“Yeah, he’s great.” I grinned because I couldn’t help it. “He’s a psychologist. Actually, he’s considering going to New York for a PhD at Columbia. I mean, he got in, but he deferred and is deciding whether to go or not.” And that was not making me fret, and I was not wondering what it would be like for Elias to be at Columbia while I went to NYU.
I would never do that because I wasn’t delusional.
Saba dipped her head approvingly. “Ambitious, but not too proud to do a less fancy job while he gets himself through school. I like him already.”
As Saba said that, I thought of how meticulous Elias was about getting the supplies ready for us while we were in the field. The careful way in which he approached everything. And before I knew it I was gushing about him to Saba.
“He’s great at his job too. There was not a single supply or emergency he wasn’t prepared for in the field. Even when Sam, one of the expats, majorly fucked up and we had to scramble to go out on the field without him.” I narrowed my eyes, thinking about what an asshole Sam was that day. “Elias just took over one of the teams without missing a beat.”
Saba was looking at me with a smirk on her face. Knowing her, she was probably plotting some kind of romance, despite the many issues that could bring me in Ethiopia.
I rolled my eyes at her. “Saba, stop scheming.”
She scrunched her eyebrows and tried for an innocent expression.
I wasn’t buying it. “I’m not even sure what’s going on with your eyebrows and eyes right now, but if it’s some corny idea about me and Elias, stop it. It’s not happening.” I actually clapped my two hands together, because yeah, we needed to shut all this shit down.
She just laughed at my protests. “I’m not doing anything with my eyebrows. He just sounds like a nice man.” She snapped her fingers then, and the wide smile that followed set my alarms off. She was up to something. “Actually, he sounds like a great fit for a program I’m hiring for at the moment.”
As soon as she mentioned a job, I got fidgety. Elias was supposed to come to the States for a PhD, where I could get to know him better.
Riiiight, all under control here.
I tipped my head to the side and tried not to glare at her. “Well, he’s thinking about school in the States. I’m not sure if he’s the right guy for that.”
Oh man that was the face of someone who had my number.
“Uh-huh. You forget I’ve known you your whole life, Desta Joy. Don’t think you can fool me.” She waved a finger in my direction. “You like that man.”
I threw my hands up in exasperation and laughed. “What’s not to like? He’s hot as hell. I mean, God, Saba, he’s so fucking beautiful. His eyes, and that mouth.” I sighed. “His hair is on the long side.” I shook my head while she grinned at me. “Just curls everywhere, which for some reason I find intoxicating. Everything about him is so damn sexy.”
I slouched against the chaise, closing my eyes. “It’s a problem, to be honest.”
Saba’s voice was pure mischief. “You took that man to bed already, and you’ll do it again.”
I snapped my eyes open at that and had to chuckle at the glee in her voice. “Saba! Oh my God. Why are you so shady? Seriously, you’re like a second mom. I can’t talk about this stuff with you.”
She laughed at me again. “It’s true, and you know it.”
I put my hands over my face, muffling my words as I spoke. “Can we stop talking about Elias, please?”
I looked at her through my fingers, and she finally took pity on me. “Fine. Tell me about your plans for your days off. I can recommend some new places.”
I slumped on my chaise dramatically and raised my hands in supplication. “Thank God.”
Saba shook her head and looked at me like I was an adorable mess. After that, the afternoon passed without any more intense conversations.
By the time we were drying off and heading to the dressing rooms, the sun was setting. As we walked to the showers, Saba looked at me, her face serious. “Desta, why don’t you invite Elias over to the house for dinner? It’ll just be you and me.”
I stopped in my tracks and stared at her, freaking out a little. “Oh no. I’m not going to be Mr. Needy and invite him over less than twenty-four hours after I had him—”
I quickly covered my mouth before I said something that would be cause for mortification until the end of my days.
Saba clucked, a hand on her hip. “I already told you I knew you’d taken him to bed. What’s the harm in inviting him to the house? It’s just dinner. Besides, you’re both adults, and my dear, we are still in Ethiopia. You won’t have many chances to spend time with him in a place where you can flirt to your heart's content.”
“Saba.” My fake whining was next-level. “You don’t even know if he’s gay! I never said he was, and besides, there’s nothing going on.”
She looked at me like I was the most pitiful thing on earth. “Invite him anyway. Like I said, he sounds like a good fit for this new program I’m hiring for. This could be a good opportunity for him.”
“You’re shameless. Fine, I’ll text him even though he said he’d be busy today.”
She gave me a thumbs-up, already walking off. “Great. See you in the lobby, dear.” She headed into the ladies’ dressing room as I took my phone out of my pocket, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach as I typed a message.
Desta: Hey, what are you up to? Still busy with your mom?
Elias: Hey *smiley face emoji* No, we got back some time ago, just watching TV
