Road to Casablanca (17 page)

Regardless of the fact the man had behaved like a self-proclaimed jerk, Cindy had to admit he had style.
 
Besides, she admitted to herself, she couldn’t wait to see him again.

“Sounds great.
 
I’ll see you then.”

Cindy hung up and got back into bed and stared at the ceiling for a minute before closing her eyes.
 
As she did, someone knocked at the door.

“Who could that be?” she asked herself. Attired only in her robe, she went to the door to find a hotel employee with a huge cart of food.

“Good morning, Madame.”

“Hello…..uh, is this all for me?”

“Yes, Madame.
 
The gentleman asked us to bring it and to give you this.”

The woman held out a tall glass with a strange, greenish-colored drink.

“What is it?”

“It’s for your…headache, Madame.”

“Of course; thank you.”

She took the glass and took a sip, nearly choking on the contents.

“Sorry, Madame, but this will help if you drink it all.”

Cindy nodded, pursed her lips, and held her nose as she downed the rest as fast as she could, immediately chasing it with a glass of water and a cup of steaming hot coffee.

The woman rolled the cart over to her breakfast table and cracked open the curtains to reveal a beautiful and unobstructed view of the
Atlas Mountains
. The sun shone through the windows.

“Thank you for bringing this.”

“My pleasure, Madame.”

When she was gone, Cindy walked over to get a full view of the cart, seeing a cheese omelet and several types of cereals, breads, and juices—much more food than she could possibly eat by herself.

He’s spoiling me, but I sure do like it!

After eating, Cindy took a long hot bath and felt her headache melt away.

Knock! Knock!

“Who could that be now?”

This time, it was the tailor.
 

“Good morning!”

“Good morning.
 
What can I do for you?”

Cindy noticed that this time she was holding a beautiful, floor-length plum \woolen gown reminiscent of the styles the locals wore, complete with a matching scarf for her head.
 

“I was instructed to bring this to you for your trip today, ma’am.”

“Thank you.
 
It looks wonderful.”

As soon as she slipped it on, Cindy noticed how the cloth felt warm, yet airy at the same time.
 
Since the mountains could often be quite cool this time of year, this outfit seemed suited to any kind of weather.
 

“Come take a look in the mirror, Madame.”

Cindy stared at her reflection, playing with her scarf. She didn’t know how to wrap it just right, so she just draped it over her shoulders.
  
The gown was remarkably comfortable, not scratchy at all since it was lined with satin.
 
Ever since coming to
Morocco
, she noticed that both men and women wore them, and now she could see why: they were extremely warm and comfortable.

“It’s wonderful; thank you.”

“Will there be anything else?”

“No, thank you.”

Cindy closed the door and walked over to the mirror again, running a hand through her hair.
 
She felt exotic in these new clothes and excited about the trip this afternoon.

When the third knock came to the door, Cindy swung it open without looking to see who it was, assuming it was just another delivery, which it turned out to be.
 
Erick stood staring at her, a tiny bouquet of flowers in his hands.

“Well, well, don’t you look like the picture of perfection?” he said, stepping in and kissing her gently on the lips.

She wanted to refuse him after his horrific behavior last night, but for some reason, she couldn’t resist, and actually leaned into him so she could taste him clearly and smell the musky cologne she enjoyed so much.
 

It was the first gentle kiss they’d shared, and the first time he hadn’t attempted to rip her clothes off.
 
It was so sweet, she thought she might have to be the one to rip
his
clothes off this time.
 

“Hi!
 
Thank you for these; they’re beautiful.”
 
She spoke quietly in order to preserve the delicate balance of peace she felt inside.

She held out her arms and spun around in front of him to show off her new ensemble. “Well, what do you think?
 
Is it me, or what?”

“Yes, I do.
 
At this point, I think you would look good in anything.”

Cindy noticed Erick was wearing pants and a plain grey woolen shirt with a round collar.

