Cairo, Egypt
I couldn’t believe we were here. Cairo was an amazing city, and Egypt was just mind-blowing. Standing at the apex of the Pyramid of Giza had been incredible, and the next day, we planned to see the Sphinx, but presently, I wanted to do something romantic.
“Christopher, please? I heard it was one of the most romantic restaurants in all of Cairo. Can’t we go there for dinner?”
“Baby, it’s in the off-limits area, not the best place for Americans right now.” Christopher frowned. “It’s dangerous. Why don’t we find a nice restaurant near the hotel?”
I pouted. I’d been reading about this place with its outside dining and mood lighting that had a sweeping view of the Nile River. It was part of another hotel in the inner part of Cairo. How dangerous could it be?
“Please?” I batted my eyelashes at him and kissed his chin.
Christopher sighed and shook his head, but he smiled and kissed my nose. “All right, peanut. We’ll go, but stay close to me.”
I threw my arms around him and kissed him fully. I loved this man more than anything on the planet. He was my love, my life, and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have him, especially considering how unlucky I’d been growing up. I never knew my father, and my mother treated me like I’d ruined her life. My stepdad was okay, but if Mom and I were fighting, he always took her side. I’d pretty much cut myself out of their lives, rarely speaking to them at all.
My life revolved around my husband of three years, Christopher Bell. I even worked for him as his research assistant as he was writing a book on Egypt. Christopher was a brilliant anthropologist and a professor at the local college. Ever since we’d gotten together, I had felt like the luckiest girl on the planet.
“Charlene, if we’re going to go to this restaurant, we’ll need to leave now,” Christopher called from the bedroom of our hotel room.
“I’m coming!” I touched up my lipstick in the bathroom mirror and stepped back into the bedroom. “Don’t you look handsome!” I eyed him up and down in his tweed jacket and jeans. He was definitely a sexy professor.
“And you, my darling peanut, are gorgeous, as usual.” He kissed me. “Come on, we’ll get a taxi.”
The drive to the inner part of the city wasn’t very long, about thirty minutes with traffic. Once we arrived, the driver explained that we shouldn’t leave the hotel lounge to get a taxi and to call for one to pick us up when we finished, as it was a dangerous area after dark. It didn’t really bother me. There were people everywhere, and I figured he just wanted us to call him for a ride so he could make some more money off us.
That was one thing about Cairo I didn’t like. There were all kinds of people looking to scam and hassle you here to buy stuff that wasn’t worth the price. But the town was gorgeous, and there were some very lovely people here as well, and that outweighed the bad.
Christopher led me into the restaurant and to the hostess. They chatted for a moment in Egyptian Arabic, a language I still hadn’t mastered, and then she led us to a table near the pool. Christopher pulled out my chair, and I sat down facing the Nile and the gorgeous skyline as the sun set, leaving the sky awash in pinks and purples. It was absolutely beautiful.
“Oh, Christopher, this is so stunning. Thank you for bringing me here,” I said, feeling my heart swell at the look of love in his eyes.
“I can never tell you no, peanut. And you’re right, this place is beautiful. I’m glad we came too.” He squeezed my fingers.
I wished he could lean across the table and kiss me, but public displays of affection here were not welcome. After ordering, we chatted about some of the notes I’d taken on the city, and we talked about his plans for the book he was writing. And then the conversation turned to us.
“I do think we should start trying for real to have a baby again when we get back. Start filling up those rooms in the house. What do you think?”
I blushed. “We could start trying again tonight,” I murmured, grinning back at him.
“That’s my girl,” he replied, chuckling.
The waiter brought out the food, and we ate, exclaiming over each delicious bite. It was truly a magical evening. I couldn’t wait to be alone with him again to show him how much I loved him and appreciated his bringing me here.
After dinner, we headed out and began walking a bit, looking for a taxi, but the streets were devoid of them. Sure, there were cars passing, but not one was a cab. “Maybe we should go down a block?” I suggested.
“Or maybe our driver was right. Let’s head back to the restaurant and call—”
“Atni malek! Alaan!” a man dressed in black with a head scarf that wrapped around his nose and mouth said as he shoved Christopher. He held a large knife toward us.
“Christopher!” I cried, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Alaan! Alaan!” the man screamed.
“What does he want?” I asked, terrified.
“He wants our money,” he said softly and then looked at the man. “Tehdia wassouf tahsal mahfadhti,” Christopher said calmly as he reached toward his back pocket. He held his other hand out in a defensive manner.
I watched as Christopher began to pull the wallet from his pocket.
“Mahfada walmjohrat asada!” he shouted, moving the knife toward me.
“Peanut, he wants your purse and jewelry,” Christopher explained.
“But my wedding ring! I can’t give him that!” I exclaimed.
“Alaan! Alaan!” the man cried. His eyes were bugged out, and he looked down the street past us, and then before we could do as he asked, he raised the knife and slammed it into Christopher’s chest, pulled it out, grabbed my purse, ripping it from my arm, and then seeing Christopher’s wallet fall from his hand as he fell, grabbed that and took off down the street.
“Oh my God! Christopher!” I screamed, falling to the ground beside him as he gasped.
Blood poured from his chest, and his eyes fluttered. “I . . . I love you . . .” he murmured, his fingers wrapping around mine for a moment, and then the pressure was gone. He was gone.
“No!” I screamed, collapsing over his chest. “No! Come back! Please! Please don’t leave me, Christopher!”
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