by Iona Rose
“Oh, my God,” Tracy screamed.
“You lucky bitch,” Anne swore.
I refused to shut up now. “There’s more.” I said and they both perked up.
“Aren’t one night stands supposed to end with both parties just going their way?” I asked. “You’re not even supposed to be in the same bed by the next morning, right?”
“What’s your point?” Tracy asked.
“Well, he wanted me to have breakfast with him… and then he also asked me to have dinner with him tonight.”
The room went silent.
I waited for both of them to speak, but they just kept looking at me, speechless. “Is that a bad thing? I shouldn’t go?”
“Um, do you want this to be just a one night thing?” Tracy asked.
“Well… I… uh. I don’t think it can be more. He lives in Minnesota.”
“She’s not talking about a relationship,” Anne said. “Do you want to fuck him again?”
“Of course, I do.”
“Then I rest my case,” she said and fell back onto her pillows. “You won this vacation. Have all the fun you possibly can.”
I turned to Tracy and met her face filled with concern. “What is it?” I asked.
“Well, you’re not the type to sleep with someone and not get emotionally attached. Hell, you don’t even let anyone touch you until you’re emotionally attached. Can you pull this off? A casual vacation fling that will calmly end next week, without you getting hurt?”
I turned around to face the closet, the question ringing in my head. I hadn’t even thought of that. “He’s not going to be here that long,” I said. “He’s here on business, so maybe a few days, tops.”
“Alright then.” Tracy nodded. “Be safe and have fun.”
Anne got up from the bed. “You’ve just inspired me, Leah. This vacation cannot be a bust for me, at least not yet. I’m going to come with you guys to the market. Maybe I’ll meet someone that’s hot there that’s worthy of my fucking time. If one more night passes without me getting laid, I'm going to fuck one of you in your sleep.” She disappeared into the bathroom.
I turned to Tracy with horror running through me. “I’m sleeping on your bed today.”
She shook her head in amusement as she returned to her novel. “No, you ain’t.”
“C’mon?”
“Have you forgotten that you might not even be here tonight?” she reminded me.
Once again, my unexpected plans rose up as reality. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. “Oh, my God,” I grumbled half-heartedly. “Honestly, I’m not even sure if I should go.”
“What do you mean?” she asked. “Don’t you like him?”
“Of course I do, it’s just… what you guys said. I don’t want to get emotionally attached.”
“Stop worrying about that,” she said. “Just enjoy your time with him. If it leads somewhere then fine and if it doesn’t, then that’s okay too. You’ll have the memories of wild sex with some cute guy you met in Turkey to hold on to.”
“What if I get hurt?” I asked quietly.
“You won’t die from it. You’ll heal and be back to normal in no time. Don’t overthink this.”
I sighed and headed back to the closet to search for something to wear. A few minutes later and I was in a near panic. “I don’t have anything to wear!”
Just then, Anne came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body, and another wrapped around her damp hair.
I turned to them. “I don’t have anything to fucking wear.”
“You brought a dress didn’t you?”
“I did, but it’s light and flowy. It’s for walking around and hanging out on the beach, not going on a date with someone I actually like.” I held it up for them to see. “It has corgis on it, and it goes past my ankles.”
They were both laughing.
“Stop! I'm not kidding. I need help.”
“What do you want to wear?” Tracy asked. “Did he tell you what kind of dinner it would be? Is it formal or casual?”
I stopped then. “I have no idea.”
“Ask him,” Anne said as she went through her luggage by the corner of her bed. “Send him a text.”
“I don't have his number,” I said. “I only put mine in his phone. He asked for it.”
“That means you’ll go caformal then.” Tracy nodded.
“What the hell is that?” Anne asked.
“Casual-formal.” She beamed with pride. “I just made it up.
I shared a look with Anne as she shook her head.
“Seriously…” Tracy came over to me. She began to browse through my hung outfits. “You need something like… a dress shirt, but tucked into shorts. A blazer dress but with sneakers.”
“Well, I have none of those. I packed light and all I brought along were sun dresses.”
“Well, you could wear one of those with a pair of heels?”
“Don’t wear heels,” Anne advised. “That’s trying too hard. You’re both fuck buddies, not life partners. Plus, he’s already seen you naked. Just put on a pair of jeans and a skimpy top, and you’re good to go, wherever he takes you.”
“I have a black halter dress you could borrow,” Tracy offered. “We’re the same size and it fits like a glove. If you don’t want to pair it with heels then you can just use your black sneakers. Put your hair up and accessorize with some golden hoops. You’ll look effortlessly stunning.”
The suggestion sounded great to me.
Chapter 6
Leah
Two hours later, we headed over to the Bazaar in the town center.
It was held on streets along the southern coast, beginning from the harbor under the historical castle.
The three of us took our time, strolling through stalls of clothes and exotic fabric, jewelry, intricate lamps, ceramics, carpets, tea, spices and fruit.
Personally, I was overwhelmed by the staggering abundance and vibrancy of items displayed for sale. The people there came from all over the country and world to participate.
“Tracy, we’ve done something you wanted today,” Anne said. “I hope you won’t be up in arms tomorrow, complaining that we never do anything you want.”
