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.The truth was that she’d never thought of herself as beautiful.She didn’t know if anyone else did either, except some of her young students, none of whom was over six years old.Apparently her silence spoke volumes.Rafik nodded.“I see,” he said.She was afraid he did see.He saw too much.“I must be going,” she said, getting to her feet.He put some money on the table and followed her out of the bar, with his hand resting possessively on her shoulder.She held her head high.She had to admit he made her feel attractive, appreciated and yes…even beautiful.Was that because he was skilled in the arts of flattery and pleasing women? Probably.Or was it, as he claimed, sincerity? How much she wanted to believe it was the latter.He walked her to her car and paused.“Thank you for coming out tonight,” he said.“You’ve made an awkward situation much better for me.I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”She nodded, told him the time and place of the reception at her school.He told her he’d pick her up, and then he kissed her on the cheek before he opened her door for her.She told herself there was no reason for her cheeks to burn up on the drive home.It was only a kiss on the cheek.But she was so inexperienced, she had so little defenses against the charm of a sheik.How was she to know what to do, what to say? She didn’t know.A few days later Carolyn, her newlywed friend, called her.Before Anne could ask about her honeymoon, Carolyn demanded to know if the rumor she had heard about Anne and Rafik was true.“Sort of, I mean what did you hear exactly?” Anne asked cautiously.This was awful.She couldn’t lie to her good friend.And yet if she told her the truth….“Tarik said he heard you were engaged to his cousin.I told him it couldn’t possibly be true.You just met him at the wedding, right?”“Yes, of course, but it’s not what you think,” Anne said.“Good, because he’s not your type,” Carolyn said.“I know that, I definitely know that,” Anne said.“So how did the family get this crazy idea?” Carolyn asked.“I can explain…I think.You see…Carolyn this is strictly between you and me.You can’t breathe a word of this to anyone, especially anyone in the family.”“Even Tarik? I don’t know if I can keep a secret from him.”“But can you trust him?”“With my life,” Carolyn said.Anne sighed.How wonderful to be in love with someone you could trust that way.She took a deep breath.“All right, then.Here’s what happened.Rafik needed a fiancée…”“What for? He distinctly told me he wasn’t interested in getting married.”“Yes, yes, exactly.That’s why he needs a fiancée, not a real fiancée but just someone to act like one.That’s what I’m doing.”“But why? Why would you do such a thing?”“I…I don’t know exactly except that he’s a very persuasive person and the whole thing happened at the gala ball which you missed.It was a giant misunderstanding between him and his parents.They’re set on his getting married, but, as you know, he has no intention of getting engaged or married.So for some reason when they saw us together at the ball, they assumed I was his fiancée and announced it to everybody.”“Oh, no.”“Oh, yes.I didn’t know what to do.I couldn’t get up there and say it wasn’t true.Not when everyone was so happy, congratulating him and me.I was in a state of shock.”“And Rafik, what state was he in?” Carolyn asked.“He was shocked, too.He says he’ll explain it to them.Just not right now.Because he actually wants a fiancée, not a real one of course.A false one, someone who will pretend to be a fiancée, to get them off his case, so to speak.”“So everybody got what they wanted.Or at least they think they did.His parents got a future daughter-in-law whom they approve of, I would suppose.Who wouldn’t approve of you?”“As a matter of fact, they do.His mother invited me to tea and they both have been truly nice to me.”“So the parents get you, Rafik gets off the hook, but what about you, what do you get out of it? I won’t stand for Rafik taking advantage of you.”“No, no, he isn’t.He’s been very good about the whole thing.And he’s doing me a favor, too….” Anne stopped.She didn’t want to go into the false engagement she’d gotten herself into with her headmistress, so she didn’t finish her sentence, hoping Carolyn wouldn’t notice.“I hope he’s doing you lots of favors,” Carolyn said.“Because I don’t see what you’re getting out of it.What do you want out of it?”Anne didn’t know what to say.She didn’t want to say I want what you have.A husband who loves you and whom you can trust.She didn’t want to sound envious.“Never mind,” Carolyn said.“You don’t have to tell me.I know you too well.You only want what’s best for everyone else.But what’s going to happen when everyone finds out?”“That’s what I’m worried about.But Rafik doesn’t seem to be worried.He thinks he can just explain that the engagement was broken off.After all, it happens.It’s happened to him once already, I understand.But I don’t like it.I really don’t.Especially if I have to get to know his parents.I feel like such a fraud.”“That’s got to be tough,” Carolyn said sympathetically.“Oh, my.I’m overwhelmed.But believe me I won’t tell anybody but Tarik, and I’ll swear him to secrecy.But please, Anne, don’t let yourself be taken advantage of.Because I won’t sit by and let that happen.I know, Rafik is now a part of my family, but you are my friend and I’m responsible for introducing you to him.”“I won’t, believe me.I can take care of myself,” she assured her friend.After she’d hung up, she paced around her living room, getting more worried by the minute.Wondering if she should have told Carolyn.But it felt so good to confide in someone.And the secret had begun to burn a hole in her psyche.On the other hand, the more people that knew about this charade, the more dangerous it became that the wrong people would find out.She sat down at her desk and looked at her calendar, checking off the obstacles ahead of her.First was tea with his mother.Then the reception at the school which she’d confirmed with the headmistress who had promised to gather together all the teachers and staff who were around during the summer.After that she could relax and attend a seminar on new methods in teaching reading put on by the state teachers’ association.It was to be held at a rustic lodge on the ocean near Monterey, and there would be no sheiks in attendance, just teaching colleagues from around the state [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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