Chapter 34
Tongue
Three months. Actually, it had been nearly four months since she’d last seen Garenth. She wondered if he’d changed any since then, when she remembered what her uncle had told her.
He’s learning English.
That made her smile as she stared out the airplane’s window. She’d managed to get a little sleep, but for the most part she was too wound up to get any decent rest during the long flight. She didn’t know what excited her more—the possibility of seeing Garenth again, or starting this new adventure in her life. Who am I trying to kid. I just hope he remembers me.
There was no telling what she could expect when she arrived. She’d have to take things slowly. This wasn’t just a new job. It was in a country that was totally foreign to her. Its food, its people, its language and customs—all of which she’d have to take in slowly and carefully so as not to cause many major gaffes in etiquette.
The flight attendant came over the PA and spoke to the passengers in Arabic before repeating it in English. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching Cairo International Airport. The captain has turned on the fasten seat belts sign. Please stow away all articles prior to landing. Return your seats to their upright condition, and lock your tray tables. We will be landing shortly.”
Brielle glanced at the monitor on the back of the seat in front of her. She’d left on a Tuesday evening and was arriving on Wednesday. They were originally due to land around six-fifteen PM. Given the short delay they’d had leaving Riyadh, it would be closer to six forty-five, but that was okay. She had no idea when it would get dark. At least she’d get to see some of the city and people before night fell.
The passengers gave a smattering of applause as the aircraft landed safely, and they taxied to the terminal. She waited for those most in a hurry to exit the plane before retrieving her carry-on from the overhead compartment and making her way through the jet bridge.
She made her way to baggage pickup, keeping her eyes open for her uncle. Before she reached the carousel, she saw him standing near a rack of luggage carts. His arms were crossed over his chest. But what caught her attention was the shit-eating grin on his face. When she approached, he held out his arms to welcome her.
“’Ahlaan bik, Brielle. That’s ‘welcome’ in the local dialect.”
She laughed and dropped her carry-on before wrapping her arms around him, parking her chin on the man’s shoulder. She opened her eyes to pull away when she saw the man standing a few feet away. At first she didn’t recognize him until his direct gaze caught hers and drew her into those dark brown eyes.
That expression was the same exact one she’d seen on his face nearly four months ago. Worried. Concerned.
Her heart nearly stopped in her chest, and she gasped. Straightening, she was barely aware of her uncle pulling away from her, leaving her to face this strange yet familiar man.
Garenth slowly walked up to her. Like her uncle, he was sweaty and dirty, proving they’d come directly from the dig without stopping to clean up first. If anything, he’d become more muscular from working directly at the site. It was the black hair that had thrown her off.
“Hello, Brielle. Welcome to my land.” His English was heavily accented but understandable.
“Your English is good.”
“I told myself I would learn your tongue. I will keep learning until I am good.”
She giggled softly and reached up to first touch the black waves on his head, then trailed her fingers to feel the silky short hairs of his beard and moustache. “You have hair.” She smiled and touched his brow. “You have eyebrows and lashes.”
“I have hair all over now,” he told her with an impish grin. The smile dropped suddenly, and his countenance grew serious. “I am happy you came to work here.”
She searched his face. There was no denying the fact that he’d missed her. However, once again, he wasn’t going to ask her if she’d missed him as well. Just like that night long ago when her world, her emotions, and her heart had stood on the precipice, and she’d had to decide whether or not to make love with him, he was holding back now in the same manner. She would make that ultimate decision whether or not there could be a future for them together.
“I didn’t come here just to work for my uncle, Garenth. I came here to see you. To be with you,” she confessed. “I’ve missed you. I’ve missed you very, very much.”
He didn’t move, didn’t make any overt gestures toward her. Yet it was clear he wanted to touch her, even if it was only to take her by the arms.
Well, if he needed her to take the first step…
She closed the distance between them and threw her arms around his waist. Garenth made a little sound as he enveloped her within his strong embrace. She could hear his heart pounding where her ear was pressed against his strong chest. A kiss touched her forehead. Before she could lift her face, his hand took her chin and tilted her head to make her look up at him. She started to speak when his mouth came down over hers, and he possessed her once more with a mind-numbing kiss.