Tracy sent a threatening glance towards her. “You’re already looking for a reason to get out of the tour to the canyon tomorrow? It’s not going to happen. We’re going, and if you don’t want to come along, you can stay behind. Leah will come with me.”
Anne shook her head as she finished up her Simit‒Turkish bagel, encrusted with sesame seeds. She then went over to steal a quick sip out of the pomegranate juice that Tracy had in her other hand.
“Hey!” Tracy cried out.
Anne scurried away before she could be hit. She stood next to me, now completely cured of her hangover and in a bright mood.
My gaze remained solely on the fruit stalls we were approaching. “I want to pick up some apricots,” I said and headed over to a cart filled with the polished orange fruits.
The stall owner, an elderly man greeted me with a smile and immediately offered one to me. I wanted to reject it but he insisted, so I accepted the fruit and took Anne’s bottle of water from her. I signaled to him that I would be heading over to the corner to wash it, and he nodded in complete agreement.
The moment I was done, I returned and bit into one of the juiciest apricots I’d ever had. It had been allowed to thoroughly ripen and thus was very sweet. I took another quick bite, not even minding when the juices began to run down the corner of my mouth. “This is so good you guys.” I turned to my friends as I wiped the moisture off my chin, but their attention was no longer with me. “Anne, try this,” I urged.
She took the fruit from me solely because it was in her face.
I was pretty sure she hadn’t heard a single word I’d said. “What are you guys looking at?”
“Look at that man over there,” Tracy said.
“What man?” I followed the direction of their gazes and found a comp
any of about four people. Three men and a woman. One of the men was dressed in Turkish traditional clothing with a red hat on his head, while the others were dressed more formally. The woman was in a suit, and so was the man by her side. Then the man my friends had been completely smitten by.
The group stood at a textile stall. The man listened to them as they spoke about the fabric, his hands in the trouser pockets of his grey pants. He wore a matching grey waist coat and underneath it, a crisp white shirt open at the collar. He towered over his companions, in both height and presence.
I didn’t need him to turn around for me to know who this was.
“What a fucking specimen!” Anne swore. “Now that’s who I want to pin me against a wall.”
“I love, Jared,” Tracy muttered, “but I’ll take one night with him. Ooh, he’s turning around!” She diverted her gaze.
Anne did not.
I watched her in amusement, and was about to turn away myself, when I made the mistake of glancing at him. Our eyes met, and I felt my heart stop.
“He’s looking over here,” Tracy said excitedly. “Wait a second, doesn’t he look like…”
I broke our gaze and turned around. My hands were shaky as I picked out the number of apricots that I wanted, and then smiled at the man, my complete attention on him.
“That’s Leah’s guy!’ Tracy said, and then tapped me on the shoulder.
I refused to respond.
“Leah, isn’t that your guy?”
“I don’t have a guy.”
“What do you mean?” Anne asked her tone heavy with disappointment.
“Leah, he’s coming over,” Tracy said.
My grip on the bag of fruits loosened. “Fuck,” I cursed under my breath. “I’m so sorry,” I said to the man as he bent down to help me retrieve the fruits. I did the same, trying my best to catch the ones around us before they could get too far away.
The girls also bent down to help me but then one rolled out into the street.
I spotted it, just as Carter bent down to pick it up. He rose to his feet, his gaze on the fruit and then on me. He began to walk over.
I held onto the back of Tracy’s blouse. “I think I'm going to pass out.”
“Breathe,” she said, and had a smile ready for him when he finally reached us.
“Hello ladies,” Carter greeted politely.
Anne’s hand immediately shot out. “Hello yourself,” she said as she lightly brushed her shiny blonde hair over her shoulders.
My eyes widened slightly at her performance, and even Tracy cocked her head.
Carter smiled at her, his smile almost blinding as he took the hand she offered. “I’m Carter Edwards,” he said.
“I’m Anne Curtis. This is Tracy Steans and I’m sure you’re already quite familiar with Leah Peters.”
“Anne!” Tracy smacked her arm.
Not caring, Anne winked at him and flashed her prettiest smile, famous for trapping men in her wiles.
Carter, however, removed his gaze from her and settled it on me, hiding in the back.
“Excuse us,” Tracy said.
When she turned, I was forced to let go of her blouse.
“Let’s go, Delilah.” Tracy turned to Anne and almost had to pull her away.
Soon it was just him and me.
I steeled myself enough to hold his gaze. “I’m sorry about that,” I said.
He gave a slight shake of his head. “Not a problem.”
“Just a second please,” I said and turned around. “Sir?” I paid the shop owner for the fruit and when I turned back to Carter, I found his gaze on the apricot he had picked up.
“Can I have this one?” He asked.
I nodded. “Sure.”
He backed away then, so I could walk out of the tiny row of the stall.
I turned to search for my friends and found them in the corner, watching us. “You didn’t um… have to come say hello,” I said with a nervous laugh. “Again, sorry about Anne.” My eyes were on my feet, encased in flip flops. Oh, how I wished I had put in just a little more effort into how I looked before I left the hotel. I had thrown on one of the sun dresses that reached my ankles, tied my hair up into a messy bun, strung a rattan purse across my shoulder, and had on some chapstick. I had never felt more ordinary.
