After a late lunch and checking into their hotel, Erin had allowed Spencer to lead her to the Jnan Sbil Gardens. He had claimed that the heat of the day would soon be forgotten when they were strolling along the pathways there, and she decided to trust him as that hadn't steered her wrong yet. She had instantly felt more at ease in Fez than she had Casablanca, and some of that stemmed from the fact that more couples seemed to be at least holding hands as they travelled down the streets. Spencer didn't seem to mind how clingy she felt she was being, and she allowed herself to walk as close as she possibly dared as they made their way to the gardens.
When they stepped inside, Erin felt like she was truly entering another world, since there was so much green all around them. "How did you find out about this place?" she breathed out as he brought her over to the first fountain.
"I looked up things to do on my phone while you were watching the scenery on the train. I know, it's boring…"
"No, it's perfect. A little oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the medina. We can go explore there after we're done here, yes?" He nodded and she let out a little giggle. "I know, you must be surprised that I can think of shopping when there's so much to see and so little time to see it, but I really want to try and find my children something here, since I feel like the time to do so is running out."
"I get it, and that will be fine. I'm certain that we can get something here, or in Marrakech, even though our time there will be much more limited."
She nodded as she took a seat on the edge of the fountain, gazing into the water. It was easy to tell that Spencer was taking pictures of her, since she felt him step away from her to do so. After a few moments, she turned her head to look at him, making certain to smile widely. "Once we see which of those turn out, I want to pick out a few from the last few days to send to my children, to let them know that I'm having a good time."
"Of course." Spencer took a few more before a young man, around his age, came up to his side. They spoke for a few moments in quick French, and then Spencer was handing the camera over to him before taking a seat next to her. "Some people are very kind," he murmured in her ear as the young man took a series of pictures before handing the camera back to them.
"They are." It was nice to sit there for a few moments, even though they had been sitting on the train for almost five hours, and then in the café for another thirty minutes. The birds singing lent a thoroughly romantic air to their surroundings, and she wished that they were back home so that she could turn and kiss him without fear of getting stared at. Finally, she didn't see anyone coming towards them, and she risked leaning over and pressing her lips to his in the quickest of kisses before getting to her feet. "Let's explore some more."
"All right," he replied as he stood up, taking hold of her hand once more before tucking it into the crook of his elbow, which allowed them to walk closer together, without being too obvious about their relationship. Spencer stopped and took more pictures of her, and a few other tourists also helped them out by snapping photos when they least expected it, something that truly touched her heart. She felt like she could stay there forever, beneath the brilliantly blue sky, but knew that they would have to move on, which they did as they explored the last nook and cranny of the gardens.
"Don't lose sight of me in here," she said as they entered the medina, and he nodded as he took firm hold of her hand once more, threading their fingers together to make it harder for them to be separated as they wended their way through the narrow streets and crush of people. Even though it appeared busier than Casablanca, Erin still felt more at ease in the midst of all these people. She couldn't put her finger on what, exactly, was different about the atmosphere, just that she felt more centered and confident.
As she lost track of time, Erin found herself overwhelmed in the best way at all the sights, sounds, and smells of the medina. It was easy to find so much that she wanted to purchase, but knew that she had to keep it limited, since they didn't have that much room in their bags for her to buy everything that she saw. Still, she managed to pick up a few things that she knew her children would like, and Spencer gamely carried all the bags she managed to acquire along the way.
"I think that I am officially bought out, Spencer. You definitely have way too many bags in your hands. You should have stopped me!"
He shrugged a little as they began to make their way towards the exit of the medina. "I thought it was adorable to see you get more confident in both your Arabic and your haggling skills. And we'll somehow manage to either fit this into our bags or buy another one before we head out to Marrakech. I hope you don't mind, but while you were bartering at the first stall, I went ahead and booked our train tickets and hotel room for there, since we have a vague timeline now. I think that we'll be there first, and then Alex can join us when her train arrives."
"I'm glad that one of us can think ahead," she teased as they headed over to the nearest taxi stand. While Spencer haggled over the fare, Erin loaded the purchases in the back with her, allowing her partner to sit up front with the driver. During the twenty minute ride back to the hotel, their driver worked with Erin and Spencer on their Arabic, which was welcome. Once they had arrived back at the hotel, Erin once more grabbed the purchases while Spencer paid their driver, before talking to him at length. She didn't want to interrupt their conversation, so she tried to wait patiently for Spencer. Still, her toes did tap a few times as she smiled at him. "How did I ever manage to find so much luck in my life?" she whispered to herself as she gazed at him, feeling the first waves of love start to wash over her heart. She wouldn't tell him that, not just yet, but things hadn't felt this right since she had first met Alan, before things had gotten so toxic between them. That had been her fault, though, and she was determined to not make the same mistake with Spencer. Not when he had taken the chance on her.
"Sorry that you had to wait for me."
"That's fine, I just got to watch you. And it is such a lovely sight." He blushed a little, and she laughed as she took hold of his hand and walked with him into the hotel. "Now, what were you talking to him about?"
"I was actually making arrangements with him for tomorrow and the day after. Since he was such a good driver, I thought it would be nice to have him get us around to the places we want to visit and then to the train station."
"That sounds perfect, Spencer." She nudged him with her shoulder, giving him a small wink when he looked down at her. "Do you want to just grab a bite to eat here in the hotel before exploring in the area this evening?"
"And what would you like to do between now and then?"
"Well, my feet do ache a little from the medina. I was thinking that a good soak in the bathtub would be just the pick me up that I need?" She wasn't surprised to see him grin at what she was intimating, and she bit her lip as she waggled her eyebrows quickly, feeling deliciously wicked in that moment.
"I do like the way that you think, Erin," he purred in her ear as they stepped onto the elevator, and she shivered as she drifted closer to him, eager to spend some time relaxing, alone, with him.