Stolen Heart

Chapter 21

The next week was spent gearing up for their trip. Jack was taking care of everything, booking accommodations and transportation, and getting Lana an extra-rush passport.

The more Lana thought about the trip, the more overwhelmed she got. But anytime Jack spoke about it she would feel herself ease up. Maybe it will all end up being okay?

The flight and their layover went much better than expected. She had fun getting to know more about Jack's family and his dream of owning his own financial consulting firm. She was curious to know about all the places he had visited in the world and couldn't believe all the things he had done. Bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls Bridge in Zimbabwe and skydiving in Dubai were things that Lana would never do, but it was still fun for her to hear about. He had this fearlessness about him that drew her in.

"So what are the sleeping arrangements like? Please tell me you got two separate rooms," Lana asked as they were somewhere over the Atlantic.

Jack smiled. "Of course I did. I want you to be very comfortable for your first international trip."

A part of Lana did want to stay close to him, but she knew it was better to play it safe and not get sidetracked from their task ahead. If my life were a romantic comedy, it would totally end up being just one room.

Jack continued, "I think you'll really like where we'll be staying. It's in the old city, and it's called a riad. Essentially, it's a hotel style common in Morocco, and it has a beautiful center courtyard where people typically go to lounge and eat. We'll be within walking distance of a lot of places in the city, as well as the museum. The museum is closed for the next two days, so we can do some sightseeing until it opens on Monday."

"That sounds good. Thanks for planning everything and for walking me through this whole travel thing. I have to admit, it isn't as bad as I thought."

The corners of Jack's mouth raised to a smirk. "Happy to do it. I feel honored to be a part of your first official international trip. I mean, well technically, your first official trip that happens to be international.

"Also, was there anything else you wanted to do while there? Like, visit any relatives?"

"No, I don't know anyone there, and I think everyone has emigrated out of the country. Also, better to just stay under the radar."

***

After landing in Tangier, Morocco, Lana was exhausted. She'd managed to get a couple of hours of sleep on the plane but was ready to shower, get into PJs, and go to bed. It was dark outside when they touched down, and excitement washed over her. They had made it, finally.

After going through customs and picking up their suitcases, a tall man in a leather jacket and bright red pants waited for them with a sign reading, "Mr. Hanscom." He looked no older than twenty.

"Hi, my friend," the young man said cheerfully in his thick Moroccan accent as they approached him. "Please let for me take things."

The car ride to the riad wasn't too long, and they conversed a little with their driver. Lana smiled every time he tried to converse with them in English. She was kicking herself for not at least trying to practice her Arabic with her parents more. She decided she would look up basic phrases in Arabic when they got to the riad.

As soon as the car pulled up, Lana's eyes grew wide. The entrance archways were magnificent even at night. They were multi-colored,  like something out of an architectural magazine. A couple of men came out to help them with their bags and led them to check in.

The inside was just as beautiful as the outside, with arched doorways, detailed ornamental carpets, and gold metal lanterns throughout, all splashed with different colors. Lana had never seen anything like it in real life before. The closest thing she imagined was the princess' palace in Aladdin, but she quickly became frustrated at the lack of real-life associations that she could come up with.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Hanscom. Please take a seat in our lounge area while we prepare your room," said the short man behind the check-in desk.

"Room? Sorry, I booked two rooms. One for each of us," said Jack.

The man's brows furrowed. "Oh, sorry sir. It shows here you only have one room booked for you and your wife. Perhaps a member of our staff changed it seeing that it may have been an accident."

I guess I live in a romantic comedy now.

"Wait, what? Why?" Jack was beginning to get tense. The man started to stutter but Jack continued, "I booked two rooms, and I would have appreciated a heads-up when it was changed. We would have found somewhere else to stay."

"I'm very sorry, sir. Unfortunately, we only have one room available for tonight. Another room won't be available until Tuesday. We can make every effort to make your stay comfortable in the meantime."

Jack breathed out a heavy sigh, clearly not in the mood for this right now. He turned to Lana, who immediately said, "Jack, it's okay. I don't mind if we share a room for just a couple of nights." Lana was glad in a way; it might end up easing her nerves a bit, being around him on her first night in a foreign country.

"Are you sure, Lana? I just want you to be comfortable."

"Yes. Please don't worry about it. I think it would be fun to be roomies for a night or two," said Lana.

Jack smiled. "Okay, only if you're sure. I'll see if they can bring a cot in for me."

After Jack sorted things with the man at the front desk, they were ushered into the center courtyard of the riad. As soon as Lana sat on the couch, a server brought out biscuits and tea poured from a unique silver pot with a long spout. When Lana saw the water turn green from the swirling mint leaves, her senses heightened.

She tasted the minty goodness, and a sense of calm and peace overcame her. She was here. In a new country. With Jack. And she was ready to take on whatever came her way. After tea, a staff member provided them with their key, and they headed through the spacious hallways and staircases to their room.

The room was just as gorgeous as the center courtyard. It had a large bed in the middle and a cot on the side. Their luggage was already inside, and Lana ran and dove into the bed. She rolled around on top of the cool blanket, and as she sat up, Jack was grinning ear to ear. It was the same grin that she came to realize he'd make any time they would experience something new. He generally seemed to just be checking on her, but at that moment he seemed to be happy that she was enjoying herself.

As soon as they got into their respective beds and turned off the lights, Lana broke the silence. "Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"You awake?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks for taking me to Morocco."

The reply filtered faintly through Lana's ears as she fell into a deep sleep. "Thanks for taking me."

***

We're officially in Morocco! I'm so excited for their adventure here! Leave a comment with any thoughts and please leave a vote if you liked the chapter. ♥️