Turkish Love for Absolute Beginners E-Book

Sunny Herbst

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 546

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

After the end of a grueling relationship, Michaela wants to go on vacation to Turkey with her best friend. But her friend cancels at the last minute—because she would rather spend time with her new love! Defiantly, Michaela sets off on her trip alone and stumbles into the arms of an incredible man and, at the same time, an unimaginable love affair. She now truly understands what unconditional passion means.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

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Imprint

Any inconsistencies in the text are due to the fact that it was translated using computer-aided technology for a company-wide study.

© 2025 novum publishing gmbh

Rathausgasse 73, A-7311 Neckenmarkt

[email protected]

1.

The alarm clock rang at 6:15 a.m. on Monday morning, the penultimate day of school before the summer holidays. I turned over and dreamed a little longer. I thought about the day after tomorrow, when I would finally be on vacation. I had booked two weeks in Turkey with my friend Amelie, my best friend since we were three years old, in a gorgeous hotel that I had been looking forward to for months. We had been inseparable since kindergarten, had had many wonderful times together, and had also gone through some sad times together. That's why we deserved a vacation. I was already dreaming of the two of us together by the sea, on the beach, in the pool, at the bar—and what made me happiest: no men, a women-only vacation. I was definitely fed up with men. That's probably how everyone feels when they're single again after an eight-year relationship. It was difficult to accept the situation at first, but it was the best solution for us.

Well, the alarm clock rang a second time, it was 6:25 a.m., and now it was really time to get up. I got up with some difficulty. As soon as I was on my feet, my normal working day began. First a shower, then a critical look in the mirror. My face still looked pretty good for my thirty-nine years, a few laugh lines and a few freckles above my nose, which were kind of cute. I loved my hair, it was by far the most beautiful thing about me, light waves down to my shoulders and a sunny blonde color. My breasts were a little small, my stomach was still nice and flat, my hips were a little wide, and my legs were okay.

But first, I had breakfast, as always, cereal with milk and lots of coffee. It still felt strange to eat alone, but as we all know, you get used to everything. Finally, I went back to the bathroom and then off to my beloved blue Mini Cooper convertible.

I loved this car; it had been my faithful companion for twelve years, and I hoped it would stay with me for a long time to come. As I did every day, I drove to the secondary school where I worked and looked forward to the last two days, which were always very relaxed because the pressure to perform had been lifted from the students. It was wonderful to see the children blossom and look forward to their well-deserved vacations. Everyone excitedly talked about where they would be spending their vacations. It was very exciting. And above all: what expectations each individual had of their vacation! Simply great and sometimes very amusing! It makes you want to be a child again. I taught math and art and was the homeroom teacher for a fifth-grade class. I always particularly enjoyed that because it was nice that they already knew each other and knew what to expect in the next school year after the holidays. Actually, they were a very sweet bunch of cute chaos, that's how I would describe my children. It was always exciting to see the "little" girls slowly transform into young ladies.

The boys, on the other hand, either mutated into class clowns or rebellious, cool wannabes. From then on, the adolescents' motto was "the louder, the funnier" – or they became totally quiet and tended to be more studious. In most cases, there were more rebellious wannabes. During this phase, they went through their Hulk period, thinking they were invincible and unbeatable, actually believing that nothing could happen to them. Well, they often learned the hard way that this is not the case in real life. The class clowns thought they were Mario Barth, but they too soon realized that not everything in life can be saved with comedy. The nerds usually rubbed people the wrong way, even though they were so quiet, but they knew everything. All the boys would have liked to be that intelligent, but none of them would admit it honestly. It really wasn't easy to grow up and find your place in society.

There were also three different types of girls. The first were the pretty girls, who unfortunately often turned into bitches and found fault with everything and everyone. The second type of girls were the nerds. They were ignored by the other girls and were only good enough for the pretty girls to copy their homework from – or even worse, to copy from during any impromptu tests or school assignments. The third type of young ladies were those who wanted to belong to the pretty ones and be as smart as the nerds. They usually had the most difficult time because they hadn't found their place yet and didn't belong anywhere.

The morning flew by as everyone wanted to talk about their vacations, each trying to outdo the others with their vacation destinations and, above all, their expectations for the holidays. In my mind, I was already on vacation. Oh, what fun it would be: two weeks of sun, feet in the sand, and a piña colada in my hand, no annoyances, no jealousy scenes, no pressure to do anything. It would be the best vacation of my life. I had a happy smile on my lips when a girl named Sophie snapped me out of my daydream and asked, "Ms. Müller, where are you going on vacation?"

It took me a moment to come back to reality, and I replied, "I'm flying to Turkey with a friend for two weeks."

Then the school bell rang and the school day was over for today. I finished a few things and then drove home to my beautiful two-room apartment on the second floor of an old building just outside Hamburg. On the way back, I remembered that Amelie was coming over tonight and we would be discussing for the hundredth time how things should go the day after tomorrow. So I quickly stopped at a supermarket and bought a bottle of Valdo and some snacks for us. I was so excited. My first vacation in ten years without my husband—it was a feeling of absolute satisfaction. When I got home, I tidied up a bit, checked again to make sure I had all my travel documents, and skimmed through the list of clothes I wanted to take with me. As always, the problem was that my suitcase could only weigh twenty kilos, plus one piece of hand luggage. My husband, or rather my ex-husband, who wasn't actually my husband but my partner, would have come in handy again. Anything that didn't fit in my suitcase would easily fit in his. I immediately dismissed the thought and felt a little annoyed with myself.

