Road to Casablanca (27 page)

“Cindy, Cindy…Let me in!”

Thoughts spun in his head like a tornado as he tried to figure out if she was just bluffing, but he knew she wasn’t.
 
This was real.
 
His love was gone,
but where
?
 
He had to figure this out, and fast.

Erick ran to his phone, called the front desk, and inquired about her.

“Yes, sir; she left for the airport a few hours ago.”

“A few hours ago? Why did you allow it, you imbecile?”

Erick slammed the phone receiver in the man’s ear and paced around the room, trying to think of what to do next.
 
He had to find her fast and knew of only one person in town who could be relied on day or night.

His private driver answered his call immediately and sounded a bit surprised by the call since he was not planning to pick them up again until morning.
 

 
“Hello?”

 
“I need you to come here right away and take me to the airport. I’ll pay you whatever you want, just hurry!”

“Of course, Mr. Redmund. I will be happy to do what I can to help and will be there right away, sir.”

The driver was out front minutes after Erick reached the lobby. He climbed in the back, obviously upset and lacking his usual manners and smile.

“To the airport!
 
Hurry, drive as fast as you can!
 
I have to catch up with the 4:45 p.m. flight to
London
before it leaves.”

“Yes, sir, right away.”

The driver rushed through the crowded streets of the city weaving precariously through the traffic and down the long dusty stretch of road that led to the airport.
 
Erick couldn’t help but think of Cindy and how she put her tiny hand in his when they took car rides across town.
 
Now she was gone and had left a hole in his gut that he had to fix fast.

In the city center, Erick once again noticed a street sign with an arrow pointing in the direction of Casablanca and instantly remembered the camel ride he’d shared with Cindy — the first of his life, too.
 

He thought about what an egomaniac he’d been, trying to make her feel less worldly, less experienced than he, when in all actuality, there were dozens of things he did in Morocco that he had never done in his life either. Looking back on it, he realized she was the courageous one to have come all this way with no complaints and to be so open and willing to try anything.
 
She was an amazing woman, and he was a jerk.

The same question ran over and over in his mind:
what have I done to offend her this time?

The simple truth was Erick never wanted to offend her again. The only thing he wanted to do now was make her his wife; he was sure of it.
 
As he slowly replayed the events of the afternoon, mentally retracing his every move, he suddenly knew what the problem was.
 
He thought about
Petra
and the reporters, and knew at once that somehow Cindy must have seen it or heard about it and misunderstood everything.

Oh my God
;
oh no! What a miserable misunderstanding this was! Damned paparazzi!
 

The driver pulled up to the curb outside the departure gates. Erick hopped out, handing the driver a wad of cash from his pocket.
 

“Wait for me here, unless I don’t come out after twenty minutes. Then go on.
 
It means I left on a plane.”

“Oui.”

Erick scanned the three exterior doorways, deciding to take the one in the center. He raced into the airport, trying to get his bearings as quickly as he could.

He saw the British Airways gate and knew that was the flight she would be taking,
or was it?
 
Gloria made all the arrangements for him, but he could see a long line of passengers and had to assume Cindy was there
someplace
.

As always, Erick used his machismo to push and shove his way to the front of the waiting line of passengers, all of whom grumbled their displeasure at him.

Erick reached the ticket agent, who had an unpleasant look on her face and made no eye contact with him.

“I want to check on the status of a passenger, Cindy Brown, on the 4:45p.m. flight to
London
.”

“I’m sorry. sir, but I cannot give out that information, and unless you have a ticket of your own, I’m going to have to ask you to step aside so we can continue to process our waiting passengers.”

“Look, this is an emergency!”

Erick did the only thing he could: handed her a large sum of local currency.
 
The agent flatly refused it by rolling her eyes and holding up a hand to wave off his kickback.

“Sir, I cannot give out that information. Besides, the flight is about to leave.”

Erick stopped his bribery attempts and raced toward the gates until he reached the security area, which was not nearly as ominous or imposing as those in the
U.S.
and
London
.

“Ticket and passport, sir?”

Erick reached for his wallet and pulled out his passport and handed it to the heavily armed guard.

“Here you go.”

“Your ticket, sir?”
 
the man asked in the same tone, holding out his hand.

“I don’t have one.
 
I need to reach my…wife.
 
