Chapter 23
‘If you’re going to hang out with us,’ Buse says, carefully rearranging herself on her sun lounger, ‘we have to get one thing clear. You answer to us. Defne’s dad is a sweetheart, a total pussycat, but he’s not in charge on this boat. We are. Me and Def. You cool with that?’
‘I’m cool with anything,’ Oxana says mildly.
‘So no telling tales behind our backs. No spying. No sneaky-beaky shit-stirring.’
‘Of course not.’
‘So we can trust you?’
‘You can.’
Buse darts a sly glance at Defne. ‘In that case, you’re going to have to trust us. I mean, that’s only fair, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, I guess so,’ Oxana blinks behind her Ray-Bans.
After the half-dark of Inci’s cabin, the glare on the sundeck is overpowering.
Light seems to pour from the blue-white sky.
It’s as if she’s breathing it, swallowing it, drowning in it.
Beyond the rail, now almost too hot to touch, the sea is glittering turquoise.
‘What’s the music?’ she asks, glancing at the mini speaker lying on Buse’s towel.
‘Soft Launch,’ Buse says. ‘You wouldn’t know them.’
‘It’s amazing being here,’ Oxana says, ignoring her superior tone. ‘I’ve never travelled anywhere like this. And being on a luxury yacht. It’s like a dream.’
‘Enjoy it.’ Defne spritzes herself with face mist.
Buse smirks. ‘Remember all this when you’re back in… Where is it you live?’
‘London.’
‘Oh my God. London in summertime. All those traffic fumes, and flabby white bodies. So grim.’ Buse applies sun-protective balm to her lips, then reaches behind her back and unclips and removes her bikini top.
‘Buse,’ Defne says. ‘Anyone could walk up here.’
‘Babe, they’re just tits.’ Buse reaches for her Dior Solar Creme. ‘They certainly cost enough. I might as well get my money’s worth.’
‘Your parents’ money’s worth, you mean.’
‘Whatever.’
‘Atlas, for example. You know how he suddenly appears out of nowhere. Like a ghost. Or one of the crew?’
Buse yawns. ‘What does it matter? Those people are just staff. Besides, Oxana will keep a lookout, won’t you?’
‘Sure,’ Oxana says.
Buse inclines her head sideways. ‘You know what I think?’ She smiles conspiratorially at Oxana. ‘I think we need to know more about you. I think you need to reveal something about yourself.’
‘Something like what?’
Buse considers. ‘Like… what’s like the dirtiest, sexiest thing you’ve ever done?’
Oxana allows her eyes to widen in surprise. She touches her tongue to the scar on her lip. ‘I’m afraid I’m… I’m not very experienced in that way.’
‘Oh for fuck’s sake, woman. Spill.’
‘Well. I…’
‘Go on.’
‘I did sort of… have an affair with Jason Lark.’
At the mention of the actor’s name both girls peer sharply at her. ‘Interesting,’ Buse says. ‘Very interesting. Tell us more.’
‘I was the nanny for their family, in London. And you know she’s an actor too, the wife, although obviously not a big star like he is.
Anyway, one evening, she was out, working late on some TV series.
I’d put the children to bed, and Jason asked me if I wanted to watch his new film, which hadn’t come out yet. ’
‘Which one was it?’
Oxana’s mind races. ‘Death in Sonora, I think.’
‘Oh my God, yes,’ Defne says. ‘So good.’
‘So what happened?’ Buse asks. ‘We want full close-up detail.’
‘Well. We were sitting on a couch, watching the film, which was super-violent, which I’m really not good at, and at one point I hid my eyes, and Jason put an arm round me, and I totally froze.
I mean, his wife could come back literally any minute, and beside that it was just wrong, and a terrible idea, and the kids were upstairs, and—’
‘But you fancied him, right?’ Buse says.
‘Not really.’
‘Oh, come on. He’s a big star and you were like the nanny… I mean, get real.’
‘I don’t think he was in the slightest bit interested in me.
He was just one of those men who literally have to have every woman they see.
Like they owe it to themselves.’ Oxana lets her imagination run free.
‘I just happened to be there. I could have been anyone, and before I knew it he was kissing my neck and his hand was up my jumper, and I said, “Jason, please, I don’t think this is a good idea at all.”’
‘His hand was up your what?’ Buse asks.
‘My jumper. Navy-blue lambswool, from Marks and Spencer.’
‘Good to know. Go on.’
‘Obviously, he didn’t stop, and before I knew it…’
‘Yes,’ says Defne breathlessly.
‘I was… We were…’ Oxana pauses for effect. ‘We were basically doing it.’
Buse’s eyes widen. ‘Was he enormous?’
‘Um… imagine two Coke cans end to end.’
‘Minibar size, surely?’
‘No, Waitrose.’
‘Vay!’
‘I know. But because the film was still going, guns firing and all that, we didn’t hear his wife come in. And then suddenly there she was, standing over us.’
‘Ooof. Awkward. What did she say?’
‘She looked at me and Jason for a moment, and I thought she was going to go completely crazy and start screaming, but she didn’t say anything at all, she just took her jacket off and knelt on the floor and started licking, um… this.’ She points to the scar on her face.
Both girls stare at Oxana, open-mouthed.
‘And then?’ Defne whispers.
Oxana shrugs helplessly. ‘One thing led to another. They tied me up and dripped hot candle wax on my thighs. They made me wear a horsehair tail.’
‘Strap-on?’ Buse asks.
‘No. Up my bum. The next day, after the children’s tea, they told me that my services were no longer needed.’
‘Wow,’ Buse murmurs. ‘Harsh.’
Oxana nods. ‘I’m trusting you both. Never, ever mention this to anyone.’
‘But they treated you terribly,’ Defne says. ‘People should know.’
‘I’d prefer it if they didn’t. It’s possible I got a bit carried away myself; it’s all a bit of a blur. And I do take confidentiality very seriously. For example, I would never breathe a word about either of you girls, whatever happened. So I’m trusting you.’
Defne nods, lies back, and closes her eyes. ‘Well, I guess we have to trust you too.’
Oxana realises she’s left her sunscreen cream in her cabin.
She could ask Defne or Buse if she could have some of theirs, but she’s pretty certain that this would seem presumptuous, certainly as far as Buse is concerned, and she doesn’t want to get the girls’ backs up.
So she makes her way across the deck to the companionway, and heads down the stairs towards her cabin.
She’s halfway between the owners’ deck and the main deck when she sees Atlas marching purposefully above her, accompanied by a nervous-looking figure.
It’s the French deckhand who carried Defne’s suitcase to her cabin.
Taking a step down to avoid being seen, Oxana watches as the two men stop outside Tahir’s private lounge.
Atlas knocks quietly, and the door opens.
Tahir looks the deckhand up and down. ‘Noah,’ he says quietly. ‘Come in.’
Atlas follows Noah into the private lounge, and the door closes.
Sun cream, Oxana reminds herself, and continues her descent.