this, and she desperately hoped Luke would hear her say it. As it was, however, Luke was absorbed in a discussion with Ducharme and wasn't listening. Marya hid her frustration and pretended to be enraptured with a particularly bland piece of pottery. "Just a friend," she answered in a bored voice.
"From the States?" Amy asked, nudging Marya with her elbow.
"No," Shannon insisted. "He was Jordanian, no question. A very rich Jordanian."
"Where did you meet him?" Amy persisted, this time pushing Marya's shoulder with her hand.
Marya looked up, feigning annoyance. "It's no big deal. I met him on the plane over here. He gave me the ride from the airport."
Amy was glaring at her. "Why didn't you tell me a hot Jordanian gave you a ride from the airport? And that you planned on seeing him again?"
"I honestly didn't know if I'd see him again," Marya admitted. "We didn't exchange numbers or anything. He just showed up."
"Where did he take you?"
"Do you like him?"
Marya chuckled and told them about Abdun and the night clubs, how gorgeous the girls were and how under-dressed she had been. She left out the whole "talk of revolution" thing, of course. It didn't escape her notice that Liz was sitting nearby, appearing to be focused on her work, but no doubt hearing the conversation.
Two nights later, Ash returned. This time, Marya made him wait as she hurriedly dry shaved her legs, somewhat fixed her hair, and drew on some eyeliner. She slipped into the nicest clothes she'd brought -- a linen skirt and a white fitted tank top -- and returned to the ACMER foyer, where he was waiting. She wasn't surprised to see Shannon and Amy keeping him company, firing question after question at him.
Ash glanced up, relieved to see her. "Ready?" he asked, standing.
"Yes," she said, looking quickly around for Luke. He was nowhere to be seen.
"Have fun," Shannon said with a grin.
"Hurry before Margot sees you," Amy hissed, waving them away.
In the car, Ash reached for her hand. "It's good to see you," he said. "What have you been up to?"
Marya sighed, enjoying the way his palm felt against hers. "Same old stuff. We still haven't found anything in our section. It's frustrating. But on the bright side, a bunch of us are going to Petra this weekend." She smiled brightly. The prospect of seeing the ancient Nabataean city of Petra truly had been the light at the end of the tunnel for her. It was going to be a wonderful break -- especially since neither Luke nor Liz was going.
"Ah, yes, Petra," Ash said with a smile. "It is magnificent. You will love it."
He took her to a shisha bar in Abdun, and she met more of his friends. They were all young, mostly well-off, and studying in Europe or the US. They made her laugh with their knowledge of American pop culture and the way they insisted, "We love Americans!"
She could feel Ash's eyes on her that night, and every time she met them a shiver ran up her spine. There was no question that she was a ttracted to him. But so many intangible thoughts made her hold back, made her want to run and hide. It wasn't until they sat in his car later that night that she began to try and articulate them.
As they sat in the steamy silence of the car, Ash stared out the win dshield and said, "I don't know how you guys do this in America."
"Do what?" Marya asked.
His cheeks grew pink. "This... dating thing. I know American girls are... more willing to..." He ran his hands through his hair, letting out a laugh. "I sound like an idiot."
Marya smiled. "No, you don't. I think I know what you're trying to say. Yes, American girls are more open to dating guys and all that, but... I'm a little different." She took a deep breath. "My parents are from Syria, and they're very conservative in that respect. I've never dated anyone, never had a boyfriend. It's frustrating, because all of my friends have... experienced a lot, and I'm like a nun or something." She was twisting her skirt in her hands. "But I'm twenty-one, and I've
"From the States?" Amy asked, nudging Marya with her elbow.
"No," Shannon insisted. "He was Jordanian, no question. A very rich Jordanian."
"Where did you meet him?" Amy persisted, this time pushing Marya's shoulder with her hand.
Marya looked up, feigning annoyance. "It's no big deal. I met him on the plane over here. He gave me the ride from the airport."
Amy was glaring at her. "Why didn't you tell me a hot Jordanian gave you a ride from the airport? And that you planned on seeing him again?"
"I honestly didn't know if I'd see him again," Marya admitted. "We didn't exchange numbers or anything. He just showed up."
"Where did he take you?"
"Do you like him?"
Marya chuckled and told them about Abdun and the night clubs, how gorgeous the girls were and how under-dressed she had been. She left out the whole "talk of revolution" thing, of course. It didn't escape her notice that Liz was sitting nearby, appearing to be focused on her work, but no doubt hearing the conversation.
Two nights later, Ash returned. This time, Marya made him wait as she hurriedly dry shaved her legs, somewhat fixed her hair, and drew on some eyeliner. She slipped into the nicest clothes she'd brought -- a linen skirt and a white fitted tank top -- and returned to the ACMER foyer, where he was waiting. She wasn't surprised to see Shannon and Amy keeping him company, firing question after question at him.
Ash glanced up, relieved to see her. "Ready?" he asked, standing.
"Yes," she said, looking quickly around for Luke. He was nowhere to be seen.
"Have fun," Shannon said with a grin.
"Hurry before Margot sees you," Amy hissed, waving them away.
In the car, Ash reached for her hand. "It's good to see you," he said. "What have you been up to?"
Marya sighed, enjoying the way his palm felt against hers. "Same old stuff. We still haven't found anything in our section. It's frustrating. But on the bright side, a bunch of us are going to Petra this weekend." She smiled brightly. The prospect of seeing the ancient Nabataean city of Petra truly had been the light at the end of the tunnel for her. It was going to be a wonderful break -- especially since neither Luke nor Liz was going.
"Ah, yes, Petra," Ash said with a smile. "It is magnificent. You will love it."
He took her to a shisha bar in Abdun, and she met more of his friends. They were all young, mostly well-off, and studying in Europe or the US. They made her laugh with their knowledge of American pop culture and the way they insisted, "We love Americans!"
She could feel Ash's eyes on her that night, and every time she met them a shiver ran up her spine. There was no question that she was a ttracted to him. But so many intangible thoughts made her hold back, made her want to run and hide. It wasn't until they sat in his car later that night that she began to try and articulate them.
As they sat in the steamy silence of the car, Ash stared out the win dshield and said, "I don't know how you guys do this in America."
"Do what?" Marya asked.
His cheeks grew pink. "This... dating thing. I know American girls are... more willing to..." He ran his hands through his hair, letting out a laugh. "I sound like an idiot."
Marya smiled. "No, you don't. I think I know what you're trying to say. Yes, American girls are more open to dating guys and all that, but... I'm a little different." She took a deep breath. "My parents are from Syria, and they're very conservative in that respect. I've never dated anyone, never had a boyfriend. It's frustrating, because all of my friends have... experienced a lot, and I'm like a nun or something." She was twisting her skirt in her hands. "But I'm twenty-one, and I've
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