"He was offside," Madari said, as they headed for the car park, weaving through the crowd leaving the stadium. "The goal should have been disallowed."

"Oh, you're as blind as the referee," Jahni said. "I'm going to make you an appointment for an eye test."

"My eyes are fine."

"So, are we going to get some dinner now?" Jahni asked, feeling quite ready for a decent feed. "I know it's early, but I'm hungry."

"Well, there's a change," Madari said, his tone dry and his smile teasing. "Yes, all right, we'll eat now. What about Le Clerc's?"

"Oh, please, no nouvelle cuisine. Their main meals are less substantial than the snack I had at half time."

"You do stretch the definition of 'snack' to its breaking point. So you choose then."

Jahni thought about some restaurants he did like, and suggested one to Madari, who agreed with the choice. As they approached Madari's car, talking about the game again, a ringing sound interrupted them. Both put their hands to their pockets.

"Is that you or me?" Jahni said, taking out his cell phone at the same time as Madari took his out.

"Me," Madari said. He folded down the cover of the phone while Jahni put his own away. They didn't stop walking towards the car, increased the pace in fact, Jahni tense now, expecting a summons to a mission. The new phones they'd been issued were an improvement on their pagers, even if they got reception only in the city.

"Madari. Oh, Sophia..." Jahni relaxed. Not a mission then. He hoped she wasn't calling to invite Madari over to dinner, because she'd be disappointed. Boy's day today. Football and dinner - a big dinner.

"Sophia, are you all right? You sound... what?" The last was an exclamation of surprise and Madari stopped walking. Jahni stopped a couple of steps later, turned back to see the shock on Madari's face. The tension came back. No, not a mission, but a problem.

"When did it... I see. Are you going to... yes, of course. I'm coming over now..." He paused, listening. "All right then, I'm coming to the airport. I'll see you there. Please, don't go airside until I get there."

Airport? She was flying out? Jahni muttered under his breath in frustration and tapped his foot, wanting to know what was wrong.

"I'll be, um... forty minutes." Madari went on. "We're at the football stadium. Yes, Kahil is with me." He started walking again, taking the car keys from his pocket as he did. Jahni kept up with him and moved around to the passenger side of the car. "See you soon." Madari pressed the button to end the call, and folded the cover over the keypad.

"What's going on?" Jahni asked, leaning his forearms on the roof of the car, warm in the late afternoon sun.

"Sophia just had a call from her father-in-law. Her husband is dead."

Jahni stared, as Madari unlocked his door and ducked down into the car. The sound of Madari opening the passenger door brought Jahni back to his senses and he got in quickly, Madari already starting the engine.

"What happened?" Jahni asked, as Madari reversed out of the parking space.

"Car accident." He glanced at Jahni. "Put on your seatbelt."

For once, Jahni didn't roll his eyes in protest, just put the seatbelt on. Madari put his own on when they slowed to a halt at the end of a queue of cars leaving the car park.

"Sophia's flying back to Italy for the funeral?" Jahni asked.

"Yes. She's on the next flight to Rome. It leaves in two hours. I thought I should..." He paused as the queue of cars moved forward, the policeman directing the traffic waving several through onto the road. They didn't make it out this time, and Madari sighed as he braked again. "I should go to see her before she leaves." He glanced at Jahni. "I can drop you off, if you like."

"No, I don't mind coming." In fact, he wanted to be there, to offer Sophia his support. He'd made a special effort lately to be better friends with her, still grateful to her for what she did to Raslan, and determined not to do anything to undermine Madari's relationship with her. A relationship he felt sure was good for Madari. So, yes, he should go with Madari to the airport. As her friend and as his friend.

"Pass me my sunglasses, please," Madari said, and Jahni retrieved them from the glove compartment, handing them over unfolded and Madari slipped them on, as the cars began moving again. This time they made it out of the car park exit and onto the road. Madari turned the car westwards, towards the airport, into the setting sun.

Heading to see Sophia. Sophia - the widow.

The widow. A knot began to grow in Jahni's stomach the more he thought of that word. Somewhere in Italy, so far away, a man was dead. A man Jahni had never met, or even seen a photograph of. And yet his death changed Jahni's life in an instant.

She's a widow.

