There was no point in fanciful daydreaming.
She realized they were staring at one another, which also wasn’t a good idea. Clearing her throat, she turned back toward the tunnel.
“We should probably get going,” she said.
Mehdi paused, as though he were going to tell her something, before nodding his head.
“I suppose so. Far be it from me to get a young woman in even bigger trouble with her parents.”
FIVE
Steph
Mehdi escorted Steph back through the tunnel, where they were met by the same man who had watched them enter. He gave a deep bow, and Mehdi thanked him for the privilege of seeing the aquarium after hours on such short notice.
“It is no trouble at all, Your—”
Mehdi shook his head firmly, glancing pointedly at Steph, who was oblivious.
“Sir,” the man corrected. “You’re welcome back any time, of course.”
Steph’s stomach was in knots as they stepped back out into the night. She was too scared to look at her phone to check the time, lest she see a slew of angry text messages from her parents.
“What time is it?” she asked as Mehdi stepped out, joining her.
He looked at an expensive-looking watch on his left wrist. “Close to midnight.”
Steph swallowed. Still, she had come this far, and it was likely her parents had seen her note and opted to go to bed, knowing she was capable of taking care of herself. Did they know she could take care of herself? Thinking of where she had been before Mehdi arrived, the truth was she was in quite a bit of trouble.
“Why don’t you head back to your hotel? It might take your mind off the anxiety,” Mehdi suggested.
Steph nodded, falling into step with him as he headed in a direction she wouldn’t have chosen. She really was completely and utterly lost in El Farah. She had so much to learn.
“So, being from here, what do you really think about arranged marriages? Do you think I’m being crazy?”
Having the chance to speak plainly with someone about her predicament was too good an opportunity to pass up, and Steph decided to make the most of it with Mehdi. The fact that there was an obvious spark of attraction between them was a moot point, but at least she had a momentary friend to confide in.
Mehdi ruminated on his answer for a moment.
“I don’t think you’re being crazy. It’s perfectly rational to be afraid of the unknown. It’s your body’s response to the possibility of danger, and it’s trying to protect you. I’m not the biggest fan of arranged marriages, if I’m being totally honest.”
“The chances of us meeting again are fairly slim, Mehdi. You can be nothing if not honest with me on our first and last walk together.”
Mehdi’s eyebrows shot up at her blunt honesty. “You really don’t think we’ll ever see one another again?”
Steph shrugged. “I’m going to be getting married tomorrow, and I can’t imagine my future husband would be thrilled to meet the man who took me on a midnight adventure the evening before our wedding.”
“No, I suppose he wouldn’t be,” Mehdi agreed. “In that case, I find myself more of a progressive on a lot of issues facing our country. I have spent some time in the West, and I think they are doing many things right—by women, by minorities, with education. I would like to see more of that here. Arranged marriages aren’t really a thing out there, as you’ve said, so I think it’s fair to say that I’m not really supportive of that method of dating.”
Steph smirked. “Method of dating? That’s one way to describe it.”
“And how would you? That’s all arranged marriage is, isn’t it? A way for two people to meet and start a life together? The only difference is the dating happens in conjunction with the marriage.”
“That’s a pretty big difference,” Steph said, though she wasn’t entirely certain of her own conviction on that point.
“Perhaps,” Mehdi said with a shrug. “I wouldn’t do something like, say, outlaw the practice, but it certainly wasn’t for me.”