Page 9 of My Turkish Fling
I stared at the brothers, one beaming, one frowning, trying to figure out what I was missing. I would have been livid at a comment like that. What did Emir have against happy couples, anyway? I didn’t care if they both orgasmed out in the garden, and it was my house.
I turned to Aria. “I have some champagne glasses and other things you can use if you want. That way the caterer doesn’t have to bring them.”
She lifted her eyes from her phone screen. “Yes, please! That sounds great.”
“Are you coming back before the party?” I asked. “With the movie premiere and everything.”
“We’ll be back a week from now, next Sunday. We can come over to do the decorations then, right?” She raised her eyes at Cem, who nodded.
“And Emir can probably plan the photos now.” Aria glanced out the window and frowned. “Although the party will be a lot earlier in the day so the light will be different. Does that matter?”
Emir shot me a quick look under his brow. “I… I’ll be back here tomorrow. Janie needs help with the horse.”
“How’re you going to get here?” Cem asked.
He shrugged. “I’ll take the bus.”
Oh no. Why hadn’t I thought about the logistics?
“The busses don’t come very close… or very often,” I said. “But I can pick you up from town. Where are you staying?”
“In a hotel.”
“About that.” Aria raised her phone-holding hand. “Mom called before and she said that they’ve invited Cem’s parents and Emir to stay with them. Apparently, the hotel rates are daylight robbery.”
“It’s fine,” Cem insisted. “I’ll pay.”
She shot him a reproaching look. “There’s no point wasting money. That’s why we’re staying in my tiny rental, remember? So that we can afford other stuff, like Kerim’s catering.”
“Sure. Our parents will appreciate the authentic Turkish food,” Cem deadpanned.
Aria glared at him. “Are you being sarcastic? You know I love Turkish food and Kerim’s half the reason we’re together!”
I chuckled, remembering what Aria had told me about their first date in Napier. The owners of Aria’s favorite Turkish restaurant had immediately recognized both Cem the movie star and Aria, their local client, becoming accomplices in their fake dating ploy.
Cem raised his hands, his face the picture of innocence. “No! I mean it. Dad thinks Turkish cuisine, cooked by a Turk is superior to any other food in the world. He’s not here to broaden his horizons. He will stop at every kebab shop around the country to judge the offerings.”
“Well, at least Kerim’s will pass the test,” Aria concluded, relaxing a little. “I can’t say the same about my mom’s cooking, but maybe they can order takeaways…”
I noticed Emir’s rod-straight frame tensing even more.“Our parents would never accept. They couldn’t possibly inconvenience—”
“They said yes.” Aria stared back at him with an unsure smile. “Hopefully it’s not that bad. They’ve turned my old room into a guest room and there’s another bed in my dad’s little office. It’s not full-length, though.” She threw Emir an apologetic glance, then turned to Cem. “Mom says they got it for grandchildren.”
Cem stared back in confusion. “But they don’t have grandchildren.”
“Exactly.” Aria’s gaze was heavy with meaning.
Cem’s confusion morphed into understanding, then slight shock.
I gave Emir a visual scan, confirming what I already knew. “You’ll need a full-length bed.”
“Maybe I can put the mattress on the floor.” He stared at his leather shoes, looking like he was mentally preparing for a prison stay. “It would make sense to save money on accommodation.”
Words rushed out of my mouth. “I have a guest suite! Come, I’ll show you!” I led them to the little used end of my house, my mind reeling with possible repercussions of what I was about to suggest. Gru zoomed ahead of us, scanning every corner.
I’d spent so much money on the guest quarters, thinking I’d have regular visitors from Auckland. But we’d been friends with other couples, as a couple, and after the divorce, I hadn’t heard from any of them. Being out of town and single, I’d been wiped off everyone’s address book.
I opened the door to the large bedroom with an extra-wide king bed, decorated in soft shades of walnut, sage and cream, in perfectharmony with the garden view behind the large ranch sliders. A spacious ensuite bathroom and a private deck with a sun sail completed the oasis. “I mean, you can invite your parents to stay here if you want. I can put you in one of my sons’ bedrooms.” I stepped backwards and glimpsed at the absolute teenage chaos in Josh’s room. Okay, not that one. On the other side of the hallway, Alex’s room seemed in a slightly better order.