The world melted away. She had no idea if anyone saw them, or if they approved or disapproved. She didn’t care. All that mattered was that Garenth wanted her back.
“I have missed you more,” he murmured against her lips, tickling them with his breath. “Can I come back to your life? Will you let me?”
She gave him her most loving smile. “Na-am, Garenth bin Al-Emin. Yes, I want you back in my life.”
Kelling suddenly appeared beside them, dragging Brielle’s suitcase and carry-on with him. “Sorry to break this up, but it’s getting dark, the Jeep’s racking up parking fees, and we need to be going. You two can take the back seat and resume your, uhh, conversation on the way to the dig.”
Garenth kept an arm around her shoulder as they followed Kelling outside. For the moment she wasn’t interested in marveling at the sights and sounds of this country. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the man who’d laid claim to her emotions. As they hurried toward short-term parking, Brielle brought up a subject she’d had a long time to think about.
“Before we go any further, let’s get something right out in the open. Garenth, how do you say ‘I love you’ in your language? Because I want to make it clear that’s how I feel about you.”
He smiled warmly at her. “‘Ahbak.”
“‘Ahbak, Garenth. I’ve been wanting to tell you ‘ahbak for a long time.”
He responded by stopping in the middle of the parking lot and pulling her tightly against him again. The kiss that followed left her weak-kneed.
“Guys. Please?” Kelling chuckled, urging them to continue.
“You planned this surprise, didn’t you, Uncle Chet?” she accused.
“Guilty as charged, but don’t judge me too harshly. Garenth wouldn’t stop grilling me about you. What you were like as a child. What your favorite foods were. Anything he could think of. I got tired of answering questions, so that’s when I decided to offer you the job. I figured if you came here, he’d stop pestering me and divert his questions and attention to you.”
She laughed. “I’m glad you did.”
They reached their vehicle. Kelling threw her two pieces of luggage into the passenger seat as she and Garenth climbed into the back. She snuggled next to him as he planted another kiss on her temple and placed a hand to her hip to press her thigh tightly against his. A warm thread of expectation gathered between her legs. Why did she get the feeling neither of them would get much sleep that night?
“Just wait until tomorrow,” Kelling said as they left the airport. “You’re going to be blown away by what we’ve uncovered so far at the site. And a lot of the credit goes to Garenth. He’s been invaluable with translating all the writings we’ve been discovering.”
Brielle didn’t respond. She was too busy nuzzling Garenth’s baby-fine facial hair and sneaking little kisses in between. But she noticed her uncle glancing at them through the rearview mirror. He must have suspected that she and Garenth were…involved. She was sure when he cleared his throat and tried again.
“Brie, there’s something very important I need to tell you. It’s about Garenth’s request for a work visa to allow him to return to the US.”
His tone and comment sunk in. She disengaged herself for a moment to look at her uncle. Before she could ask, he continued.
“We’re still not having any success. It could take years before the government grants him one. However, there is one way you can bypass a lot of that red tape. I don’t know if either of you would be willing to take such a drastic step, but I wanted to throw the possibility out there for you to consider.”
“What’s that?”
She noticed how he tried to hide his smile. “If you two got married, it would automatically give Garenth legal citizenship. Now, like I said, that’s a pretty drastic step, but it’s something for you two to think about. What do you think?”
It would automatically give him legal citizenship. She knew about that technicality. Why hadn’t she thought of it herself?
“Brielle?”
He glanced at the rearview mirror again to find her lovingly caressing Garenth’s face. When she finally replied, her answer was directed to the man embracing her.
“My uncle’s right, you know. It’s a pretty drastic step. Tell me, my love. How do you say, ‘Will you marry me?’ in Arabic?”
“Hal satatazawjani.”
She chuckled. “Na-am, Garenth. My answer is yes.”