“So, where’s your outfit?
 
Don’t tell me that’s it!”

“Yes, I’m afraid I don’t do skirts under any circumstances.”

“Well aren’t you a spoilsport!
 
What kind of fun are you, anyway?”

Cindy reached out to touch the sleeve of his shirt.
 
When she did, Erick pulled her closer and the initial sweet tender kiss was soon replaced with one more like what they’d shared yesterday.
 
He was still able to send shivers through her body.

Erick handed her a pair of designer sunglasses. ““So, you ready to go?
 
The car should be waiting downstairs.”

 
“I am now; thanks.”

Erick held her hand as he opened the door and they went into the hall. He felt the ring on her finger and twisted it in his, looking down at his own plain gold band.

“Still wearing your ring, huh?”

Cindy rolled her eyes at him.
 
He is such a smart ass
, she thought. “Let’s not get into that today.
 
I just want to drop it for now and have a good time. Okay by you?”

“Yes, dear. I just think it looks good on you, that’s all.”

“Thanks.”

Erick put an arm gently around her shoulder as they waited for the elevator.
 
Anyone who saw them together would have assumed they’d been a couple forever, and Cindy couldn’t help but smile to herself at the thought of it.

The same driver from yesterday waited patiently for them.
 

“Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Redmund.
 
Allow me.”

Still playing charades today, are we?

Cindy walked to the far side of the car and allowed the driver to help her inside. Erick slid across the seat to be closer to her, taking her hand in his and smiling mischievously.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Far, far away, Mrs. Redmund, to a place few people have ever seen or ever will see.”

“Will I make it back in one piece, or should I call my parents before we leave and tell them it was nice knowing them?”

“Ah, I think you’ll live to tell about it. In fact, I’m sure you will.”

“Well, that’s reassuring.”

Cindy looked out the window as the car pulled away from the long circle drive. In what seemed like only a moment, they appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. The vast desert surrounded them as they drove closer and closer to the large mountain range that had once been off in the distance.
 

Erick squeezed her hand and pointed out the window. “These are the
Atlas Mountains
.
 
We are going to climb up in altitude and visit a private home.”

“One of your movie producer friends?”

“No, of the Berbers.
 
They are the local tribe here and few people on earth have ever seen them.”

“Sounds incredible.
 
How are we getting access to such a special place?”

“I have my ways.”

“I’ll bet you do.”

Cindy watched their car pass by a gift shop nestled in the side of the mountain. A tour bus was parked in front, and dozens of tourists were walking around carrying bags of souvenirs.

“Hey! Are we going to stop here?”

“No, where we’re going, few others ever will…”

They held hands as the car climbed further into the jagged mountains.

“It is absolutely gorgeous up here.
 
I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

Erick cupped her cheek with his hand and smiled, sending a warm feeling through Cindy’s heart.

“I’ve never seen anything like you before.”

“You are too kind.”

Within the hour, they pulled up to a set of mud homes built right into a cliff and the car came to a stop.

“We’re here.”

“This?
 
This is amazing!”

Erick held her hand and they walked up the steep stone steps. A beautiful woman with long, black hair and dark eyes greeted them with a bow and a smile before ushering them into a small living area with a dirt floor. Cindy and Erick had to duck their heads to enter and their hosts gestured toward a seat on a built-in mud bench on the outer wall of the room.

The lady sat in front of a pile of freshly cut spearmint leaves and held two large teakettles in her hands.
 
After she filled the kettles, another woman brought a huge pan of boiling hot water and poured it, instantly filling the room with the smell of spearmint.

“Mmm.
 
It smells so good!”

“I know how you love the tea here; just think of how good this will be!”

A young girl brought over a plate of sweetbreads and treats and placed it in front of them.

“Thank you,” Cindy said.

The girl nodded but none of their new friends spoke any English, so the all conversation was conducted nonverbally after that.

As they enjoyed their treats, a man entered the room who spoke to Erick in French.
 