Widows can marry.

~~~

They reached the airport, and Madari muttered in frustration trying to find a parking space. When they found one at last, he almost ran for the terminal, Jahni hurrying along at his side.

There was still an hour before Sophia's flight. She'd have checked in, but he hoped she hadn't gone through security to the departure lounge. He needed to see her before she left, to assure her of his support. Otherwise what would she think of him? That he was already abandoning her?. Shame filled him for a moment as they passed through the doors into the check in area. His first thought when she told him her estranged husband was dead had been of what this meant for their relationship. And an almost instant feeling of fear, and an urge to work out a way to break it off with her.

Because it was different now. She was a widow, not a married woman. Now that she was free it would be a much greater scandal for him to continue their relationship without offering her marriage. When she couldn't marry, that had been one thing, people accepted that. Now they would ask questions.

But they'd also ask questions if he did break up with her as soon as she became free to marry. Madari only wants a woman who he can't be expected to marry. Why is that?

"There she is," Jahni said, pointing at the small coffee counter, with a couple of tables in front of it, high ones to stand at rather than sit.

Sophia stood at one of them with a small coffee cup in front of her and a leather flight bag at her feet. She carried a coat over her arm. A heavier one than she'd need here except on winter nights, but needed for autumn in Italy. It was black of course. So were the rest of her clothes. She often wore black and looked elegant in it, but he knew her choice of outfit wasn't about style today.

"Sophia, my dear," Madari said, hurrying to her, and hating that they were meeting here in public where he couldn't put his arms around her to comfort her. He did take her hands, not minding if that attracted disapproval.

"Faris, Kahil. You... you didn't have to come." She seemed quite calm, but was pale, and her eyes were red rimmed.

"I'm glad we caught you."

"I am too. I'll have to go through security soon though."

"Um, I'll get us some coffee," Jahni said, looking awkward, wanting to give them a moment alone. "Sophia, do you want another?"

"No, thank you, Kahil." She rested her hand on his arm briefly, smiling at him and he nodded to her and turned away to the counter.

"Are you all right?" Madari asked softly, leaning closer to her.

"Yes, I'm fine." Her voice shook enough to belie her words. "It was... a shock, I won't deny that. I haven't seen him in so long, and I've had many harsh thoughts about him over the years. Sometimes I wished I'd never met him." She brushed back a strand of hair that had come loose from the clip that held it back in a simple, short pony tail style. "But today... after hearing that. All I could think about was the young man I once loved. The good times we had." She broke off and retrieved a handkerchief from her handbag.

"Do you... um... want to to sit down?" Madari asked, hearing the helpless note in his own voice.

"No. No. I'm fine." She sniffed a couple of times, then put the handkerchief away. Jahni arrived back, carrying two small cups and saucers carefully and handed one to Madari.

"Did your father-in-law tell you what happened?" Madari asked, then hoped that telling him that wouldn't be painful enough to make her cry again.

"The police found his car crashed into a tree, skidded off the road, on the road to our house in Rimini. He had... a passenger, a young woman, who they think was one of his models."

"Models?" Jahni asked.

"He was an artist," Madari explained. "She was killed too?" He asked Sophia.

"Yes." She sighed. "He would always drive sports cars that he couldn't handle. Giovanni - my father-in-law - says it was a brand new Bugatti."

Madari caught Jahni's eye and gave him a small frown to ensure he didn't say anything foolish about the waste of such a fine car. Jahni looked down into his coffee cup.

"His parents are organising the funeral," Sophia said. "But I have to be there of course, for appearances. And anyway... I think I need to be. Need... closure."

Madari understood that. He remembered Faraj's funeral and how much it had hurt to go to the funeral of a former friend he'd been forced to kill. But he'd eventually come to accept that it had been right to go. To close that chapter.

"After that, well, there'll be the will and various legal matters to sort out. I could be away for several weeks."

"Weeks?" Madari said, surprised. He hadn't considered that. Jahni looked up again. "Oh. I... yes of course. I suppose it will be... complicated. Um, is there anything I can do for you here? What about Giotto? Do you want me to take care of him?"

"Oh, he's fine. My housekeeper is looking after him. He'll be happier in his familiar surroundings." She smiled weakly. "He'll be like royalty, living in the flat as if he owns it, with his own staff."

"Perhaps I'll drop in sometimes to pay court to his majesty," Madari said.

Sophia rested her hand on his forearm, smiling. "I'd like that. If you'd pop in to check in him now and again. The staff are very good of course, but I'm sure he'll be happy have visitors too."

It almost made Madari laugh to think of visiting a cat as if it was the householder, but he didn't laugh. If it gave Sophia one less thing to worry about, he'd be glad to do it for her.

"I'll drop in on him as often as I can manage," he assured her.

"Me too," Jahni said, surprising Madari. When they looked at him, he shrugged. "I like cats."

And that cat liked Jahni better than it liked Madari, so it would probably be happier to see him, Madari thought. Between the two of them they'd keep an eye on the proud little creature.

"My flight is boarding," Sophia said, after the announcement came over the PA that the gate for the flight to Rome was now open. "I'd better go."

Jahni picked up her flight bag and they walked with her to the security checkpoint. If there had been a queue Madari might have used his influence here to get her through ahead of other passengers, but there was no queue. The security men gave Madari and Jahni smiles and nods of recognition and were exceptionally polite to Sophia as they x-rayed her bags and she stepped through the metal detector.

After a final wave on the other side, she took her bags and then she was out of sight, heading for the gates.

Remarkable, Madari thought, as the two of them stood for a moment, watching where she had gone. Just an hour ago his life was one thing. Now it was something else. Events he wasn't even involved in and yet they'd changed everything.

After a moment he noticed the security men watching them curiously, so took Jahni's arm, shaking him out of the same trance Madari had fallen into.

"Come on, Kahil. We still need dinner."

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Dinner."

They left the airport, stepping out into the twilight and a warm breeze that ruffled their hair. Madari drove to a café that had outside tables, where they could enjoy the warm evening, overlooking a park, and in the distance the royal palace. A café it might be, but with such a fine view, it charged as much as many restaurants. However it also served large enough portions to keep Jahni happy.

But despite his earlier claims to be hungry, he picked at the food, quiet and often just gazing out over the park for long periods. Yes, Madari thought. Everything has changed. And I'm not the only one who realises that.

They walked in the park after dinner as it grew fully dark around them. In civilian clothes Madari felt anonymous, something he rarely enjoyed these days. As they strolled, not speaking, Jahni's hand found his and they walked on without a word.

