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‘You’re not expected at the tour office until eight.’
She shrugged. ‘I don’t mind getting there early. There’ll no doubt be others waiting who I can talk to. I might as well get a head start on meeting my companions for the next few days.’
He grunted. ‘As you wish.’ Then he headed for the shower.
She sipped her coffee thoughtfully.
Well, she hadn’t expected him to try to talk her out of going early and he didn’t disappoint. She’d been a distraction for a night for him and he was no doubt wanting to get rid of her and get back to his life.
* * *
The morning was cold, dark coats and wool scarves the order of the day. And even though she protested, he insisted on buying her yoghurt and zucchini fritters for breakfast with freshly squeezed orange juice, and some bread for the trip. Duty, she told herself. He’d taken his pleasure and it was all about duty now.
‘Thank you,’ she said as she tied her scarf around her throat and they headed out onto the street, the clang of tram bells and the call of sea birds heavy in the thick cold air.
He shrugged. ‘It was only a light breakfast.’
And she smiled. ‘No, I mean, thank you, for last night. For everything.’
‘It was my pleasure.’
She shook her head. ‘No, I rather think it was mine.’ He smiled at that and offered her his arm, one last gesture, one last touch, and she took it.
She would miss Kadar. He’d rescued her. He’d educated her. He’d shown her that there was an entire world of sexual experience out there that she’d only ever glimpsed at, and she wasn’t going to settle for average again.
There was a crowd gathered around the shopfront of the office where she was due to meet her tour. She glanced at her watch. It was only a few minutes before eight. ‘Surely they’re open by now?’
Kadar’s eyes narrowed. Someone was yelling. A woman was crying. A young man was pounding on the door with his fist. There were so many people and it was impossible to know who was supposed to be joining the tour and who had stopped to watch the proceedings.
He spotted a local man standing on the periphery and asked him in Turkish what was happening.
He took a drag of his cigarette and pointed to a sign on the door, almost hidden amongst the travel posters featuring shots of Ephesus and Pamukkale and more.
‘What is it?’ she asked as he peered over heads to read the sign.
‘The tour is cancelled,’ he told her. ‘The tour company offers its “sincere apologies to its clients” but is unable to keep trading. So your tour—and all tours current and future—is cancelled.’
‘Cancelled? But how can it be cancelled? What about my money? I’ve already paid.’
‘Do you have travel insurance?’ he asked her.
‘Of course. But—’
‘Then you need to contact your insurer immediately.’
‘But what about the tour? I’ve paid for eight days’ travel and accommodation. What am I supposed to do now?’ She looked up at him, searching for answers, and then shook her head as she remembered what he was doing here. Dropping her off. ‘Oh, forget it. Not your problem. You might as well go. I’m sure someone will sort something out.’
‘I’m not leaving.’
‘There’s no point staying.’
‘I will not leave you here in the faint hope that someone will sort something out. Chances are, nothing will be sorted out, and you will have to make alternative arrangements.’
She felt a tiny frisson of warmth. Maybe he had felt something for her after their night of pleasure. Maybe he wasn’t so keen to be rid of her after all.
She smiled. ‘Thank you. That’s very sweet of you.’
‘It’s not sweet. I told the polis I would be responsible for you while you were in Istanbul. While you remain here, for whatever reason, you also remain my responsibility.’
He might as well have thrown a bucket of cold water over her. ‘Duty,’ she snapped.
‘Duty,’ he agreed. ‘But you yourself have seen, duty and pleasure need not be mutually exclusive.’
She shook her head, not sure that was such a good idea. One night had been their deal. One night, and she could manage to walk away knowing it had to be this way and feeling only the slightest pang of regret. But to stay longer in this man’s company? In this man’s bed? When it was obvious that he neither meant it nor wanted it. ‘No, there’s no need. I’m sure someone will be here soon to sort something out.’
