Karim poured Ella a shot and she downed it quickly, letting the liquor warm her and numb the pain. She took another and settled back into the chair, careful not to move her injured leg.
One of the few staff members that remained picked up the drinks and first aid kit and took them back into the bar. Karim looked at Djaron and dismissed him with a brief nod, and within seconds, Ella and Karim were alone again.
“Thank you, Karim,” Ella said, her eyes closed against the pain in her ankle.
Karim blinked in disbelief. “For what?” he asked, the wind howling as he spoke.
“For saving me,” she said slowly as she opened her eyes and locked them with his.
He felt his heart pound as he looked at her. “No,” he said, steeling his jaw. “It was my fault. I’m to blame.”
Ella shook her head. “Don’t be silly.”
Anger rose in Karim as he spoke. “No,” he went on with heat in his voice. “If it weren’t for me being so pigheaded, you never would have been out in that storm!”
Ella looked at him, her expression soft. “Karim,” she said, reaching out to touch his hand. “It’s not your fault.”
Karim snatched his hand away. He would hear none of it. “No,” he said again as he stood up. “I’m sorry, Ella. I’m the reason you got hurt because I’m the reason you came here at all. It’s all my fault.”
Karim turned and called for Djaron. “I'll get us some rooms because it looks like we won’t be going anywhere tonight. Please attend to Ella while I'm gone.” He paused for a second, before adding “Goodnight, Ella.”
He turned and walked out of the lobby. Ella watched him leave, unsure of what to do. She had heard the words he spoke, but she didn’t believe them. It wasn’t Karim’s fault that she got hurt. It was just a storm. It was an accident. As she was thinking about what to say to him, a wave of exhaustion came over her.
“Thank you, Djaron,” she said warmly. “I really appreciate your help.”
Djaron smiled at Ella and sat with her until her room was ready. He helped her to her room and got her settled in as the storm continued to rage outside.
After she was settled in, Djaron bid her goodnight and left her alone. Dinner had been brought up to the room, but Ella was too tired to eat. She looked at the food on the tray and then put the lid back on it. The pain in her ankle was fierce, but Djaron had assured her that it was only a sprain. She hoped that the swelling would go down by the morning.
Ella got undressed and hobbled over to the bed. She pulled back the luxurious bedding and slipped under the covers, letting her head sink into the deep pillows. She c
losed her eyes and listened as the rain and wind pummeled the side of the building. Thoughts of Karim filled her head.
It had been a long time since Ella had been seriously involved with a man. She had had one boyfriend in high school, but that only lasted a year. Then in college, Ella focused so much on her grades and classes that she found little time for dating. Even at Munford, she'd thought it unwise to get involved with any of her male colleagues, and she'd had little time outside of work to meet anybody.
It was only when she had started her own business that Ella felt she could afford to date. But meeting men in the wedding planning business was hard. Most of the guys she dealt with were either married, about to be married, or gay. And she knew better than to date a groomsman. She had tried that once, even waiting until after the wedding to do so. But it still ended terribly, and the last thing she needed was a previous client to spread rumors about her dating the wedding party. Those weren’t the kind of referrals Ella wanted.
She let her mind drift as the vodka worked on the throbbing pain in her ankle. She thought back to the time she had spent on the plane with Karim and how easy he was to be around. She played back in her head the moment when the two of them had walked into the grand ballroom, and the hours they had spent enjoying drinks in the bar. She let her thoughts take her back to their time on the bed with the candles glowing softly in the background. The flickering candles and the storm raging outside made it a perfectly romantic setting. She just wished it could have lasted a little longer.
No, thought Ella. She knew better than that. Even though Karim had told her that there was no love between him and Nadia, she was still responsible for planning their wedding. Why? she wondered. Why would they want to get married if they weren’t in love? Sometimes weddings were arranged to satisfy the financial interests of the families. But both Karim and Nadia were from incredibly wealthy backgrounds. There would be no need for such an arrangement.
Pregnant! The thought jumped into Ella's mind and caused her to sit straight up in bed. Nadia must be pregnant! That was the only explanation. Why else would Karim, such a nice, kind and loving man want to be with someone who seemed so cold? There could be no other explanation.
Ella felt her heart sink as the realization of the situation hit her. Even though Karim didn’t love Nadia, she was having his baby, and the child would be a royal heir to the kingdom of Al-Ibran. There was no way Karim would abandon Nadia now. Even if they did get divorced at some point, if that was even allowed, Karim would forever be involved with Nadia.
The thought of Karim spending his time with Nadia and their unborn baby caused something to tighten around Ella’s heart.
“It figures,” she said out loud. “I finally meet someone who is nice, sweet, good-looking and he’s getting married!”
She fell back against the pillows and breathed slowly as the wind died down around the hotel. She fell asleep to thought of her and Karim in a custody battle with Nadia. She woke several times during the night, always returning back to a fitful sleep filled with dreams about Karim, Al-Ibran, and a future she would never get to experience.
SEVEN
Karim said goodnight to Djaron and closed his bedroom door. He turned and looked around at the lavish room, thinking it was nothing he hadn’t seen before. He was so used to the finer things in life that he didn’t think he’d recognize something extraordinary if it was right in front of him.
Except for Ella. She was extraordinary. He knew it the moment he had met her at the café. Sure, he had spoken to her on the phone several times before, but when he saw her in person, when he could feel her presence and warmth, that’s when he saw her for who she really was.