Then the doorbell rang and Amelie was standing at the door. I was very glad she was there, because then I couldn't think about it anymore. She seemed a little distraught, somehow subdued and uncertain. I invited her in, she took off her shoes and followed me into the living room, where I had already prepared a little something for us.

The Prosecco was in the champagne cooler, and I had arranged the nuts and pretzel sticks in various bowls. I was looking forward to planning our vacation and was about to start talking when Amelie began with, "Um, I have to tell you something." At first, I didn't understand what she meant. What objections could there be now? Thousands of question marks were spinning around in my head, and I took the Valdo out of the champagne cooler and wanted to open it. But I suddenly felt so uncertain and nervous that I almost couldn't open the bottle. After a few awkward, jerky movements with the cork, it flew across the room and we looked at each other and both had to laugh. Immediately, the mood became more exuberant again, I poured us a drink and we toasted each other.

I took an almond and asked Amelie what she meant when she said she had something to tell me. She began to speak very hesitantly. "Micha, you know... um... last weekend we were at that bar... remember?" I looked at her somewhat blankly and said impatiently, "Yes, of course, what do you think? Why would I forget that?" "Good, then you also remember the guys on the other side of the bar where we were sitting , right?" she asked me very meekly. "Now you're making it exciting. Of course I remember those two idiots who kept grinning stupidly at us. You mean them?" I replied, somewhat irritated, and noticed that she flinched and shifted back and forth in her seat. I asked her more gently what was wrong, if she wasn't feeling well. What she then revealed to me momentarily knocked me off my feet.

She began to tell me. "Well, one of them isn't an idiot at all. His name is Toni and he's actually very nice. I don't know how to explain it to you, but he literally blew me away. He's my absolute dream man, even more than that, my soul mate. I've never had feelings like this for a man before. I'm totally in love, I'm on cloud nine. I can't go on vacation with you for two weeks now. I hope you understand." With these incredible words, she ended her explanation.

My head suddenly started spinning, I felt hot and cold at the same time, my face turned white, and my facial features completely slipped away. What had she just said? She couldn't go on vacation with me because of some random guy? I didn't understand the world anymore. What else was she talking about? I wasn't even listening anymore. Was that it for me, no vacation? Who else could I ask? I couldn't think of anyone off the top of my head. All my other friends had families, and I didn't want to fly away with my coworkers. A male friend was out of the question anyway. A thousand thoughts were swirling around in my head when Amelie suddenly snapped me out of my reverie. "Micha, are you still listening to me?" I just nodded and tried to force a smile that looked more pathetic than anything else. She looked at me apologetically and continued her speech. "As I said, I can't go on vacation. Our love is still so small, like a little flower, and if it isn't fertilized and watered now, it will die, and I don't want that. You know how it is at our age, we're thirty-nine now, and I really want a relationship with him." I replied very snappishly, "You must have a lot of faith in your Toni if you can't even go on vacation with your best friend, who's been through a very difficult time."

I put my glass to my lips and drank it empty in one huge gulp. I poured myself another drink, flopped back onto the couch, and tried to calm down a little. What was my so-called best friend thinking? I had just gone through a very difficult breakup. The reason for our breakup was that I couldn't have children. When I thought about it realistically, only the first two years had actually been very nice. We were kind of in love, or rather, we liked each other very much and got along very well. In retrospect, I doubted whether it was really love, or rather, I was sure it wasn't. But we were a couple and wanted children, and at some point we even talked about getting married. That changed abruptly when it became clear that I couldn't have children, or rather, that it just wasn't working out. The first two years were still exciting and totally relaxed, and I told myself that it could take a while and didn't always have to work out right away. But when two more years passed and I still wasn't pregnant, we slowly became impatient and I contacted a fertility clinic. He got very angry and berated me for telling people about our problems and for going over his head. "We'll try measuring my temperature and using a fertility calendar," he said. It was hell, having sex only on schedule, it was awful and we argued more and more. Sometimes there was hope and anxiety when my period was three days late, but disappointment was never far behind. I begged him to go to the doctor and get checked out: according to my gynecologist, everything was fine with me. But he never wanted to hear about it and always blamed me . He said I couldn't bear children and wasn't woman enough. The hell lasted another two years until I finally had to admit to myself and to him that I couldn't take it anymore and no longer had feelings for him. The love, or whatever we had, had died. It was a really nasty breakup. He didn't say any nice words, which I'd rather not think about now.

I looked into my friend's eyes and saw that she was fighting back tears. Now I realized how serious and important the situation was to her. I sat up straight and said a little more gently, "Okay, that was unfair of me. I'm sorry, I'm just so shocked because I didn't expect this at all. Of course, I'm happy for you and wish you all the best. If you think this is the right decision, then of course I won't stand in your way. We'll cancel the trip and that's that." She looked at me and hopped over to me, hugged me, and kissed me on the cheek. "You're the best, thank you so much. But do you really want to cancel the trip? Don't you know anyone else who could fly with you? Let's think about it." She tapped her finger on her lips and thought very hard. I had to suppress a smile because she looked very cute. She said, "What about Daniela, Sandra, or Monika?" I couldn't help rolling my eyes and replied, "Nope, Daniela is pregnant with her fourth child. I imagine it would be very relaxing to fly with a pregnant woman who has to call home every two hours to check if everything is okay. And I can't drink with her either. Sandra is also a mom, and no, she would spend the whole day telling me what I can and can't eat, and she'd probably stand on the crosswalker all day. No, sorry, that's not a vacation for me, and Monika would actually be a pretty good alternative for you, but she can't take any vacation right now because she's going to Italy with her family for the last two weeks of vacation. I can't think of anyone else. I don't want to go with just an yone, and a coworker is also out of the question."

