“Those are the only allowable purposes,” Marian said, knocking her shoulder against him. They shared a private smile, one that sent a jolt through him. This was going to be as good a day as yesterday, if not better. And his companion had everything to do with it.
The doors slid open as they approached, and a puff of dry summer air reached them. He paused by the curb as he texted his driver to pull up. Marian slid a pair of sunglasses onto her nose, surveying the day with her hands on her hips.
“If there’s one thing I accomplish in Parsabad during my stay,” she said, “It’s going to be brokering the damn deal. But the close runner-up is going to be a slew of cringe-worthy tourist photos, so I hope you don’t mind a selfie stick.” She patted the oversized purse on her arm with an evil grin.
Omar laughed as the car rolled up. He held the back door open for her, more excited than he’d ever thought possible at the notion of a selfie stick. It was one of those things that didn’t figure into his regular life. But with Marian at his side, it only felt right. And the idea of documenting this day, their time together, this brief and joyful respite from his regular life, was a welcome one.
He spoke quickly to the driver then slid into the back seat with Marian, his arm immediately settling over her shoulders. He grabbed her chin between his fingers, tilting her head to look back at him.
“Why are you the only woman who can make a selfie stick sexy?”
Her cheeks flushed. “Well, it depends what pictures we take, but…”
He brushed his lips against hers as the car rolled into motion. They had a whole day and a whole list ahead of them. And already Omar wished it would never end.
The two spent their day gallivanting through Minarak from east to west, north to south, imbibing every manner of touristy sightseeing opportunity available. The catacombs started off their morning, followed by a morbid tour of a famous cemetery, climbing to the cupola of a supposedly haunted unused mosque, lunch at a traditional Parsian buffet, tasting the chocolate treats of three separate famous dessert shops, and the butterfly garden. Her delight as the flying bits of color flocked to her cup of nectar had in turn delighted him. They ended with dinner and an old-timey Parsian movie with no subtitles, totally at Marian’s insistence.
By the time the movie let out, it was after dark. They walked down the sidewalk in a pleasant silence, Omar feeling entranced by the events of the day. The movie had left him with some interesting things to ponder, one of the most potent being the realization that he’d felt relaxed all day.
When was the last time he could say that for himself? He’d never felt so at ease with anyone before—certainly not a lover—not even Anahita. Their entire day had passed in a delightful blur, leaving him wanting more time with Marian, more of her.
Her arm rubbed against his—their version of holding hands for the day. “Whatcha thinking about?”
“That movie.” He scuffed his heel against the cement sidewalk as they strolled. “I wish there had been subtitles. It really made me think.”
“I could tell there was some heavy stuff going on,” Marian remarked, the glinting streetlights highlighting the streaks of gold in her hair. “But I was mostly focusing on the sounds, and that impeccable 1960s makeup.”
Omar shoved his hands into his pockets. “Well, those two guys were trying to save the rich man the whole time. He wanted to commit suicide.”
“So who was the beautiful lady?”
“His dead wife.” Omar cleared his throat. “She wanted him to move on. But he just wanted to die to be with her.”
Marian nodded as they strolled, her gaze on the ground. “Interesting.”
A long silence followed them, one that felt painful somehow. Omar wasn’t sure if the things on his mind were also on Marian’s.
“You know, it’s a well-timed movie choice,” she said, her voice breezy. “The man chooses to move on. Just like you’ve moved on from your past, too.”
Her words echoed inside his head, each repetition making him feel queasy. She nudged him after a moment, smiling up at him.
“Right?”
Omar swallowed a knot in his throat. Moving on wasn’t in the plans, not this soon, not so fast. Guilt flooded him, made his knees wobble for a moment, and he inhaled sharply, trying to regain the lighthearted mood from only moments ago.
“I don’t know.” He fished out his phone, messaging his driver to meet them. The day had already come to a natural close—and this was more of a sign than ever that he needed to retreat. He’d gone too far. He at least needed the solitude to think about what he was doing—what he was feeling. Nothing made sense suddenly. Hearing the truth from her lips felt like an unexpected punch in the gut.
“Are you calling the driver?” Marian looked a little crestfallen.
“I did.” He forced a smile. “It’s getting late, don’t you think?”
“Yeah.” She looked around, gnawing at the inside of her lip. “We did accomplish a lot from the list.”
“Over ninety percent of it in one day, which is more touristy things than I’ve done in my entire life.”
A smile flickered on her face, as the car pulled into a side alley in front of them. They walked there quietly, a heaviness between them. All your fault. He’d ruined the good vibes in one fell swoop, but what else could he do? A simmering mood encroached quickly, and he needed the alone time to figure it out.
Inside the car, Marian nestled up to him. He slung his arm around her shoulders, but didn’t press further.