~~~

"It's so warm today," Jahni said. Madari looked up at him from his desk.

"Yes, it's a warm autumn this year."

They were working in the office, going over training reports, nearly two weeks after Sophia had gone to Italy.

"Open a window," Madari said. "I'll get some more ice water." He took the jug to the outer office and sent his clerk off to fetch more water. Back in the office he found Jahni leaning over the sill, leaning right out of the window. "For goodness sake, don't lean too far. People will think you're trying to jump and wonder just how hard I'm working you."

Jahni straightened up and turned back, grinning. The breeze outside had rumpled his hair and he combed it back into place with one hand, then stood leaning against the window frame, hands behind his back.

"Have you spoken to Sophia again lately?"

"Not since the day after the funeral. She says there's a lot to sort out about property. She will definitely be gone for a while."

"Oh." Jahni looked out of the window again, gazing off into the desert. He needed a new shirt, Madari thought. A size up, across the chest and shoulders at least. Had this one shrunk, or was he getting bigger? He certainly spent a lot of time in the gym.

No, the shirt must have shrunk from washing. Jahni was bulky around the chest and shoulders, but not more so than usual that Madari had noticed. Some of the men in the unit could intimidate their opponents by sheer size alone, but Jahni didn't go to those extremes.

And Madari shouldn't be watching his body close enough to notice such subtle changes, or the lack of them, he thought, shaking himself away from his contemplation when he realised Jahni was no longer looking out of the window, but back at him. Madari sat down quickly.

The clerk came in with the fresh water and poured a bowl of ice into it.

"Thank you. Dismiss," Madari said, as Jahni pushed away from the window frame and came back to the desk. When the clerk left, he perched on the edge of the desk and poured a glass of water, ice cubes clinking into the glass.

"You know what I'd like," Jahni rubbed the cold glass against the inside of his left arm, on the paler skin there, then swapped over and rubbed it on the right arm, concentrating on the wrist, where the blood pulsed so close under the skin.

"What?" Madari asked hoarsely, prompting him to go on.

