The Last Option
Chapter Sixty-Nine: Returning to Rebecca

Half an hour later Bernard was meeting Rebecca in front of the Dubai Fountain. She seemed to be in a good mood, she greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and a wide smile.

"I have the perfect place for breakfast," she told him. "It's called Nightjar Coffee Roasters. I'm sure you will love it." "Don't we wait for Bernadette?"

"Ten minutes ago she texted me saying she's not feeling well and apologizing for not joining us. It must be the hangover."

Bernard knew the reason why Bernadette did not meet them again, despite the fact that she had promised to see him again for breakfast; she surely felt a little affected again by what happened between them. He preferred to pretend not to care and thus avoid giving Rebecca any indication that they had spent the night together, even though she already suspected it.

They boarded a taxi and it took them to the place chosen by Rebecca. It was a place with a strong family atmosphere; the wooden details on the ceiling and the tables gave it a comforting and pleasant air. There were few commensals, when they sat down a waiter was getting ready to serve them.

"I love ricotta pancakes, and the latte is amazing," Rebecca said. "I recommend it. They themselves roast and prepare their coffee in an artisanal way. It is what makes them famous."

The waiter was handing them the primer but Rebecca refused to take hers, ordering what she had recommended to her companion. Bernard also refused the primer and ordered the same. The waiter immediately withdrew in search of the order.

"This place is nice," Bernard commented, looking around him. "From what I see, it has influence from various countries such as Colombia, Mexico and Indonesia."

"I have not tried their roast chicken, but I have been told that it is also spectacular."

"We will have to try it."

Rebecca stared at Bernard in silence, her eyes locked on his. He held her gaze for a few seconds, until she stopped, focusing her attention on the few commensals near them. "What?" Bernard asked.

"What, what?" Rebecca asked in turn.

"That look you gave me. Why did you look at me like that?"

"Not at all, I was just wondering how you spent the night and how you felt, since you left a bit upset for your hotel."

"And why don't you just ask me? As you can see, I am no longer affected, and although I should not eat everything, here I am willing to savor what you have recommended."

"I didn't know you were on a diet."

"Don't worry, since I got here and I met you I decided not to deprive myself of anything. You two have made me see that I have a lot to do and live. No one had made me see it, perhaps because I don't have anyone." "I am glad that we have been a good influence in your life."

"Of course, I can't party as much as you, but things like this I won't miss again. I will try every new thing that comes my way."

Rebecca looked at him suspiciously for a few seconds.

"I replace it a bit unbelievable that you don't have anyone to care about you. Not even a best friend? Do you really have no one?"

"I think that when I found out about my illness, I unconsciously made the important people in my life walk away. I had a good friend recently who cared about me but we had a fight and I made him walk away."

"Then he wasn't a good friend, because if he really cared about you he would be by your side right now and he wouldn't have walked away."

"I recently found out that he had died in a plane crash. I have that feeling of guilt in my mind that haunts me from time to time because the last thing we said to each other was bad words."

Bernard was surprised by her capacity for improvisation and inventiveness. He was only worried that he would not later remember everything he was saying to Rebecca at that moment.

"I'm so sorry, Bernard. But you shouldn't be tormented by that. Those things happen."

"But they affect you whether you like it or not."

"You're right," Rebecca rested her elbows on the table and then put her face in her hands, staring at him. "You told me you don't have anyone, not even a girlfriend? Have there been girlfriends in the life of Bernard Sullivan?"

"A long time ago I had a girlfriend, but I found out that she was with me for my money. I met her in college and we didn't make much headway until I graduated and started working at my parents' company. When they died, she proposed that we get married just like that, suddenly. I told her we could wait a while longer because I was in mourning, you know, and it upset her so much that she told me to go to hell. She told me that I was selfish and accused me of taking advantage of her. There I realized that she was with me for my money."

"And that was a long time ago? I mean, the death of your parents?"

"They died four years ago. Since I broke up with her, I've only had the occasional unimportant affair, since I really loved her very much and didn't want to get romantically involved with someone again. And more now that I found out about my illness. Now more than ever I don't want to get involved with anyone."

Rebecca thought it would be very difficult to win over this man. Would it be worth at least trying? She would have to appeal to all of her charms and her powers of persuasion, both of which have worked with many men. She told herself again that it would be a real challenge, but for the money apparently involved, it was worth a try.

"It's understandable," he managed to say, pretending not to care.

At that moment the waiter came over with the food and they started eating immediately. Bernard was very hungry.

