"Maybe," Mehdi said, pursing his lip in thought. "But you don't have to make a decision about that tonight."
He stood up and held out a hand for her to take. Steph stared at it before looking up at him with confusion in her eyes.
"Look, you've got a big decision to make in the morning, and no one can make it but you, but so far you have seen nothing of this country you're about to be a part of. Allow me to give you an introductory tour. When we're done, I can take you back to where you're staying. So for now you can consider yourself officially not lost."
His smile was welcoming and genuine, and Steph's lips curled up ever so slightly as she placed her hand in his. Mehdi gripped it and pulled her up, taking a step back once she was standing.
"Do you like fish?" he asked.
"What, like to eat?"
Mehdi laughed. "No. Like to see. We have a massive aquatic population off the coast of El Farah. I think that will be the first thing I show you. Come, this way!"
Mehdi began walking, and Steph hesitated before realizing that he was leaving her behind. She jogged to catch up with him, her short legs working a little harder to keep up with his long stride. He glanced down at her as they walked.
"So you really didn't know how into fish we are here?" he asked.
Steph shrugged. "My mother has never really invested in my connection to this place outside my behavior. Now that you mention it, she did say the fish in America had nothing on El Farah, but I always assumed she was talking about it in a dietary way. We never ate fish at our house."
"That is a terrible shame. We have excellent fish farming practices here, and they are certainly in abundant supply. Still, we have many more beautiful creatures we have been able to preserve in the aquarium and our wildlife sanctuaries. At some point you will have to go see them."
A large building came into view ahead of them, and Steph realized it was the city aquarium. It was overlooking the ocean, and she could hear the waves lapping against the shore even as they walked toward the indoor facility.
"Why would you house your fish in an aquarium instead of letting them free?" she asked.
"We use the facility to breed and nurture them. They are far from cramped, as you will soon see."
Steph pulled out her phone to check the time. It was nearly ten o'clock at night. Mehdi opened the door for her to walk through, and she did, looking around at the displays in the main lobby.
"Excuse me, but we are about to close," a man said.
He turned to the door and got a good look at who had walked in before his face completely changed, his expression almost reverent.
"Of course, there are exceptions. The facility is yours to explore for as long as you wish, sir."
Mehdi gave the man a respectful nod before escorting Steph through a tunnel that led to the main body of the aquarium. She glanced back at the man, who was talking hurriedly into a receiver as he walked in the opposite direction. How curious that they would just let Mehdi in like that.
As they stepped out of the tunnel, Steph gasped, her eyes wide as she looked around her. The entire room was one massive glass wall. There were glowing lights inside the water, making the room glitter, and hundreds of fish swam all around, above and below her. It was as though she had been placed in an air bubble underwater, able to walk around the ocean life that surrounded her.
"This is amazing," she breathed, taking a few more steps inside.
A bright pink fish that was at least three feet long swam past her head, and Steph watched as it blinked at her curiously before paddling onward. She laughed in delight.
"You weren't kidding! This is the biggest sanctuary I've ever seen. How can you make sure the fish don't kill each other, though, being in such a wide open space?"
Mehdi shrugged. "I'm sure the keepers have their ways. Our university has an exceptional marine biology program, for obvious reasons, so they are very up to date on the proper treatment and care of these creatures."
A large, shark-looking fish swam beneath Steph's feet, and she stepped aside and kneeled down to get a better look at it.
"In all my life, I've never seen anything like this," she said.
Mehdi stood beside her, quietly watching the fish. The silence of the room, with the glowing lights and magnificent animals, was one of the most soothing things Steph could imagine, and she found herself calming down from her meltdown.
She gazed up for some time, watching the fish as they swam gracefully through the water, some of them working symbiotically, others ignoring everything but their own search for food. Steph approached the glass wall and ran her fingers along the cold, smooth surface.
"Isn't it funny how much like the fish we are? Here I am getting ready to be put on display tomorrow, primped and primed to become someone's wife. I'm trapped, just like these fish. It may be a decent prison, but it's a cage nonetheless."
A wave of sadness washed over Steph at the thought. She felt a warmth next to her and turned to see Mehdi staring up into the tank, his expression thoughtful.
"I think I know how you feel, at least to some extent. While my life is quite pleasant on many levels, the degree of display can be simply overwhelming sometimes."
"How are you on display?" Steph asked, curious about this handsome stranger.
Mehdi's gaze darted down to her before he looked back up. "My job makes it difficult for me to be the person I would like to be. It requires much of my time, and my behavior is always under scrutiny. It is not unlike how it is for these creatures in here. While they are beautiful, and they are safe, they will never get to see all the world has to offer. There are so many experiences I will never know because of what I do for a living."
Steph waited for him to elaborate on that. He was being wildly vague. When he didn't, she decided to let it go. There was no reason to pry into Mehdi's private life if he didn't feel like sharing it with her. After all, it was very unlikely she would ever see him again. Instead, she let her mind wander to a happier place, where there were tropical fish dancing all around her in the peaceful silence of an aquarium at night.
"Thanks for this," she said.
"For what?" Mehdi asked, his eyebrows raised in question.
"For being kind enough to cheer up a sad woman when she's down. I mean, I'm sure my parents are going to kill me by the time I get home, but it kind of feels worth it when we're insulated like this."
"You're a citizen of El Farah, right?"
Steph nodded. "I am."
"Then consider this my civic duty. It falls to me to make sure you know that no matter what happens tomorrow, you're going to be all right. Everything is going to turn out fine. It always does."
Steph looked up into his eyes, then, and realized that they weren't actually brown. Little specks of emerald green dotted the dark landscape of his pupils, giving them an ethereal quality she had never seen before. For a moment, she found herself wishing Mehdi was the man she would meet the next day, but she dismissed that thought as soon as it arrived.
There was no point in fanciful daydreaming.
She realized they were staring at one another, which also wasn't a good idea. Clearing her throat, she turned back toward the tunnel.
"We should probably get going," she said.
Mehdi paused, as though he were going to tell her something, before nodding his head.
"I suppose so. Far be it from me to get a young woman in even bigger trouble with her parents."
FIVE
Steph
Mehdi escorted Steph back through the tunnel, where they were met by the same man who had watched them enter. He gave a deep bow, and Mehdi thanked him for the privilege of seeing the aquarium after hours on such short notice.
"It is no trouble at all, Your-"
Mehdi shook his head firmly, glancing pointedly at Steph, who was oblivious.
"Sir," the man corrected. "You're welcome back any time, of course."
Steph's stomach was in knots as they stepped back out into the night. She was too scared to look at her phone to check the time, lest she see a slew of angry text messages from her parents.
"What time is it?" she asked as Mehdi stepped out, joining her.
He looked at an expensive-looking watch on his left wrist. "Close to midnight."
Steph swallowed. Still, she had come this far, and it was likely her parents had seen her note and opted to go to bed, knowing she was capable of taking care of herself. Did they know she could take care of herself? Thinking of where she had been before Mehdi arrived, the truth was she was in quite a bit of trouble.
"Why don't you head back to your hotel? It might take your mind off the anxiety," Mehdi suggested.