“It will be a three-hour flight back to New York, so please, make yourself comfortable.” He smiled and handed her the remote. “I'll be right in there if you need anything at all,” he said, pointing to the galley between the living area and the conference room.
Perfect, Ella thought again. What is he, a mediator? She tried to think what she could have said or done to elicit such a cold response from Karim. She remembered sitting in the lobby as he iced her ankle. And then the vodka. That’s right. That’s when things got a little fuzzy.
The vodka, combined with the drinks she had had earlier in the day, had gone straight to her head, but she was pretty sure she hadn't said anything bad. In fact, she remembered thanking Karim for saving her from the falling palm tree.
Then it all came back. She had tried to thank him, but he wouldn’t have any of it. In fact, he had got upset, and the more she tried, the more upset he had got, until he finally left her alone with Djaron.
Ella had an idea. “Djaron,” she called, and within seconds, he appeared by her side.
“Yes, ma’am? What can I do for you?”
“Well for one thing, you can stop calling me ma’am. That’s for old people. I’m only twenty-five, for goodness' sake.”
Djaron tried to hide his smile but couldn’t quite manage it. “Yes ma… Yes, miss.”
“Thank you.” Ella repositioned herself and motioned for Djaron to sit down next to her.
“Djaron,” she began, unsure how to word what she was about to say. “It would seem that Karim is rather upset with me, and I’m not exactly sure why. I don’t remember doing anything that would upset him. Except for thanking him when he saved me from getting hit by that tree.”
Djaron looked at Ella with large, round, brown eyes. The wrinkles in his brown skin squished up as he spoke and his face broke into a kind smile. “Miss Ella,” he said. “I don’t think His Highness meant anything by that. I think that he…,” Djaron’s eyes darted toward the door to the conference room. “I just think that he was—”
Karim’s loud voice interrupted him. “Djaron! Come here!”
Ella’s eyes grew wide and Djaron sprang to his feet. He nodded his head quickly to Ella and then disappeared into the back of the plane. Ella listened as Karim’s deep voice reverberated against the cabin walls. She couldn’t make out what he was saying, but she could tell he was upset.
The door opened moments later and a visibly shaken Djaron emerged and returned to Ella’s side. This time, he stood with both his hands behind his back; there was no longer any casualness about him.
“Ma’am, is there anything else?” Djaron asked in a clipped tone.
Ella looked at him with defeat on her face. “No,” she said as she laid back on the sofa. “No, Djaron. Thank you.”
Djaron disappeared into the galley and Ella sat back as Gone with the Wind played on the large television screen. She watched the clouds drift by through the window and counted the minutes until she could be off this plane and away from Karim and the tension that had developed between them.
The jet landed a few hours later and Ella was escorted off by Djaron.
“Is Karim coming?” asked Ella, in spite of herself.
Djaron smiled as he walked Ella off the runway, her luggage in his hand. “He’s attending to some business matters, but he said to thank you and that he'll be in touch.”
Ella thanked Djaron and took a cab back to her apartment. Princess greeted her at the door and she dropped her bags and picked the cat up in her arms.
She walked over to the wall of windows and looked out at the dreary afternoon rain as it fell on Central Park. It reminded her of the storm in Eleuthera and for a brief moment, Ella wished more than anything that she could be back in that hotel room with the howling wind, the soft glow of the candles and the warmth of Karim’s body next to hers.
NINE
“So,” Hannah said as she poured grated cheese over her slice of pizza. “Tell me all about them. The king and queen!”
Ella just rolled her eyes. “That’s disgusting,” she said, referring to Hannah’s slice. “You’re gonna get high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or both!”
“It’s not for me,” said Hannah. “I can’t help it! The baby loves it. If I don’t give baby what baby wants, it’s gonna get ugly!”
The two women laughed. Hannah and her husband Trent had been married for just over three years and were pregnant with their first child. Hannah was due in two months and was just glowing. She was still working at E.J. Munford and her husband was a junior partner at a law firm uptown.