Chapter 30
After an awkward goodbye, Jackson heads off with Erika to head office after the police readily agree to search for Garry on the island, and I travel in the limo with Emir, his dad, his brother, his new baby niece (looking tiny on Mehmet’s knee) and Shazza, back to the gulet.
We stop off en route to collect the birthday boxes that are so numerous they have to follow behind us in another limo.
‘So, how’s the holiday so far?’ Shazza asks me, her face glowing with delight. ‘Isn’t this place amazing? Did you drink too much? Make any poor decisions?’ Her horsey laugh has Mehmet besotted.
‘Something like that,’ I say, inwardly lamenting.
Once we reach the gulet, Emir’s mother, Cassandra, is delighted when I confirm the Mediterranean cruise compensation package, and I get to work setting up decorations and blowing up balloons for Emir’s party.
The captain approaches me as I’m stringing bunting along the railings.
‘Good news. The police, they pick up Garribald. They say he was stranded on the island waiting for his cousin, just as you suspected. He confessed to everything. They have a case full of stolen jewellery and money.’ He surveys the party balloons and the dining room all set for a mega celebration.
‘This will be the last night. The guests are leaving in the morning.’ He holds out his hand for me to shake.
‘But I want to thank you for your service on board.’
* * *
Before long, Emir’s birthday party is in full swing, and he is very much the centre of attention.
His father has barely put him down. From the snippets I can gather, Emir is being hailed as the genius crime-solver and gifted young entrepreneur that he is.
I notice a solid gold Rolex dangling from his skinny wrist. Mehmet appears to be instantly loved up with his brand-new surprise family.
He and Shazza are knocking back shots while Emir’s mother and grandmother stare, unblinking at their massive new granddaughter propped up on the banquette opposite them, looking as though she should have a margarita in front of her and a ciggie hanging from her lips.
To be fair, if I’d given birth to a full-size toddler I’d need a drink too, so I’m not judging Shazza at all as she flings her arms around a smitten Mehmet.
Best of all, we have decided on a free bar and a help yourself buffet so that all the staff and crew can relax and join in the fun.
I’ve made a special effort to look nice.
Not for Jackson but for me. Astrid even offered to style my hair into loose beachy waves, and Tiffany helped with my make-up.
She has transformed my gloomy, dull complexion into a bright, sophisticated, flicky-eyed supermodel.
My silky slip dress makes my stomach look flat and my legs longer and the choker is giving off serious Winona Ryder vibes.
I thank the girls for their efforts. Ever since they have stopped competitively shagging Shaun, they are softer versions of themselves. All is now harmonious and tranquil.
A shot glass clacks down on the bar next to me.
It’s Shazza. ‘This is for you. A toast for helping me and Kylie-Jay find Mehmet.’ She peers at me with eyes full of emotion.
‘You’ve changed our destiny. Thanks to your quick-thinking and kind heart, our lives are going to be so different now.
So much better. And it’s all thanks to you.
You’re an amazing woman. We’ll never forget you. ’
Oh, my gosh.
I feel a swell of pride as I thank her and pick up the shot glass. Not only am I amazing, but I have changed three people’s lives. I am an instrument of pure positivity and light. I don’t need a man or love to make me feel worthy. I’m enough just as I am.
She leans in to hug me. ‘Here’s to wild nights, randy men and making poor decisions!’ she yells, making sure Mehmet hears her over the music. She’s competing with Duran Duran and a girl named Rio. ‘Because you never know where it will lead!’
Before I know what’s happening, we’re downing the shots and the whole Hello Chicken family are coming to join us at the bar. Suddenly, they are singing my praises and toasting me for being their favourite holiday rep of all time.
‘Tell that to head office!’ I say loudly, still feeling upset over Jackson’s hasty departure.
‘No need. Head office is here!’
I spin round to see Erika and Jackson standing a foot away.
Time suddenly stands still. The music fades.
The guests disappear from view. The clichés are coming thick and fast. And it’s just me and him.
A girl standing in front of a boy trying and failing not to fancy the pants off him.
Even though he’s basically rejected her in favour of returning to his homeland, hasn’t quite been honest about why he was here in the first place, and she realises that at some point soon she will need to tackle her self-esteem issues… but not tonight.
‘Congratulations,’ he says in a husky, low voice as he approaches.
‘On not getting slung in jail?’
He nods. ‘Among other things. We wouldn’t have caught Garry without you and Emir.’
All I can think is that he’s leaving me.
‘I need you to know that if things were different…’ He pauses.
The air between us is thick with unresolved sexual tension (on my part) and fraught employer/employee relations (on his).
He slides behind the bar as everyone else diplomatically goes back to dancing, eating, drinking and lazy parenting. ‘Drink?’
‘I’ll have what you’re having.’
He sets out two cocktail glasses and a shaker.
I watch him deftly mix up the two drinks, adding the apple schnapps, the vodka, a squirt of club soda, shaking and stirring, adding ice cubes and slices of apple.
His hands are tanned and manly, his arms exposed up to the biceps in that tight-fitting black T-shirt of his.
My eyes flit to his denim shorts hanging loose, exposing a hint of white Calvin Klein waistband.
God, he’s gorgeous. I drag my eyes away but not before he catches me looking.
The atmosphere thickens a touch more as he hands me the drink and our fingers touch.
The hairs on my arm immediately stand on end.
