Whims of the Fates

Istanbul – Three Days Before He was sitting at a small table in the Golden Horn lounge when he first saw her. She was with several women, listening to one of them carry on about something, but he wasn't close enough to hear and he didn't want her to see him looking at her so he looked away quickly and continued glancing around the room. He turned his attention back to his drink and his traveling companion, Mitch McConnell. This whole scheme had been hatched by Mitch, his idea from the gitgo, and Grant had been kicking himself for agreeing to it ever since he signed on. But Mitch was the most persuasive person he had ever met, or at least the most determined, and had become the self appointed caretaker of Grant's foray back into the land of the living and took on those responsibilities with the gusto of a drill sergeant. “The thing is,” Mitch said, “you have to move on, have to put it all behind you. It doesn't make you any kind of a hero to mope around so you might as well just get on with it. Now, let's go over the list again. It seems to me we are in the perfect place for it, freedom and privacy, and women everywhere. Hell, I've already seen three or four that look like pretty good ones to me.” “There are a lot of women here aren't there, or does it just seem that way because they are mostly in groups. There are a lot of women in Palmer Plantation too, in case you haven't noticed, Mitch. We didn't have to go half way around the world to find women. You said yourself that the women there swarmed around you like bees.” “Well, maybe I exaggerated a little. But this is no time for you to pull that crap about honor and integrity, and all that other stuff you were feeding me on the plane. The last thing I need is to be with some down in the mouth, disgruntled guy who won't keep his end of the bargain. Did you even do one thing on the list today? I think we should meet every day for a review just to keep us on track. We can't squander our time with lightweight stuff, if you know what I mean.” “Yeah, I did a few things, like you said. But once this Istanbul part is over it is going to be a hell of a lot harder staying out of the bulls-eye of the Palmer Plantation people. I didn't think there were going to be this many of them. Didn't you say there were just a few? I thought the whole idea was to be away from them, for the privacy thing.” “There's only about a dozen or so of them. I never got the final count, but it won't make much difference. They might even come in handy, you know, us sort of being with a group of folks from home. Kind of keeps us looking legitimate. After two or three days we can figure out how to avoid them and by then we'll both be pretty busy. They will all be here by tomorrow and then we'll get that Ethan guy on the boat to let us see what they sign up for so we can do something different. There's one I'll point out to you from that singles club I told you about. She's pretty nice, but we can't afford to get too friendly with her. She's the membership chairman and she's been calling me since she found out that you and I were going to be on the same cruise. She calls me all the time about joining the group. She asks about you, too. She said she was glad there were going to be a few single guys along because only the women usually take their trips and that gal who is running things said the same thing. Well, they better not have their sights on us because we have bigger fish to fry.” “How did they find out we were going? Did you tell them?” “Hell no. I didn't say anything to any of them. It must have been the trip lady. She's the one who always sends out the blurbs to everyone telling about a trip she has planned. It isn't just for the singles club. She went into the travel business after they moved there and I think she gets a free trip if she books a certain number of people so she probably isn't too happy that we didn't book the trip through her. I'll schmooze her a little and see if I can get a list of who is in the group. I think her name is Betty.” “Well, how did she know we were going? I thought we weren't going to tell anybody.” “I called her one day about some information on a cruise, right about the time you and I started talking about a trip. Thought she might have some information we could use. She asked me where I wanted to go and I said Istanbul just off the top of my head, thinking that it wasn't a very popular place and might be a good place for us to start. Then she wanted to know if I would be traveling alone or with some other people so I just said it was for me and a friend. I didn't tell her who. The next thing I knew she started emailing me stuff and sending brochures. You saw all of that. Then one day she called and asked if we were ready to book a trip with her and I told her no thanks, we had already made our plans. She asked me what we had decided on, wanted the details and all, just being friendly, so I told her. But I didn't say anything at all about what we were planning to do. She sounded really nice and offered to get us more information if we needed it, just real helpful. I was completely blindsided when that membership lady from the singles club called.” “Well, it better not be a problem. I'm already having second thoughts about this whole thing and I sure don't want it to get back to everyone. You know how they talk. Vonnie knew everything about everyone and she was only involved for a few months. We hear plenty on the golf course, too. Do you know most of them or just the ones from the singles club?” “I have only seen that one I recognized. I don't know many of them anyway.” “I thought you knew all of them. You're always talking about it, wanting me to go with you, always telling me what a great group they are, what fun things they are doing. Now you tell me you don't know them?” “Well, maybe I exaggerated a little. I only went once. But I think you need to join, Grant. It would be good for you, just like this trip is going to be good for you. You're going to really enjoy it. You'll probably get laid before I do.” “Fat chance. You have some pretty good moves, Mitch. I think I'm up against a pro when it comes to women. You can charm the snake right into the basket. Maybe we should lay a bet on that too, whoever gets laid first. Add that to the list, like bonus points. Spice up things a little while we’re at it.” “Alright, I’ll take that bet. We’ll add another hundred to the total to the guy who gets laid first. It's not as easy as it looks, Grant. I have to work at it. But with your good looks it is going to be easy for you. And you have been around a lot more than I have, to fancier places, and have fancier ideas. This is going to be a piece of cake for you. Women go for that stuff.” “I keep telling you I'm not that interested, Mitch. This whole thing was your idea.” “Don't you ever think about sex, Grant? Don't you miss it?” “Sure I think about sex. I think about it all the time. I'm just not ready yet.” “You will be. Once we get a few under the belt it will get easier.” “What! I thought you already crossed that bridge. You said you were getting plenty.” “Maybe I exaggerated a little bit.”