"But what about Stephan? He's gay and yet he's your best friend..." Amelie suggested. I thought for a moment and said, "That's an option, I'll ask him." Stephan was a great man—or should I say a great woman, because he was the woman in the relationship. He was always in a good mood and a great listener. Since he got married to his boyfriend, I rarely saw him. Amelie and I paused for a moment of silence and finished our drinks.

Amelie refilled our glasses and we chatted about her Toni. Of course, I wanted to know everything and how it all came about. I couldn't remember us talking to these two guys. Then she told me that when we were in the taxi, she realized she had left her handbag behind and jumped out of the taxi. I was so taken aback at the time that I stayed seated and drove home. When she returned to the bar, Toni was still sitting there, also alone, with her bag in his hand. At first she was a little irritated as to why he had her bag, but he explained that he wanted to wait for her and really wanted to get to know her. When the two of us were still sitting there, he didn't dare talk to her because of me. His friend Michael had already left because he didn't feel like waiting. He bought her another piña colada and they talked and talked. At some point, they were kicked out of the bar because it was closing time, and the two of them walked back to her place. He accompanied her to the door, then got into a taxi and drove home. It was all so romantic. Her eyes were shining and her cheeks were glowing; she was really, truly in love.

As I watched her from the side and felt how happy she was, I suddenly realized that I had never been truly in love. I had never felt such euphoria for a man, nor had I ever had that longing look in my eyes when I talked about him. I had probably never truly loved anyone. My stomach tightened and I had a lump in my throat. Oh man, that was a punch in the gut. At that moment, I got a reply from Stephan:

Hey sweetie,

Thanks for asking, but I'm flying to that hotel with Rolf in three weeks and don't have any vacation time before then. Maybe we'll see each other again.

Best regards, Stephan

Too bad, that idea was out the window too.

Amelie looked at me sympathetically and I could feel her compassion. I asked her when she would see her dream man again, she replied tomorrow, and I saw in her eyes her longing and desire for him. Now I realized that it would be a total disaster if she flew with me. She would just cry for him and I would have stress on vacation again. It would be best to go alone. Stop, I interrupted my own thoughts. Did I really just think that? Going on vacation alone, what a strange idea. I said my thoughts out loud: "I'm flying to Turkey alone."

Amelie raised her eyebrows, looked at me as if she had seen a ghost, and asked tonelessly, "You're doing what?" Slowly, I began to like the idea. Why not, actually? What did I have to lose, what could possibly happen? I was a grown woman, after all. It would definitely be a little strange, but I was sociable and open to other people. Maybe I would meet some nice women. I replied in a firm voice: "I'm flying alone, it'll be fine, and if it turns out to be a total disaster, I'll cut my vacation short and come home. What could possibly happen?" The reply came immediately: "A lot. You could be kidnapped if you walk around alone, someone could rob you, or even worse: remove some of your organs and sell them." "Oh man, you watch too much TV. I'm flying to Turkey, not some slum. I'm not going to walk around alone at night in , I'll stay in my hotel. Except when I go on excursions, and I won't be alone with Frankenstein. Don't worry, I'll be fine," I replied confidently. She had to laugh and said, "You're right. But let me take you to the airport, I owe you that and I really want to do it. The flight leaves at 8:30 a.m., so you have to be there at 6:30 a.m. I'll pick you up at 5:00 a.m., then we'll make it there in time for check-in without any problems." I looked at her gratefully, nodded, and gave her a big hug.

We finished our sparkling water and said a warm goodbye to each other. I slept surprisingly well that night, and the next school day went by even faster than the day before, probably because school ended at 10:00 a.m. All the children said goodbye to each other and wished each other a nice vacation. We teachers did the same, and soon I was on my way home.

I packed my suitcase and slowly started to get a little nervous. I went to the bathroom for the tenth time in an hour and, due to all the excitement, I also got my period. Oh dear, four days early. But it didn't matter, then I would have peace and quiet over the weekend and the rest of the vacation. Okay, one more check: Was everything I really needed in my suitcase, and what else did I need to feel comfortable? I really wanted to take my little teddy bear with me, which my Aunt Lisa had given me when I was two years old and which had been with me for thirty-seven years. My dear ex always got so upset that it sat on my nightstand. He would have loved to throw it out the window; he was always very jealous, even of my stuffed animal. I never noticed that back then. It's interesting what you can find out about a person later on. Okay, enough with the past, let's get back to the essentials, I scolded myself mentally. I gave myself a quick shake and said to myself, " , focus on my suitcase and my carry-on bag!" I smiled to myself, packed the rest of my things, and was really proud that I still had some space left for shopping.

