AN: Thanks to those who reviewed. Here is the next intro part. We will get into the thrust of the story in ch 3. Please read and review.
Chapter 2
"Like this?" he asks, concentrating hard.
"Top hand a little higher. That's it. That's the spot," she replies excitedly.
"Perfect," she exclaims, and Chuck is finally able to relax his arms. She smiles as she hands him back his cell phone. He was happy with the first picture she had taken of him holding the giant pyramid between his hands. Sarah, however, thought they could do better at creating the optical illusion that he was larger than the pyramids themselves. So they spent five minutes taking pictures until she was satisfied.
"Now it is your turn," he says, holding out his hand for her phone. Something flickers across her face but she covers it quickly.
"Nah, I'm good," she says, shrugging her shoulders and continuing along the path they had been walking.
Chuck can sense that there is something going on beneath the surface of their interaction just now, but he has only known Sarah for an hour, so he doesn't want to press. Instead, he opts for what he thinks is more friendly conversation.
"So," he says, coming up beside her again, "What brings you to Egypt?"
She doesn't answer right away. "Uh…work, actually. I have been here for a few weeks for work," she replies, nodding her head to confirm the truth of her answer.
Chuck's eyes widen a bit before he asks a follow up question. "Wow, work that brings you all the way over here. That's really cool. What do you do?"
Another long delay. Chuck has a feeling that he is overstepping but that sense battles with his natural tendency to want to know people. He is also asking pretty basic questions, so he brushes off his inner voice.
"I work for the U.S. State Department. Public diplomacy. I have been working out of the Embassy," she says matter-of-factly.
Chuck full-on gapes at her now. Then, he stops walking all together. It takes her a moment to realize he isn't next to her, and she looks around, confused. Once she spots him, she reverses course.
"Why did you stop," she asks, her tone conveying that she is again wondering if he is crazy.
"What an awesome job. How cool are you?! I mean you can speak Arabic and you work for the government solving crises. And you take great photos," he laughs.
Sarah smiles and shakes her head at his antics. "Ha. I am not that great, trust me. But my job does take me to a lot of amazing places, so that is awesome, I guess."
She starts walking again, expecting him to follow. He does. She looks over at him and asks, "What about you? What are you doing here?"
"Me? Oh, yeah, sure. I, uh, have been working non-stop since college. Working on a software program that I had started during a class research project. It involved using images to help search engines make better connections between data. So, I was always looking at pictures of amazing things and beautiful places, but it was through the glare of a computer screen. I just kept longing for the things in the pictures. One day, I realized I could do something about it. I could go to those places and stop begrudging myself for missing them. Other than work, my life had been a bit crappy for a long time So, I sold my software program to a company that wants to finish it themselves. Did a bunch of research, bought a plane ticket, and here I am taking a gap year, as the kids say," he explained, affecting an accent at the end.
Sarah glances at him but doesn't say anything. She just keeps moving. He begins to worry that he did something wrong. "Does that…uh, does that seem stupid?" he stutters.
She whips her head around this time, eyes wide with regret. "No! No, not at all. I was just trying to figure out how to respond to hearing something so real and deep. You think I am cool? You felt a hole in your life, a longing for something different, and you went for it. Not many people would do that. I don't think I could. The unknown is scary," she reassures him, her voice soft and serious.
Chuck smiles and tilts his head sheepishly. "Well, I guess when you put it that way, it is pretty cool. Most people think I am crazy to do this. Even my sister thought so at first, but she came around eventually."
"So how long have you been at it," she asks, putting her hands in the pockets of her jeans.
"About a month now. This is only my second stop. I went to Morocco first."
And Chuck tells her all about his time in Morocco.
"Oooohhh. Let's go for a camel ride," Chuck says excitedly as they crest the hill they had been climbing. He looks at her with infinite hope in his eyes even though she is already laughing and shaking her head no.
"Trust me, you will not enjoy it. I have been on a camel before, and it is not pleasant," she assures him.
Chuck wants to know why and when she had previously ridden a camel, but he also wants to convince her to go again, so he sticks to one line of questioning. "I promise you I will like it. How can we not go? When in Rome and all that. Well, Egypt in this case," he reasons.
He can see it in her eyes. She is giving in to his pleading. In disbelief, she says, "ok, but don't say I didn't warn you."
"Noted," he replies, grinning like a fool.
"And I get to pick what we do after that," she argues.
"Of course," he says, bowing at the waist
He likes that.
After.
The promise of more time with her and the unspoken acknowledgement that she is perhaps having a good time with him.
He is so excited that he doesn't even think. He just grabs her hand and pulls her towards the camel stand. She doesn't complain or hit him. Instead, she laughs into the ether.
20 Minutes Later
He is not enjoying it.
