a moment and Felicity held her breath. ‘He’s a she!’
‘Oh!’ Felicity blinked, remembering the blue blanket. ‘Well, there’s a reminder never to assume!’ She smiled, and he did too. He had lovely white even teeth, with just a tiny irregularity. But even that made him more exquisite; this was no capped, manufactured smile, and he really was, as she had first realised, devastating.
With only brief consultation he took care of the wine and the ordering, and was such pleasant company that by the time she had struggled through the entrée and moved onto the main Felicity was almost able to relax.
But not fully—because always, always her mind was on the end of night, or the next night, or the next.
This was a date.
A real one.
And real ones—good ones—led to more dates…
‘You may find things different in Zaraqua,’ Karim warned her, after he had pressed her about her work and she had told him how she was a strong advocate for natural childbirth with minimum intervention. ‘We have top-class facilities and equipment, and we do tend to use them.’
‘I have thought about that,’ Felicity said, ‘and I’m not looking to change the world. I work in a low-risk birthing centre at the moment—hopefully I’ll come away from Zaraq more informed, which can only be good.’
‘You have an open mind.’ Karim smiled. ‘You would not make a good surgeon.’
‘I’m a good midwife, though,’ Felicity said, and smiled back.
‘Did you tell your mother you were staying here?’
‘No!’ Felicity said. ‘I just told her I had found somewhere.’ She saw his slight frown. ‘She’d only worry more if I told her about the crash.’
‘It must be hard, having a parent who worries so.’
‘It is,’ Felicity admitted, and thanked the waiter as her main course was taken away. ‘And I’m still not sure if I’m doing the right thing, going overseas. My sister hasn’t been well for a couple of years,’ she explained. ‘She’s doing fine now, but there have been a lot of expenses. This way I can really tackle them. Only…’ She hesitated. The practical solution she had come up with for her family had been a sensible one, but there was an emotional side to it too—one she had never shared and certainly not with a stranger.
‘Only…?’ Karim checked.
‘I’m not sure I’m doing the right thing—I’m not sure how they’ll manage. Georgie, my sister, has an eating disorder. She’s doing brilliantly now, though.’ She swallowed uncomfortably, nervous of voicing her innermost fears. ‘I’m just worried that my leaving will set her back. But I don’t really have a choice.’
‘Georgie has,’ Karim said as a white chocolate mousse drizzled in hot raspberry sauce was placed in front of her. ‘She can choose to stay well or not—you cannot do that for her.’
He was right—of course he was right—only it wasn’t so straightforward.
‘You don’t understand…’
‘I can assure you I do!’ Karim responded. ‘I know all there is to know about duty and family. And I know how it feels to be the strong one.’
Karim had declined dessert, and was working his way through a cheese platter. Now her dessert bowl was empty, it merited just a little look from her. He pushed the platter forward and, to her own surprise, instead of refusing and saying she was fine, Felicity took a cracker and helped herself.
‘What about your father?’ Karim asked, watching as the cracker paused midway to her mouth.
‘He died a few years ago.’
‘I’m sorry. That must have been hard for you all.’
She stared across the table at him, stared into black, assessing eyes that gave absolutely nothing away—eyes that judged but were somehow not judging. Instead of taking the easy option and accepting his condolences, after a brief hesitation she responded.
‘Don’t be sorry. He caused this mess. What about your family?’
He gave a brief shrug. ‘There is not much to tell.’
‘Oh?’
He stabbed a piece of cheese with his knife and smeared it on some bread, then took a sliver of quince jelly and topped it with that. He handed it to her and then did the same for himself.
Karim never usually shared—he was generous with gifts, he just never shared what was his.
But tonight he did.
‘I have two brothers. My mother lives here in London—my father is in Zaraq.’
‘Are they divorced?’ For a second she was sure his face tightened, and she thought she must have said the wrong thing. It was an entirely natural assumption—just the wrong one.
‘There is no divorce in Zaraq. My mother, even though she lives in England, gave my father four sons. She deserves his support and respect.’
This was a rather different way of looking at things than Felicity was used to hearing in the maternity wards! But he’d confused her now.
‘Four?’ She crinkled her nose. ‘I thought you said that you had two brothers?’
‘I do.’
She knew then she had definitely said the wrong thing, and immediately apologised. ‘I’m sorry…’
‘You weren’t to know.’ He didn’t elaborate straight away, and neither did Felicity push, but after the longest pause it was Karim who broke the silence. ‘I am the third son. Ahmed was the second. Zaraq is seventy percent desert. Ahmed was into desert racing. He was practising. His vehicle broke down and help did not get there in time.’
‘I’m sorry.’ She said it again and he held her gaze, even opened his mouth for a second to speak, then changed his mind.
Don’t be. He’d been about to repeat her very words. He caused this mess.
There was no bill to summon—just separate rooms to go to.
It was the part of the night she always dreaded.
They walked slowly to the lifts, where a few people were waiting, and Felicity’s heart was hammering in her chest as he stood and faced her.
‘Thank you,’ she attempted, ‘for a wonderful night.’
Karim was about to say that it didn’t have to end there, but he hesitated. She was jangling with nerves, so he decided to soothe her with his mouth; he would play with her hair, his skilled lips moving in…He would let this lift go, Karim decided as the doors pinged open. His lips would meet hers and then he’d take her to his room in the next one!
His mouth was moving in. She was his sweet dessert to linger over—he had waited twelve