By now it was already 5:00 p.m. and I was thinking about what I could make myself for dinner. I decided on a salad with tuna and egg. Starting tomorrow, it would be all-inclusive, so I could save a few calories today. I called my mother to tell her about my new vacation plans. She was totally excited and couldn't believe it. We talked on the phone for over an hour, and I was able to reassure her that I just wanted to have a good time. She understood me and wished me a wonderful, relaxing vacation.

Now I ate with relish, and the later it got, the more queasy I felt. I couldn't really relax, so I turned on the TV and sat down on the couch. But I couldn't really concentrate. I was also doubting my decision. Was it really the right thing to do, me alone in a hotel in Turkey? My thoughts wandered back and forth and I became more and more nervous. I got up, went to the pantry and got myself a bottle of Dornfelder. I poured myself a glass and swirled this beautifully red shimmering drink back and forth, then took a big sip, went back to the couch with the glass and the bottle and sat down. Shortly afterwards, I noticed that I was slowly calming down and somehow also feeling tired. I took this feeling seriously and went to bed. You couldn't really call what I was doing sleeping, but I lay in bed and had a thousand different waking dreams until my alarm clock rang at 4:30 a.m.

I was completely exhausted, but that didn't help anymore; there was no turning back. Off to the shower and then off on vacation. Everyone I told that I was flying off on vacation alone looked at me with a mixture of pity and respect. The responses were mostly the same: I would never dare to do that. But you're different, you can do it . The next standard phrase was: Come home safe and sound. What did they mean by that, that I should come home safe and sound? Did they think I would jump off my balcony or catch some tropical disease that didn't even exist in Turkey? Or did they just mean it as a platitude so they had something to say. Well, anyway, I couldn't worry too much about what other people thought, because it didn't matter what they thought of me. At least I had the courage to do something that many others couldn't. Right, now out of the shower, quickly apply some sunscreen, and into my summer outfit.

I chose a beautiful white summer dress with red roses on it and put on my red ballerina flats. Just a little makeup, some blush, powder, eyeliner, kajal, mascara, and my new red lipstick, a quick check, and I was happy with the result. Luckily, I had painted my nails yesterday, in red, of course. A quick glance at the clock showed it was already 4:55 a.m. I did a quick check of the apartment, made sure all the appliances were unplugged, all the windows were closed, all the doors were locked, and that Amelie would take care of my flowers. As my front door closed, I suddenly felt a tingling sensation and my stomach felt a little queasy, my hands started to sweat, and I felt a little hot. I suddenly realized that in less than four hours I would be boarding a plane and going on vacation all alone in a foreign country. Hopefully it would be an adventure and not a disaster. But what could happen in the worst case scenario? If the plane crashed, I wouldn't notice, that would be the end of me. That I would be incredibly bored on vacation and wouldn't really know what to do with my time? Hmm, I didn't think so either. I had packed so many books that I could stay three weeks longer. The doorbell rang and I was finally torn from my daydreams. I'll manage, I thought, and made my way downstairs.

To my surprise, it worked out very well. I had my huge suitcase in one hand, my carry-on bag in the other, and my slightly larger handbag slung over my shoulder. I came out the front door and Amelie beamed at me happily. She was a little surprised by my luggage and asked me if I wanted to stay away for the whole vacation. I thought about it for a moment, but didn't answer, put my suitcases in the trunk, and hopped into the passenger seat. With the words, "Let's go!" she steered the car toward the highway. As we drove, I asked her about her new boyfriend. Her smile grew even wider; she was so incredibly happy. I still couldn't understand those feelings, but apparently it must have been amazing. She talked non-stop about how she had spent the last night with him. I wasn't sure I wanted to know all the details. Since I had no choice, I listened, of course.

But my thoughts wandered a bit. Why had I never had feelings like that for anyone? Would I ever get to experience that? I would also like to love someone so much and be loved so much by someone. She raved about her Toni in the highest terms. I was happy for her with all my heart; she deserved it. Unfortunately, she had never had any nice guys either. Hopefully her Mr. Right wouldn't turn out to be a complete disaster again. But she was so full of love and positive energy that I quickly dismissed the thought. I envied her for being able to get involved with a stranger without any ifs, ands, or buts.

I looked at my watch. It was already 5:45 a.m. We would be at the airport in about half an hour. I shifted restlessly in my seat and my hands started sweating again. Amelie noticed my nervousness and continued chatting cheerfully. She told me all the things she wanted to do over the next two weeks and how much she would miss me. She said she was very grateful for my understanding and that I was so happy for her, that she would never forget that and that I was the best friend anyone could have. How could I ever be angry with her? She was simply the best.

Now we were driving down the exit to the airport and we would be there in ten minutes at the latest. Okay, don't panic, I told myself, breathe in, one, two, three, breathe out. Now it was time. Amelie stopped and looked at me appreciatively and also a little wistfully. She said, "Well, sweetie, we're here. I wish you the best time of your life and hope you relax. Please let me know when you arrive and also check in from time to time so I know you're okay. Big hug." I looked into her eyes, feeling a little anxious, and replied with a slightly shaky voice, "It'll be fine, of course I'll get in touch and send you some photos. Take care and enjoy your time with Mr. Right. I love you and thank you so much for driving me."