Sarah was right, riding a camel is the definition of unpleasant. It is bumpy, hot, and really, really uncomfortable for his whole butt region. No way in hell, though, is he going to reveal this to Sarah. Because for all she said about not liking camel riding, she looks completely at ease. Beautiful and poised. Not a worry line visible on her face.
"Having a good time?" she asks, an inflection of suspicion to her voice.
Chuck looks over at her, and just as he is about to answer, the camel makes an odd movement, and he worries he is going to fall off. His face morphs in fear, and he quickly reaches for the saddle to steady himself. Once he is sure he won't fall, he gives Sarah a close mouthed smile and nods. "Yup, loving it," he says.
She throws her head back to laugh at his terrible lying.
"Can I ask you a question," he says, changing the subject.
Sarah reins in her laughter at him and gives him a shoulder shrug. "Sure. I might plead the fifth, but you can ask."
He nods his head to acknowledge her caveat. "I was wondering why you wear a headscarf," he asks.
When she furrows her brow before answering, he continues, "I just mean that I have seen a lot of western women here who don't, so it seems like you could get away without it if you wanted."
Her face clears as she understands his intent behind the question. "It's my hair. The blond tends to stick out. It draws attention to me, and sometimes I don't want attention," she explains.
"Ahh," he says, keeping his mouth open a beat extra to emphasize his understanding. "That makes sense."
After another moment of riding, his foot overrides his mouth and he gives his unfiltered thoughts. "Honestly, though, I think you would draw attention no matter what you wore."
She looks over at him, surprised.
He grins shyly. "You are, uh, very beautiful, in case you didn't hear me say it earlier, like an idiot."
She chuckles lightly and gives him another suspicious glare. "Are you fishing for me to give you compliments?" Her small smile reveals her words are said in jest.
"Ha. No, never. I don't know, I guess I just figure that we will only know each other for this one day, so I should ask and say as much as I can. I am sure you must get guys fawning over you all the time, so I am sorry if I am giving off that vibe. It isn't my intention," he explains.
"I understand. That is very nice of you to say. I do get guys hitting on me a lot."
She doesn't say anything else, and a few minutes later the handlers turn the camels around, signaling the return portion of their trip has begun.
"Chuck," she says, waiting for him to give her his attention before continuing, "For the record, you are pretty cute for a geek."
He laughs at her joke, but a rush of warmth surges through him at her compliment. He will take it.
"We prefer nerds, actually," he teases back.
7 p.m.
Downtown Cairo
He and Sarah spent the entire day so far together. After the camel ride, they went to see the Sphinx. Then they went to see some other temples just outside of town that he had read about in a guide book. All afternoon was spent walking around the dusty landscape, exploring the ruins of ancient Egypt. Chuck loved seeing the pillars, ducking into doorways without knowing where they would lead. While Sarah explored with a quiet grace, she too seemed to be taken by the experience.
Chuck had wanted to go to lunch, but Sarah insisted that there was no good food to be had before 7 p.m., and she knew the perfect place. So they bought some snacks at a corner market and went to the Cairo Museum.
Now, they are navigating the frenetic streets of Cairo on foot. Chuck can't believe that he ever complained about L.A. traffic. Cairo is on a different level. He hasn't seen a stop light since he arrived. There are rarely visible traffic lines on the road, and they are ignored when they do appear. Cars drive six inches from one another and constantly honk, but it doesn't seem to be in anger. Amazingly, he hasn't seen a single fender bender. Somehow, it works. For cars, at least.
Chuck feels like a fish out of water as a pedestrian. Crossing the street is a death defying feat. He and Sarah are currently waiting to cross a busy highway so that they can get to her secret restaurant. Chuck thinks he sees an opening to walk and steps off of the curb. Sarah grabs his arm and pulls him back hard, just before a motorcycle whizzes by. He hadn't seen it coming. He is breathing quickly from the scare and from the fact that Sarah has her arm around him.
"Are you ok?" she asks, concerned. He nods his head in the affirmative. He can't speak. Being physically close to her is messing with his brain. He has never felt like this so quickly with someone. He wonders if she feels the current as well.
"You have to be more careful, Chuck," she admonishes.
"Ok," he agrees, finally able to eke out words. She is still holding him. Why is she still holding him?
"I think we can go now," she says, letting him go, but taking his hand to guide him through the traffic. They make it safely, and he squeezes her hand in thanks. She jolts a bit at the gesture, perhaps just now realizing they are still holding hands. After a sheepish smile and what he swears is a look of regret, she drops his hand.
"The restaurant is just up ahead," she says, pointing and heading in the direction of "ahead".
"Oh my god, this is so good," he says with a mouth full of food. He doesn't care that it is rude. The food is so delicious. It needs to be said.
Sarah laughs at him. "It is. I love eating here," she says, taking another bite of her kebab.
