“We’re married,” Tina cut in smoothly.  She and Bette exchanged glances, as the man raised his eyebrows, and then nodded his head.  “Oh, ok,” he said with a smile.  “I’m Tom,” he was saying, as he handed the two some veils, suggesting they wear it over their heads, then around their necks.  “Relieves you of stares from people we’ll walk past,” he explained.  Then he laughed slightly, as he took their passports, which Bette handed to him. “Not that they won’t be staring already,” it was their turn to laugh.  “You’re both gorgeous, as I’m sure you’ve been told countless times,” he said nervously.  They shared a laugh with him, as Bette lightly touched his arm, to try to set him at ease.

They went past immigration, to the baggage carousel.  As Tom handed them their passports back, Bette and Tina surreptitiously looked around them, to get their bearings.  People were milling about, and one man tried to offer a cart for their baggage.  Tom shook his head, then explained to the women that the man was not a porter, and would expect a tip from the women, if they’d accepted the cart.

As the luggage conveyor belt began to roll sluggishly around, they immediately spotted their bags rolling in.  They waited for the bags to roll closer to them, then pulled the luggage out from the conveyor belt.   Bette and Tina snapped out the handles that would allow them to pull their bags.  They signaled to Tom they were ready, then followed Tom as he led them outside the terminal building.  As they emerged into clear sunshine spilling out into the cool desert air, Tom pivoted to his left, heading towards a parking lot in the far end.  They kept up with him;  as they passed a water fountain, Tina pointed out an ensemble sculpture of a school of dolphins, installed over a the nearly-finished water fountain.  The women looked at each other, wondering wordlessly about the sculpture, exchanged quick smiles but said nothing.

Tom had radioed someone as they walked, in a rapid clip towards the parking lot.  Several SUVs drove up as they neared the entrance of the parking lot, kicking up dust as the SUVs rounded the corner. Windows were heavily tinted, but Bette and Tina saw that there were men in flak jackets and dark glasses in the lead SUV as well as in the trailing SUV.  They flanked a third SUV, which was in the middle. A man hopped out off the middle SUV and opened the passenger side door for them.  Bette looked at Tom, who indicated she and Tina were riding in that car.