Page 75 of Pomegranates and Olive

No, I only have today.

Rosie waits for me while I go change into my bikini and we walk down to the jetty together, arm in arm, just like we did when we were kids. She points to the enormous yacht that had appeared overnight. "Woah! Is that what we're going on? It's gorgeous."

"You wish, hell, I wish." I shake my head and giggle lightly. I point to the woodengulettied to the jetty where Sami is waiting surrounded by a mountain of food. "We're going on that one. Tora."

"Oh?" Her face falls before she quickly recovers. "It's cute. Very Turkish."

"It's called agulet, and it's big enough for us lot, believe me."

After helping to transfer everything on board, Ginny, Rosie and I climb up onto the top deck. From our vantage point we see Aydin and Luca walking down the jetty, both dressed in traditional Turkish pants calledsalvarwhich they’ve matched with white linen shirts. Luca has added some tribal wooden beads around his neck and... God forbid... water buffalo sandals. With his new daddy beard and his sun-streaked hair a little longer now, he is totally rocking this new hipster style he has going on. In fact, I'm going to say it... all he needs is a cardigan to complete his look!

"Those pants! I need those pants in my life!" Rosie starts squealing as soon as she sees them both. "And, oh my God, Luca! You're wearing a Gypsy Rose necklace! When did you buy that, you sneak?"

"At the markets in Newtown a few weeks back. I didn't see you there. Maggie sold it to me."

"It really suits you."

Rosie's necklace?

Ginny leans over to me. "What the feck is happening with those two?"

I shrug in reply. I figure I might as well let thisTürk dizisiplay out and wait for its inevitable showdown between either Luca and I... or Deniz and I... or even Rosie and I. There are so many potential outcomes for this mess.

They both climb on-board and Aydin starts up the engine while Sami gives Luca a lesson on pulling the anchor through the hawse-hole and unhitching the lines. Luca is clearly enjoying the manual labour and has already removed his shirt to provide himself a wider range of movement. He's really putting everything into it as well. When he stands back up, his eyes meet Rosie's, and she smiles shyly at him.

If I can see the electricity between them, why can't they?

The roar of a motorcycle engine pulls me from my pondering, and my eyes lock in on it as it pulls up at the end of the jetty. I hold my breath in anticipation as Deniz climbs off. He takes off his helmet, which he carries with him as he walks towards the boat.

"Sami! Hold the line." Aydin calls back to Sami and both he and Luca lock in place holding the weight of the anchor. At the same time, Aydin manoeuvres the boat back to the jetty, keeping the motor running just fast enough to allow the vessel to hover waiting for the sexy interloper to climb on-board.

Deniz knows all eyes are on him as he strides down the jetty, stopping to swap his helmet for his straw hat at one of the storage units. I watch as his eyes take Rosie in, already stripped down to a white string bikini and sarong, her long hair flowing free and looking like a goddamn supermodel, before locking in on me. He gives me a slight grin as he climbs on-board.

Rosie and I climb back down to the main deck. Deniz and Aydin are at the helm overseeing Emine as she steers the boat while Luca has returns to sulkily sitting at the back near the engine.

"Where'd Ginny go?"

"Cabin. She's not feeling well."

I enter the galley and knock on the door of the cabin.

"Yes?"

Finding Ginny flopped on the bed, one arm covering her eyes and her other resting on her slightly rounded belly. I climb in beside her. "You alright, darl?"

"I'm exhausted. So glad the season is over."

Wait a minute... slightly rounded belly. I glance over at Ginny who I now realise didn't drink her stronger than paint stripper black coffee this morning and instead had been sipping on green tea.

"Ginny?"

"Hmmm?"

"Is there something you want to tell me?"

I can see her cheeks redden from under her arm. "Nope."

"You sure?"

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