Cindy didn’t understand what they were saying; she only thought whatever it was sounded relaxing and added to the exotic flavor of their adventure.

“What did he say?”

“He wanted to welcome us and to ask if we are enjoying the tea and breads.”

“Oh…”

Erick must have realized Cindy felt left out because he took her hand and looked deeply into her eyes.

“The film festival in Marrakech has attracted all sorts of people from around the world, but it wasn’t long ago when only the French and a few British were coming here, so the people still have to learn English.”

“Where did you learn to speak French?”

“I went overseas in high school once.
 
Took a crash course, that’s all.
 
I really don’t speak it well or often.”

“Sounds pretty darned good to me.”

“Thanks.
 
Want some more tea?”

Cindy nodded as the woman poured more into both their cups.

“I would like to propose a toast.”

Cindy lifted her mug to his. “A tea toast?”

“Yes, a tea toast to the best first date I’ve had on any continent.”

“Well I’ll toast to the best first date I’ve had out of the country, then.”

The warmth of the tea traveled through her arm and into her heart.
 
It certainly was a romantic setting and Erick had obviously gone out of his way to make it a special day for her.

“Thank you for bringing me here, Erick.
 
It really is the adventure of a lifetime for me.”

“You are most welcome.
 
I’m having a great time with you.”

The driver came into the room to get Erick’s attention.

“Oh, it’s time for us to go on to our next stop.”

“Next stop?
 
You mean there’s more?”

“For you? Of course there’s more!”

Back in the car, they drove a few miles toward town and parked in a remote area by a fenced-in pen of camels.

Cindy’s eyes widened. “Is this what I think it is?”

Erick only smiled at her as he helped her from the car and they were greeted by a smiling man in a long robe who spoke to Erick in French.

“I can’t bring you to such an exotic place if we don’t get to ride a camel together, now can I?”

Excitement filled Cindy and she jumped up and down like a child on her birthday. “Are you serious?
 
I’ve always wanted to ride a camel.”

“Well, here’s your chance!”

The camel herder assessed their height and weight and selected one of the gentler camels for them to ride.
 
The man said something to Erick in a stern tone and Erick nodded in agreement.

“What is he saying?”

“He wants to remind us that these camels are pretty friendly for the most part, but it is important not to put your hands near their mouths. They can bite,
and
they will also spit at you if they get angry.”

“Well I’ve been known to spit at you when I’m angry, and you’ve survived that so I think we should get along just fine.”

“Very funny, Ms. Camel Whisperer.
 
Just keep it in mind, that’s all.
 
It should be okay, it’s just that he has to tell us that.
 
They’re still wild animals.”

“They don’t look wild to me.
 
No wilder than the one in the grey shirt I’m with today.”

“Grr.” Erick leaned in and nibbled her neck as the man brought a stool over to them. Cindy stepped into a rug-lined box atop the camels’ back and Erick stepped up to join her.

“Hey!
 
Wait a minute!
 
You can’t ride in here too, can you?
 
We might hurt him.”

Erick laughed and Cindy felt herself get angry at his teasing.

“Dear, haven’t you heard the old expression
break a camel’s
back
?
 
We don’t weigh
that
much!”

“Yes, I have, and that’s why I don’t want to hurt him!”

Erick laughed so hard he had to climb down. He bent over, holding his knees to support himself.

“Hey, you! What’s so funny?”

“You are!”

“Why?”

“Cindy…camels are some of the strongest animals on earth.
 
We will not hurt him, I promise.”

His laughter obviously annoyed their camel, who turned his head and spit all over Erick’s new shirt. This sent Cindy into immediate hysterics as she watched Erick try to wipe himself off with a nearby rag.

“Hey, what are you laughing at? That was disgusting.”

“Seems
somebody
found your little jokes to be even more annoying than I did.”

“Very funny, miss.
 
