“Tell me your real story,” Nadir said.
Once Nadir gave me permission, I opened my heart. I told Nadir about my parents’ dying within six months of each other. I told Nadir how terrified I felt that I could not fulfill my parents’ expectations for my sisters and me. I told him that before tonight, no man had so much as kissed me in ten years.
I went silent. Nadir wiped the tears from my eyes. I kissed him, hard and needy. He kissed me, gentle and comforting. Our lovemaking met between those extremes. Afterward, I fell asleep to the rhythm of Nadir’s heartbeat.
• • •
My cell phone rang early the next morning. I reached for it.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” Uli said. “I’m sorry Niko and Adrian didn’t work out. I’m sure Dmitri will be the one! I was so pissed when he missed his flight yesterday. He should be there by noon. So how did you spend your night?”
“With Nadir,” I croaked out. I glanced over at Nadir. He still slept beside me.
“Who the hell is Nadir?” Uli asked.
“Don’t tease me, Uli; you know you sent him to me,” I whispered.
“Honey, I don’t know anybody named Nadir,” Uli said. “Get the hell out of there! Do you hear me?”
“I can handle this,” I said.
I hung up the phone and tried to remain calm. I had almost made it out of bed when Nadir’s right arm clamped around my waist. Nadir gave me a serious look. I drew myself up against the headboard. Nadir followed my movements as if we were dancing an ancient dance together.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
“It doesn’t matter,” Nadir said. He leaned in and kissed me, trying to manipulate me with the memories of our hot night together. My body wanted to betray me by giving in, but my mind refused to let me.
“It matters a hell of a lot,” I said. “I just spent the night with a stranger!”
“You were all set to do that before you met me, baby,” Nadir said.
“Don’t you turn this around on me! I thought Uli chose you for me!”
I shoved at his arm, but his grip did not loosen. I panicked as I struggled against him.
“Calm down, Destiny,” Nadir said.
“Get your damned hands off me! My God, what have I done?”
“I knew you before this weekend,” Nadir said.
I went instantly still. “You’re lying! We’ve never met!”
“No, but I know you,” Nadir said. “We belong to the same gym. You take the treadmill farthest from anyone. You run with your headphones in your ears, looking straight ahead, never interacting with anyone.”
When I tried to sit up, Nadir allowed me to, but he watched me with caution, as if he expected me to run screaming out of the room like any sane woman would.
“I sit five rows behind you in church,” Nadir continued. “But you’ve never noticed me, or any other man. You keep yourself so shut off from the world.”
I felt exposed by the truth in his observations. I had lived my life as a series of tasks to be checked off, when I should have been living to create unforgettable life experiences. I shoved my self-analysis aside and focused on the issue at hand with Nadir.
“How did you know my plans for this weekend?”
“I was sitting behind you in the restaurant when you and your friend were discussing it.”
“Why would you do this?” I asked.
“I knew you were ready for a man in your life,” he said. “I needed that man to be me.”