I took my luggage out of the trunk and we hugged each other again. Tears rolled down our cheeks, and when we saw that, we both had to laugh. We said a warm goodbye and wished each other a wonderful time. I walked into the large airport hall and took a deep breath. Now it was getting serious. I went to my terminal and quickly found the check-in counter. There was a long line in front of me, and I slowly calmed down, rummaged for my ID, and watched the other travelers. Of course, there were many families, German parents with their children, some with grandparents, but there were also many Turkish families flying back home. It was very exciting to watch the mothers frantically pulling their children back because they wanted to run off again to see what was going on on the other side of the queue. As I looked around, I realized I was the only one flying alone. Progress was slow, and I was slowly becoming impatient. What was taking so long? Were there more people who didn't know what they were doing and didn't have their documents ready? On the other side, a father was running after a girl of about two who was jumping on the baggage carousel. It was a real pleasure to watch others , and I thought to myself, this is off to a good start. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally stood in front of the lady who asked for my ID. I got my ticket, my suitcase was taken, and I was ready to go.

The time until boarding passed relatively quickly, but it took a while to get through passport control. After that, I did a little shopping and finished off with a coffee and a butter pretzel. So now I was on my way to the plane, and I still couldn't believe it. I was very happy to have a window seat, where I could rest my head and get some sleep. As soon as the plane took off, I was overcome by enormous tiredness and fell asleep.

2.

The pilot landed the plane safely at 12:30 p.m., the seat belt sign went off, and I was there, in Turkey, at Antalya Airport. A queasy feeling returned to my stomach. My thoughts kept circling around the phrase: Me alone in Turkey. It took a while for all the passengers to disembark. I obediently joined the queue and we all crept along to passport control. Then we moved on to baggage claim and waited for our suitcases.

It was very amusing to watch the other passengers. The children ran around excitedly and either their mother or father hurried after them. Suddenly, I felt a lump in my throat again. It was really lovely to watch the children with their parents. But it also made me a little sad. Would I ever experience something like that? Would I ever be lucky enough to become a mother? I was rudely torn from my self-pity when a child bumped into my heel with a luggage trolley. I let out a short cry and wanted to scold the child, but he looked at me apologetically with wide eyes and I couldn't be angry with him. Of course, I said it was no problem. When I looked around, it seemed like everyone already had their suitcase except me. But suddenly my suitcase appeared on the baggage carousel. I took it off the carousel and made my way to the exit.

There I looked for my travel agent and saw countless other vacationers who were looking forward to their holidays. I stood patiently in line and waited until it was finally my turn. During this time, my thoughts wandered again. What am I doing here? Should I get on the next plane and fly back home? mat? These musings made me increasingly unsure that I had made the right decision. I was brought back to reality by a slightly exasperated gentleman behind me who complained to his wife that it was rude to make us wait so long in these temperatures. Finally, it was my turn. A small, somewhat plump woman asked me about my hotel and whether I was traveling alone. Was that a pitying look, or was I slowly becoming paranoid? I dismissed the thought immediately and showed the friendly lady my travel documents. She then explained how to get to the buses and that the number eighteen bus would take me to my hotel. I followed the directions and set off in search of the number eighteen bus. I found it relatively quickly and a friendly older gentleman asked for my name and put my suitcase in the trunk of the minibus. When I got on the bus, I was surprised to see that all the other vacationers were already sitting there. I greeted my fellow passengers and they greeted me back warmly. I sat down next to an older lady and the bus driver drove off immediately. My seatmate seemed pleased not to have to sit alone and struck up a conversation with me. I wasn't really listening; I was far too excited about what lay ahead. The nice woman told me about her husband, who didn't want to come on vacation with her because he didn't like flying. She told me about her four children and that she was now on vacation with one daughter and her family, which consisted of a husband and two children. She said she was very happy and was most looking forward to spending time with her grandchildren. She talked and talked, but she had so much love in her eyes that I envied her greatly. It must be wonderful to go on vacation with your loved ones. The trip passed relatively quickly.

We made a stop at a small snack bar. There we could buy drinks, ice cream, and snacks. When I went into the snack bar, I was surprised to find that it was much larger than I had expected. Inside, you could also buy clothes, shoes , and many other things. We stayed there for about twenty minutes, and I was glad when we finally continued on our way. The bus driver explained that we were about halfway there and would now be driving directly to the various hotels. He said he would be very happy to receive a tip if we were satisfied with his service. I looked out the window with curiosity and took in the surroundings. Sometimes the area seemed very poor, but the next moment the most beautiful hotels would come into view. It was very nice to look at the landscape. I imagined my hotel and once again fell into daydreams and doubts. What the room would be like, what it would be like to sit alone at dinner, alone at the bar. "Oh," I sighed quietly to myself and deeply regretted my thirst for adventure. The nice old lady next to me looked at me with a strange expression, I noticed it out of the corner of my eye. There was a mixture of pity and respect in her expression.

She gently placed her hand on my arm and said, "My child, nothing happens without reason. Things always turn out the way that is best for everyone. You have to be open to new things and just let them happen. Everything will be fine." I felt pleasantly illuminated by her, as if she could read my thoughts. Pensive, I looked out the window again and was a little confused as to why she said that to me. Did I seem so desperate to her, or did she really have a sixth sense? Her words touched me and my soul; maybe she was right. That's exactly how it would be, that everything would be fine and nothing would happen without a reason.

