Road to Casablanca (12 page)

“My goodness, that’s a lot!”

“This is the traditional fare here.
 
It’s actually pretty good.”

Not sure of what it all was, Cindy recognized potatoes, squash of some kind and some dumplings.
 

As she looked for the serving utensils and waited politely for Erick to serve her, instead he abruptly reached into the plate with his hands and helped himself.

Visibly shocked by what she perceived to be his unbelievable lack of manners, Cindy was speechless.
 

Erick laughed hysterically when he saw the look on her face.

“You think I was raised by wolves, huh?”

“What?”

“Don’t try to pretend with me.
 
I saw the way you looked at me just a minute ago.
 
It was priceless.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I picked up the food with my hands…”

“Oh.”

‘That’s the custom here.
 
It’s perfectly acceptable.”

“Oh…”

“I would have helped your plate, but I wasn’t sure we know each other well enough yet.”

“Thanks for that, anyhow.
 
Does that mean I need to dip in there too?”

“I’m happy to do it for you if you’d like.”

Cindy stared at the plate and Erick continued to chuckle.
 

“No, I can handle it, thank you.”

Delicately, she reached in and put two potatoes and a piece of squash on her plate.

“Oh come on now, you’re going to have to eat more than that…..”

“What’s that?”

She pointed to the dumplings and to some other darker balls of something she didn’t recognize as Erick popped them into his mouth and smiled.

“I’m not sure, but they taste pretty darned good.
 
Try it.”

Cindy picked up two of each and put them on her plate.

“You know, when I was a kid, I would be grounded for a week for eating with my hands.”

“Oh you’re telling me?
 
My father would get his belt out at the table if we spoke out of line.”

They shared a smile and Cindy reached out and put one of the dumplings in her mouth.

“Hey, this is good.”

“Would I lead you astray?”

“I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know about that in a couple days, okay?”

The waiter then appeared with a steaming hot tea kettle and filled their empty mugs.

“Mmmmm, what is that?
 
It smells incredible.”

“That, my dear is the traditional Moroccan spearmint tea, a local delicacy of sorts.”

“This is delicious, and the food is wonderful, too, really relaxing.”

“It is good, but if you want relaxing, just wait until this afternoon.
 
I think you’ll feel like a new woman after that.”

Cindy smiled at him as she sipped her tea and tried to relax.
 
He was so darned good-looking she was certain she’d be tongue-tied if it weren’t for her incredible physical exhaustion.
 
He was quite an interesting man and she couldn’t wait to learn more about him.

“I appreciate the dress and the jewelry, thanks.”

“You’re most welcome.
 
It looks great on you.”

“Thanks.”

They sat in silence for a moment looking out over the thick patio walls and into the arid valley below.
 
Lush tropical vegetation hugged the walls of the hotel and filled the grounds, but judging by the barren view beyond it, Cindy could see these were planted and tended to by the hotel and not a natural part of the landscape.
 
Nevertheless, it was a stunning view.

 
“I think you’ll really like what’s coming tonight.
 
We’ve got a big dinner with the Jibades at nine and a party afterwards. I think you will be really impressed.”

“Is that what the dress is for?”

“Yes, there will be lots of celebrities around here for the next few days, and I want you to fit right in.”

“Thanks.
 
I really enjoyed being fitted for the gown.
 
The silks are amazing.
 
I think the woman really knew what she was doing.”

“Well she better.
 
She’s fitting for a lot of the folks from
Hollywood
today.”

“I’m sure I will put it to good use.”

“Oh it’s only one of many you’ll get. The week has just started here.
 
The big events and the awards aren’t happening until this weekend.”

Cindy didn’t fully understand what he meant.
 
Surely a dress like that could be worn at least twice on a trip like this one.

“I could always wear it again later, toward the end of the week.”

“No, not for these parties you won’t.
 
I want you to have something new every time you step out of our—I mean
your
—room.”

“Are you sure?”

“You know, you really are something.
 
You really are different than other people I’ve met.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that if what you are saying is true, then I probably owe you a big apology for the things I said earlier.
 
They were out of line.
 
You don’t seem to be an overly materialistic woman out for my money.”

“I’m…not, Erick.
 
I am really happy just to be here.
 
I don’t expect those kinds of things.”

“I get that about you.
 
I do, and believe me, it means a lot.”

“You have to understand something about me, Erick.
 
I grew up on a farm with sisters and hand-me-downs.
 
This…is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

“I forgot you’re not the world traveler you claimed to be on your paperwork, huh?”

“Hey, I didn’t lie.
 
I said exotic and overseas sounded neat, but that didn’t mean I’d ever experienced it before.”

They both laughed as the platter was taken away and replaced by a fresh pot of tea and a wide array of delicate pastries.

“You know, the more I think of that, the more fun it makes this trip.
 
I can actually do things for you, show you things, new things that you seem to appreciate…”

“I do!”

“Do you have any idea how sexy that is for me?
 
It makes me feel good to do for someone who appreciates me.”

“I’m glad.
 
Oh, and one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Do I really have to pretend to be your wife the whole time we’re here?”

“Well, yes, if you could I would appreciate it.”

“Not meaning to pry, but why is that?”

Cindy watched Erick stuff a jelly roll into his mouth and his eyes wander over the valley as if he was preparing his response.

“I...that’s why you’re here.
 
I need someone with me because this is, let’s just say, a very traditional society.
 
It helps my business to be seen in the same light, if you get my meaning.”

She didn’t, but realized it was too soon to expect him to tell her more than that.
 
She would have to gain his trust and that might take another few hours, or another day.
 

“Okay, but pretty soon, you will have to trust me if you expect me to help you.
 
You know that, right?”

“Yes.”

“Why is it you need a wife here, and more importantly, why me?”

“The culture here is quite different than back in the
U.S.
 
The people I am dealing with here are quite conservative and family-oriented. I want them to think we share a certain level of commonality amongst us so that it will be easier for us to do business together, now and in the future.”

The future
.
 
Cindy knew beyond this date that there was no future for the two of them.
 

Victoria
was right; she was merely his Cinderella, minus the glass slipper.
 
When the clock struck twelve, her chariot would turn back into a pumpkin and she would go back home to her plain life, boring office job and cat.
 

This dream was only temporary — a once-in-a-lifetime fantasy that would never amount to anything.
 

It was interesting to run her mind though the various scenarios and possibilities for the future, but realistically nothing would ever come of this relationship.
 
She was here to have an experience, expand her horizons, nothing more.
 

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yes, okay. I will go along with your make-believe marriage. I will do my best to pretend you are my loving husband and that we share a wonderful life together back in the States.
 
To do that, you’re going to have to fill me in a bit on who you are and what our life is like back there, don’t you think?”

Chapter Eleven

Erick’s eyes couldn’t help wandering from Cindy’s face to her bare shoulders and back again as he thought about their fictitious life together and how happy he was she was willing to play along with it.

“We live in
Hollywood
— in the
San Fernando Valley
.”

“How long have we lived there?”

“Not long, just a couple of years.”

“Do we like it there?”

Erick watched Cindy grab a ladyfinger and put it in her mouth.
 
He couldn’t help but wish he could take its place as he watched her full lips wrap around the pastry.

“Hello? Are you listening?”

Cindy waved her hand in front of his face, but his eyes were still glued to her mouth.

“Uh, yeah, I mean yes, I think we do.
 
I like it there more than you do, though.
 
You miss your family and go home to see them a lot in…where do you live?
 
I forgot.”

“I told you,
Texas
. In
Dallas
.”