“How are you?” he asked.
I lifted my gaze to his. “I’m doing all right. Just enjoying the afternoon.” I hated how flustered I felt, while he appeared so unaffected. It almost made me feel as though he were looking down at me, most probably wondering in the light of day what the hell he had been thinking last night.
I shook my head to snap out of the silly self degradation. I’d never been so condescending towards myself but Tracy had been completely right. The man standing here with me exuded magnetism, power, and beauty… I couldn’t believe I’d been so intimate with him.
“I’ve been thinking about you,” he said.
Now, everything beyond him in that moment ceased to exist. The chatter of the market… the traditional music playing in the distance, the smell of roasting street food and the zooming cars along the main road.
All I could see and hear was Carter… and the words coming out of his mouth. Everything else was an indecipherable hum.
He went on, “I thought I’d be able to wait till I saw you later this evening, but I'm close to losing my mind, and I need to concentrate. As you can see, I’m working.”
I couldn’t help the amused smile that spread across my face. “What?”
He took a step closer to me.
Now, I was greeted with the whiff of his cologne. I inhaled the delicious scent, and couldn’t help taking a step towards him myself, closing the gap between us. We were standing as close together as two people could in a public street without being accused of lewdness… and I could see it in his eyes, just like I was certain he could see in mine, nothing and no one else mattered.
“Kiss me,” he said, his eyes sparkling as he watched me. “I need that to hold me over until tonight.”
I couldn’t even hold back my laughter. “You’re silly,” I said, my hands shyly covering my mouth. “I thought that was just the booze talking last night.”
He leaned towards me to whisper into my ear, “Leah, nothing about last night… had to do with the alcohol.”
I staggered, and had to hold onto his arms to keep myself in check. The memories came back to me in vivid flashes, painful pangs of sexual awareness hitting me. I felt myself drip from between my thighs, as I lifted my hands to brush his windblown hair softly away from his face. “You’re one sexy man, Carter.”
“I’m glad you like what you see,” he said.
“But I can’t kiss you here. We have an audience.”
“Fuck the audience,” he stated firmly.
The steel in his voice pounded me into a pulp of smitten nothing. I didn’t hold back. I slid my hand around his neck to steady myself, as I lifted up on the tips of my toes. My lips connected with his and drew in the first heady taste of him. I cocked my head to the side and kissed him hard, my tongue slipping into his mouth to give and receive just enough of what we both needed from the other.
Breathless now, I pulled away, because the entire world was our current audience. I couldn’t even look at him. I turned around and almost ran for my life… from the sweetest embarrassment, from a flushed face, from a treacherously beating heart and from lips that seemed like they would be permanently curved into a smile.
My friends joined me along the way and we continued walking down the street.
“Wow!” Tracy exclaimed.
“That most definitely does not look like a one night stand connection to me,” Anne added.
I didn’t respond, but I had absolutely no complaints about what I was hearing. I needed time to process it all, but then my phone buzzed at the arrival of a message. I pulled it out and to my surprise, it was from Carter.
Anne was also peeking at my screen. “See you tonight?” She read a
loud.
I turned a frown on her. “Hey!”
She stopped me. “Leah, we need to talk about this. Is this a budding relationship or just a fling, because I want him when you’re done with him and I need to know when that would be? Before he leaves most preferably. When is he leaving again?”
I oscillated between shock and amusement, but I couldn't fault her for being so blunt. I turned to look at Tracy, who for once, didn't have anything to criticize her for.
“I understand her," she said. “If I didn't have ‘what’s his name,' I’d be lining up too.”
My mouth fell open. “What’s his name?”
“I’m joking,” she said.
Without a word to either of them, I started to walk ahead.
Anne called out to me, “We’re not joking, Leah. Well, I’m not. You need to throw him back in the ocean, so someone else can have a shot.”
My heart lurched into my throat at her tone. I spun around to see if he was still in the vicinity and almost collapsed with relief when I saw he had disappeared. I gave Anne a sharp look and began to head back to the hotel.
That evening, I strolled into the Harbor restaurant that Carter had chosen, feeling exquisite.
Tracy’s dress did indeed fit like a glove, the black silk material clinging to the dip in my waist and the curve of my hips. Held up by the tiniest halter strap, it stopped just below my knees. I’d decided to forego the sneakers as suggested and instead, wore my strappy, blocked heel sandals that were alluringly sexy, yet comfortable.
My shoulder length auburn curls softly framed my face, while Tracy had lent me her pair of vintage, pearl studs for my ear lobes.
I felt infinitely more presentable than I had when I ran into him earlier in the day, so I could barely contain my excitement at the promise the evening held.
The only problem… I was running about five minutes late. I thought to call him to apologize, but I didn't want to dampen our spirits for the evening so I hoped he would be able to brush it away when I arrived.
Set in a gorgeous, dim ambience, the Harbor’s ceilings were adorned with weeping willows, its tables lit with candles. Soft jazz music played in the background while in the distance the sounds of the waves crashing against the coastal stones could be heard.