“You should.” She wriggled free. “I’m going to shower. Then eat. Then have this hammam. What are you doing?”
I had no idea beyond walking through the souks and finding a couple of teapots for the tribe at home, maybe reading in the sun or watching the cranes that nested along the city walls. I could kill a couple of hours quite easily if I wasn’t waiting for news from home.
“I’ll have a walk. Read a book. Go and see the mules.” I sounded pathetic.
“Use the hammam? You could call Max first, then put your phone away for an hour. Leave Anne-Marie with instructions to come find you if Max calls the riad.”
It was a common sense approach, Wren all over.
“You’re good at that.”
“What?” She was out of bed now and I felt bereft.
“Finding solutions.”
“I thought you were going to say blow jobs or something.”
I laughed. “That too. I’ll shower after you. Probably should.”
She stood naked in the light that came through the shutters, the glow illuminating her curves.
“Why don’t you join me?”
I didn’t need asking twice.
* * *
Victoria answered Maxwell’s phone.There was a lilt to her tone that was warm and upbeat and I wondered for the thousandth time how Max had gotten so lucky to find someone like Vic who would put up with his growls and moods.
“How is everyone?” I wanted to just ask about Marie, but I knew they’d be going through shit too.
“Surprisingly relaxed. One of the nurses came out to see us about ten minutes ago and said everything was going as well as it could be.”
“How was mum beforehand?”
“She was your mum. Cracking jokes. Your dad said to her that if it were possible he’d swap places with her. You can imagine what she said.” The sounds in the background dimmed and I figured she’d gone somewhere quieter.
“What did she say?”
“Too bloody right. She’d swap with him too. Max was in stitches.”
I managed to laugh. “Who else is there?”
“Just your dad, me and Maxwell. Seph’s in court, Ava’s away. Claire’s possibly being discharged today. Jackson was sorting out a downstairs bedroom for Marie when she gets home as stairs are going to be a bit much at first. It’s better that there’s not a big crowd here.”
She was probably speaking the truth, but part of me wondered if she was trying to spare my guilt.
“I should be there.”
“Absolutely not. She hates being ill. You being here would make her feel shite. She pretty much told Max to fuck off at seven-thirty this morning. In fact, I think she did use those words. Tell me about Marrakesh. I’m thinking about having five nights there.”
“Max will take time off work?” My brother was a workaholic. He was top of his game as a medical negligence lawyer and also lectured in the subject at university, which was how he’d met Victoria who was a history professor. One of their favourite arguments was when he tried to tell her that history was a pointless subject.
“He’s become quite good at working less. He’s finally realised that the world will continue to turn if he leaves the office before six and doesn’t check his emails at the weekend.” She sounded smug. “Anyway, Marrakesh. What’s it like where you’re staying?”
I described the riad and the food, what I’d seen of it so far. Breakfast had been good, buttery croissants and rich creamy yoghurt with fresh fruit. The crew had been up and petering through the building, some off out to film for whatever project they were working on, others simply to take in the sights of the city. Jaime was still comatose and no one had dared wake her.
“How’s Wren?”