"You come to Egypt a lot then," he asks, finally having swallowed his big bite.
Sarah takes a sip of her water and nods her head, "Um-hum, I guess. I have been in this area a lot lately. This most recent trip has been several weeks, like I said before."
"What do you do exactly? What is public diplomacy?" he asks while tearing off a piece of bread and dunking it in the tahini sauce.
He doesn't notice the pause in Sarah's chewing. He just hears her answer. "A lot of meetings. I travel to different embassies all over the world to gather info or persuade people to do things that are in America's best interest. Pretty boring, trust me," she says.
Chuck motions at her with the bread in his hand. "Nope, sounds pretty impressive to me, and I bet you are being modest," he says with a smile.
"Do you like music," she asks, changing the subject.
"I love music!"
"What about dancing?" she adds.
Chuck's face falls a bit at that. "I am not much of a dancer," he confesses.
"Perfect," she exclaims, grinning, "I am not very into music, but I love dancing. We will balance each other out. There is a great club not far from here."
He is hesitant, but it means more time with this captivating woman, so he agrees.
They arrive at the club around 10 p.m. The disco doesn't start for another hour, but there is a live band playing now, so they grab drinks and a table. And then they chat. He does most of the talking, but it doesn't feel awkward. He tells her that he doesn't have his whole trip planned out, that he just has a rough idea of the regions he wants to visit. He picks her brain for any recommendations from her travels, but she doesn't have many. She says that she doesn't usually get to go sightseeing when working.
"Wait," she says, thunking her glass down on the table, "you actually call him Captain Awesome?"
Chuck laughs. "Yea, you should see the guy. Everything he does is awesome, rock climbing, surfing, flossing," he deadpans.
Sarah throws her head back in laughter, and Chuck is again struck by her beauty as the club lights bounce across her face. Abruptly, she stops laughing and sits up straighter. He is worried that something bad has happened.
"I love this song," she exclaims, beaming, "let's dance!"
She takes the drink out of his hand and puts it on the table before dragging him out on the dancefloor. Now that the DJ has started, others are joining them quickly.
"I'm really not a good dancer," he tries to argue one more time.
Already moving in a mesmerizing rhythm with the music, she smiles at him. "Just do you, Chuck, I won't judge. Feel the music," she says, almost ethereally.
He gives a nervous smile, but tries her suggestion. So far, feeling the music means shuffling from foot to foot and pumping his arms in front of him once in a while. Sarah, on the other hand, is dancing all around him and tossing her hair back and forth. He enjoys the scent he catches every time she does it. Next thing he knows, her hands are on his shoulders and she is moving them both to the beat. She is so close now that he can constantly smell her. It is intoxicating.
Brazenly, Chuck gives into his desire and pulls her closer so that their bodies are touching. They dance for hours.
It is after 2 a.m. when they make their exit from the club. Sarah is holding Chuck's hand, pulling him through the crowd. Their faces are flushed from the heat of the dance floor, and they are laughing together.
"You said you couldn't dance," Sarah challenges.
Chuck holds up his free hand in defense. "I really can't. I don't know who that was out there. I guess you brought out my inner MC Hammer," he jokes.
She gives him a cheeky glare at his lame reference but doesn't say anything else until they come to a less crowded corner where they both lean against a stone ledge.
"Wanna watch the sunrise?" she asks him, eagerly.
Chuck's heart rate escalates again. He looks at his watch and says, "That's not for another three or four hours."
Sarah continues looking at him and just shrugs. "We can just hang out until then," she smiles.
He nods his head and returns her grin.
She squeezes the hand she is still holding. "My hotel is only a few minutes from here. We can go to the roof deck," she suggests.
Chuck follows her wordlessly as she navigates the surprisingly packed streets back to her hotel. She is staying at a rather swanky place by Cairo standards. Certainly better than his hostel. Taking the elevator up to the tenth floor, Sarah leads him through an adjacent door and all of Cairo is suddenly visible to him.
"Wow," he says, walking them to the edge and leaning his hip against the railing. They are angled towards each other but looking out at the city. "This is so beautiful. I wonder how they –."
Before he can finish his thought, her lips muffle his words. She puts one hand behind his head and pulls his face closer, as close as it can get. Her other hand is on his side, squeezing. The path through his body between her hands and her lips is nothing but nerves firing. When he hears a small moan coming from her, he shrugs off his surprise and gives himself over fully to what is happening.
He adjusts their bodies so that her back is against the railing and he can push himself fully against her. His own moan must motivate her because she licks his lips and he invites her inside. It is minutes before the need for substantial oxygen overrides their hormones. She pulls away and leans her forehead against his shoulder. They are both panting.
"Is. This. Your. Idea. Of hanging out," he teases between heaves.
She laughs and says, "yes," before kissing him again.
