A Family Affair (10 page)

“I don’t think anything could be more perfect. I am so jealous of Malik and the friendships he made here. He is so loyal to them. And it appears they are to him, too. He spoke of doing something for all of them, but then he didn’t say anything else to me. I hope he follows through. I didn’t mean that the way it sounds. I mean I hope whatever he does will be wonderful. Such friendship deserves to be rewarded.”

“That is such a load off my mind. I was so worried we couldn’t pull it off, and yet we did. Zack was right. It’s all about networking. Come along, my dear sister-to-be, so I can welcome you to the world I lived in for lo these many years.”

Soraya took a deep breath, then expelled it. “I’m ready, Trish!”

Backstage it was bedlam, with the girls chattering, Nathan grumbling, parts of costumes missing, doubles of others.

“Didn’t anyone check the Christmas costumes before today? Ernie! That was your job! What’s going on here?” Nathan whirled around when a page handed him a pink slip. His face turned red with anger. “She can’t do this to me! She can’t! It’s too late. Showtime is in thirty minutes. Where in the hell am I going to get an angel at this point? Ernie!” he bellowed.

“Just stay here, Soraya. Tr y not to get in the way. I have to get dressed and put on my stage makeup,” Trish said.

“Okay.” Soraya tried to inch her way to a wall where nothing was going on.

Nathan, a bear of a man with a roar to match, spotted Soraya. His eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”

Soraya licked at her lips. “A friend of Trish’s. I won’t get in the way, I promise.”

“Ernie! Trixie was in a car accident. She’s okay, but she’s been taken to the hospital just to be sure. That means we’re short an angel. Young woman, how would you like to be a stand-in angel tonight?” Nathan didn’t bother waiting for a response but roared at Ernie again to get the angel costume, hook up the wires, and check them twice, then three times, to make sure nothing went awry. “Well, do you want to be an angel and fly across the stage for the grand finale or not? Speak up! Speak up!”

Soraya almost fainted. “Yes,” she squealed.

“Get her fixed up, Ernie!” Nathan roared. “We’re counting down now, girls! Let’s make this the best Christmas opening ever. Good luck.”

Soraya followed Ernie in a daze and did just what he told her to do. Draped in the angel costume, with a gold halo attached to her back, Soraya danced around to see herself in all the mirrors. “Now what do I do?”

“You fly.” Ernie laughed. “But first I have to put your wings on. Then I have to attach all the wires to the back of the wings. When the dance number ends, you’ll fly across the stage. You smile and hold your hands in prayer. Oh, crap, you don’t have any stage makeup on.” He looked at her with a critical eye, then said, “You know what? You’re pretty enough without it. By the way, does Trish know you’re doing this?”

Soraya crunched up her lips. “No. I don’t think so. She went off to get into her costume. Then that man made it all happen so fast. Won’t she be surprised when I fly across the stage! Will you take my picture so I can send it to my brother when the show is over? Make sure you get a picture of Trish, too, in the same shot if you can.”

“I’ll have one of my assistants sit out front and do it. Trish will have my hide. What’s your name?”

“Soraya. I know yours is Ernie. That’s a nice name. What are those things on your face?”

“Freckles. I hate them.”

“I like them. They give your face character. I never met anyone with red hair before. Is it real, or do you color it?”

“It’s real. People with red hair usually have freckles. The kids used to call me carrot top in school. I got in a lot of fights.”

“That’s terrible,” Soraya said, peering closely at Ernie’s face. She reached up and touched a freckle on his cheek. Then she leaned over and kissed the same spot she’d just touched. Ernie almost blacked out.

“You are the most beautiful angel I’ve ever seen,” he said hoarsely.

“Thank you for saying that.”

“Three minutes!” came the announcement from the backstage speaker.

Soraya watched as the girls scampered to get in line.

“Two minutes!”

Soraya craned her neck to see Trish, but in all the commotion and chaos, she could see only the top of her head.

“One minute!”

“Thirty seconds!”

“Showtime!”

“We have to hustle now, Soraya. Follow me. I have to attach the wires. I will be the one controlling the pulleys. Just relax, and everything will be fine. Are you nervous?”

“Like a cat on a griddle,” Soraya said truthfully. “Are you nervous, Ernie?”

“I wasn’t until you kissed me. Now I’m jittery as hell.” Soraya laughed. “I can do it again if you like. On the lips this time.”

Ernie almost blacked out a second time. “Yeah, like you’d really kiss me on the lips. Girls don’t much like me, and my freckles and red hair.”

“Well,
I do.
So there!” Soraya leaned over and planted a lip-lock on Ernie that made his spiked red hair move of its own accord. When she broke away, she giggled as she fluttered her wings. Ernie groaned. Soraya giggled again.

