Love and Pixie Dust- A Bay Yanlış Reimagining.

When There Was No Bigfoot Sighting

I reluctantly left my security blanket, got up, and shuffled into the kitchen, Deniz hot on my heels.

I peered into the refrigerator. The neatly labeled (with heating instructions) containers of food and smoothies took up most of the space.

"Meal planning? How are you suddenly so organized?" Deniz said.

"Oh, Özgür does this. He's horrified by my eating habits. So he packs my lunches and snacks. Lately, dinner too since he's not home anymore," I mumbled the last few words, my voice breaking. They both stared at me.

"He feeds you, gives you multiple orgasms, looks like a god, and tells you he loves you and you have doubts?" Cansu said slowly, gaping at me.

"But what about the woman in his office," I said lamely. Deniz leaned back against the counter.

"Well..."

"Well, what?" I cried.

"It was a setup, I'm sure of it and you'd see it too if that Dirtbag hadn't done such a number on you. Ozan also told me a woman had been borderline stalking Özgür ever since he ghosted her a while back."

"You've been sitting on this vital information this whole time!" I screeched.

She shrugged. "I was waiting for the right moment."

"Someone sent you that text," Cansu interrupted. You said it was unusual coming from him."

"But who is she?" Cansu mused. "I'm sure she had help. She wasn't working alone. Who in La Gabbia had it out for you?"

I had my suspicions. Horny Hostess was horny for a reason. And she had never liked me. But all I could think about was the things I said and did to Özgür.

"I am the absolute worst!" I wailed.

"Well, you aren't going to get anywhere standing around here wailing like a banshee. Get dressed. We are going to investigate."

"Investigate?" I said my mind was still swirling with all the implications.

"We are going to the scene of the crime, of course," Deniz said. "Let's go to La Gabbia."

*****
Emre obsessively wiped at an unseen spot on the bar.

"Emre?" I said. He stole a peek at me and then went back to his frantic scrubbing.

"He knows something," Deniz whispered eyes narrowed on the nervous little man.

We arrived at the restaurant to find Ozgur had gone. Family emergency Ozan said without elaborating his charming smile nowhere to be found tonight. I could have sworn he gave me a side-eye. I tried not to let it bother me that Ozgur had left without even sending me a message. Deniz decided that Ozan was a vault and too loyal to spill any tea so we hit the next best thing. The eyes and ears of any bar, the bartender. Immediately we could tell something was up when Emre attempted to make a hasty exit but Cansu blocked his way. He grabbed a rag proceeded to avoid all eye contact and continued to scrub the same area in the sparkling-clean bar.

"Are you just going to ignore me now? I thought we were besties?" I said with a  pout. He looked up and opened his mouth then glanced at the hostess podium and a small squeak escaped him.

Cansu and Deniz caught the tell at the same time I did.

"Curioser and curioser," Cansu said.

"Well, girls, I suppose there's no point in hanging out here," I said loudly, gesturing at them to follow me, and we quickly made our way out.

"Come this way," I said after we were out of view of the horny hostess.

I led everyone through the back past the kitchens. Everyone there was so used to seeing me hanging around that no one batted an eye. I pushed through the back door that led to an alley.