The Mediator: Egyptian Style

Jesse took me to a nice little restaurant near our hotel to have lunch. It was very nice indeed. I had a caesar salad and chicken francaise - you know, that lemony chicken stuff - and a little side of pasta. I know, very...formal for a stupid little lunch, but Jesse insisted.

After lunch, Jesse decided we try something different.

Different...

I was wondering what he meant by different, because, obviously, he hadn't specified what, exactly, we were trying. Which totally ticked me off. But I held my anger in. For now.

He took us to this little place that was about a mile or so from the Sphinx. I asked Jesse why we couldn't just go to the Sphinx, but he said we would go there soon enough. I really don't see the point in that either. I mean, we were here. Why not go there?

Whatever.

He led me to this little shack that looked like it would collapse if someone touched it.

Looks are deceiving, querida.

AAAHHH! What the hell?

I shuddered. That was...weird.

I took a glance at Jesse and he just smirked.

HA, I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU COULD READ MINDS!

I heard Jesse chuckle. I knew he was laughing at me.

Hmph. Meanie. I just had a revelation and he has to go and laugh at me.

Well, pfft to you, butt head.

Can you beat that? Huh?

Ha, I thought so.

Jesse was laughing harder now.

No, I can't beat that, querida.

Heehee...this is kinda fun.

...Except, I wish I could read his mind. You know, to see what dirty thoughts he's thinking about me.

Jesse snorted.

Oops, I forgot he still had access to my head.

We reached the little shack. The little man inside asked Jesse how many.

How many what?

You'll see.

"Two, please," Jesse said to the guy.

As the guy was handing Jesse the two whatevers, I glanced behind the shack and noticed that there was one very large, very wooden gate. I swear I did not see that earlier, but...how could I have missed it? It looked as if it would attract a lot of attention. Then again, I wasn't the most observant person in the world.

Jesse put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Follow me."

I did and soon we were on the other side of the abnormally large gate. I looked around, expecting to find...something. Anything other than what was there...

...Which happened to be a shit load of camels.

Figures. When I think Jesse is being cute and sexy, not telling me where we're going and all, I figure it must be something...romantic. I guess I was wrong. Again.

You think I was being cute and sexy?

Yes. But what's with all of the...camels?

You'll see. And it will be romantic, querida, just...not for a little while.

Well that makes a whole lot of sense.

I followed Jesse to yet another shack. This one seemed a bit more stable, though. He handed the tickets to the old guy standing there. The guy came out of the shack and led us to two camels.

The first thing I noticed when we were walking closer to them was that there were two very large humps on each of their backs.

I know, I know. Its normal for a camel to have two humps on their backs. Its where they store their water or whatever. But its just weird seeing them in reality, not like in a textbook or something. Or on the National Geographic channel.

The guy, whose name turned out to be Thomas, gave us the instructions and everything and told us we had the camels until 8 pm. Joy.

We led the camels out the gate and then Jesse helped me on mine and he got on his.

The first thing I noticed when I was on it was that it SMELLED. Man, and Jesse thought this could be romantic? What the hell was he thinking?

Well, I thought you might want to do something a little...different.

"I did, Jesse, but this is just...weird," I said, aloud.

He chuckled and said, "Yes, it is."

You know, I'm starting to think somebody slipped something in Jesse's drink. Well, if he had a drink, that is.

The camels walked alongside each other for a good fifteen minutes.

"Where are we going?" I asked. I could see the Sphinx getting closer and closer, but I just wasn't thinking, I guess, when I asked that.

"You'll see, Susannah," he answered, again.

Pfft.

Five minutes later, we arrived at the Sphinx. Jesse got off the camel and helped me off of mine.

Jesse walked the camels to this other little shack - what is with these shacks? - and handed them over to the guy in there. Then he came over to me, put his arm around my waist, and we walked over to the tourist group.

I despise tourists, even if I am one.

I noticed Jesse trying not to laugh at what I just thought. Why can't he get out of my head? Why can't I get in his head?

Hmph. This sucks.

Okay, concentrate, Suze, and...stop thinking so much.

I tried, I really did. The concentrating part was easy, but the whole not thinking thing was HARD. Just when I was about to give up hope, I heard it. Part of his thoughts. Not much, but it was something.

She is so beautiful. Why did she choose me over him? I love her with all of my heart, but its just hard to think that she cared for me even when I was...dead.

Okay, maybe it WAS much. That's what he really thought, though?

Jesse, I'd choose you a million times if it came down to that. And I love you too, with all of my heart and soul.

Jesse looked at me with plain shock on his face. I smiled at him and gave him a peck on the lips. I saw that he was smiling too after that.

"Querida, I didn't – I mean, I just th—"

"Shh," I said, putting a finger to his lips. "I love you and that's all that matters, Jesse." And then I added, "Underestimated me, didn't ya?"

I was referring to the mind reading thing.

"No, I knew you could do it, but just not then," he admitted.

"Let's just join the tour now," I said.

He smiled again and we followed the tour group. The guide was telling us about how the purpose and how and why it was created remains an enigma to this day.

Yes, I was listening to the tour guide, folks.

I was listening to how the nose and the beard were broken off. The lady said that the nose may have been shot down by one of Napoleon's men.

Then a guy in the crowd spoke up. "No it wasn't, ma'am. The nose was broken off by a Turk during the Turkish period during target practice," he said.