Jahni held the glass against his temple. "I'd like to take a dip in the plunge pool at the sauna, right now. No steam or sauna first - don't need that in this weather - just strip off and straight in the cold water."

"Yes..." Madari said, his eyes following the drips of water which ran down from the glass, down Jahni's face and neck, under his shirt.

My god, get control, he ordered himself as his body responded to the sight. He pulled his chair closer to the desk and sat up straighter. Sophia has been gone only two weeks and he was already so sexually frustrated that he was ogling Jahni right here in the office.

"Yes," he went on, trying to put a crisp snap into his voice. "That sounds very..." Jahni was looking right at him. A look that unmanned him entirely and stole his breath. A look he must surely be reading too much into. After what happened earlier that year, he knew Jahni didn't have any physical interest in him.

"Sounds... inviting?" Jahni suggested.

"Um... yes. Inviting. Ah, refreshing. I'm sure it would be refreshing."

Jahni nodded, and drank from his glass of ice water finally, before putting it down on the desk.

"Use a coaster," Madari said, taking refuge in an order, and making Jahni smile, as he took a paper coaster from the tray.

"So, do you want to go to the spa tonight?" Jahni asked.

Oh, that could be a very bad idea with this combination of the heat and sexual frustration. "I... don't think so," Madari said. Best not. It could be a disaster. The most disastrous visit to the spa ever.