I take a tentative sip. ‘Thank you.’ I can barely look him in the eye because he’ll see my traitorous desire for him.
Every cell in my body is screaming out for him to touch me.
‘There’s supposed to be a meteor shower tonight. If you’d like to see it.’ His eyes linger on mine before dropping to my mouth.
I’ve never seen a shooting star before. It’s a very romantic proposition.
No one in their right mind would turn down the opportunity to see a meteoroid entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
To watch it burn up, creating a visible trail of bright light only to disappear forever.
It feels like a metaphor for our relationship.
Do I want to burn brightly with him, even if only for a moment?
I pause before answering because this will undoubtedly lead to heartbreak. ‘Yes, sure.’
‘We could go up to the top deck and watch from there?’
‘Under the Waning Gibbous?’
‘Is there any other way?’ Jackson says, laughing as he leads the way.
‘It’s one of the eight cycles of the moon. Look.’ I stop to point at the not-quite-full moon. He stands very close to me, following my gaze. The energy between us crackles with promise.
‘I love that you know all of this stuff,’ he says simply. ‘You’re very impressive, d’you know that?’
Not impressive enough to make him stay though.
Miraculously, everyone seems to be down on the main deck Turkish dancing, passing Emir around on their shoulders, much to his delight (easy access to a smorgasbord of high-spec gold earrings and necklaces), and eating a feast of sweet, sticky pastries.
Jackson and I have the whole top deck to ourselves.
We carry our drinks over to one of the double sun mattresses and kick our shoes off before sitting down.
The dark sky is ablaze with glittering stars, twinkling like millions of tiny diamonds.
‘It’s breathtaking,’ I whisper. I’m not entirely sure I’m talking about the night sky as Jackson takes a long drink and lies back, cradling his head on the crook of his arm.
His T-shirt rides up to expose a taut stomach and that fine line of dark hair disappearing into his shorts.
I shake away my lustful thoughts and lie back to enjoy the show.
Jackson takes my fingers in his. The electricity is palpable.
I pray that he is feeling what I’m feeling.
After a few moments, he moves, shifting his weight onto his side.
I turn my head to see that he is looking at me in a rather intense way.
‘Maddie,’ he whispers, his voice almost croaky.
‘I never meant to hurt you.’ Raw emotion spreads across his face and I know he’s telling the truth.
He inhales deeply. ‘I’ve been down this road before.
Trying to do the long-distance thing, and believe me…
it does not end well.’ Hurt flickers in his eyes.
‘I get it,’ I say softly. ‘So, what you’re saying is that anything beyond tonight would be impossible for us?’
He nods, turning to face me. ‘I wish things were different.’
And for the first time in a long time, I know what I want from life. It’s him. I want to burn brightly with him under the stars. Even for just one night.
A cool breeze wafts over my skin, causing me to shiver.
All my senses are on high alert. The air carries the scent of his recently shampooed hair, filling my nostrils.
His exposed skin glistens in the dim glow of the moonlight.
His breath hitches as I lift my fingers to trail the outline of his face, his jawline, his neck.
His resolve is crumbling before my eyes.
I pull him gently towards me. His face hovers above mine before he kisses me lightly and tenderly on the lips, grazing them with the tip of his tongue, tugging my lower lip imperceptibly.
He trails hot kisses down to my neck, sending tingles down the length of my body.
His lips are soft and warm as they slide deliciously slowly across my skin.
As the kiss deepens, our bodies gravitate towards one another, closing the gap to press tightly together, our legs entwined.
I run my fingers through his hair, pulling his lips even closer, hungry for his touch.
I hear a low groan escape from him as one hand slides to cup my breast, the other at the small of my back as we deliciously grind against one another.
‘What are you doing to me?’ he growls softly in my ear, his breath causing ripples of lust to ricochet through my body.
He flips me over onto my back, pinning my hands above my head, and kisses me again.
This time with a fierce passion, an undeniable hunger that sends pangs of electricity shooting straight to my pelvis.
I send a clear message back, wrapping my legs around his waist, arching into him, undulating against him until our ragged breathing is coming in gulps.
I want him. He wants me. Something about being outdoors, staring up at the night sky, the warm breeze against my skin, the urgency to act now before we’re caught is adding to the thrill.
Jackson releases his grip on my hands and gives me a look to check if this is what I really want.
I reach down to unbutton his shorts, slipping my hand inside.
He is more than ready for this, as am I.
He follows my lead and shrugs out of them, nimbly fishing a condom out of the pocket as he pulls off his top all while I do the same.
The stars cast a faint glow of light over our naked bodies as we come together in sweet relief.
His hands travel the length of me, finally cupping my face as he leans in to kiss me, entering me slowly and deliberately so that we feel every movement.
All I hear is the sound of our breathing against the faint background hum of the party below.
His lips travel to my neck, sending waves of tingles through my body.
And as they close over my nipple, I gasp, arching into him as the thrusting becomes deeper and more insistent.
I bury my lips in his neck, crying out his name against his hot, silky skin as the mother of all orgasms blasts through my body.
He grips me tightly as I tremble with ecstasy in his arms, feeling him unravel, every muscle giving in to the sweet release.
We lie panting and looking up at the stars. That was incredible. I’ve never felt so connected to the universe, to life… to him. It’s a long while before we turn to look at each other. An adoring smile spreads slowly across his face, mirroring my own as he laces my fingers in his.