Page 94 of My Turkish Fling
“Thank you so much for making time for us!” Janie’s smile beamed, full of her sunshiny goodness as she shook his hand.
They locked eyes for a moment like two goofy idiots. I swallowed a dozen things I wanted to say, standing strategically behind Janie. When I stepped into his line of sight, his toothy smile withered.
“I’m sorry, I seem to have forgotten your name.” He offered his hand, slowly and cautiously.
“Emir,” I bit out.
I couldn’t resist a brief death stare. Just a little warning.
Janie nudged closer. “Emir is the best man. His brother is the one getting married to my friend Aria. Let’s get you introduced.”
She tried to lead Len towards the door, but he dug his heels in, eyes still on me. “So, it’s your brother’s wedding? Is that why you’re working on the farm, to prepare for the party?”
“Yes,” I said.
“That’s nice of you,” Len said rather neutrally.
I nodded.
Janie pointed at Len’s collar. “Um… we haven’t announced the change of plans to the party guests yet. Until we do, could we hide that… thing,” She cast him a pleading smile.
“It’s called a clerical collar,” Len removed the white strip from around his neck, smiling.
He looked so smitten, his eyes lingering on Janie’s face, that I had to take deep breaths. No matter how much this bothered me, I couldn’t punch a pastor at my brother’s wedding.
I followed a few steps behind as Len entered the house, smiling and shaking hands. Janie introduced him as a friend, discreetlyleading the pastor, Cem and Aria down the hallways, presumably to plan their impromptu wedding.
I fetched my camera and took some pictures of the final party preparations. It felt good to hold something in my hands as a buffer.
After a while, Cem and Aria joined the others in the living room. The sound of engines alerted us to more guests arriving and Kerim began pouring champagne into flutes. Len must have been hiding somewhere, which I didn’t mind, but Janie had also disappeared. Was she with him? I couldn’t stomach the thought, so I focused on taking photos.
I could speak English, yet I felt like they were all communicating in a language I didn’t understand—small talk with polite smiles, quick jokes, and compliments. So perfectly pleasant and smooth. Well, until someone asked me something and I brought the cheery conversation to a grinding halt.
Had I embarrassed Janie? I’d held my tongue, but I couldn’t do the smiles and platitudes that put people at ease. Not that I particularly wanted to put Len at ease. I only wanted to meet Janie’s expectations. And she was in another league.
This was why I’d been single most of my life. I despised dating apps, and meeting someone the old-fashioned way required that smoothness.
Hande had picked me. I’d been standing in the corner, just like this, fiddling with my camera. I always had an excuse— Cem was there and photos were expected. She’d asked to see the photos, and I’d shown her. The way she’d lingered over pictures of my brother should have triggered warning bells. But she’d showeredme with interest and eventually dragged me away from the party. Of course, I’d fallen for her. She’d been so determined to be with me, she’d convinced us both that my antisocial behavior was nothing but mysterious and sexy. I’d bought all her lies, desperate to be noticed, for once.
“This way, please!” Aria’s mom guided the guests to the deck. “Bring your drinks.”
I followed the meandering guests, admiring the beautiful setup through my lens. And that’s when I noticed Janie. She stood on the deck, talking to my parents, somehow making them smile as she seated them and others around the tables. Once all the tables were filled, she led Aria and Cem into the doorway, facing the dozen expectant pairs of eyes. “We have an announcement!”
The general hubbub quieted as everyone turned to look. Janie gestured at Cem, who filled his lungs, smiling like his life depended on it. “Surprise! Thanks to our host Janie’s wonderful help, we’ve been able to find a pastor and can turn this engagement party into a wedding!”
Janie glanced back at the house and raised her hand, summoning Len. He smiled and waved, probably hoping for someone to cheer. There was only silence. Eventually, we all turned to face our parents, holding our breaths. I edged closer, ready to translate if they’d missed the message. But judging by the tears in Mom’s eyes, she hadn’t. She looked at Dad, then Cem and Aria and finally me.
“This is not the only wedding, though, from what I hear,” Janie prompted Cem.
“No! We will have a wedding in Istanbul later. A proper one. Thisis just for our New Zealand family. When I asked Aria to marry me, I meant it. I don’t want a long engagement…” he cast a pleading look at Mom. “Particularly as we’re having a baby.”
The shock that travelled through the small crowd on that deck could have powered a small generator. Mom’s hand flew to her mouth as she yelped out loud. She gestured for Aria to come closer. Stiff as a board, Aria crossed the wooden floor and stood in front of her. Mom took her hands and held them for a moment. I couldn’t hear what she whispered, but from the look on her face, I could tell everything had changed. She offered her hand and Aria greeted her the Turkish way, tears in her eyes.
I caught Cem’s eyes as he blew a breath and wiped a hand across his forehead. He’d made the call to drop the news. He was the gambler of the family, one who could think on his feet and somehow land on them. I loved my brother, but sometimes I envied him, along with the rest of the world. Part of me wanted to be like him, to grab this opportunity with both hands and hang on. But it wasn’t me.
As Aria moved over to her own parents, both wearing rather stunned smiles, Janie stepped up to address the rest of us. She explained how the afternoon was going to go—much like they’d planned the engagement party, only with the brief wedding ceremony at the start. She spoke eloquently, taking over the space with humor and heart. I could see the star quality, but I loved that I didn’t know her as a New Zealander. I didn’t associate her voice with the 6 a.m. news. I only knew her as Janie. My Janie.
She caught me staring at her and a smiled bloomed on her face.Sunlight filtered through the vines, giving her purple dress a wild pattern. My hands rose, as if on autopilot, and I snapped a photo. It was the last one I got.
