In the Interlude

Chapter 18 - Moving up

Aïcha pressed the heels of her hands to her eyelids and exhaled slowly and loudly.

She needed to tell her daughter. Not that she was having a date on Saturday evening. No, that was out of the question. She had to tell her she was going out with a friend, which was only half the truth.

Last time she managed to keep Mia in the dark about her weekend in Marrakech. But this time was different.

She hated doing this. But, how could she not? Aïcha swore to herself to never replace Idriss in Mia's life and she wasn't about to talk to her about flings with a stamped expiration date. Mia didn't need to know about all this, about any of this.

Deep in her thoughts, clutching her phone in her hand, Aïcha went back to the parents' lounge where her daughter was waiting for her.

God, she loved her so much. She was a good kid, full of kindness and compassion. And she was always smiling. Smiling since the day she came into this world. Mia lost her marvellous smile for a long time after Idriss passed away and Aïcha's biggest fear was that her daughter's capacity to feel joy would be lost forever.

But Aïcha's self-appointed mission was to not let this happen.

So, she helped Mia, slowly and painfully, to rediscover the beauty and joy the world had to offer. She hid her own tears, hurt and pain from her daughter, only letting them spill out once she was lying in bed, late at night. It was exhausting and difficult but she felt blessed because of Mia. And there is nothing in the world that she wouldn't do for her, including driving to the ice-cream parlour in the other part of the town before heading home just because Mia asked nicely, with a big smile on her face.

That's how much she loved her.

By the time they came back home, Aïcha had told her daughter that an old colleague from London was in town and that she was showing him around this weekend. Mia was happy for her mum and asked to spend the night at her aunt's.

"Sure, that's a very good idea. I'll call her tonight." 

Merde, cursed Aïcha to herself. Now she also needed to lie to her own sister about this whole ordeal. This was getting more complicated by the minute. Luckily her sister wasn't the noisy type and didn't ask any questions as she was between meetings. She happily agreed to pick Mia up Saturday afternoon for the weekend.

The rest of the week passed very quickly and then before she knew it, it was Saturday morning. Aïcha woke up early and eager to get on with her day. Her morning was packed with errands and groceries and Mia's dance classes and homework.

No rest for the weary.

Tom was also eager to get on with his day. He woke up early for one last run in Marrakech, packed a suitcase with most of his belongings that would precede him to Essaouira and an overnight bag for his short stay in Casablanca. After attending a meeting with the production team and the cast to go over next week's schedule, it was time to go.

The production company booked him a driver for the ride giving him time to relax and think. Tom was starting to feel the toll of the past weeks. Travelling, getting up early every day, the heat, the stunts ... and Aïcha. They didn't speak much after their phone call on Wednesday, only texting to make plans for Saturday night. They agreed to meet in the evening for drinks at a bar with supposedly breathtaking views of Casablanca.

If it was up to him, he would have invited her to a more quiet and intimate setting. 

Hell, if it was up to him, he would have invited her to his hotel room.

But she had already planned their weekend and after their heated argument on Monday, he didn't want to upset her. They were both walking on eggshells, he felt it in his heart.

The motion of the car started lulling him to sleep. He looked at his watch. Still a two-hour drive ahead of them. Yes, a nap was a good idea, he decided. He adjusted himself in the back seat, closed his eyes and quickly fall asleep.

Aïcha didn't have time for a nap. After her sister picked Mia up for the weekend, she tackled the pile of laundry. It was certainly not going to wash, dry and iron itself.

It wasn't before six in the afternoon that Aïcha finally sat down and enjoyed a cup of tea to calm her nerves, having crossed every single task on her to-do-list. Now she needed to prepare for the evening. She wanted to be pretty for tonight, to put make-up and nail polish. She wanted to dress nicely and smell good. She wanted to be happy and enjoy herself. But first, a nice and steamy shower was in order.

Aïcha arrived at Kenzi hotel at eight on the dot, leaving her car with the hotel valet. She took the sleek elevator to the 27th floor and climbed the remaining floor to 'Sky 28', the bar located on the 28th floor of the hotel.

She stepped into the half-empty bar and spotted Tom right away.

He was standing by the floor to ceiling glass windows, legs apart, hands in his pockets, enjoying the panoramic view of Casablanca. The sun had set leaving the sky with a temporary golden and crimson red afterglow. The sensational view extended across the city towards the majestic Atlantic Ocean shore. It was indeed breathtaking, just as Aïcha had promised.

She walked towards him, a big smile on her face. Tom turned in time to see her coming his way.

Their eyes met and locked for a moment.

Her skin prickled with goosebumps.

His eyes wandered appreciatively over her body, his fingertips touching his own lip.

She was wearing a long black dress with a round neck, falling just above ankle boots that made her already tall figure even taller. The dress hugged every curve of her voluptuous body.  Her hair was down softening the effect of the very sexy smoky eyes she had decided on at the very last minute.

He was happy to see her, smiling as he stepped forward. His mind was already imagining her in his room, preferably with that dress on the floor. But he knew this was not going to happen tonight.

Once in front of him, he took her in his arms, kissing her on the cheek. "Hello Aïcha," he said into her ear. 

She enjoyed the warmth the close proximity to his body offered and wished they could stay like this for the evening.

Eventually, he let go and took her hand in his. They followed the hostess who was standing discreetly behind them to their booked table, tucked away in a corner with views of Casablanca in sight.