Get it together, Desta Joy.
“So,” I said, desperate for a distraction. “That was a really awkward situation at lunch.”
Tsehay and Elias shared another look that once again made me wonder if there was more to their relationship. Tsehay was the one to answer, though. “Sam’s been on other projects. We’re used to him being…abrupt.”
I smiled at her valiant effort at diplomacy. “He was a jackass, and thankfully you guys were there to intervene.”
They both looked down, clearly refraining from expressing an opinion. I’d been around enough to know how these things went. Sometimes being candid with the expats could backfire spectacularly, and Elias and Tsehay didn’t know me well enough to trust I wouldn’t end up telling on them to their boss. After a few more seconds of awkward silence, Elias looked at me, and I could tell he was trying to read what my silence meant, like he was warring with the impulse to trust me.
He exhaled before he spoke, but he seemed determined to say exactly what was on his mind. He ran a hand over his chin, thoughtful as always. “There are people who come to our country and they’ve already made up their mind that they know better than us.” He twisted his mouth in an expression of distaste, and I could see the same fire there as when he’d spoken to Sam earlier. This was not a man to let people walk all over him. He knew his place in the world, even if assholes like Sam could never wise up to it. “Some people can’t be reasoned with. Sam thinks that because he does work in this part of the world, that somehow shields him from having to be a decent person. To see us like his equals.”
He lifted a shoulder then, as if he were too tired to care. “He’s not the first, won’t be the last.”
Tsehay shook her head, and when she spoke her voice was low, careful. “The problem with Sam is that he can be vindictive if he feels like he’s been slighted.” She looked at Elias, her expression serious, but she didn’t say more as they exchanged looks.
I was still puzzled about their relationship, but decided that whatever it was, I needed to calm the fuck down.
“I just want you both to know that this stays between us. I would never mention this to anyone,” I said, while I waited for my coffee to cool. I regretted having brought this up at all. I was ruining the mood, but both Tsehay and Elias seemed to relax.
After a moment of drinking our coffee in a semi-tense silence, Tsehay smiled and moved closer to me. “So did you have a special someone back home? Do you want help picking out some gifts?”
Her tone was casual and friendly, but still I straightened my back and tried to figure out from her expression if there was a hidden agenda behind that question. Did she have suspicions about me? Did she notice anything with me and Elias?
I glanced at him sitting on the other side of Tsehay, and his expression was completely blank. Nothing to show me if he’d heard what she said. The only thing giving him away was the way he was tapping the side of the small cup. A little nervous gesture that tempted me to find out what would happen if I actually told the truth.
I turned to Tsehay again, sure by now that she’d figured out I didn’t have a good answer to her question. It wasn’t like I hadn’t been asked this before. I was well into my marrying years in most of the countries I worked in, so getting asked about my wife or kids happened on pretty much every work trip. I usually answered with something vague or said I was too busy with work for romance, but this time I just didn’t feel like doing that.
I put my coffee cup back on the small table and turned so that I was looking right at Tsehay. “Nope.” I counted, one, two, three breaths, my heart doing its best to beat right out of my chest, and just said it. “I had a boyfriend, but we broke up before coming on this trip.”
Elias’s cup rattled as he put it back, making me jump, but his face was not unkind. More like he was flustered by the answer.
Tsehay, on the other hand, squeezed my forearm hard and winked at me. “You don’t want to tell anyone else that.” She waved a finger between Elias and herself. “And we won’t, either.”
I nodded, but didn’t know what else to say, and it seemed it wasn’t necessary. From then on I just focused on the dancers as Tsehay and Elias offered explanations about the different tribal styles and dress. It was all so fascinating I almost—but not quite—missed the long looks Elias sent my way after my big revelation.
Chapter 7
The rest of the weekend went on without a hitch. Saturday we went swimming at one of the lakes, and Sunday I spent most of the day sleeping and telling myself all the reasons why going to look for Elias was a terrible, no good, dangerous idea.
But by Monday morning I was itching to see him. I should’ve anticipated that Sam was going to serve us with some bullshit first thing.
I was making my way through the restaurant, heading for breakfast, when I saw Tsehay and Sam in a heated discussion. There was obviously something wrong because Sam was red in the face and kept swinging his hands as he talked. I braced myself for whatever foolery this was. Knowing Sam and the way he ran his mouth, I anticipated having our whole day turned upside down by whatever he had done.
I got to them just as Elias was coming in from the side door of the restaurant that led to the parking lot. He’d probably been preparing the supplies
