“Kam, I don’t want the car at all. The Metro is perfectly safe. And why is this man saying that he is to follow me around?”
“Habibti, your safety is my priority. Talib is there to ensure that nothing happens to you.”
“This is ridiculous! Talib needs to go home and I’m not using the car.”
Kam was frustrated and wanted to demand she obey him, but from thousands of miles away he was dependent upon her complying of her own will. “Erin, please use the car. It would make me happy to know that you did not have to utilize the public transportation.”
Erin heard the plea and felt herself give in, “Fine. But call your watchdog off.”
“That I will not do. Talib is there at my request. If it will make you happy, I will ask him to make himself invisible while he performs his job.”
“I don’t want to see him,” Erin stated. If she didn’t have to see him, she would be able to pretend he wasn’t there.
“Fine. How have you been?”
“Great.”
“I am missing you.”
“Missing me? It’s only been two days.”
“If I had my way we would never be apart again,” Kamal informed her.
“Kam, I don’t understand any of this. We’ve only just met.”
“Tell me you don’t feel the same way,” Kamal challenged her.
Erin was silent, knowing that she couldn’t. “Are you planning to come back to the states?”
“I am. Things here are difficult right now…”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Erin asked, hating the vulnerability in her voice.
“Tell you what, habibti?”
“I know Kam. Or should I say Your Majesty.”
Kamal sighed, “I wasn’t deliberately trying to conceal my identity from you, Erin. It was so nice to spend time with someone who wasn’t trying to tell me what they thought I wanted to hear, or bowing to my opinion in all things. It was refreshing. I planned on telling you in the morning, but was called back to Jawhara.”
Erin tried to put herself in his position, “It must be hard never knowing if people are being honest with you.”
“Very. Do you forgive me?”
“Yes,” Erin said with a smile in her voice for the first time since their call had been connected.
“Good. Now hand the phone back to Talib and finish getting ready for work. I will sleep better tonight knowing that you are being chauffeured around.”
“Kam, thank you. Goodbye.” She handed the phone back and then turned shutting the door. Shira stood just inside the foyer, staring at her. “Don’t say a word.”
“It seems that you might have forgotten a few things about your night with Kam.”
“Not going to happen. I’m probably going to be late as it is.”
Shira watched her head back towards her bedroom, “Tonight then. After work.”
“We’ll see. Don’t you have someplace you need to be as well?”
Shira made a face and entered her own room. Erin finished dressing for work and then exited the condo, thankful that Talib was nowhere to be seen. The driver spoke perfect English and soon she was headed to work, without having to traverse the escalators and platforms of the Metro. The driver had been a nice gesture and for the time being, she would enjoy the luxury and think of Kam.