Somewhere in the back of his mind Ernie heard his cue to start the countdown. His voice hoarse, his eyes glazed, he managed to say, “On the count of one, you’ll feel yourself being pulled upright. Just relax, and hang loose. Your body, your legs will be straight out. The mechanics do the rest. Just remember to keep a smile on your face and your hands steepled. Ready!”

“I am so ready, you dear sweet person.”

And up she went.

Then across the stage she sailed. She saw Trish gaping in disbelief as she floated past her, then floated back again to the wild applause from the audience, all the while wondering if Ernie had captured her and Trish on film.

The moment the curtain came down, Trish was at her side. “What the hell? How . . . Ernie!”

“It was Nathan’s idea, Trish. Trixie was in a car accident on her way here this evening. There wasn’t enough time to find a replacement. Nathan saw Soraya just standing there, so he hired her on the spot. So if you’re going to yell at anyone, yell at Nathan. You’re going to find out sooner or later, so you might as well know, she kissed me. On the lips!”

Trish didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. “On the lips, huh?”

“Yeahhh. No one ever kissed me like that. My very own angel kissed me. She was great, wasn’t she?”

“Soraya!” Trish thundered.

“How’d you like my debut, Trish? It was meant to be! I was just standing there, and all of a sudden I was this angel! I actually felt like one. It was my debut, and I loved it. Mr. Nathan said I can do the other two shows this evening. Trixie will be back tomorrow. In a million years I have never been this happy. Oh, I so hope the pictures came out good. I can’t wait to send them to Malik.”

“Didn’t you leave something out?”

“Oh, you mean me kissing Ernie. Yes, yes, that was great, too. I’m going to do it again, too. He got all rubbery in the knees. I like his freckles. I never met anyone with red hair before. Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You will not kiss him again. Your brother is going to kill us both. This had better be one of those girl secrets. Understood?”

“No, I don’t understand. I liked kissing him. I think he liked kissing me, too.”

“I bet he did. No more.”

“I will tell Malik, so do not worry. I will not promise, Trish. I am here to experience life. Malik said so.”

Trish gave in gracefully. “Come on. Let’s get changed and go get some supper before the next show.”

Soraya whirled around when she heard her name called. Ernie handed her a camera and said one of his assistants was front-row center and managed to get all the pictures she wanted. “It’s his camera, so you have to give it back. You can download them to your phone and send them from there. I have to go now. See you at the next show.”

Trish couldn’t believe her ears when she heard Soraya ask, “Do you want me to kiss you again or wait for the next show?”

Ernie took one look at Trish and ran. Both women laughed.

Half a world away, Malik bellowed for Rashid. “Come look at my sister. She is an angel. She just sent me a text explaining how that happened. And she tells me she kissed some fellow named Ernie. He’s the young man I tried to entice to get me to Trish, if I recall. That means I know him, so I can’t get upset that my sister kissed him. Do you agree, Rashid?”

“Well . . .”

“Cut the bullshit, Rashid. You have eyes for my sister no matter how much you complain about her being a pest. Do you think I’m blind to what I see? Maybe you need to kiss her. I see her looking at you when she thinks no one sees her. Aha! So I’m right. Blushing at your age, Rashid! Oh, golly, Miss Molly!” Malik cackled with glee.

Rashid stomped out of the room, his face fiery red.

Malik leaned back in his lounge chair and stared at the pictures of his sister and his betrothed. He smiled.

Life was perfect.

I
T WAS JUST A FEW MINUTES SHY OF SIX O’CLOCK WHEN
T
RISH
walked down the steps to the kitchen to make the first pot of coffee of the day. She looked out at the new day, still dark. She clicked on the television, turned it low so as not to wake Soraya. Last night’s weather report indicated snow today. In one way, for Soraya’s sake, she hoped it would snow as she hadn’t taken her to Tahoe as promised.

Six o’clock was always a good time to call Emma. At nine in the morning, East Coast time, Emma was just getting ready to head to work. Talking to her sister in the past had always been a good way to start her day.

Trish poured her first cup of coffee and swallowed a vitamin. She scribbled a note to buy extra vitamins to take with her to Dubai and stuck the note on the refrigerator. The list was getting longer. She’d probably need an extra bag just for things like that.

Trish removed her cell phone from the charger and hit her speed dial. She heard her sister’s early-morning voice. “You guys freezing up there in Princeton?” were the first words out of Trish’s mouth.

“It snowed during the night. Looks to be about four or five inches on the ground. I’m glad I have four-wheel drive. What’s going on in Nevada?”

