“We’ll see. Don’t you have someplace you need to be as well?”
Erin finished dressing and exited the condo, thankful that Talib was nowhere to be seen. The driver spoke perfect English, and soon she was headed to work—without having to navigate the escalators and platforms of the Metro. The driver had been a nice gesture, and for the time being, she would enjoy the luxury and think of Kam.
After lunch, Erin was returning to the office deep in thought over her newest client. When she got to her desk, she stopped short at the sight of the large bouquet of roses and the two wrapped packages, all with her name on them. Sitting down with a thump, she dropped her bag on the floor and stared at the colorful display. The roses were a beautiful crimson, offset by the gold-colored wrapping of the gifts. Curious, she reached for the first package, guessing from the size and shape that it was a shirt box. Indeed, under the wrapping and inside the stiff white cardboard box, she found a silk shirt in a gorgeous shade of emerald green. Checking the tag, she was surprised to see that it was in her size. Biting back a smirk, she pulled the second package towards her. It was heavier and bulkier than the first.
Oh, he didn’t do this.
Opening the box, she began to laugh. It was a toaster.
9
ERIN
“Shira, have a great time,” Erin told her cousin outside the passenger drop off at Dulles airport.
“I’m so excited. I can’t wait to see Kale.” Shira had spoken to him at least once a day since his sudden departure for Jawhara.
“I’m sure he’s excited to see you as well.” Erin tried to keep the note of jealousy from seeping through her voice. She envied her cousin and the relationship she was building with Kale. Unfortunately, her and Kam’s relationship didn’t seem to exist. Since speaking to him the morning the driver had arrived, she hadn’t heard from him at all, and it had been two weeks.
She had resisted the urge to have Shira ask Kale about him, wanting him to contact her on his own. She kept telling herself that he was busy running a country and that his silence wasn’t intentional. But her mind was only just barely buying it two weeks later.
“I wish you were coming with me,” Shira told her, hugging her one final time.
“I have so much going on here, you know that isn’t possible.”
Shira nodded. “I know. But wouldn’t it be fun?”
“Probably. Send me an email letting me know you’ve arrived, okay?”
“I will.” Shira grabbed the handle of her rolling suitcase. “Gotta go!”
“Be careful.”
“I will. Love you,” Shira called, walking backward several steps, before turning and disappearing into the terminal building.
“Bye,” Erin whispered, suddenly feeling very lonely. Turning back toward the town car, she allowed the driver to open the door. Sitting in the car, she tried not to let depression grab hold of her. Shira had worked hard and deserved every good thing that came her way.
“Take me to the office, please.” She didn’t need to go back to the Charity Foundation, but she didn’t want to go home and be by herself. Several new cases had arrived at the shelter, and she planned to immerse herself in work until the unwanted feelings of loneliness faded.
Arriving at the foundation’s office an hour later, she found that everyone seemed to have gone home for the day. The driver let her out right in front, as always, and she used her keys to unlock the door before heading towards her office.
Erin prepared the restraining orders for the new mother who had arrived at the shelter the night before. It seemed that her husband had lost his job and decided to take his frustration out on his wife and six-year-old daughter. Both had needed medical attention and were currently being sheltered in a safe house across the river in Virginia.
She had just finished electronically filing the necessary paperwork when she heard a noise in the hallway. Deciding that one of her coworkers must have forgotten something, she rose from her desk and headed toward the reception area.
Rounding the corner, she was alarmed to see a strange man matching the description of the newest client’s husband. “Excuse me? We’re already closed. The office will be open again tomorrow morning at nine o’clock.”
“Where is my wife?” the strange man growled, menace evident in both his voice and body language.
Erin took a step back, hoping to put the front counter between her and the man. If she could get to the phone, she could press the panic button, and the local police department would be notified by the silent alarm system. She couldn’t let him get to her office—the safe house location was in the file open on her desk.
Seeing her retreat, the man quickly cut her off, preventing her from reaching the counter. “I’m going to ask one more time. Where is my wife?”
“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t believe I know your wife. Why would you think she would be here?”
“Listen, bitch, I know she came here. I want her home, and I want her home now. I want my kid as well.”
Erin was starting to panic, but when she caught sight of Talib slipping through the front door, she struggled to keep from calling to him, seeing that he was sneaking up on her would-be assailant.