.” It was a story of betrayal as old as time itself.
“I would rather put it behind me than to dwell on something painful. I don’t need the money and I don’t live beyond my means. I don’t need much and a minimalist lifestyle is how I define myself. I don’t need a man to do that for me and neither did you.” It would appear I had ruffled her feathers and the battle for equality started with a woman standing on their own 2 feet.
“I don’t think either one is exclusive from the other. I want to be a woman that young girls can look up to as a role model. There’s no reason why we can’t have it all.” She seemed impressed by my comment, but living by it was another thing altogether.
I needed somebody to breathe me back to life with their lips pressed on me in a passionate embrace.
I stood up, feeling flush from the way that he was looking at me with those dimples causing me to wonder if I had the power to resist him. I didn’t want to be just another notch on his belt or scratch on his bedpost.
I was going under and I was going to count on Amelia to pull me back. She was my lifeline.