Another loud clap of thunder jolted them both back to reality and Karim turned in the direction of the hotel. He held her tightly in his arms and ran through the rain back through the doors of the lobby. His staffer grabbed a handful of towels and blankets as Karim entered and placed Ella gently on one of the chairs.
“Quick,” Karim said, motioning to another chair. “Bring that over here.”
Djaron scooted the other chair into position so that Ella could rest her swollen ankle on the cushion. Karim looked down and saw the ankle swell up and turn purple in a matter of seconds.
“Djaron, go get a first aid kit, and some ice!” he commanded.
Djaron nodded and ran out of the lobby, returning moments later with a bucket of ice and a first aid kit.
Karim and Djaron attended to Ella’s leg as she winced in pain. They wrapped it with an elastic bandage and then poured ice into a towel and held it firmly against her leg to minimize the swelling.
“How does that feel?” Karim asked gently.
“It hurts,” Ella said, laughing a little.
“Do you want some aspirin?” Karim said.
“Another drink might do the trick,” she said, laughing.
Karim didn’t laugh but nodded to Djaron who disappeared into the bar. He returned with a shot glass and bottle of vodka.
Karim poured Ella a shot and she downed it quickly, letting the liquor warm her and numb the pain. She took another and settled back into the chair, careful not to move her injured leg.
One of the few staff members that remained picked up the drinks and first aid kit and took them back into the bar. Karim looked at Djaron and dismissed him with a brief nod, and within seconds, Ella and Karim were alone again.
“Thank you, Karim,” Ella said, her eyes closed against the pain in her ankle.
Karim blinked in disbelief. “For what?” he asked, the wind howling as he spoke.
“For saving me,” she said slowly as she opened her eyes and locked them with his.
He felt his heart pound as he looked at her. “No,” he said, steeling his jaw. “It was my fault. I’m to blame.”
Ella shook her head. “Don’t be silly.”
Anger rose in Karim as he spoke. “No,” he went on with heat in his voice. “If it weren’t for me being so pigheaded, you never would have been out in that storm!”
Ella looked at him, her expression soft. “Karim,” she said, reaching out to touch his hand. “It’s not your fault.”
Karim snatched his hand away. He would hear none of it. “No,” he said again as he stood up. “I’m sorry, Ella. I’m the reason you got hurt because I’m the reason you came here at all. It’s all my fault.”
Karim turned and called for Djaron. “I'll get us some rooms because it looks like we won’t be going anywhere tonight. Please attend to Ella while I'm gone.” He paused for a second, before adding “Goodnight, Ella.”
He turned and walked out of the lobby. Ella watched him leave, unsure of what to do. She had heard the words he spoke, but she didn’t believe them. It wasn’t Karim’s fault that she got hurt. It was just a storm. It was an accident. As she was thinking about what to say to him, a wave of exhaustion came over her.
“Thank you, Djaron,” she said warmly. “I really appreciate your help.”
Djaron smiled at Ella and sat with her until her room was ready. He helped her to her room and got her settled in as the storm continued to rage outside.
After she was settled in, Djaron bid her goodnight and left her alone. Dinner had been brought up to the room, but Ella was too tired to eat. She looked at the food on the tray and then put the lid back on it. The pain in her ankle was fierce, but Djaron had assured her that it was only a sprain. She hoped that the swelling would go down by the morning.
Ella got undressed and hobbled over to the bed. She pulled back the luxurious bedding and slipped under the covers, letting her head sink into the deep pillows. She closed her eyes and listened as the rain and wind pummeled the side of the building. Thoughts of Karim filled her head.
It had been a long time since Ella had been seriously involved with a man. She had had one boyfriend in high school, but that only lasted a year. Then in college, Ella focused so much on her grades and classes that she found little time for dating. Even at Munford, she'd thought it unwise to get involved with any of her male colleagues, and she'd had little time outside of work to meet anybody.
It was only when she had started her own business that Ella felt she could afford to date. But meeting men in the wedding planning business was hard. Most of the guys she dealt with were either married, about to be married, or gay. And she knew better than to date a groomsman. She had tried that once, even waiting until after the wedding to do so. But it still ended terribly, and the last thing she needed was a previous client to spread rumors about her dating the wedding party. Those weren’t the kind of referrals Ella wanted.