Chapter 14
Simone dangled her feet in the pool at the back of the guest house where she and her mother were staying. Her little swim suit clung to her wet body, and she giggled as her mother splashed her from the pool. Alex had run from Mubaira, taking the first plane out to anywhere that wasn’t there, and then getting a connecting flight to Paris and New York. From there she had taken the bus and ended up in this little coastal town, population really small, and she would hide here until she felt safe to start job hunting again. Her salary for the last two months had been more than twice what she would have made at the nursing home, and she had also been paid a travel bonus, which is what she had used to buy the tickets. At least Amir had kept his word and made sure she and Simone had passports, or she didn’t know how she would have been able to escape.
And she had had to escape. Overhearing that conversation between the prince and his father, in which he had made it clear that not only did he believe she was a whore, but that he had no intention of marrying her, had cut into her like a knife. She hauled herself up onto the side of the pool next to her daughter, remembering the security detail’s shocked reaction when she had wheeled around and sped off. On the way back to the palace in a cab, which she had managed to get without alerting the driver who had been assigned to her, she had called the three airlines before she found one that had a flight that day. She had taken it out, stopping in Dubai only long enough to get another flight out to Paris, and from there to New York.
She needed this time away, not only to hide from Amir and his assistant, but also to decide what she wanted to do next. She had to find a place to live, and a job to support her child and herself. And it needed to be as remote and unexpected as possible, so that neither Amir nor his very efficient assistant would be able to find her. She couldn’t handle them right now…maybe never. She just wanted to curl up and die, but here, in this modest guest house in this small town, no one knew her, so she could disappear.
After an hour, when the sun began to climb higher in the sky, she took Simone in, rinsed them both off, and gave her her morning lesson. Then they dozed for a while, her baby’s head on her belly. The insistent chiming of her cell phone woke her, and she reached for it. Someone had answered her application. She opened the message and saw she had an interview in three days in a city a hundred miles away. The job was not exactly the same as the nursing home one, but the pay was a little better. They needed someone ASAP, and if she passed the interview, she would begin to work immediately. Excitement gripped her, as well as a kind of dread. She would have to get there, find a place to stay, find a daycare for Simone and be prepared to start work immediately.
She looked over at the still sleeping child and wished she could do things differently. The little girl had had her life completely uprooted twice in the last three months, and was about to have it upended again. It couldn’t be good for her, Alex realized, but she had no choice. Sliding off the bed, she began to pack, and when that was done, she checked the bus routes to her new home town. One would be leaving in four hours. That gave her time to settle her bill, have dinner, and get to the station on time. She couldn’t afford to miss the bus. The next one would not be until the next afternoon, and time was of the essence. Still leaving Simone to sleep, she searched for a place to stay, even temporarily, and found a motel that didn’t look seedy. She called and made a booking for two weeks starting the next day. Hopefully, she could find more permanent lodging by the end of the second week.
After she and Simone had changed into fresh clothes, she went down to settle her bill, thanked the motherly proprietor for her kindness, promised she would call as soon as she arrived, and went out to get a shuttle to the bus station. There was a diner across the street from it, and after she had bought her tickets, she took Simone in for a light meal, and ordered extra sandwiches to go. Eventually, it was time to board the bus, and the long ride began. Simone dozed, but Alex stayed awake, watching the scenes go by, enjoying the sense of freedom. In another life, she would love to be able to do train treks across the country, and road trips. But those were just dreams, never to be fulfilled. Instead, she was here, on a bus, watching the world go by and watching out for her daughter.
The next few days flew by, and by the time of the interview, she was tired but cautiously optimistic. Simone was being watched by a motherly older lady who took in children as their parents needed her, and she was happy to have the regular income that watching Simone would provide. Alex would figure out school in the meantime, although she had noticed that Mrs. Wilcox had a number of areas set up in her very large dining room, like stations in a pre-K class. Maybe she wouldn’t have to worry about Simone at all.