“Snow’s predicted for today. Have you heard from Missy?”

“No. They leave today for Hawaii. Stop worrying, Trish. If she doesn’t call, my world won’t end. My heart will break a little more, but that’s okay, too. I can’t fight Jeff. He’s the one with the money. I’m done with that.”

“It’s so unfair. We were never selfish like that, were we, Em?”

“No, Trish, we weren’t like that. So, having said that, it’s my fault, mine and Jeff’s. We spoiled her. That’s the bottom line. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. How is your houseguest doing?”

The two sisters talked then of Soraya, the Christmas decorations in Princeton, and Las Vegas. They laughed a bit, but the laughter was strained, as Trish kept trying to figure out how to work the conversation around to Jeff and his business in the Middle East. She finally gave up when she realized that her sister was babbling about everything and nothing in an attempt to steer her away from anything involving her ex-husband.

Five minutes later, they said they loved one another and broke the connection.

Trish shivered. Then she realized she hadn’t turned the heat up. She cranked it high and was rewarded almost immediately with the scent from the Christmas tree wafting through the house. Just for a minute, she felt like she was ten years old again, her eyes full of wonder at the sight of the tree and the gaily wrapped packages nestled beneath the fragrant boughs.

Trish made her way back to the kitchen and her second cup of coffee. She called Malik, but her call went to voice mail. She looked at the clock. She had time to do some more research on her laptop before Soraya made her way downstairs. If it was the last thing she did, she was going to find out what her former brother-in-law was doing in the Middle East. Jeff Davis was slick. Jeff Davis was manipulative. Jeff Davis was known to balance on the fine line between legal and illegal. Emma had told her that once, then sworn her to secrecy. At the time, she had agreed, hadn’t given the words or the promise another thought.

Trish tapped furiously, going to Google, then on to other sites. She was reading with such intensity, she barely had time to click off when she saw a sleepy Soraya standing in the doorway. She hoped she didn’t look guilty.

“Tonight is your Christmas party! I can hardly wait. And tomorrow is your Christmas Eve. I can’t wait for that, either. And then it’s Christmas Day! Are you excited, Trish?”

“I’m always excited when it comes to Christmas. I love it. But the best part is we are so ahead of schedule with my wrapping up all my business that we can now leave two days after Christmas. That’s what
really
excites me, Soraya. It’s going to snow today, and I’m really sorry I didn’t get to take you to Tahoe.”

“It’s all right. Perhaps I will return someday and make the trip. I’m going to be sorry to leave, Trish. I’ve had the best time of my life, thanks to you. I truly feel as if you are my sister. But I’m not like Malik. I don’t belong here. Given a choice, Malik would have stayed here until my father called him home. I’m actually homesick, believe it or not. I can’t wait to get . . .”

“Back to Rashid?” Trish’s eyes twinkled, and a big grin lit her face.

Soraya flushed a bright pink as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “Yes, that, too.”

Trish closed her laptop, got up to refill her cup, and carried it to the back door. Dark, angry clouds that looked like shrouds were scudding across the sky. It was light enough now to see the snow flurries swirling about. She called Soraya to the door. “Snow!” she said triumphantly.

Soraya rushed to the window, then clapped her hands like a little girl.

“If the accumulation amounts to anything, we can go out and play in the snow. We’ll build a snowman, and you can send a picture to your brother. Let’s just hope we get enough, and we actually get to do it before we have to leave for the Christmas party. This is the one night of the year where all us girls get to go slinky and glittery, the more bling the better. New Year’s Eve pales in comparison to the casino’s Christmas party. This is also the night when they give out the Christmas bonuses. Management has always been very generous in the past with us, so let’s hope this year they are just as generous.”

Soraya clapped her hands again. She raised her eyes upward. “Please, let it all be what I want it to be,” she said under her breath.

“Well, then, let’s get this show on the road,” Trish said as she headed for the second floor to get ready for whatever the day held in store for her.

It was snowing when Trish and Soraya watched the driver load the bags and trunks into the minivan and the limo that would take them to the airport. Trish shivered inside her shearling jacket. She struggled against the wind, drawing the collar of the jacket against her cheeks. Soraya laughed as she tried to catch the snowflakes. Trish smiled when she saw the delicate white flakes coat Soraya’s eyelashes.

“Before you know it, we’ll both be swimming in warm water, wearing sundresses, and preparing for your wedding. I am so excited. Are you excited, Trish?”