The bus driver slowed down and stopped shortly afterwards at the first hotel, shouting out the name of the hotel. Four people got up and said goodbye to the rest of us, wishing us a nice vacation. It continued like this, one hotel after another, and then it was finally my turn; my hotel was called out. Unfortunately, I was the only one who got up. The elderly lady gave me another warm hug and wished me all the best and a wonderful vacation with all the trimmings. What was that supposed to mean? But before I could start pondering again, the bus driver called out that my suitcase was already there. I threw two euros into his tip jar and left the bus. I thanked the nice bus driver and he was gone.

Now I was standing alone in front of the hotel. It looked just like in the travel brochure. I was about to leave when a guy almost ran into me. I was totally indignant and yelled after him, asking if he couldn't be more careful and have some manners. I was really angry, but he dismissed me with an unfriendly wave of his hand and didn't even turn around to look at me. He completely ignored me. What a rude guy, I thought to myself. Hopefully I won't see him again. I said to myself: Straighten your crown and dive into adventure. I'm not going to let such an outrage spoil my good mood. I looked down at my suitcase and was about to pick it up when I suddenly noticed a white rose in front of my nose. This lout was standing in front of me with a broad grin, holding the beautiful flower in front of my face. He looked at me and said, "I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't see you, but I had something very urgent to do and didn't have time to apologize. I hope you'll accept my flower and my apology." I looked at him as if he had come from another planet. I heard myself stammer, "Yes, thank you, that's fine." I took the flower and simply walked past him. I was totally confused. What amazing, unique, beautiful, brown, loving eyes this guy had. I would have loved to turn around, but I couldn't. I felt completely dazed. What was going on? Now I'm probably going to get sick, I thought. And what was wrong with my legs? They felt so strange, so wobbly. What was wrong with my body? I felt hot and cold when I thought of those incredibly beautiful eyes, I felt dizzy and stumbled over a step. I could already see myself lying on the floor, but a strong arm held me by the shoulder and I flew into this uncouth guy. He smiled at me again with that broad grin. I saw his perfect white teeth and his beautiful, sensual lips. I looked up and our eyes met, it hit me like an electric shock. Now he asked me with concern, "Are you okay?" "Yes, thank you," I said in a voice that was much too high-pitched. He raised an eyebrow and looked me up and down, then let go of me. "Take good care of yourself. Or would you rather I take care of you?" He smirked. Just what I needed, a smug, arrogant guy. I found my normal voice again and replied, "Thank you very much, but no need. I can take care of myself very well. I'm a big girl now." I turned away from him and marched into the hotel with my head held high.

The entrance area was beautiful, a magnificent lobby with stylish seating, all in gold and white. The hotel staff at the reception desk were also very friendly and made a great effort to speak German with me. It took a while before I got the key to my room and a bellboy showed me to my new home. He introduced himself as Mehmet and asked me to follow him. He took my suitcase and led me purposefully to my room on the third floor. I thanked him. First, I looked around the room. The bathroom was just to the left of the entrance door. It had been newly renovated, with a walk-in shower, sink, a huge mirror, and a toilet. When I left the bathroom, I saw a huge built-in closet opposite. My clothes will definitely fit in there, I thought, and had to giggle. Then there was a large room with a double bed and two bedside tables on the left, a chest of drawers on the right, and another mirror above it. It was very nicely furnished. I still couldn't believe it and let myself fall onto the bed. It was very comfortable as I paused for a moment to let my thoughts run free. What was I feeling right now? Was it contentment or rather uncertainty about being here alone? I decided on "a little bit of both." I rolled to the end of the bed and went to the window. It really was a fantastic view. It was so unreal, I could see the sea, it was within reach. I opened the balcony door and stepped out onto the balcony.

I closed my eyes and let all the external impressions sink in, all my senses were activated. Now I heard children laughing as they romped around the pool, squealing with joy. I smelled the sea, inhaling it deeply. As I ran my tongue over my lips, I imagined I could even taste the salt. I felt a light, pleasantly warm breeze on my body; it was simply wonderful. Once I had absorbed all these feelings, I felt my stomach rumbling.

I made my way to the dining room, which was also very opulent and decorated in gold. I got myself a glass of white wine and a bottle of water from the bar and looked for a place to sit. I carefully chose my table outside on the terrace so that I had a good view of everything and could discreetly observe all the other guests. Maybe there were more tourists traveling alone. At first glance, I could only see families, tour groups, or couples. But now it was time to head to the buffet. First, I went to the salad bar. I had never seen so many different salads at once. At first, I couldn't decide with so much choice. It was good that I was staying longer, so I could try everything. I decided on arugula, lamb's lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, three different types of cheese, and antipasti. With my plate full, I made my way back to my wine. No sooner had I sat down than a voice that sounded familiar asked if he could join me. When I looked up, I saw that beautiful smile and those loving eyes again. I felt myself getting hot and a warm, pleasant feeling spread through me. I twisted my mouth into a distorted smile and made a gracious gesture with my hand to show him he could take a seat.

