I flop back onto my pillow with a monumental exhale. What an experience this whole trip has been so far. I feel different. My energy is off-the-scale. I feel brighter, more confident, a force to be reckoned with.
‘What are you so happy about?’ Astrid asks on her way back from the bathroom. She is showered and dressed and has by some miracle picked up all her clothes and has begun the process of packing them away into the suitcase lying on top of her bed.
‘She looks like the cat that got the cream, doesn’t she?’ Tiffany grins at me, peeking from under her bedsheet. ‘I wonder who could be responsible for that?’
‘Nobody,’ I squeak. ‘Nothing happened. Nothing at all.’
‘Chillax, Mads.’ Tiffany sits up in bed. ‘We don’t care who you boned… although it’s very obviously Jackson with his come-to-bed eyes and his incredible ten-out-of-ten body parts.’
Astrid giggles. ‘Yeah, we’d do him, wouldn’t we, babe?’ She bats her lashes at Tiffany. ‘If only we weren’t in such a rush to leave.’
‘I thought he handled our resignation very well yesterday at the party,’ reasons Tiffany. ‘He says once the accounts have been properly inspected, and he’s sure we’re not involved in Garry’s scheming, then we’re free to go without being formerly sacked. He’s a good guy. A keeper.’
If only.The irony is not lost on me.
‘Back to the real world. To start our new lives.’ Astrid places her palms on her belly. She looks peaceful and content. Miles away from the stressed, frantic, hot mess nymphomaniac that she was up until a few days ago. And while Shaun may not have received the news as well as she’d have liked (his horrified screams could be heard throughout the entire gulet), at least there is a calm bond between the two women. It makes me want to see Jackson and find out what he’s doing, what he’s planning to do. I feel a strong urge to be with him. I wonder if he’s feeling the same after our epic love-making last night.
* * *
Once we’re all packed, I make my way upstairs to say goodbye to the Hello Chicken family. I call in to the games cupboard and grab the chessboard en route. As soon as Emir spots me he comes running over.
‘I have something for you,’ I say, handing him the box. ‘I hope you keep playing. You’re very good. Now that you’re six, it’s about time you took chess more seriously and perhaps even spend some time mastering the skill of the game rather than wasting your time collecting other people’s jewellery?’
Emir finds this extremely funny. ‘Nice try.’ He rummages in his shorts pocket and holds up a thick gold rope chain with a massive signet ring dangling from it. ‘This is for you. Good market value. Don’t take less than five thousand dollars.’
Cassandra approaches, snatching the chain from his little fingers. ‘Emir, sweetie, let’s give that back to Mehmet, shall we?’ She rolls her eyes jokily as though there’s nothing she can do about him. ‘Kids these days.’
‘Well, enjoy your next holiday. It’s been a pleasure to meet you all,’ I say with genuine feeling. ‘I’ll miss you, little man. Good luck with everything you do.’ I bend down to sweep Emir into a hug.
He clings to me and whispers in my ear, ‘I’ll miss you too, Clogsy.’
I’m still laughing as they disembark. Even though not one of the guests is prepared to carry their own luggage off the boat, I don’t mind because seeing Emir clutching his parents’ hands as they swing him up into the air while gazing adoringly at him fills me with gladness.
Once a still-shellshocked Shaun, Astrid, Tiffany and I have delivered the last suitcase to the limo drivers, we stand with the captain to wave them off.
‘Erika has sent a minibus for us,’ explains Shaun, in a serious tone. ‘It’s taking us straight to head office for a briefing.’
Tiffany moans loudly. ‘That should be fun. It’ll be like a mecca for Maddie. She’s so desperate to get to head office.’ They turn to look at me, smiling, as she continues. ‘You have literally not shut up about it since you got here.’
‘And as long as she doesn’t insist on giving the driver directions,’ Astrid says with a chuckle, ‘we should get there before nightfall.’
I hold my palms up in a reasoning gesture. ‘Fair enough. But you know… I did come here to work at head office as accounts man?—’
‘No! I can’t bear it any more! Help me someone,’ Tiffany squawks. ‘The maths nerd is trying to explain her job title again!’
* * *
Three hours later, the minibus is gently meandering along the busy cobbled lanes of central Bodrum, bustling with shoppers, holidaymakers and street sellers. The vibrant oranges, greens and blues of shop canopies and bunting strung between the old stone buildings gives the place a joyful vibe. As we clear the lanes, I have a direct view out of the window, across the twinkling sea to the Bodrum peninsula and the turreted castle sitting majestically at the end of it. We are dropped off opposite the white stone walls of the Old Mosque with its tower reaching high into the bright sky.
As we stand outside the LoveIt Holidays head office ready to go in, my nerves are in shreds at the thought of seeing Jackson again. I’m equal parts excited to see him and just as gutted that he will be leaving. But deep down I know that it’s for the best. There’s no point in me pining away and worrying that while he’s jetting around the world on top secret missions, women everywhere will be throwing their knickers at him because he’s so bloody gorgeous. It’s best to make a clean break, for both our sakes.
I take a moment to centre myself, clenching and unclenching my fists as I breathe in deeply and exhale as slowly as I can. Be brave. Be cool. Be a woman. A strong, independent woman. A woman who does not go weak at the knees, losing all aspects of common sense, as soon as a heartthrob from Australia takes her from behind. And from the front. Twice. I am no longer that woman. I am a fully focused career woman with accounting and numbers on my mind.
I look up at the tall building as the driver unloads our suitcases. My heart begins thumping in my chest like jungle drums beating out the approach of a predator. Jackson is in there. I can sense it. The glass door bursts open, and Erika beckons us in. ‘Come in. Come in. Welcome to head office. I’m officially your new boss.’ She eyes Shaun, who immediately turns pink. He must know he’s got very little chance of keeping his job. ‘There is going to be a major shake-up. We’re all waiting for you through here.’
All?
We walk into a light, airy reception space and through into a training room lined with rows and rows of filing cabinets, long tables, chairs and typewriters, microfiche machines and all manner of sophisticated office equipment. There’s a huge top-of-the-range photocopier at one end while the high-pitched squeak of the fax machine whines at the other as it churns out printed papers with what look like bookings on them. A giant ceiling fan whirls some much-needed cool air around the room.