Trish could barely hear her over the howling wind. She had turned so she could get one last look at her town house, at the place where she’d gone without, struggled to pay for her home all these years. Tears puddled in her eyes. She knew her home would be well taken care of by her friend. What she hadn’t counted on and was still a bit peeved about, and a bit overwhelmed by at the same time, was Malik’s Christmas gift, which had arrived on Christmas Eve morning courtesy of FedEx. Inside the padded envelope was the deed to her town house; Malik had paid off the mortgage, and she owned the building free and clear. Just for a little while, she’d felt intruded upon, that her life had been invaded. She knew Malik meant well, but it was a thorn in her side, and she knew that even though she’d tried to gush and thank him, her words didn’t ring true. And Malik, very sensitive to her attitudes, had called her on it. In the end, she had confessed to how she felt, and he, in turn, had become subdued. They’d talked long into the night, and when she broke the connection, she felt okay with what he’d done.

Right now, though, she felt like she was saying good-bye to someone else’s home. She shrugged inside her heavy jacket. She’d get over it in time.

Two hours later, they were airborne. The last call she’d made before boarding was to her sister, to tell her how much she loved her and would miss her. It was Soraya who had called Malik to say that they were boarding.

Once the private plane climbed to cruising altitude, Soraya unbuckled her seat belt and danced her way up and down the aisle before sitting back down. “Let’s talk, Trish. The last few days have been so wild and hectic, I don’t even know where to start.”

Trish smiled. Her thoughts were, for some reason, on her sister and the tone in her voice when she’d called to say one last good-bye. According to Emma, she was just hanging. The Realtor for whom she worked had closed the office till after the New Year. The three new friends she’d met in group therapy had returned to work, and she was left to fend for herself. She’d jokingly said she was going to clean out her closets, take a walk or two in the snow, return a few Christmas gifts, sleep, and cook some food and freeze it for the nights when she worked late. For some reason, all of that had brought tears to Trish’s eyes. She hadn’t wanted to ask, but she did, anyway, wanting to know if Missy had called on Christmas. She was told no, and the subject was dropped.
Ungrateful little brat.

Trish shook herself out of her reverie when Soraya poked her arm. “Earth to Trish!”

“I was just thinking about how sad my sister sounded. What do you want to talk about, Soraya?”

“Everything. Just absolutely everything. Malik laughed himself silly when he saw the picture of the snowman we made. He said he’s going to frame it and put it in his cave, along with the pictures of you and me in costume. I just loved that whole experience. I loved the Christmas party and how glamorous everyone looked and how nice and friendly everyone was to me. Drinking champagne till three in the morning is something I won’t soon forget.”

“Neither will Ernie. How many times did you kiss him that night?”

“Seven!” Soraya said smartly. “I was honest with him and told him I was practicing on him, and he took it very well. I think on my return I will feel confident enough to kiss Rashid and . . . How do you say it? Blow his socks off. Ernie said he loved being kissed by a real-live princess.”

“And did you also tell this to your brother?” Trish asked slyly.

“I did not! That’s a girl secret. Christmas Eve and church was lovely. Christmas Day was just as lovely, with that wonderful dinner you cooked. I so enjoyed opening the presents and everyone laughing and smiling. You have delightful friends, Trish, who love you very much. They are going to miss you. Tell me, what did you think of Malik’s Christmas gift to you? He must have called me a dozen times to see if I would change what I described as your reaction.”

“It was very thoughtful and kind of him to do that.”

“But . . .”

“Girl secret?”

“Absolutely.”

Trish explained her feelings about the gift.

“I understand. Now, if you had told me that back in Dubai, before I came here, I would not have understood. Malik should have known better. He spent more time here than I did and has a better understanding of the way you do things. Can you forgive him for what he’s done?”

“Of course. It is no longer important. It is—”

“What it is. Your favorite saying,” Soraya said, finishing Trish’s statement.

In spite of herself, Trish laughed.

“Let’s talk about your wedding dresses. How lucky you are that you get to choose two and you will have two ceremonies. Malik said in his last e-mail that the palace seamstresses are just waiting for you with their designs, their bolts of fabric, and their needles. I can’t wait to find out what you choose. And you are to choose my dress also. I want something . . .”

“That will blow Rashid’s socks off. Yes, I know.”

The two women settled down to talk seriously about Islamic weddings, the protocol, and what was expected.

They talked for hours, until Trish’s eyes started to droop. The last thing she heard was Soraya telling her that the groom in an Islamic wedding gave the bride a gift of money or jewelry. The bride did not give the groom a gift, but in a Christian wedding the bride could gift her new husband. “So that’s when you give Malik the rattletrap, at your Christian wedding.” Then Soraya’s eyes, too, closed.

Neither woman woke until the plane was ready to make its descent into Dubai International Airport, the older of the emirate’s two airports.