"This really is very good!" said Bernard when he tasted the first bite.

"I told you."

They continued eating in silence. Bernard was the first to finish.

"It was really very good. I want more."

He called the waiter and asked for another order, which he devoured minutes later with great pleasure.

"You ate too much," Rebecca said, seeing his satisfied face.

"From now on I will say that there is never too much when it comes to food. What a delicious."

Rebecca giggled at the expression he wore when he said that.

Within a few minutes they were out of the cafeteria and walking down Alserkal Avenue toward 6A Street with the intention of Bernard lowering his food a bit.

"When are you coming back to New York?"

"I had planned to come back today, since I don't have any more meetings, but I decided that maybe I'll come back tomorrow." "Maybe? Why?"

"I want to enjoy one more day of this city. It's really fascinating, and I was hoping you guys would help me with that."

"For me there is no problem. It's good that you think so. You have missed a lot by thinking about your illness, don't you think?" "Well, I wouldn't dare say it one hundred percent, but it could be true."

"What do you say?" Rebecca smirked somewhat. "Are you convinced or not? You have a strange way of speaking sometimes." "Sorry, I just wanted to patronize you. Don't make fun of me for failing to try."

"Don't worry. Sometimes I tend to be a bit impulsive when speaking. How about we do something exciting again?" "That depends, if it is to go back to parachute, I pass. I don't think I will repeat that experience anytime soon."

"Okay, so let's do something less extreme but just as exciting."

"What do you have in mind?"

"You'll see."

An hour later, both were driving quadricycler through the desert dunes with a group of tourists and led by a guide, who showed them where to go. Bernard had never ridden a quad before; surprising himself at how easy it was once he learned how to do it. Rebecca, for her part, would occasionally fall behind, fearing to accelerate too much and tip over with hers. Bernard and the guide had to wait for her each time she did so, prompting humorous comments from the former that made her cringe at the latter.

"Don't make fun of it, Bernard. I've never driven one of these things!"

"It's very easy. Come on!"

"I'm afraid of tipping over!"

"Okay, but don't be too late."

They continued on until they reached the Al Khayma camp in the middle of the desert, where Rebecca finally got rid of that vehicle.

But his torture was not over yet. It was not far from over.

Half an hour later, after freshening up in camp, she was on a camel and still in the desert. Despite the fact that the dromedary was very calm, she did not stop launching the occasional cry when she believed that she was about to fall. "Don't tell me you didn't know that the package you hired included camel riding!" Bernard yelled from his camel to the right of her a little further away, still amused by the faces that Rebecca made every so often.

"They only told me that I would go to a camp and that I would change my means of transportation! Oh! I fall down! I fall down!"

"You're not going to fall! Ha ha ha! Relax and enjoy the scenery!"

"Believe me that I try but this thing won't let me!"

Bernard let out a loud laugh, making the rest of the people who accompanied them laugh, including the guide. But Rebecca did not fall off the camel, managing to return unharmed late in the afternoon. They enjoyed a tasty barbecue and in the evening the belly dance and traditional Tanoura show that the camp had prepared as part of the activities for tourists.

Late at night the transport of the tourism company left them in front of the Burj Khalifa.

"You could have continued to your house or apartment," Bernard told Rebecca when he saw her get out of the car with him. He knew that she was also staying at the Burj Khalifa but he continued to play his role of not knowing anything about her. "Tonight I want to stay here, with you."

Rebecca risked going on the offensive and after saying that she threw her arms around his neck trying to kiss him. Bernard, for his part, although he was a little surprised by how soon she began to seduce him, he considered that it was still too early to pretend to give in to her.

"I'm sorry, Rebecca, but I don't think I can do this," Bernard gently eased her arms from around his neck. "I don't think it's fair for you to get your hopes up." "Excuse me rather you, Bernard, I didn't want you to think that I-" Rebecca lowered her gaze and pretended to be a little embarrassed. "I don't-"

"I think I'm going to go up to my room, I'm a little tired. See you tomorrow again?"

Rebecca nodded sheepishly. Bernard turned and entered the building. A few minutes later, Rebecca walked in too, when she no longer saw him in the hotel lobby.

She went up to her suite thinking that she would not give up until she conquered that man.

That night Bernard fell asleep thinking that Rebecca had not asked him anything about his treatment, even though he had told her and Bernadette that he was going to undergo chemotherapy. That showed him that she was not interested in his health but in his money.