“Wait. There is one person I can call. Karrol. She’s my best friend and she won’t say anything to my parents that she shouldn’t.”
“Does she know about us?” he asked.
With a nod of guilt, I said, “But she understands. She’s like me. We…don’t always fit the norm.”
“You don’t have to explain. You trust her, and that’s good enough for me.” He handed me his phone.
I dialed Karrol’s number and she picked up, sounding nervous. I wanted to put her mind at ease. “This is Kyleigh. Are you alone?”
“I am. What number are you calling me from? I’ve never seen a number like this before,” she said.
“I’m using Liam’s. My phone has no service and you know my mom. She expects to hear from me each day.”
“And you can’t call from his phone, or you’ll be in for the lecture of a lifetime,” she responded. “What do you want me to do?”
“Can you come up with some good excuse as to why my phone is not working and then let them know?”
She giggled. “Sure. Let’s see. You were taking a shower with Liam and you forgot your phone was nearby and it got wet.”
“That’s not even funny,” I snapped.
I guess Liam could hear Karrol, because he chuckled. “I like how your friend thinks.”
Karrol said, “Oh, he has a sexy voice, just like his brother. I really need to go to Ireland. Ask him if they have any men with blond hair there.”
I huffed. “Karrol, this is not the time! I am serious. Can you help me or not?”
“Fine. I get it. You want to keep him all to yourself. And yes, I’ll help you. I’ll call your mother – I’ll tell her we were talking and you dropped your phone, so you sent me a message on the computer telling me your phone screen is cracked and you can’t make or receive calls. How’s that?”
“Wow. I am not sure if I should be impressed or scared with how quickly you came up with that lie.”
“Does that mean you don’t want me to call your mom?”
“Of course, I do.” It just means I’ll have to listen closely anytime you tell me one of your excuses.
“Good. And tell Liam to keep an eye out for a tall blond man with green eyes for me,” she said before ending the call.
I rolled my eyes and handed him his phone. “Thanks for letting me use it.”
“My pleasure. Your friend sounds like a riot.”
“She is. But she can also test my patience,” I sighed. “How much of our conversation did you hear?”
“All of it. I personally don’t know any men who fit her description.”
“Don’t encourage her. It’s not like she will be traveling anytime soon.”
“Why? She doesn’t want to?” he asked.
“Want is one thing. If she had her way, she wouldn’t be in Tabiq now at all. But the means to do what we want is another,” I said.
“We? Does that mean you want to travel too? Because I had a feeling you wanted to stay in Tabiq,” he replied.
“A person has dreams, but sometimes that is all they are meant to be. I’m happy where I am. I love my job and my country.” And I am falling in love with you, too.
“It sounds like you’re happy,” he said.
“I am.” Or I was.
“I’m glad. Now, there was one thing that Karrol said that piqued my interest.”
“Should I be afraid to ask?”
He said, “No. But I’m not sure if I picture it happening in the shower or in the jacuzzi.”
I rolled over and straddled his legs. “I can’t decide, either. Guess we’ll just have to try both.”
He pulled me down to him and kissed me. If this is what a ski cabin is for, then count me in.