Now he was sitting across from me and immediately started a conversation. He introduced himself as Serkan and asked my name. He asked me where I was from and what I had planned to do in . It was a very nice conversation, completely relaxed and pleasant. I asked him why he spoke German so well, and he explained that he had lived in Germany before. He had fallen in love with a German woman while working as an entertainer and had gone to Germany with her. But that wouldn't happen to him again, he didn't like it there at all and it didn't work out with the woman either. He ended his sentence with, "Would you like to join my darts animation this afternoon?" I paused for a moment, listened to my inner voice, and replied, "Yes, I'd love to." He was delighted and told me that it would start at 4:00 p.m. and that he had to say goodbye now because his lunch break was over. I tilted my head and said goodbye with the words, "Thanks for the nice conversation. See you later." He beamed at me and nodded. As he turned and walked toward the stairs, it occurred to me that he was an entertainer and only wanted one thing. He was just being friendly and certainly had no serious interest in me. Why would he? We had just been talking. He was probably that attentive to every single woman. There it was again, that strange feeling in my stomach. Hopefully I wasn't coming down with gastroenteritis.

3.

After lunch, I quickly disappeared into my hotel room to unpack my suitcase and change for the pool. I put on my royal blue bikini and threw my white tunic over it. Then I lay down on a lounger by the pool and watched the other guests. It was really very amusing, and I couldn't help smiling at some of the scenes. Time flew by. When I looked at my watch again, it was 3:30 p.m. I lingered in my daydreams a little longer and enjoyed the sun until I suddenly noticed someone standing in front of my lounger. I opened my eyes and was about to start ranting, but then I saw those warm eyes and that incredible smile. I was immediately appeased.

He winked at me and said, "Get up, sunshine. We're leaving in ten minutes." I smiled back and whispered, "Okay." I slowly got up, pulled my tunic over my bikini, and leisurely made my way to the darts game. Since I didn't know what to expect, I stayed in the background and watched at first. It seemed that several guests wanted to play. There was a father with his two sons, a slightly older lady, a couple my age, four young women in their early twenties, a good handful of beer-bellied men, and two more women who were around thirty years old. The players seemed to know each other already, greeting each other very familiarly. As it turned out, we were of several different nationalities. The father with his sons and the couple were from Poland, the older lady and the men with beer bellies were from Russia, the four young women were from Holland, and the two women were from Germany, like me. The father noticed me and greeted me warmly. He spoke very good English, and we made small talk until Serkan interrupted us. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the two thirty-year-olds whispering to each other. One of them nudged the other lightly in the ribs, and they exchanged a very meaningful look.

Suddenly, I felt very hot and somehow angry, and a strange feeling came over me. What was that again? I had experienced so many strange feelings in the last few hours, but what was this? Was it jealousy? But why? I had no right to be jealous. My feelings were on a roller coaster ride again, but this time it was a headlong rush. In the meantime, Serkan asked for the names of the other players. The two girls answered, first the prettier one: "My name is Tamara." Accompanied by a ravishing blink of her eyelashes and a really beautiful smile. The other one replied: "My name is Angela." Now it was my turn, and I quickly said: "My name is Michaela." Everyone had given their names and we were ready to go.

Serkan explained the rules in four languages, first in Russian, then Polish, then Dutch, and finally in German. It was amazing how he managed to do that, very impressive. Unfortunately, I have never been very talented at languages. I was reasonably good at English, but that was about it. The rules of the game were simple: players always had to score at least twenty-five points. If the starting player failed to do so, they lost a life and had to jump into the pool, as did anyone who failed to score twenty-five points during the game. The following players always had to beat the previous player; if they failed to do so, they also lost a life. Each player started with three lives. The younger son, Piotr, started for his father and quickly scored fifty-three points. A murmur went through the crowd, followed by applause and appreciative whistles. Next up was his brother Jan, who also did very well with sixty-eight points. Then it was Aniella's turn, and her father Pawel tried his hand. It was no surprise that he also managed to score more points, achieving ninety-three. Next up was Aniella, who was also from Poland and only managed twenty-one points. A dismayed "Oooohhhh" sounded from the other players. Serkan laughed and pointed the arrows at the pool. Aniella smiled a little crookedly but jumped into the water without hesitation. When she came back to us, she was greeted with loud applause. Now it was her husband Andrej's turn, and he easily scored fifty-nine points. It continued like this, first the older lady, then the beer-bellied men, and even the four Dutch women tried their luck. Now it was Tamara's turn, and she gazed longingly at Serkan. Her big eyes looked at him innocently and she asked him if he could help her stand up straight. Of course he helped her, and she enjoyed his touch. I felt that anger rising up in me again, I could have thrown up. What did this bimbo think she was doing? Her predecessor hadn't set the bar too high with forty-nine points, she only had to score fifty. She threw her first dart and hit the bullseye, looked at Serkan and asked again if he could help her again. My stomach was really starting to turn, and I tried to look indifferent. I didn't know if I succeeded, and I didn't want to know, because I was boiling inside.

I just looked around a bit so I wouldn't have to watch this spectacle any longer. When I looked back at the dartboard, our eyes met. Serkan looked at me very intently, I regained my inner calm and smiled at him. Tamara had finally managed to throw the third dart, and miraculously, she hit the target, but only scored twenty points. With the second dart, she had once again hit the bullseye. Again, a long "oh" murmured through the group. Tamara made a huge drama out of it; she had to take off her dress first. In my eyes, it looked more like a striptease show than simply taking off her dress. The beer-bellied men were already staring, Andrej also widened his eyes, but Aniella immediately gave him a jab in the ribs. I glanced discreetly over at Serkan and saw that he wasn't interested in the show at all because he was also looking at me. When our eyes met again, a pleasant shiver ran through me and he smiled at me. Caught red-handed, I went back to watching Tamara's show, and after what felt like an eternity, she had managed to take off her dress and was dancing towards the pool. She did indeed have a very nice body, and her face was also very pretty. Finally, she jumped into the cool water with a very elegant dive. When she returned, she still looked very pretty, I had to admit without envy. But to my surprise, I noticed that Serkan still wasn't paying any attention to her. He kept looking in my direction and seeking eye contact with me. When our eyes met again, time stood still for a moment and we simply enjoyed the moment.

