“Well, that’s very nice of you,” Ella said. She looked away and then flopped against the bed again.
Karim looked over at her as the wind continued to howl. “What is it? What do you mean that’s very nice of me?”
“It’s just,” Ella’s face got red as she spoke. “It’s just that...it’s very nice of you to take such good care of Nadia.”
Karim was unsure where Ella was going with this. He could see the conversation had just taken a turn in a different direction. At that moment, Ella closed her eyes, and he glimpsed tears forming in the corners.
“Ella,” he said, leaning in close.
She felt his hot breath on her cheek and realized she longed for what Nadia had. The tears sprang from the corners of her eyes as he spoke.
“What is it, Ella?” Karim said softly. He reached out a finger to wipe her tears away, but stopped himself. He pulled his hand back just as she opened her mouth to speak.
“She’s just so lucky to have someone who loves her so much,” Ella said, almost wailing the words as she spoke. “I see that all the time. It’s not all bad, you know. Not all the clients I have are jerks. Many of them are really, truly in love. When I work with those people who are head over heels, that's when I get sad.”
The tears fell quicker now and Karim felt his heart ache for Ella’s pain. He wanted to tell her not to think like that. He wanted to tell her that there was someone out there for her. He wanted to tell her, but he couldn’t.
“Even though I don’t know you and Nadia, I can tell that you love her very much,” Ella said. She cried softly, unable to stop the tears falling. She didn’t know why she was sharing all of this with Karim. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe her fear of the storm. Maybe it was just that he was so damned easy to talk to.
Karim got up off the bed and began pacing the room.
“What is it?” Ella asked, confused at his reaction.
“It’s nothing,” he said curtly, avoiding eye contact.
Karim was pacing like a wild animal. He wanted to tell Ella everything. He wanted to be honest with her. There was something about her that made him want to be true, to bare all his secrets. But he knew he couldn’t. He had made a promise and he had sworn to keep that promise, no matter what.
Feeling frustrated and trapped, he took another long sip of his drink, racking his mind for a way to come clean with Ella and assuage her pain, without betraying his promise. The wind blew branches against the siding and Ella jumped. Karim saw her reaction and instinctively ran over to her.
“Are you okay?” he asked. The shutters banged loudly against the window and Ella’s body stiffened.
“Yeah,” she said. “If only it would stop storming.”
Karim’s heart jumped in his chest. He was so drawn to Ella, to her vulnerability, to her kindness. Then it came to him. He could be honest with her. At least, sort of honest.
“Ella,” he said as he sat back on the bed next to her. He breathed in the smell of her perfume and felt his skin prickle with goosebumps. God, she smelled so good. “Ella, I have to be honest with you,” he said, reminding himself of his limits. “Nadia and I aren’t in love.”
Ella blinked several times and looked at Karim in shock. “What?” she asked, wanting to believe him but not sure if she should. “You’re not in love?”
Karim settled back in on the bed next to her. “Yep, that’s right,” he said, feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time. “In fact, we don’t even really like each other.” His face lit up in a broad smile as he revealed the truth, much to Ella's confusion.
Ella sat up and looked at him, the tears dry on her cheeks. “What do you mean you don’t even like each other? But you’re getting married? I don't understand.”
Karim just nodded, giddy with delight at finally telling someone about his secret. “Yeah,” he said, still smiling. “The marriage is a sham. The whole thing.”
Ella’s face contorted as she took in this new information. They didn’t love each other? They didn’t even like each other! Then why on earth would they go to all the trouble of getting married?
Ella’s head spun with questions. Then, suddenly and uncomfortably, she remembered that it didn’t matter. Their reasons for getting married were none of her business. She wasn’t their adviser or relationship counselor. She wasn’t their moral judge. She was their wedding planner. That was it.
“I don’t understand, Karim,” she said quietly. She looked to Karim for an answer and got none. He just sat up and smiled.