And he was including the time he'd been stabbed.

~~~

The Royal Guard barracks had a large, modern gym but Madari had also had one added to his unit's facilities. Some still went to the main one, which had more equipment, but theirs had quite enough for most to be happy with. They used it for fitness assessments too, and got quite competitive about those.

As for himself, well of course, he stood no chance of keeping up with the younger men, but he owed it to his men to stay fit. He owed it to himself. Even though he usually stood at the perimeter commanding the action, there were still times he had to get his hands dirty.

So Madari used their small gym, usually in the evening, where the men used it more during the day. Often he'd be in there alone, and found it peaceful and relaxing. It helped him sleep better later. This evening though, as he walked in from the locker room, he found he wasn't alone. Jahni was working in the free weights area, doing biceps curls with a dumbbell.

"Oh, I thought you went home," Madari said.

"Decided to stop in for a quick workout." Jahni made a small grunt of effort as he lifted the dumbbell towards his shoulder.

"Good..." Madari said, not entirely sure what he meant. Jahni was in top shape, he didn't need pushing to keep fit. Did he mean good that Jahni was here to keep him company? Yes, that was it. While he enjoyed the peace, of course he enjoyed spending time with Jahni rather more.

"Definitely good," Jahni said. "I need a spotter. Going to push it up a notch on the bench press. Help me out?"

"Of course." Sometimes in here he felt as is Jahni were the one in command, but he didn't mind that. Jahni was the expert here, he worked on the men's fitness as part of their ongoing training and pushed them as much as he pushed himself. "Call me when you're ready."

Meanwhile he started up a treadmill, which faced the free weights area and began to jog, warming up. Jahni moved around the weights, doing his various exercises, sometimes speaking to Madari, inconsequential things, or work matters. Sometimes he just caught Madari's eye and smiled.

Madari raised the speed on the treadmill until he was running, wanting, needing, to burn off steam. Sophia had been gone three weeks now. And Jahni, tanned and gleaming with sweat... do not think about that. Damn, he should see about having these treadmills turned around to face the blank wall. And perhaps have from verses from the Koran painted on that wall.

Since that second incident earlier this year, when he'd realised he and Jahni could never have a sexual relationship, his fantasies about Jahni had actually become more vivid, more frequent. As if his mind gave him permission to dream about that, now it knew it would never be a reality.

Such thoughts were still sinful though, and he tried his best to restrain them, not sure how long he could have those fantasies without trying to act on them, and probably damaging his relationship with Jahni. That, he couldn't stand.

Jahni racked the weights he'd been using and strolled over to the treadmill.

"You want me to spot you now?" Madari asked, his hand hovering over the control to slow the belt.

"No rush," Jahni said. "Keep going, finish your session."

He stood for a moment, leaning on the treadmill then said. "Better keep moving, or I'll stiffen up." He started stretching, going through a well-practised sequence, body held poised in tense poses, almost like a man modelling for an artist. Madari grabbed for his water bottle and took a long drink. Mouth so dry. From the running. Just the running. He hit the speed button and went faster.

"Be careful," Jahni said, a small look of concern on his face. "That's faster than you usually go."

He knows my treadmill speed. He knows me too well. He knows what he's doing to me right now. Madari shook himself from those thoughts. No. It was his own perception, that's all. His perception coloured by frustration and loneliness. He slowed the treadmill again, fearing he'd overdo it, stumble and fall off the damn thing.

After another moment or two, Jahni still doing his stretches, Madari slowed the belt down to zero and stood for a moment, panting. Then he drank long gulps of water and rubbed his towel over his face to wipe away the sweat.

"Right," he said to Jahni, when he'd recovered enough breath. "I'm done. Let's see just how much you can lift, Captain."

Jahni grinned at what sounded very much like a challenge. Good Madari thought. Keep his mind on proving his machismo. That was healthy.

They worked together, loading the weights onto the barbel and lifting it onto the pins on the bench. Jahni rubbed powder onto his hands and put on his weight lifter's gloves, before he sat on the weights bench and got into position, flat on his back, legs on either side, feet on the floor.

"Let's go," he said, and raised the weight, Madari's hands under the bar, but not touching it. Jahni held it for a moment, until his arms began to tremble.

"Lower it," Madari said, and Jahni did so, controlling it well. Madari nodded. "Okay, you can handle the weight. Start your reps."

Jahni took the bar again, wriggling his fingers as he adjusted his grip and began to lift the weight. Lift, hold, and lower, smooth and under control. Effort was written broadly across his face and he soon began to sweat, but just frowned more deeply and looked more determined.

"Keep your legs down," Madari said, seeing them start to lift. Jahni's feet stamped back down to the floor and stayed there as if glued. "Good. Keep going. It's all you, I haven't touched the bar once yet."

Jahni gave an explosive grunt of laughter. "Damn, I thought you were helping me."

"Keep going. Five more makes thirty and then you're done."

"I can do forty."

"Not today, not with extra weight." Jahni kept going. Sweat ran down his arms now and beaded his face. "Twenty-nine. Thirty. Go on, one more."

"Slave-driver." But Jahni lifted and held until the trembling in his arms grew too much and lowered, this time Madari did catch the bar, helping him control it, in case it bounced out of the pins. "Oh, man!" Jahni sat up slowly, rubbing his shoulders. "I'm going to feel that tomorrow.

Madari picked up Jahni's towel and came around and draped it on his shoulders. He rubbed the towel over the skin to wipe the sweat. Jahni should get a massage, to keep those hard-working muscles from getting too stiff and sore.

"Very impressive, Kahil. Don't overdo it though. Are you still lifting on alternate days?" His hands were still on Jahni's shoulders and he kneaded the hard muscles a few times.

"Yes. I don't want to bulk up too much. Need to stay manoeuvrable. Mmm, that feels good." Madari was still kneading his shoulders, and Jahni sighed and leaned back towards him. "You can go a little harder."

God, no, he couldn't. If Jahni needed a massage the regiment had a massage therapist on staff, Jahni could see him tomorrow. Madari stopped and moved back. Jahni looked back over his shoulder. He spoke quietly.

"You don't have to stop."

"Oh, yes. Yes, I do." Madari cleared his throat. "You should do your cool down and take a hot shower." Don't think about him in a hot shower. "I need to complete my own workout."

"I can stay and keep you company," Jahni suggested.

"No... I don't think you should."

Jahni nodded as if he understood. He probably did. Madari could feel the heat in his own face, knew he must be flushed and guessed he looked distracted and discomfited. Now he just needed to be alone.

Jahni still had his cool down though, so Madari went to the rowing machine, which did face a blank wall, and kept his eyes fixed on there as he rowed. He looked up only when Jahni walked past him and spoke.

"Goodnight, Faris."

"Goodnight."

Jahni stopped suddenly. "Have you had dinner? Feel free to drop in on me for supper if you want. You're always welcome." And then he was gone, into the locker room.

Now Madari couldn't decide if he was still the only one to blame here. It wasn't just his sexually frustrated perception that made him think Jahni was... flirting, was it?

Well, either way he certainly didn't dare go round for a late supper tonight. He needed his own bed and some privacy. And perhaps then he would allow himself to think about Jahni in that hot shower.