Ladies In Tangier !

"Will you two be OK ? I've got to scope out some locations with Ahmed" Lawrence explained. "We're big girls now, we'll be fine" replied Debbi. "You won't end up in some harem ?" wondered Lawrence. "I've learned my lesson after Abu Dhabi" countered Debbi. Sally laughed. "Karim will show you the sights" said Lawrence, indicating the second of the two men who had met them at the hotel.

They were in Tangier. The phone call Debbi had taken back in Sally's flat had been about a commission Lawrence had for a two girl photo shoot in the Moroccan hills and desert. He had been offered a significant enhancement to his fee if he could procure Bimbo WAG to be one of the nude models. And he knew from his involvement with the lingerie collection that the contrasting attributes of Debbi and Sally complemented each other very well.

Karim spoke reasonable English and was determined to sell the delights of his home city to the two attractive western women. They trekked to the top of the hill for a panoramic view of the old town and port. Making their way back down the narrow winding streets he kept pointing out the old haunts of various authors and painters, none of whom the girls had heard of and most of whom seemed to have been gay. Karim tried a different tack. "Many rock groups loved it here. The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin." The girls remained underwhelmed. "I know the names" said Debbi. "My granddad had them on those old vinyl records" added Sally !

Despite the failure of Karim's name dropping, they were enjoying the bustle and ambience of the medina. He explained that although the frontages to these houses looked unremarkable, they hid spacious courtyards with elaborate water features. Eventually, Karim led them into a dark coffee house, the only natural light coming from a balcony at the back which overlooked one of those courtyards. He led the women to a small table closer to the entrance. They were conscious of being the only westerners, indeed the only women customers, in the place. But their presence did not seem to be causing too much of a stir, save for a few murmurs of interest.

They were enjoying their sweet almond pastries and dark bitter coffee when a woman in traditional dress emerged from a side room and consulted with Karim. "Fatima wants to know if you would like to use hammam ?" he asked the girls. "Hammam ?" they queried. "Steam baths, very luxurious, very good for skin" Karim explained. Debbi thought of a Japanese onsen and reminded herself to tell Sally the tale of her adventure with Lesley at one of those ! Their feet had gotten sore from traipsing around town and it sounded tempting. "Mm, sounds great. Where is it ?" answered Debbi. Karim explained that it was just around the corner and that Fatima ran both enterprises. "I'll pay her" he said. "She'll take you around there when you've finished your coffee."

Debbi and Sally did not notice the increase in the intensity of the murmuring between the men in the cafe as they departed with Fatima, nor the way in which all the clientele began to slowly congregate around the balcony area !