“Uh-huh. You forget I’ve known you your whole life, Desta Joy. Don’t think you can fool me.” She waved a finger in my direction. “You like that man.”

I threw my hands up in exasperation and laughed. “What’s not to like? He’s hot as hell. I mean, God, Saba, he’s so fucking beautiful. His eyes, and that mouth.” I sighed. “His hair is on the long side.” I shook my head while she grinned at me. “Just curls everywhere, which for some reason I find intoxicating. Everything about him is so damn sexy.”

I slouched against the chaise, closing my eyes. “It’s a problem, to be honest.”

Saba’s voice was pure mischief. “You took that man to bed already, and you’ll do it again.”

I snapped my eyes open at that and had to chuckle at the glee in her voice. “Saba! Oh my God. Why are you so shady? Seriously, you’re like a second mom. I can’t talk about this stuff with you.”

She laughed at me again. “It’s true, and you know it.”

I put my hands over my face, muffling my words as I spoke. “Can we stop talking about Elias, please?”

I looked at her through my fingers, and she finally took pity on me. “Fine. Tell me about your plans for your days off. I can recommend some new places.”

I slumped on my chaise dramatically and raised my hands in supplication. “Thank God.”

Saba shook her head and looked at me like I was an adorable mess. After that, the afternoon passed without any more intense conversations.

By the time we were drying off and heading to the dressing rooms, the sun was setting. As we walked to the showers, Saba looked at me, her face serious. “Desta, why don’t you invite Elias over to the house for dinner? It’ll just be you and me.”

I stopped in my tracks and stared at her, freaking out a little. “Oh no. I’m not going to be Mr. Needy and invite him over less than twenty-four hours after I had him—”

I quickly covered my mouth before I said something that would be cause for mortification until the end of my days.

Saba clucked, a hand on her hip. “I already told you I knew you’d taken him to bed. What’s the harm in inviting him to the house? It’s just dinner. Besides, you’re both adults, and my dear, we are still in Ethiopia. You won’t have many chances to spend time with him in a place where you can flirt to your heart's content.”

“Saba.” My fake whining was next-level. “You don’t even know if he’s gay! I never said he was, and besides, there’s nothing going on.”