It was an evening of firsts for Mairi. The first time she’d ridden in a horse-drawn carriage, the first time she’d had Indian food at a picnic and the first time she’d worn something as pretty as the clothes Amir had given her. Her wonderful fake boyfriend had gone out of his way to make the evening special, from choosing some of her favorite foods, to bringing camp chairs and a folding table to ensure they wouldn’t have to sit on the ground. It was a wise decision. Curry was the perfect food, but it wasn’t exactly picnic fare.
He’d set the table up on a white sandy beach that wasn’t far from Arness—but then, they’d ridden a buggy to get there, so they couldn’t have gone that far from town. The meal was delicious, the view wonderful and the company delightful. Amir was funny and attentive. He was smart and caring. And even though he was a little dorky with it, he was really quite charming.
So why was she thinking about Keir instead of the man who’d gone to all this trouble to give her a special evening out?
She clutched the phone Keir had thoughtfully bought for her and wondered what he was doing. She wondered if he was pacing the garage, waiting for her to call, and worrying about whether she was safe. Keir always worried about her safety. In fact, she wouldn’t put it past him to make Sean access the GPS on her new phone, just so he knew where she was. She chewed at her bottom lip as she looked down at the phone. Maybe she should send him a text, just to let him know everything was fine.
“Mairi, you are not listening to me,” Amir gently reprimanded her.
She smiled at him. “I’m sorry, Amir. My mind wandered. Guess I’m more tired than I realized, and my head hurts a little. That’s what you get if you spend your night halfway down a cliff instead of tucked up tight in bed.”
“Is there something I can get you that will help? I can fetch you some medication.”
He moved to stand, and Mairi put her hand over his, stopping him. “Amir—?
?
“Please.” He held up a hand to stop her from saying anything else.
She watched him for a moment, still holding his hand. Eventually, his shoulders slumped, and he gave her a weak smile before sitting back down.
“There is no chemistry between us. Is there, my beautiful Mairi?”
He looked so forlorn at the thought that it was tempting to lie. But she couldn’t do it, to either of them. “No, there isn’t. That doesn’t mean I didn’t love everything about this evening, though. It was one of the loveliest I’ve ever had.” She looked down at her suit. “And this suit is the bomb.”
He gave her a wan smile. “I should head home to Pakistan.”
Her heart clenched for him. “You don’t need to go right away. You’re having fun with the other guys, making friends, causing trouble. Stick around and relax a little. Who knows, you might have even more fun if you aren’t chasing around after me.” She patted his hand. “Trust me on this, Amir. I’m no great catch.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” He smiled at her. “You are very hot, and you speak fluent geek. In my world, that makes you the female version of George Clooney.”
Mairi laughed and settled back into her chair. “There are other women out there, Amir.”
“I know.” He looked out over the water. The sun was setting, but they were facing the wrong direction for a spectacular sunset. “My parents tell me this every day.” He looked back at her, seeming a little sad and lost. “They have been pressuring me to let them arrange a marriage for me.”
“That’s normal in your part of the world, right?”
He nodded. “It might sound like the perfect solution. A man like me, who has problems with women, gets his parent to solve the problem for him.”
She knew straight away what the catch was. “But who would they choose for you?”
“My parents think in terms of the woman coming from a good family. Personality and interests aren’t a factor for them. But, it is selfish to complain about these things. There are many other boyfriends back in Arness who would be most grateful for their parents to find them a match.”
“I’m sorry it hasn’t worked out between us,” Mairi said, and was surprised to find she meant it.
The sparkle returned to Amir’s eyes. “Are you sure this chemistry is so very important in a relationship?”
“I’m sure.” Mairi grinned at him and pushed back her chair. “Now, you promised me a walk on the beach before we head back.”
“It would be my most great pleasure,” Amir said, and in a gallant gesture, offered her his arm.
Chapter 14
Keir had his head under the Beetle’s bonnet when he heard a voice behind him.
“Want to eat chocolate and watch Lethal Weapon?”
Mairi.