Next, Angela threw and scored very well with sixty-five points. Now it was my turn. Serkan handed me the darts and gently touched my fingers. A pleasant feeling came over me, making me so euphoric that I actually scored one hundred and five points. I received appreciative applause from my fellow players, and Serkan whistled respectfully through his teeth. We continued playing, the lives dwindled and so did the number of players. Now there were only five of us left. Only Pawel, Elena, the older lady, Sascha, one of the beer bellies, Swantje, one of the young girls, and I were still playing.

Everyone was gripped by ambition, so we took turns aiming at the target. Elena was the first to be eliminated, leaving four of us. Then Sascha had to say goodbye, followed by Swantje. Pawel and I were in the final. It was very exciting, we gave each other no quarter. Every time Serkan handed me the darts, the accidental touches became more intense, and I was full of energy. But Pawel was simply better and won the game. Serkan took us both by the hands , and I could hardly bear to feel his touch, his hand in mine. Once again, I was on an emotional roller coaster; it was an incredibly wonderful feeling. He lovingly pulled my arm up, and I was cheered on by the others as the runner-up. Now the same game with Pawel, Serkan pulled his arm up, my arm was down again, but Serkan hadn't let go of me; he was holding me tight. Was I imagining it, or was he actually stroking my hand very gently with his thumb? Slowly, I began to doubt my perception. I concentrated on my hand and was able to confirm it for myself: Serkan was tenderly stroking my hand. When he noticed that I was looking at our hands, he squeezed them very lightly and beamed at me. I returned his gentle squeeze and smiled back without thinking. I was just happy. Happy to be standing there hand in hand with him, happy to look into his eyes, happy just to be with him. Something was definitely wrong with me. The award ceremony was over and Serkan gently pulled me toward him and whispered in my ear: "See you at dinner? I'd love to eat with you." My smile grew even wider and I whispered back, "I'd love to. See you later." Then I felt his lips brush my ear very gently, he went back to the dartboard, and I was left reeling. What was this guy doing to me?

4.

Totally confused, I went back to my lounger. Something was wrong with me. I was so hot, maybe I should go for another swim. A glance at my watch confirmed my plan; it was just before five, so I still had two hours until dinner. I took off my tunic and jumped into the water with a dive. It was great, I was able to swim a few laps and tried to clear my head a little. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to forget those touches very well, let alone think about anything else. As I reveled in my memories of the last hour, a flash of inspiration struck me: I had to call Amelie. I quickly swam to the edge of the pool and jumped out of the water. I quickly wrapped my towel around myself and held my tunic tightly in my hand.

With my mind already on the phone, I ran through the lobby to the elevator. I went up to the third floor and hurried happily to my room. Finally there, I took off my bikini and lay down naked on the bed. I rummaged through my nightstand for my cell phone and dialed Amelie's number. It rang and rang and rang, and after the hundredth ring, just as I was about to hang up, she finally picked up. She greeted me warmly with a "Hello, sweetie." I immediately bubbled over with the details of my entire day, without pause. I told her about Serkan and my first encounter with him, about our wonderful lunch, and about our game of darts. When I had finished telling her everything, there was a short pause and Amelie cleared her throat to reply: "Well, my dear, so it does exist after all, love at first sight." Did she say that with schadenfreude or rather: I told you it exists? My thoughts were racing. Had it really been such a good idea to call Amelie? Amelie interrupted my thoughts and continued her text: "I'm so happy for you, but an entertainer..." She paused briefly and asked worriedly, "Do you think he's serious? You know what people say and hear about entertainers. They have a different one every week."

I felt a lump forming in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes. My breathing became uneven. I couldn't respond; I was so disappointed. Or had she voiced my most secret thoughts? Oh man, I'd never had so many thoughts in my head as I did that day. I cleared my throat almost inaudibly and replied in a reasonably firm voice: "Maybe you're right, but you don't even know him. I appreciate your concerns, I've thought the same thing myself. But weren't you the one who said everyone deserves a chance? If you want to be happy, you have to take risks, right?" "Oh, sweetie, you've really been affected if you're even quoting my words." Amelie giggled briefly and added, "Yes, you're right, I said that and I meant it. If you don't try, you'll never know if it's true love. So, go for it, let yourself go, but please listen to your inner voice. If anything feels wrong or not right, then don't do it. Okay? Please promise me that." I was so happy to hear those words from her, and I promised her solemnly that I wouldn't do anything I wasn't ready for. I also thanked her for her honest words and for being the best friend in the whole universe. We said goodbye with lots of good wishes for each other and promised to see each other again soon. Now the conversation was over, and I looked at the clock in alarm. How time had flown! It was already 6:20 p.m. Now I had to hurry to take a shower and get ready for dinner. I don't know how, but I managed to shower, wash my hair, blow-dry it, style it, apply light makeup, and leave the room right on time at 7:00 p.m.