The whole crowd looked back at the lady and she said, "Well, that may be sir, but that's not what I was told."

"You might want to tell your mentor to get his facts right," he said.

"That's enough, sir, thank you," she said.

He shut up. I guess he figured he humiliated the lady enough.

"He's right, you know," Jesse said to me.

"Huh?" I said. I know, sexy, right?

"What that man said about the nose being broken off. I read that in a few books when I snuck into the library as a ghost," he told me.

Well this was news to me. Not the nose thing; that he used to sneak into the library.

I decided to let it drop, though.

The rest of the tour was pretty uneventful. At the end, which was about two hours or so later, we got back on our camels and headed back to the shack.

We brought them back through the gates and handed them off to Thomas. But before the camel got pulled away, he came over to me and slobbered all over my face.

"EWWWW!" I screamed.

Ugh, that was SO nasty.

I could hear Jesse's laughs reverberating through my head.

"Its not FUNNY, Jesse!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, yes, it is," he replied.

Thomas handed me a towel that he fetched. I wiped my face off and threw it at Jesse. Some of the slobber got on his shirt and he scowled at me.

"Not so funny, now, is it, Jesse," I said.

And for laughing at me, you aren't getting ANY tonight.

At first I didn't think he knew what I meant because he just kept staring at me.

He handed the towel to the guy, who reluctantly took it and said, "Come on, Susannah, let's go."

I'm sorry, Susannah. Forgive me. Please.

Nope. I've made my decision.

He rolled his eyes at me.

We walked back to the car and drove back to the hotel.

The whole time in the car we were quiet. No, we weren't fighting. But...there wasn't really much to be said, you know?

By the time we got back to our room - or should I say suite - it was already dinner time. And boy was I hungry.

I turned to Jesse, who was sitting on the bed, and said, "I'm hungry. Let's get some food."

Jesse laughed a little.

"Are you?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied, "really hungry."

"Okay, I saw a nice diner as we were driving back. Maybe we could go there?"

I scrunched my face up. "No fancy food tonight, Jesse. Take out sounds perfect. Chinese food."

He looked at me strangely. Then he said, "Is there a phone book around?"

I looked around until I found one. He skimmed through it until he found the number. Then he ordered.

"Done," he said. "They said twenty minutes, querida. What shall we do until then?"

"Nuh uh, Jesse, I already told you. You are punished. Time out for you," I said, "Meaning NO sexual favors tonight."

Gah, I can't believe I said 'sexual' around Jesse. It sounds weird saying it to him. Then adding 'favors' onto it...weird.

He stood up from the bed and came over to me. "Are you sure about that?" he asked.

Oh god...

He was making me hot...

Really hot...

His lips were so, so close to mine...

...Stick to your promise, Suze!

I looked into his eyes and said, "Y-yes, I am sure."

"Really?" he asked and moved that little bit closer.

Aww, what the hell.

I pulled his head down the rest of the way and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around my waist while I wrapped mine around his neck. Then he picked me up and carried me over to the bed.

He laid me down on the bed, while he got on top of me. He placed his arms next to my sides so I wouldn't get all of his weight.

Then he began softly kissing my neck. And boy, let me tell you, Jesse de Silva sure as hell knows how to make a girl feel good. The sensations his lips were making across my skin were addictive and...and...

...and I just wanted more.

He stopped and looked me in the eyes, while he lifted his left hand and gently caressed my face.

I smiled sweetly and lifted my head up slightly so I could kiss him. His kisses were so passionate and loving that I could never get enough of them. I needed them. More so than I ever thought possible.

I felt his tongue press lightly against my lips. So, I opened my mouth, and allowed its entrance. Our tongues explored places that had already been conquered, but it seemed new and awesome (A/N: Sorry for the lack of descriptive words) every time.

I felt his hand slowly creep under my t-shirt, teasing the skin there playfully. I kinda moaned into his mouth as he did that. Since he was feeling me up, I felt it was my duty to only return the favor.

Yeah...right.

I slid my hands under his shirt, feeling all of the ripples in his abdomen that were his perfect, washboard abs.

Then I felt him slowly pushing my shirt up, so it was right below my bra. We broke apart from the kiss long enough to remove my t-shirt - and get some air. Instead of going back to my mouth, he went to my neck and chest and began planting little kisses there. Then he worked his way to my left ear and sucked on it, creating this very weird feeling inside of me.

As he pleasured me in so many ways, I tugged on his shirt so it could be removed. He put his arms up and I lifted it over his head and dropped it on the floor next to me.

He then starting kissing down my torso and ending at my lower stomach. Then he did something really weird. He undid my pants with his teeth. How he did that, I'll never know. When he did it, though, I was too far into...what we were doing to care.

He gently slid my pants off and dumped them on the floor. Poor pants; I'm sure they wanted some action too.

Then I proceeded to flip us over so I was on top. I did the same thing Jesse did - you know, kissing down his torso - except I didn't undo his pants with my teeth.

I put my hands over the top portion of his jeans, which made him shudder beneath me, and went to unbutton them. I did, too.

I wanted his pants off so damn badly.

God, he was so sexy and hot and amazing and sexy—

There was a knock at the door.

Damn Chinese food man.

Disclaimer: The Mediator series belongs to Meg Cabot.