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Roxe turns to me with a knowing smile. “I’m glad. You’re good for him, Meg. He needs someone like you in his life.”
The little golf cart pulls up outside an old Ottoman house, it’s once-stately façade now showing its age, with peeling paint and faded colour. “Wow this place is amazing.”
“It’s a bit of a money pit but it’s going to be worth it when it’s done… whenever that might be.” Roxe grins at my enthusiasm. “Thankfully my brother has more money than sense.”
The four of us run up the stairs to get out of the rain. Roxe gives me a quick once-over. “Now, we need to get you sorted,” she says, wrinkling her nose. “You can’t stay in wet clothes all day… plus you kinda smell like puke.”
The tell-tale signs of a blush rise up to my face. Way to make a good impression, Meg.
“Why don’t you take a hot shower and warm up? I’ll try and find something for you to wear—” She clicks her fingers and grins. “I know exactly what I can give you.”
Ten minutes and a quick shower later I find myself standing in front of the mirror critiquing my reflection. I'm dressed in a sleek black t-shirt that surprisingly fits me perfectly, which is paired with those crazy harem pants that Kaan adores. They’re tight at the ankle but flowy everywhere else.
No camel toe for this girl!
Rummaging through my always overflowing satchel bag, I grab a set of golden hoop earrings which I slip on before skilfully transforming my scarf into a stylish hair band. I position it around my head, allowing my hair to cascade down past my shoulders.
I wonder what Pippa Ellis would have to say about this outfit?
Returning downstairs, I take a moment to appreciate the renovation work that’s been done on the property so far. Roxe has done an amazing job at bringing this home back to life with its high, vaulted ceilings and stunning Ottoman-style floor tiles beneath my feet that flow seamlessly through an archway into a large sitting room. The tiles themselves are a work of art with their intricate patterns and vibrant colours that immediately set the tone for the entire space.
As I step into the sitting room, I can’t help but be struck by the way it seems to effortlessly combine grandeur with intimacy. The sofas and thick high-back chairs are arranged haphazardly around the room create a sense of intimacy, despite the fact that they are surrounded by such grandeur. I could imagine myself curled up in one of those plush chairs, a leather-bound book in my lap, the flickering light of a roaring fire casting a warm glow over the room.
On the walls are charcoal drawings. I immediately recognise them as Kaan’s handiwork. One drawing, in particular, catches my attention—it’s obviously a portrait of Roxe.
You can tell there’s a lot of love poured into those charcoal lines. It’s like Kaan captured not just her looks but also the essence of who she is.
This is where Kaan and Roxe find me a few minutes later.
“Feeling better?”
“I am.” Grateful, I smile at Roxe. “And thank you for the clothes. I think I might be obsessed with these harem pants.”
“I practically live in them.”
Roxe casts a suspicious glance at Kaan and I know immediately that something’s up. “What’s happened?”
She nudges her brother. “You’d better tell her.”
A loud rumble of thunder shakes the house, so powerful that it seems to reverberate throughout the entire room, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. “Tell me what?”
“Don’t shoot the messenger, but…” As the rain outside continues to come down harder, the sound of the drumming on the roof almost deafening, and Kaan has to practically yell to be heard. “…thebelediye… the municipality… has shut down the waterways until tomorrow morning.”
“We’re stranded?” I ask, the panic rising in my voice.
“It’s going to be fine,” he says, but I can tell he’s worried too.
I groan and bury my face in my hands. “It will not be fine. Ginny’s getting married tomorrow, remember? She’s going to flip out.”
“Don’t worry. The storm won’t last long, I promise.” Roxe doesn’t seem particularly phased about my current dilemma, calming placing a tray with a large double teapot and tiny tulip-shaped glasses on the coffee table in front of me. It’s quite the production as she fills a tiny glass with tea, first from the top pot and then from the bottom before offering me sugar. “It’s the storm surge that has you stuck here, not the storm itself.”
“I need to ring her,” I say, my voice muffled by my palms.
“Mobile service is out.”
With no mobile service there’s no way for me to contact Ginny and let her know we’re stuck. I turn to Kaan, hoping that he has some sort of solution, but his expression mirrors my own worry. “I promise I’ll get you to the wedding one way or another.”
Just then, a flash of lightning illuminates the room, followed by another deafening rumble of thunder. The lights flicker and then go out, leaving us in darkness.
