Page 34 of My Lucky Star
“You will not sleep with her,” Emir had hissed before getting into the car. “We need her on our side.”
He had a point. I wasn’t on the best terms with my former hook ups, which had caused some PR issues in the past.
Aria turned onto a smaller road that meandered through a vineyard, bringing us to a large building with a weathered, wooden exterior and tall windows. Mature trees shaded the yard. Aria parked alongside two Teslas and led us to the main entrance. A sign above the door featured the word ‘winery’.
“Wait.” I stopped her at the door. “Can we go in like this?”
I’d changed into a clean shirt (the least shiny one I could find) and a pair of designer jeans, but my hair still hung damp from the impromptu shower. I raked my fingers through it, wondering how bad it looked.
Aria glanced at me, surprised, like she’d never considered this. “I don’t think they have a dress code. I’m sure we’re fine.”
I wish I could have pocketed her carefree shrug. That’s how many fucks I wanted to give, but it would never work in Istanbul. My appearance would be scrutinized, everywhere I went.
Aria opened the door, and I launched forward to take it from her. She rolled her eyes, but I caught a brief smile.
The interior had a rustic and cozy vibe, with fairy lights hanging above wooden barn tables arranged around a freestanding fireplace. Two of the tables were occupied by older couples and soft folk music carried in from a distant speaker.
Emir gave Aria an approving nod. “This is perfect.”
She glowed at his praise and my gut tightened. Why was he suddenly so charming?
We chose a table overlooking the vineyard, ordered glasses of their flagship Pinot Gris and smoked chicken salads. Aria set her hat on the table and combed her fingers through her hair with a look of deep concentration, slightly wincing in pain as she encountered tangles. I loved that guileless, oblivious expression, so deep in thought. She wasn’t performing for anyone. She just was.
The wine arrived immediately, poured by a widely smiling server. Everyone in New Zealand smiled like they were on some powerful, euphoria-inducing drugs.
I took a sip of the wine and decided it contributed to the euphoria. “This is very good.”
Aria’s face lit up. “This is one of the best wineries in the area and we’re spoilt for choice.”
Emir pulled his laptop from his bag and set it up on the table.
“Are you posting the photos?” I asked.
“I already did. Checking the stats now.”
“That was fast!” Aria stared at him in awe. “Can I see it?”
Emir chuckled. An honest-to-God, good-natured laugh. “About three million people already have, so I don’t see why not.”
She blushed, pulling her phone out of her little canvas bag.
“Oh, my God!” Her voice was a reverent whisper.
I’d seen the photos, yet I had to take out my own phone to see them again. I had to see what she was seeing.
Emir had gone with the freshly showered look, with water dripping down my face and Aria’s hand across her forehead. It obscured her hairstyle but revealed her delicate features –-a hint of a smile, eyelids half-closed, lips parted. She looked so much like Burcu that I found it hard to tell the difference, but more than that, I couldn’t stop staring at the way she leaned on my chest. She looked at home. Anchored. Like there was nowhere else she’d rather be.
We were faking, but part of me yearned for what I saw in that picture. It wasn’t adoration or lust. It was trust. Could I really be that person, the one who inspired trust?
It seemed my audience was lapping it up, with a sharp increase in likes and comments, many of them mentioning Burcu.
Emir had written an obscure description, dropping hints about me and Burcu without mentioning her name or even explicitly stating that we were together. He hadn’t mentioned a location, either, but the comment section had exploded with guesses on where we might be vacationing.
“Does this mean people can see us together in public?” My eyes flicked at Aria. “Now that the cat’s out of the bag.”
Emir’s mouth twisted. “It’s a bit of a risk, if anyone recognizes you and talks to her in Turkish.” He glanced at Aria, whose eyes widened.
“Oh, no. That would be a disaster!”
