Page 39 of Pomegranates and Olive

"Alright, chook? Are you having a stroke or sumthin'?"

I must be staring at her like she's just sprouted horns, because she starts laughing at me before speaking very slowly. "I asked are... ya... 'right?"

"Hi... oh, sorry... it's Maeve, isn't it? I... no... I just... I was lost in a totally unwanted flashback."

" Yeah, he's lush, innit?" Now we're both staring at all the hotness before she raises her eyebrows and mimes panting with her tongue out at me. "Is he your guy?"

"Nope."

"You want 'im to be?"

"My boyfriend? Noooo, thank you." I shake my head and make a face. "I'm pretty sure he has a super-contagious rash somewhere that we can't see right now."

Maeve freezes for a moment, but then smiles widely, shaking her head and laughing. "Ooh, you're pissin' funny."

I'm not even slightly exaggerating when I say I have no idea what she is saying, so I grin at her. "I'm just trying to help a girlfriend out."

"Ooh, ay, you need to come and sit with us." She turns and yells at her friends with the biggest smile. "Olive is gonna sit with us."

Sure, I might want to hate Maeve, with her auburn hair and perky boobs, and God only knows what she's saying… but I can't. She doesn't seem catty or sarcastic. I mean, she might be, but I'm going mostly on her mannerisms and, well, she seems, you know, genuine. If it wasn't for the fact that she clearly wants to screw Deniz, we might've been friends.

"Thanks for the offer but I'm working. We'll catch up throughout the day though."

Maeve blows me a kiss before turning her attention to Deniz. She flicks her tresses and pushes those ample boobs out as she crosses the deck. I don't feel the need to watch her throw herself at Deniz, besides, I have what appears to bea six-course meal to prepare but before I duck back to the galley I take a moment to look out at the picture perfection that is my view today.

I take a moment to look out at the picture perfection that is the view from my floating office today. By “office” I mean Tora, and by “view” I mean the breathtaking beauty that is the Bodrum coastline. There isn’t a cloud in the sky and, as we glide across the almost-turquoise water, I hold on tight and lean out over the water laughing as the wind whips at my face and sprays me gently with slightly-salty sea water. The large resorts that dominate the waterfront slowly disappear from view and are, instead, replaced with tiny pockets of housing dotting the coastline. I imagine what it would be like to have one of those cute little white houses for my very own. It would have a bougainvillea climbing up over a trellis and maybe my very own giant kangal that, boy or girl, I would call Veronica. There might even be a hunky man beside me. Maybe he would be a drop-dead gorgeous Türk who likes to bake, he would be well-educated and definitely good with his hands (and I don’t mean he would be handy around the house) … oh, and he would give me orgasm after orgasm, so many orgasms that I would have to beg to stop! But he wouldn’t stop. Not ever. Because he’s got the stamina of a God!

Nowthat’sliving the dream!

My Türk and I would grow old together, sitting on our terrace, sipping on Turkish coffee from tiny blue cups as we watch our perfect children playing on the sand.

Yikes! My imagination really is running wild on this one.

I glance over my shoulder at Deniz as he teaches Maeve how to steer the boat. She grabs his hat and slips it on her head.

“Ugh!”

Way to ruin the fantasy.

Stomping back down to the galley, I only get a chance to glance again at Aydin's instructions when a self-important voice yells from above. "Wench? Are you ready to fish now?"

I shout back. "Can I toss you overboard for bait?"

"You wouldn't do that, would you, Russo?"

I mumble under my breath. "Don't tempt me."

The half-naked cowboy pokes his head through the hatch and flashes me another hot grin. "Do you know you're very beautiful when you're angry?"

I wave my knife in a very menacing way and he backs out of the galley, his hands in the air in a sign of surrender. "Don't upset the chef, guys. She's threatening to toss us all overboard for bait!"

I climb back through the hatch and Deniz puts his hands up in mock surrender while Maeve giggles. I roll my eyes at him as he pulls a tackle box out from under a bench. "You're absurd."

Sami calls me over and starts expertly tying lures and hooks before slipping a piece of bait on a very sharp-looking hook. Tossing the line over the back of the boat, he sits down cross-legged on the blue cushions. I can't imagine him catching anything, mostly because the engine is loud, the music’s even louder and we’re moving fairly quickly through the water, but within minutes Sami's pulling in his line. Deniz cuts the engine to help him reel in his fish. Betty starts barking, before throwing himself off the side of the boat and disappearing under the water. "Yilmaz! The dog!"

He just laughs. "He'll be fine."

"I can't see him."

---