With the reference that she had been given to her from the other nursing home in hand, she approached the door of the office to which she had been directed, and knocked.
“Enter!”
Alex walked in, head high despite the butterflies winging around inside her. She sat where indicated and passed over her credentials and reference. The woman behind the desk was tall, bony, and a perfect match for a Fraggle. She said good morning, shook Alex’s hand and introduced herself as Miss Creighton. She perused the documents quickly, then captured Alex’s gaze with her piercing gray eyes.
“You were out of work for a while, I see. What happened?”
Alex had decided that she would be better off not mentioning Mubaira nor her time there, especially as she had no references from them. She simply said,
“I needed to spend some time with my daughter.”
As explanations went, it was pretty thin, but it was all she had, and not completely a lie. She had spent more time with Simone while she was in Mubaira, and that was something she knew she would never get back.
“And how old is your daughter?”
“She’s four.”
Ms. Creighton studied her for a moment, and then seemed to come to a decision. “Are you ready to begin, Ms. Downing?” she asked, and when Alex said she was, they both stood and her new boss gave her the small tour of the facility. It was a daycare facility for the elderly, and she would be required to do very few health-related things. Feeding, medicating, which meant making sure they took their medications, and helping them with self-administered shots and so on, exercise, and mental stimulation seemed to be the main things she would do for the patients assigned to her.
And so the new job began. Her hours were nine to five, with a half hour for lunch and two fifteen minute breaks, morning and afternoon. The patients she had were quiet, and she had to be creative to find ways to engage them. She found pleasure in making one lady in particular, an eight-seven-year-old, smile when she figured out the puzzle Alex found for her to solve. She had been away from Mubaira for a month, and had found permanent lodging in Mrs. Wilcox’s home, in a back bedroom with access to the kitchen and second bathroom, used by the children whom the older lady took in sometimes. Now Alex didn’t have to worry about getting Simone to her on time, and her morning routines came easier. In exchange for the old lady’s kindness, she took over the cooking, and helped with cleaning the ‘public’ spaces in the house on weekends.
Her room had been Mrs. Wilcox’s daughter’s room before she had married and moved across the country. It was large and airy, and perfectly suited Alex’s needs for the moment. She would work in this new job for a year or so, and once she had saved enough, she would find her own place to live, furnished the way she wanted. Her new job kept her too busy to brood in the day-light hours, but once she had done the evening things, and Simone was asleep, she struggled to fall asleep as thoughts of Amir assaulted her, memories of his kisses, the way he had made her come…she cried herself to sleep most nights, missing him so much the pain was almost unbearable. In the beginning, Simone had woken up at night crying and asking for Baba and Mr. Fice, which tore Alex up inside, but thankfully she seemed to have gotten over that phase and was sleeping through the night again.
Early on Saturday morning, Mrs. Wilcox announced that she was going on a bus outing with her lady’s club, and would not be back until very late. She told Alex not to cook for her, and not to wait up for her, either.
“Have a good time, Mrs. Wilcox,” she said, watching the old lady get into the taxi that sat at the curb.
Simone was still asleep, and Alex gathered up the laundry, taking it to the small room where Mrs. Wilcox had her washing machine, dryer, and ironing board. She made a load, and was just about to head to the kitchen to see what she would give Simone for breakfast when the doorbell rang. Checking the clock, she saw that it was just past seven. Who on Earth could be calling at this hour of the morning? Had Mrs. Wilcox forgotten to tell her clients that she wasn’t available today? Alex sighed…if it was a parent, she supposed she would have to help them out. She went to open the door, not bothering to check to see who was there, and almost passed out when Amir appeared before her, Malik behind him bearing flowers.
“What…how…?”
Alex had no idea of what she wanted to ask or say, and before she could formulate some comment, Simone’s scream had her turning in fright. Bit it was a scream of joy as the little girl barreled past her and threw herself at Amir’s knees. He bent down and pulled her into his arms, lifting her high and laughing as she hugged him tightly.
