And he’s right.”
“You picked a good color. It suits you.”
“Thank you.”
As they walked along the dusty street, Julie told Tor about her morning at the museum, and about the ordeal of trying to buy her Bedouin coral necklace. Her stories kept her mind from racing too far ahead as she wondered what the night would hold.
Bish was waiting for them inside the restaurant. When he saw Tor his face hardened.
“Is this your guest?” he said to Julie in a cold voice.
“Yes, Bish. This is Torval from Denmark. Tor, this is Bish, our guide from Damascus.”
The two men glared at each other, and again Marc intercepted. “Where’s everybody else?”
Julie saw there were only four other people at the long tale, set for fourteen. Not fifteen, as she’d requested.
That asshole Bish! I knew he wouldn’t change the reservation.
“I’m afraid we have a few casualties from our lunchtime buffet,” Bish said. “Tina and Tanya aren’t feeling well. Neither are Peggy, Bob and Rhonda, and Sharlene. They’re not coming tonight.”
Yeah—Tina and Tanya won’t be coming with you, that’s for sure. Too bad, Bish. Nothing like a little diarrhea to dampen the old ardor.
Julie was glad she’d opted out of lunch. Otherwise, she might have had to cancel her date, and probably would never have seen Tor again.
“Oh that’s too bad! So there’s just the nine of us, then,” Hannah said. “I warned everyone about salad. But they didn’t listen. You ate it, didn’t you?” she asked Marc, who was pulling out a chair for her.
“Stomach like a cement mixer,” he said, patting his belly proudly. “I’ve been everywhere and only once have I succumbed.”
“Where was that?” Julie asked as she pulled out her own chair and sat down beside him.
“Vietnam. Grilled baby squid. But it wasn’t the squid, I’m pretty sure. It was the sauce they dipped it in. Lethal.”
“What about you? You seem a man who’s been around,” Marc said to Tor, who walked around the table to sit opposite Julie.
“I’m usually fine. But of all the places in the world, I got a stomach bug in England.”
“England!” said Hannah. “Whatever did you eat in England that made you sick?”
“I was trying to be a vegetarian for a minute there. I ordered a dish called Cauliflower Cheese. And it practically killed me.”
“And that was the end of your vegetarianism, I assume?” asked Marc.
“It was. In fact, to this day I can’t eat cauliflower in any form.”
Everyone at the table laughed, except Bish, who was pretending to study the menu.
Julie thought he was probably looking for cauliflower so he could order some. She looked down at her own menu . Chicken. Lamb. Lamb. Lamb. Something smells awfully good, and I know it’s not cauliflower.
“I think I’ll have the roast lamb,” she said to no one In particular. Hannah looked up at her daughter sharply, but said nothing. While they’d agreed to avoid meat on this trip, Julie was a big girl and could eat what she wanted. As long as it was cooked.
“I will, too,” Tor said to a waiter standing nearby. “And a beer. Do you want something to drink?” he asked Julie.
“I’d love a beer. But it’s not going to happen. This is a dry restaurant.”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bish smile.
“Just bottled water, please,” Julie said to the waiter.
“Two,” added Tor.
An entire pound of succulent roasted lamb later, Julie was feeling wonderful. Tor proved to be an amusing dinner companion, although he spoke to Hannah and Marc more than he did to her. That was fine with her, though. While he talked she had a chance to watch and listen.
He was well-spoken. Intelligent. Somewhat liberal, if not socialist. He had traveled widely, worked in many different fields, and eventually found his niche in property development.
At first Julie thought he was just a real estate salesman. But after a few questions it was clear he was much more than your run-of-the-mill
“You picked a good color. It suits you.”
“Thank you.”
As they walked along the dusty street, Julie told Tor about her morning at the museum, and about the ordeal of trying to buy her Bedouin coral necklace. Her stories kept her mind from racing too far ahead as she wondered what the night would hold.
Bish was waiting for them inside the restaurant. When he saw Tor his face hardened.
“Is this your guest?” he said to Julie in a cold voice.
“Yes, Bish. This is Torval from Denmark. Tor, this is Bish, our guide from Damascus.”
The two men glared at each other, and again Marc intercepted. “Where’s everybody else?”
Julie saw there were only four other people at the long tale, set for fourteen. Not fifteen, as she’d requested.
That asshole Bish! I knew he wouldn’t change the reservation.
“I’m afraid we have a few casualties from our lunchtime buffet,” Bish said. “Tina and Tanya aren’t feeling well. Neither are Peggy, Bob and Rhonda, and Sharlene. They’re not coming tonight.”
Yeah—Tina and Tanya won’t be coming with you, that’s for sure. Too bad, Bish. Nothing like a little diarrhea to dampen the old ardor.
Julie was glad she’d opted out of lunch. Otherwise, she might have had to cancel her date, and probably would never have seen Tor again.
“Oh that’s too bad! So there’s just the nine of us, then,” Hannah said. “I warned everyone about salad. But they didn’t listen. You ate it, didn’t you?” she asked Marc, who was pulling out a chair for her.
“Stomach like a cement mixer,” he said, patting his belly proudly. “I’ve been everywhere and only once have I succumbed.”
“Where was that?” Julie asked as she pulled out her own chair and sat down beside him.
“Vietnam. Grilled baby squid. But it wasn’t the squid, I’m pretty sure. It was the sauce they dipped it in. Lethal.”
“What about you? You seem a man who’s been around,” Marc said to Tor, who walked around the table to sit opposite Julie.
“I’m usually fine. But of all the places in the world, I got a stomach bug in England.”
“England!” said Hannah. “Whatever did you eat in England that made you sick?”
“I was trying to be a vegetarian for a minute there. I ordered a dish called Cauliflower Cheese. And it practically killed me.”
“And that was the end of your vegetarianism, I assume?” asked Marc.
“It was. In fact, to this day I can’t eat cauliflower in any form.”
Everyone at the table laughed, except Bish, who was pretending to study the menu.
Julie thought he was probably looking for cauliflower so he could order some. She looked down at her own menu . Chicken. Lamb. Lamb. Lamb. Something smells awfully good, and I know it’s not cauliflower.
“I think I’ll have the roast lamb,” she said to no one In particular. Hannah looked up at her daughter sharply, but said nothing. While they’d agreed to avoid meat on this trip, Julie was a big girl and could eat what she wanted. As long as it was cooked.
“I will, too,” Tor said to a waiter standing nearby. “And a beer. Do you want something to drink?” he asked Julie.
“I’d love a beer. But it’s not going to happen. This is a dry restaurant.”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bish smile.
“Just bottled water, please,” Julie said to the waiter.
“Two,” added Tor.
An entire pound of succulent roasted lamb later, Julie was feeling wonderful. Tor proved to be an amusing dinner companion, although he spoke to Hannah and Marc more than he did to her. That was fine with her, though. While he talked she had a chance to watch and listen.
He was well-spoken. Intelligent. Somewhat liberal, if not socialist. He had traveled widely, worked in many different fields, and eventually found his niche in property development.
At first Julie thought he was just a real estate salesman. But after a few questions it was clear he was much more than your run-of-the-mill
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