You’ll get yours sometime, I’ll bet on it.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

 
“Okay, get up here then and let’s get going.
 
And Erick?”

“Yes?”

“Try not to anger our camel, okay?
 
He’s sensitive and has a tender back.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

He was still laughing as he climbed up and slid in behind her, wrapping his arms neatly around her body and giving her a squeeze as he whispered in her ear.

“You feel great.”

“Uh huh.
 
Now I see why you wanted to ride the camel.
 
You had this planned out all along, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did.”

The musky scent of Erick’s cologne filled Cindy’s nostrils as they began their ride into the hills. The feel of his warm body pressed against her made it difficult to concentrate on the scenery.

After about an hour of riding into what seemed like the middle of nowhere, they crossed a small, paved two-lane road.
 
A sign posted there said
Casablanca
; an arrow pointed in the opposite direction.

 
“Look!
Casablanca
!
 
Is that near here?”

“It’s a ways from here, but yes, that is the road to
Casablanca
, or at least one of them.”

Casablanca
.
 
Cindy recalled the romantic film with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman and thought about how romantic it all was to her.
 
This was the vacation of a lifetime, and then some.

Chapter Sixteen

Erick stared at his face in the mirror as he drew the razor down his cheek.

“Ouch!”

 
He’d been distracted by his thoughts of Cindy and the camel ride they shared only a few hours ago.

Rrrrriiiinnnnnggggg…

“Erick Redmund.”

“Mr. Redmund, the car is waiting out front sir.”

“Thank you; I’ll be right down.”

Erick dialed Cindy’s number, but got no answer.
 

She must be getting ready.

He quickly got into his suit and tie, and grabbed the small bouquet of red roses he’d ordered for her before leaving the room. A few seconds later, he knocked on Cindy’s door.

“Coming!” he heard her say.

He heard the sounds of scurrying around, followed by click of her heels as she approached the door. When she opened it, the sight of her took his breath away.

“My God, woman! You look amazing tonight!”

“Thank you; so do you!” Cindy smiled and wrapped her arms around him.
 

Erick inhaled the faint scent of lilac coming from her hair and couldn’t help running a hand down her bare back and over the black satin of her gown before caressing her neck with his lips.

“We have a special dinner tonight,” he murmured, lowering his hand.

Cindy gently but firmly grasped his wrist and slid his hand up to a higher spot and laughed. “Aren’t they all special when I’m with you?”

“Absolutely, but this one is off-premises in what is supposed to be one of the best views of the city and mountain range.”

“That sounds absolutely wonderful.”

Cindy covered her bare arms with a wrap and took Erick’s arm. They went downstairs to the lobby and were immediately greeted by the driver.

“Mr. and Mrs. Redmund.
 
Allow me.”

They drove quickly up a long, narrow winding road, into a part of town neither had yet to see.
 
They soon arrived at a terraced restaurant built into the side of a hill.

They sat together on the patio sipping wine, watching the sun disappear below the horizon.

“This is so beautiful.”

“You’re so beautiful, Cindy.”

Erick took her hand in his and they silently watched the desert come alive with the golden orange glow of the sun.

Erick thought about Cindy, about how nice she was, how beautiful she turned out to be and how much his father and even the Board would approve of her.
 
It was too soon to talk to her about all of that now, but he hoped he would see her again after this and perhaps share a relationship with her.

“More wine, sir?”

Erick turned to Cindy, gesturing for her to make the decision.

“I don’t care either way.
 
Maybe we’ve had enough after last night…”

“Are you sure?
 
I’m happy to get you whatever you want.”

“I think I’m okay, but you can have some.”

“Oh, come on.
 
One glass?”

“Okay, just one though.”

“Just leave the bottle here.”

The waiter poured generous glasses for both of them and Erick stared into Cindy’s eyes and lifted to his glass.

“To my wife.”

The moment he said it, he wished he hadn’t when he saw Cindy look away for a moment before clinking her glass against his.