“Baba! Mr. Fice! I missed you!”
And when her daughter began to cry in the arms of the man she loved, Alex fainted. When she came to, she was lying on the couch, her head in Amir’s lap. She struggled to sit up, but he restrained her.
“Stay still a moment,” he said. “You bumped your head. Malik is getting an ice pack, just in case.”
As he spoke, Malik returned, with Simone in tow, carrying a plastic freezer bag wrapped in paper towels, with crushed ice inside, and Amir took the ice pack from him, applying it to the back of her head. Malik also had a bottle of pills for pain and Simone carried a glass of water. Amir helped her to sit up and take two of the pills with all the water, and then he drew her into his arms. Alex felt his hands trembling slightly as he held her, his touch tender. She was so confused, and she turned her face to his to ask,
“What are you doing here?”
“I came for you, habibti,” he said simply.
“But…why?” Alex didn’t understand. “You told your father you were not marrying me.”
Amir frowned at her. “No, I did not. I told my father I was not marrying a whore.”
Before she could speak, Malik said to Simone, “Have you eaten breakfast as yet, little one?”
“No, Mr. Fice,” the little girl said. “I’m hungry.”
“Well then, why don’t we go and make you and your mama some breakfast? Would you like to help me?”
Simone jumped up and took his hand. “I know where everything is!” she informed him proudly, and led him away to the kitchen, leaving her mother and Amir alone.
Alex tried not to melt into Amir’s embrace. There was a lot to say, and she didn’t want to assume anything until they had cleared the air. She opened her mouth to speak, but Amir shushed her with a finger to her lips.
“It’s my turn,” he said. “You may only speak when I ask you the one question I need an answer to. Until I do, you must listen.”
Alex nodded, still puzzled, but willing to wait.
“Princess Amina and I have known each other for a while, and before I met you, I was thinking about courting her as my future wife. But there was never any spark between us. And then I met you, and I knew I had met the woman I wanted with me for the rest of my life. I told Amina that I would no longer be seeing her. Obviously, she was not pleased, and as a result of her actions, I almost lost you and my father”
He paused, as though he was trying to find the right words to say next. Alex watched his face, noting the frown that creased his brow as he spoke.
“I was very angry when you told me about Simone’s father,” he said. “I felt deceived, and I was disappointed in you. But it didn’t mean that my feelings for you had changed. We’re going to argue and disagree, habibti, but that’s only to be expected. We are human, after all, and individuals. I do not want you to change who you are to make me happy. I want you to be you, even if it makes me angry, because you are the person I am in love with…all of you, not just the parts that please me.”
Alex couldn’t stay quiet a moment more. “You’re really in love with me? This isn’t just about having a wife when you become king?”
For answer, Amir growled and kissed her, a slow, searching kiss that asked her if she felt the same way as he did. Alex opened her mouth to him, wanting more than anything for this to be real, hoping she wasn’t dreaming, hanging on to him as though her life depended on it.
“I love you, Alexandra Downing. I want you to be mine. Will you marry me?”
The question shook her. She hadn’t really thought he would ask, or maybe she just hadn’t thought it would happen so soon. Maybe she hadn’t thought it would happen to her. And now she was faced with a choice…believe he meant what he said, and live a dream she had hidden even from herself, or not. She couldn’t see herself being happy if he was not a part of her life, and with the way Simone had reacted to seeing him, she knew her daughter wouldn’t be. And she had to make sure Simone was happy, as so far, she had not led as full a life as she should have. She needed a father, and she loved Amir as if he were her father.
“You are not answering me, sweet one.” His voice broke into her musings. “Does that mean you are going to reject me?”
Alex turned to look him in the eye, and she saw the uncertainty there. “I’m just thinking of all the reasons I have to say yes,” she told him honestly.
He held her away from him so he could say, “There is only one reason that matters to me, habibti. One thing I wish to hear from your lips, if you say yes to me.”