She’s on that flight and she forgot something.
 
It’s very important I give it to her.”

“I’m sorry sir, but the flight is pulling away right now. Besides, I cannot let you past this point without a ticket.”

The plane was still parked at the gate and Erick could see it clearly.
 

“But you don’t understand.”

Erick reached for the same wad of cash he attempted to give to the young woman and handed it to him as he pushed forward.

“Here.
 
Take this. I need to get to her, now!”

The man waved off the money, then stood up and placed his palm on Erick’s chest.
 
The gesture immediately attracted the attention of several armed guards who quickly approached. None of them looked like someone Erick would dare mess with had he been in a proper frame of mind.
 
But for the time being, he seemed to have lost all sense of propriety and judgment.
 
All he could think of was Cindy, and he didn’t care if they pulled him to the ground, he was going to get to her.

“No, sir. I cannot allow it.
 
Back away or we will have to arrest you.”

“Look, I don’t want any trouble! It’s just an emergency.”

“I’m sure your wife will be fine, sir. I apologize, but we are going to have to ask you to leave.
 
You can catch up with your wife later.”

The man repeated his warning as the other guards physically moved Erick out of the waiting area and back to the curb out front.

Erick was used to always getting his way—at least almost always—and this was a huge blow to his ego, but more importantly to his heart.
 
He had to find Cindy, no matter what.
 
Why wouldn’t they understand that?

If Cindy really was on that plane right now, leaving him because she’d seen him with
Petra
of all people, it was such a sore misunderstanding, it made him sick.
 
It hit too close to home with what had happened the last time the media sharks got hold of him, but this time it was doubly devastating.

Cindy was truly the only woman Erick had ever considered loving, and he knew if she left Morocco—as it now looked like she was about to—and he did not have the opportunity to clear things up with her, chances were good he might lose her forever.

Erick was unwilling to give up on her so quickly; he had to try again. He waved to his driver to signal him to wait, then walked back toward the ticket counter, where he was immediately met by the guards.

“Sir, we are going to have to ask you to leave.”

“Please, I need to check to see if there’s another flight to
London
going out today.”

“I’m sorry, sir, that was the last flight today.”

Erick became visibly crushed now, his usually strong shoulders slumping in defeat. As he walked slowly from the airport and back out to the curb, he looked into the late afternoon sky, where a single aircraft made its ascent into the clouds.
 
Cindy
.
 
She was in that plane all alone, afraid to fly and for what?
 
Those damned reporters were bent on ruining his life.
 

He only faintly considered what his father and the Board would say when they were home eating their dinners tonight and once again saw him Erick appearing to behave badly.
 
But he brushed that thought off as his mind instantly returned to sweet Cindy. He reached for the wedding rings that were still in his pocket and a tear began to form in his eye.
 

Could she not understand what she meant to him?
 
She was the greatest gift he’d ever received, his everything.
 
His wife.
 
He wanted to make her his wife, and he would have to track her down now and let her know her fantasy was reality after all.
 
He had to find a way to get those rings back on her finger where they belonged.

As he considered following her, he realized that despite all they’d shared, he had no idea where she lived in
Dallas
, the name of the law firm where she worked, or anything.
 
He was going to have his work cut out for him, but he didn’t mind.
 
She was worth any effort he made and he would not stop until he could face her again and they could get this whole situation straightened out once and for all.

The driver saw him and pulled up, rolling down the window. “Mr. Redmund?
 
You not going home today sir with your wife?”

“No, no, I’m not.
 
Take me back to the hotel.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

“I have to go standby today.”

Erick stood at the front desk of the hotel and pounded his fists on the counter as he spoke to the tiny woman behind the front desk.

“I’m sorry sir, I have called, but all the flights for today have already gone.
 
You will have to wait until tomorrow.”

Erick could feel his temperature rise and his face grow red with heat.
 
Regardless of what he said or did, it seemed there was nothing he could do about any of it.
 

I could call the private jet…

It seemed like a good idea at first, but almost as soon as he thought about it, he realized it was still sitting on a landing strip in
Hollywood
.
 
By the time it flew all the way to northern Africa, he could already be well on his way back to the States.
  

“There must be a faster way to get out of Africa.
 
Surely you must know of something, some way.
 
I’m more than willing to pay you or anyone to just get me out of here.”