“Wasn’t for you?” Steph said, and Mehdi hesitated before he laughed.
“I misspoke. I mean it wouldn’t be for me, were that to ever happen.”
Something in his tone made Steph feel like he was hiding something, but she let it drop. She could detect many secrets under Mehdi’s top layer, but she hardly had the time to delve into them.
As they walked, a food cart came up on their left, and Steph’s stomach began to rumble.
“Are you hungry?” Mehdi asked.
“I haven’t,” Steph admitted.
Not missing a beat, Mehdi walked over to the cart and greeted the man, who watched him with wide eyes as he placed an order for two kebabs of meat and vegetables. He handed the man a wad of bills before thanking him and turning back to Steph, holding out a stick to her.
“Try this. You’re going to love it.”
Steph took the stick between two fingers, eyeing the meat with suspicion.
“Travel magazines advise against eating food from a cart, as it’s likely not properly prepared.”
Mehdi rolled his eyes. “Why would you ever listen to that? This is where the best food comes from,” he said, holding his stick up for emphasis.
“What kind of meat is it?” Steph asked, eyeing the kebab a little more closely. It looked no different than a beef stick she would have gotten at home, with some grilled vegetables mixed in. Still, she cast a curious glance at Mehdi, waiting for his answer.
“Who cares what kind of meat it is? You’re about to get married tomorrow. Why don’t you try to live a little first?”
Steph narrowed her eyes at him, keeping her gaze steadily on his as she brought the stick to her lips and took a hearty bite of meat. It was perfectly flavored with a spice she had never tasted before. Her eyes opened wide, and she grinned.
“This is delicious!” she said.
Mehdi smiled back at her, taking a bite himself as they continued walking.
“Sometimes a little risk pays off. Hey, that could apply to your whole wedding situation too, right? Maybe what you don’t know could end up being the most delicious thing you’ve ever tasted.”
Steph rolled her eyes. “That metaphor is incomplete. My fiancé is not food.”
Mehdi wiggled his eyebrows at her. “I think it makes perfect sense.”
She swatted his arm gently, liking the feel of the defined muscle underneath her hand. If only, if only.
“Shut up. Anyway, I get your point. Maybe the unknown isn’t always a bad thing, right?”
“Right,” he said, finishing off his kebab. “Besides, what have you got to lose? It could be the greatest day of your life. Or it could be a complete train wreck. You won’t know until you walk the path, right?”
“That’s one way to look at it,” Steph said, losing her appetite as she considered just how close she was to being married.
Mehdi stopped walking, and when Steph looked up she realized they had made it to her hotel. She dangled her empty stick by her side as she glanced at Mehdi, who was staring at her.
“You have such unique features,” he said.
“What are you talking about?” Steph asked.
She was standing so close to him, she could have stood on her toes and kissed him then and there. Then again, that wouldn’t exactly have been the best idea, now would it? The look in his eyes hinted that he was perhaps considering the same, though Steph hardly dared to dream of what that would be like.
“Your eyes are a startling blue given your skin tone. It makes them stand out far more than they would were you paler.”
“You can thank my mother for that. She is your kinsman.”
“And so are you,” Mehdi reminded her.
“Yes. I suppose I am.”
Mehdi placed two bracing hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look up into his eyes. The green specks there danced, and she forced herself to focus on his words.
“I know you feel like an outsider right now, but with time you’ll feel at home here. El Farah is a beautiful country full of wonderful people, and I think you’ll fit in just fine. Have a little faith, will you?”