She knew what he was asking. She had to tell him. She had no choice. “Yes, Amir. Yes, I will marry you, because I love you, too.”
She reached up to cup his cheek in her hand, the soft hair of his goatee brushing her palm as she did so. He turned his head and kissed her palm, and then he lowered it so he could kiss her mouth again. And then he pulled away from her, and reached into the pocket of his suit jacket, pulling out a small velvet box. Opening it, he took the glittering jewel from it and slid it onto her ring finger. Alex gaped at it. It was a large round chocolate diamond, set on a slender yellow gold ring, encrusted with smaller white diamonds on top. It was beautiful, and just the sort of ring she would have wanted.
“Oh my! This is beautiful, Amir!” she said. “I love it!”
He kissed her gently and smiled. “I’m glad you like it, my love.”
Malik cleared his throat behind them, and asked, “Breakfast, anyone?”
“Yes, thank you, Malik,” Amir answered, restraining Alex, who was ready to jump up and help. “Stay with me, sweet one,” he whispered in her ear. “I have missed you in my arms for four long weeks.”
Malik brought out a tray with scrambled eggs, bacon, toast on two plates, while Simone brought butter and marmalade. Then Malik returned with a second tray with coffee, cups, sugar, and cream.
“If you would like orange or apple juice, I can bring that, as well,” he told them.
“We will let you know, Malik,” Amir said. “Thank you.”
“Enjoy your breakfast, my lord.” He turned to Alex and said, beaming, “And you too, my lady!”
Amir fed her, and she let him. When they were finished eating, and she was sipping her coffee, she asked,
“How did you find me?”
“Malik followed your travel trail,” he said. “And when we finally found where you had settled, we made some plans before I came to get you.”
“Plans?”
“Plans. I needed a place to stay, I needed to purchase your ring, and I needed to surprise you.”
Alex smiled. “You did that,” she said. Then she looked up at him suspiciously. “Did Mrs. Wilcox know about us?”
He smiled. “Why do you ask?”
“She didn’t mention a bus trip until this morning,” she said. “Is she really gone on a bus trip?”
Amir laughed. “Yes, she is, with her lady’s club. I paid for the trip, the bus, their accommodation for the day, lunch, dinner, and spending money. I wanted you to myself all day, in case I needed any extra time to persuade you.”
“Amir, that’s a lot of money!” Alex protested, though she fell a little more in love with him just then.
“And I would spend it all over again for you, my heart.” He leaned in for another kiss, and then added, “I’ve been in touch with your Mrs. Wilcox for three days.”
Alex shook her head. “She sure can keep a secret,” she said, chuckling.
“I depended on her to do so,” he replied.
After breakfast, Amir took them out for the rest of the day. They went to the aquarium, then to the amusement park, and finally, out for hotdogs and fries, because that was what Simone wanted. When he finally drove them back home, Malik took a sleeping Simone inside to put her to bed, while Amir stood with Alex on the doorstep.
“If I come in, I won’t leave, habibti,” he said. “I want you so badly that I cannot trust myself. I’ll say goodnight here, and come for you tomorrow. We shall spend the day alone together. Your Mrs. Wilcox has agreed to take care of Simone so that I may have you.”
“Have me?” she asked, smiling up at him. “Like you have dessert?”
He laughed softly. “If that is how you wish me to have you, I will be happy to oblige, my lady!”
He kissed her lightly, and she could feel the tension in his hands as he held her face between them. He was holding himself in check, keeping his need at bay. She couldn’t wait until he unleashed the full measure of his passion on her. She shivered at the thought.
“Good night, sweet one,” he said, releasing her. “Eight o’clock tomorrow morning. Bring your swimsuit.”
Alex nodded, and went indoors, smiling at Malik as he passed her to go out. “Goodnight, Malik,” she said. “And thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied, returning her smile. “Goodnight, my lady.”