Page 32 of At the Sheikh's Bidding
“I’ve never been accused of modesty, and rightly so.”
She laughed as he guided her over to meet the happy couple.
* * *
Janey had been hopingto evade Amare’s determined attack on her defenses. And she had. Because tradition demanded that she spent the early part of the evening in a woman-only tent. Everyone was attentive to her, making sure she was included in the festivities. And she even had her hands painted with an intricate design in henna. Despite the traditional clothing—ornate and colorful—the women had come from all over the world to celebrate the marriage. Janey found it hard to understand why families were so important to these women. Friends had taken the place of family for her. But not these women. Marriage, families and tradition were central to their lives, no matter where they lived.
Later, when it was time for dinner, it was with a different heart that Janey approached the giant tent, which now housed the bride and groom. It looked magical. Under the tent, the richly colored clothing of the guests was vibrant under the lantern light. Outside, the moonlight reflected off the white sands and stars studded the sky.
Amare left the group of men he’d been talking to and took her hand, holding up the tattoo with surprise. “You are one of us now,” he said. His tone were light-hearted, but there was no levity to be seen in his expression.
They sat down to a traditional meal of goat meat, lentil stew, delicious bread, cooked in hot coals and spiced Arabic salads, and rice.
“The bride looks very happy,” Amare said. They both looked over at her and her husband, who only had eyes for each other.
“She is. She told me she can’t wait to have children.” Janey sighed. “She’s welcome. There’s no way I ever want children.”
He continued to eat, but there was now a frown on his face. He waited a few minutes before he looked up at her thoughtfully.
“May I ask why you don’t want children?”
She shrugged. “There are lots of reasons. There are far more reasons not to have children than to have them.”
“I disagree. There are many reasons to have children. There’s tradition, family, bonds, love, the future. That’s enough to be going on with.”
She took a sip of her coffee. “Maybe for you. Family doesn’t mean any of those things to me.” She placed the cup carefully back on the low table. “Family means sadness. And I don’t want to feel sad.”
“You’ll change your mind. Youwill. Because children bring joy, not sadness. Or maybe a little of both.”
“You’re wrong, you know,” she said with a shake of her head. “There’s no way I’m ever having children. For one thing, I’m terrified I’ll pass on my father’s genes to my children. And, for another, I don’t have a maternal bone in my body.AndI’m scared to be stuck in one place for long. I need to feel free, and I can’t feel free if I have children.”
“You know Janey? I think the kind of freedom you’re looking for won’t be curtailed by children.”
Before she could ask him what he meant, he’d jumped up and held out his hand. “Why don’t we go for a walk?”
“A walk?” She felt panicked. Dinner amongst a group of people was one thing. A walk in the lush gardens of the oasis was another entirely.
Amare looked across at the people dancing to the live music. “You’d prefer to dance?”
She shook her head. “No. I just thought… Perhaps it was time to return to the city.”
He just smiled. “The moon is high, and the desert looks spectacular under the moonlight.” Still, she hesitated. He lowered his head to hers, his voice coaxing. “You surely don’t want to miss out on experiencing such a…” He hesitated. “Such abeautifulscene.” She knew he’d been about to use the word romantic. But he was right. She didn’t want to miss out. He’d piqued her curiosity.
She nodded and rose from the luxurious cushions in the open tent where they’d feasted. A few people acknowledged them, smiling and calling out greetings as they passed by. Once outside the tent, the darkness of the desert engulfed everything except for the pools of light from lamps which lit the way to the cluster of nearby houses. But it seemed that wasn’t the path Amare wanted to take. Within a few steps, she took his hand. It was only natural. It was dark, and she had no clue where she was going.
Suddenly they stepped out from the sheltering trees through which only slivers of moonlight found their way and they were on the edge of the desert.
There was nothing as far as the eye could see except undulating shapes of silver-topped sand dunes above shadowy, ridged banks dissolving into nothingness. It was stark in its beauty, needing no adornment except the moonlight.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” said Amare.
She nodded. It was. But there was something almost too challenging about the landscape. It wasn’t a place for pretense, only truth. Except she wasn’t sure she could face it.
“Come on, let’s walk a little further.”
She felt a little afraid and glanced back at the welcoming lights of the oasis. She wasn’t sure she was ready to leave that safe haven just yet.
But then he squeezed her hand, sending reassuring warmth and giving her courage a boost.
