Chapter Twenty Nine

Urs nervously waited in reception. Laura was due back soon to collect her luggage. He looked at his watch, wanting to get it over and done with already. His palms felt sweaty and his legs wobbly. He hated waiting for anything. Always liked to be on time and have, if possible, people waiting for him. It was the waiting around that made him nervous and he hated feeling nervous. Especially over someone he had no feelings for anymore.
‘Ursy…’ came a voice. Female. Urs groaned and turned around. There she was. Laura. Striding towards him, a big smile on her face.
‘Laura…’ he nodded, backing away when she tried to kiss him. Her mouth looked greasy. As a rule Urs hated makeup. Not all makeup. Just too much and Laura loved piling it on with a trowel. He shuddered in disgust.
‘Ursy…?’ she asked in a wining voice.
‘What, are you doing here, in Egypt?’ Urs asked.
‘I came to see you…I thought you would be pleased…’ Laura pouted, gazing at him.
‘We split up’ Urs told her.
‘No we didn’t Ursy…’ she reached out a hand.
‘Yes. We did. Before I came away…’ Urs shrugged the hand away.
‘I changed my mind’ Laura attempted to touch him again.
‘I don’t want you here’ Urs coolly told his ex, backing even further away.
‘Why ever not?’ she asked, laughing at him as he hit the wall behind him with his shoe heel.
‘We’re finished’ Urs spat, reminding her.
‘You love me…’ Laura pouted at him.
‘I never told you’ he now pointed out.
‘You love me…’ Laura repeated.
‘As I said. I never told you’ Urs replied coolly. Staring unfeelingly at her.
‘I could feel your love…’ Laura tried.
‘Feel it, how?’ Urs challenged her.
‘I….I…’ she mumbled in reply. Lost for words temporarily.
‘Sleeping with someone doesn’t prove anything’ Urs told her.
‘Bu…’ Laura mumbled.
‘If you love someone you show it, in the way you speak to them, look at them, touch them..’ Urs interrupted her, not wanting to hear her speak any longer.
‘Oh…’ Laura mumbled.
‘So? I love you, do I?’ Urs challenged.
‘No’ Laura realised. Her tone dull.
‘Then I think we’ve said everything’ Urs turned and started walking away.
‘I’m…I’m pregnant’ Laura shouted out. It was a lie. But what the hell. Urs didn’t need to know that. Not at this moment in time.
Urs stopped in his tracks and turned around, ‘You may be. But not by me’ he said before continuing to walk away.
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Fara heard all this exchange. And realised something. Two things really. One - Urs didn’t love Laura. That exchange she had witnessed confirmed that, and two - Urs did love, or at least he seemed to, love her. Fara Hollinshead. It was the way he always talked to her. The way he always asked if she was alright. Even in the way he looked at her. Right from the beginning when they had met at Gatwick airport before they had got to know each other. Urs always seemed to have a bit of a twinkle in his eyes when he looked at Fara.
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That night everyone met up for dinner. Carlos made an announcement that even surprised Cydalia.
‘Tomorrow’ he smiled, holding her Cydalia’s hand as he spoke, ‘Cydalia and I are going to Cairo for a few days’
‘Cairo?’ Cydalia, stunned, asked, looking at him.
‘You said you wanted to go…’ Carlos replied. He felt pale.
‘Oh I do. I do’ Cydalia flung her arms around him, ‘I thought you’d forgotten’ she kissed him.
‘I have never forgotten a single thing you have ever told me’ Carlos said, kissing her back.
Everyone looked away at their show of affection.
It was only when Seb finally coughed did Carlos and Cydalia stop kissing.
‘Sorry everyone’ Carlos apologised as Cydalia blushed.
‘No harm done’ David smiled broadly at his friend.
‘So, Cairo then?’ Urs asked.
‘Yes’ Carlos nodded, ‘its all booked’
‘Lucky you!’ Dany stood up and hugged Cydalia.
‘Maybe we could go...another time’ David told Dany.
‘I’d like that’ Dany smiled happily at her fiancé at that suggestion. Patting his hand.
David then coughed, ‘Dany and I…’ he said, ‘have been shopping’
‘Oh?’ Rowi asked.
‘Yes’ Dany smiled, ‘we got this earlier’ she showed her left hand. On the correct finger of her left hand sat a beautiful engagement ring.
‘Wow’ Fara gazed at it, then hugged Dany.
‘Congratulations’ Rowi hugged Dany.
‘Beautiful’ Cydalia admired her friends ring.
‘Thank you’ Dany blushed.
‘Lucky you’ whispered Fara.
The men all admired the ring. Then patted David’s shoulder in a manly fashion.
‘Who picked…?’ Carlos asked David.
‘We chose it together’ David smiled.


It was white gold with three yellow diamonds. Perfect. It suited Dany’s hand like it had been especially made for her.
‘Where…was the jeweller?’ Urs whispered to David, his eyes on Fara as he spoke.
So David whispered back the reply. Urs nodded. Happy.
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After dinner Fara excused herself and went to her room. She needed to think.
David and Dany also went to their room, to officially celebrate their engagement with a bottle of champagne, and a lot of chocolate. From the giggling and laughing that could be heard coming from the direction of their room they were having a wonderful time.
Cydalia and Carlos went to bed early. They had an early flight in the morning and needed to pack a few things. They spent the night in Carlos’ large hotel bed, sleeping.
Seb and Rowi went out to check out the local nightlife. They found an English speaking bar and danced all night.
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When Urs reached his room after going for a walk to clear his head he was greeted with by a lovely sight. Fara. Sitting on his bed. His jacket she had temporarily taken that night they had spelt together on the sundeck resting on the back of a chair.
‘Fara…’ he said coming into the room and closing the door.
‘Hi Urs’ she smiled, patting the bed.
Atomically as if in a daze Urs walked to the bed and sat down. He reached out a hand, touching her face, ‘You’re real…’ he said.


‘Of course I’m real’ Fara touched Urs’ face in reply, smiling at him.
‘Thought I was dreaming…’ he mumbled.
‘No. Not tonight’ she smiled.
‘Why are you here?’ Urs found himself stupidly asking.
‘Should I go?’ she offered.
‘No. God no’ Urs shook his head, moving it closer to Fara’s.
She moved her head closer too until they were almost kissing.
‘Kiss me’ Fara asked now in a whisper.
Not needing asking twice, Urs most certainly did.