Mermaids in Turkey

Prologue

12 hours before 

"And cut" 

The two actors pulled apart from the embrace. 

"Where's Ayça? I don't like how those lights on the column appear in the scene, it's too distracting." 

A slender young woman with rich brown hair materialized from the shadows. One strap from her overalls fell limply over shoulder slapping her skin with each step she took. The windows in her overalls gave occasional glimpses of her taut stomach. She began to adjust the lights. But shook her head it was no use the lights in this area were too sparse. She directed her attention to the large man on her left who was wearing a black and white polka dot shirt  "Sadik, please bring me another bundle of lights"  her assistant dashed away on his errand. 

"It will take at least 15 minutes for me to fix this." she said turning to the director who pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a large huff. He called for a fifteen minute recess while she finished adjusting the set. Her assistant scurried back his cheeks red and sweat laced hair matted across his forehead. He was a bigger man and the bright lights of the set coupled with the constant running around kept him in a constant state of wetness. She began to direct him as to how he should wrap the lights around the column to achieve the most aesthetically pleasing result. 

"Ayça Soydere?" 

Ayça turned to see a pretty blonde dressed in a skin tight shift dress and sky high stilettos. Her bright red claws tapping on the leather portfolio she carried in her arms. 

"Can I help you?" 

She opened her mouth to reveal perfectly straight teeth. "My name is Madeline Kerr, I am here to warn you to stay away from my boyfriend." 

Behind her there was a loud crash as Sadik tumbled off of the ladder, a large gash on his forearm. "Go to the medical tent, I will finish here." He nodded as he clutched his arm close to his chest. 

Ayça scoffed. "I am far too busy to entertain these ridiculous accusations."  she rolled her eyes.

"Charles Brandon, stay the hell away from him" 

Ayça stopped. Charles Brandon mega star and the current star of the production she was working on. 

"Charles is my friend and nothing else " 

The blonde stepped forward until she was right in Ayça face "I don't think you heard me, stay away from him" she waved her hand "this may be your fathers production company but I am the newest vice president of Nebula films...so unless you want to be working for daddy all of your life you will back off."  Nebula films was the largest and most successful production company in the entertainment business. Ayça had heard they had hired a new vice president and it was quite apparent how this woman had obtained the position. But she wasn't someone who took kindly to threats and was never intimidated by anyone except for one person. But that person had gone away long ago and now solely existed as a faded memory. 

Ayça's sea green eyes darkened as she stepped forward and returned the intense glare of the woman. "I don't care who you are, you don't come on to my set and threaten me. Now leave before I have security throw you out." 

Ayça turned her attention back to the column. She had already wasted enough time with this woman who clearly was sick with jealously of any woman who talked to her boyfriend. Yes, Charles Brandon had a massive reputation for being a flirt but she enjoyed talking to them because they had good conversations. However the types like Charles were never her type not to mention he was an actor. And she had a strict policy on never dating actors especially ones as famous as Charles Brandon. 

"You know you may think you fool everyone with your little -well whatever this phase is. But everyone in the business knows what you look like under these rags and glasses." her eyes looking her up and down in disgust. "You will regret the day you crossed me." 

But Ayça didn't bother responding to her instead she continued to focus her attention on the lights. 

12 hours later 

Her eyes shot open at the violent ringing of the telephone. The time on the clock read 12:15am.  The few close friends she had teased her about her landline but she didn't care she found the rotary telephone magical and it was one of the few pieces in her room that she had kept from her childhood. She pressed the cold plastic to her ear. 

"Hello" she rasped. 

"Hi sweetheart, I am sorry to call you so late. But I just got some news that -um-" there was a pause,  she felt her mouth go dry. "um-she has died" 

 Ayça remained silent. Her father didn't need to tell her who that 'she' was for her name had been forgotten long ago in their home. 

"Im tired, its been a long day I will call you tomorrow morning" 

"Are you okay?" 

"I am fine...you might as well have told me a stranger died." 

She lay in the darkness, the room dimly illuminated by the lights from the outside world. Her fingers tracing in the air each line and symmetry of the crown molding on her ceiling, lost in her thoughts. The misty rain from earlier had transformed and began to pelt the window. She turned over and opened the first drawer of the mirrored night stand. She pulled out a wrinkled cocktail napkin. The black ink had begun to slightly. Written in Turkish were the words there is always hope even in sorrow. 

She clutched the cocktail napkin to her chest as she curled into a fetal position and watched the rain trail down the windowpanes of her penthouse. Her eyes tracing each drop as it disappeared down into the world below. She willed herself to cry but she couldn't even muster a single lousy tear. It was a long time since she had felt anything.

After that call she threw herself into her work, the set was busy and the director while making everyone else's life a living hell provided her the distraction that she needed. It wasn't until two weeks later she received another urgent call from her father asking her to come to his office in the upper east side. There was a man in an expensive suit sitting across from her father, his briefcase was opened and there were several documents laid out on the desk. 

"What do you mean she left me a hotel?" 

Her father shook his head. "It's more of a dump, I have seen photos of it." 

Ayça turned to the lawyer. "I don't want anything from that woman, sell it for all I care and give the money to charity." 

The lawyer shook his head his bald scalp shining under the glare of the lights of her fathers contemporary chandelier. "It's not that simple I'm afraid. Your mother put a clause here that you must travel to Turkey and personally handle any sale yourself. Also I am obligated to inform you that the hotel is your grandmothers home. Failure to accept the terms will result in her eviction." 

Ayça rolled her eyes. "We can send her money and put her up in a nice cottage on the island." 

Her father shook his head. "Berrin is a stubborn proud woman she would never accept. What if I send a representative in Ayças stead so they can handle the sale?" 

"I'm afraid the clause is iron clad if Ms. Soydere fails to accept the terms the shares of the hotel will go to auction. And because they took so long to contact us this will occur in three days time." 

Even though she didn't owe her mother anything, her conscious would never give her peace if she left an old woman destitute. 

"Whats the name of the place where the hotel is located?" 

"It's an island in Turkey... Izimirla."