My Lucky Star

My Lucky Star Enni Amanda Published by Lumi Publishing, 2023. This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental. MY LUCKY STAR First edition. April 14, 2023. Copyright © 2023 Enni Amanda. ISBN: 978-1991165015 Written by Enni Amanda. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Note to reader Glossary Chapter 1 | Aria Chapter 2 | Cem Chapter 3 | Aria Chapter 4 | Cem Chapter 5 | Aria Chapter 6 | Aria Chapter 7 | Cem Chapter 8 | Aria Chapter 9 | Cem Chapter 10 | Aria Chapter 11 | Cem Chapter 12 | Aria Chapter 13 | Cem Chapter 14 | Aria Chapter 15 | Cem Chapter 16 | Aria Chapter 17 | Cem Chapter 18 | Aria Chapter 19 | Cem Chapter 20 | Aria Chapter 21 | Cem Chapter 22 | Aria Chapter 23 | Aria Chapter 24 | Cem Chapter 25 | Aria Chapter 26 | Cem Chapter 27 | Aria Chapter 28 | Cem Chapter 29 | Aria Chapter 30 | Cem Chapter 31 | Aria Chapter 32 | Cem Chapter 33 | Aria Chapter 34 | Cem Chapter 35 | Aria Chapter 36 | Cem Chapter 37 | Aria Chapter 38 | Cem Chapter 39 | Aria Chapter 40 | Cem Chapter 41 | Aria Chapter 42 | Aria Thank you! About the author Thank you for reading! To all the dreamers who’ve lost their way Note to reader WHILE THIS BOOK TAKES place in real locations of Napier (New Zealand) and Istanbul (Turkey), it is a work of fiction. I’ve boldly made up some local businesses, such as cafes and hotels, inspired by real ones but altered to suit my story. I wrote this book before the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, and the flood that ravaged Napier in 2023, so these events are not referenced. However, if reading this book leads you to fall in love with these amazing locations, please consider donating to disaster relief. Glossary THIS BOOK FEATURES some Turkish words. The meaning of each should be clear enough from the context, but here's a quick glossary to help you out. Türk dizileri (dizi) - Turkish TV series. Longer format than your usual Netflix shows, often highly emotional, romantic, and more chaste than the Hollywood variety. Hoşgeldiniz - Welcome Teşekkürler - Thank you Görüşürüz - See you later Merhaba - Hello Aşkta Şanslı - Lucky in love (the title of Cem’s TV series) Aşkım - My love Annem - Mother Evet - Yes Yok - No Bey – Mr. (a formal title used with the first name, i.e. Cem bey) Çok güzel – Very good How to pronounce the character names: Cem: Pronounced like "jem" with a soft "j" sound, similar to the "s" sound in the word "measure." Emir: Pronounced like "eh-meer" with the stress on the first syllable. The "e" sound is pronounced like the "e" in the word "pet," and the "i" sound is pronounced like the "ee" in the word "see." Burcu: Pronounced like "boor-joo" with the stress on the second syllable. The "u" sound is pronounced like the "oo" in the word "boot," and the "c" is pronounced like the "j" sound in "jeans." Chapter 1 Aria I LOVE TURKISH. The food, I mean. It’s the perfect takeaway – not full of sugar like Chinese or greasy like pizza. Yet, it’s always tasty, unlike those spiritually aware bowls of sprouts. “Thank you!” I grinned from ear to ear as the stocky middle-aged Turk handed me my trusted chicken kebab. Kerim smiled back, a glimpse of his handsome youth showing through the cracks. “How do you say delicious?” “Lezzetli.” He drew out each syllable with passion. I repeated the word, and he insisted on high fiving me. “You have a good ear! And you’re very beautiful today.” I chuckled. He told me that every time, and every time, I instinctively glanced at my outfit. This time, I’d tucked a loose T-shirt into denim shorts and was using my ballet flats as slip-ons, completely destroying their structural integrity. They had some sparkle, though. I’m not a cavewoman. “You laugh. I’m serious.” Kerim threw up his hands, mock offended. “You remind me of a movie star. I’m not remembering the name...” He tapped his forehead in frustration. “It will come later. Old age.” My long, dark hair had always been shiny and thick, which usually saved me from looking like I’d slept in a car, even if I lacked in every other aspect of put-togetherness. I smiled obligingly at Kerim’s praise, my mood elevating with each word. Getting my lunch with an ego boost was definitely one of the upsides of being back in my old hometown. That, and not having to worry about appearances. I inhaled the rich scent of frying meat and spices. Since moving back to Napier a couple of months ago, I’d already decided that Kerim’s Kebab deserved to become a famous movie location. A place where every traveler had to stop and photograph themselves next to those pretentious, airbrushed actor headshots adorning the walls. I would make that happen, I promised myself. After all, it was my job to attract international film productions and channel money into the region; a brand-new job I was still figuring out, but figure it out I would, because it was a real job with a real salary, not a pipe dream. I was done with those. Someone tapped their foot behind me, and I moved along, waving my foil-covered roll in goodbye. In December, the seasonal tourist activity had already started, limiting our lunch and dinner chats. Still, everything in Napier happened at a leisurely pace. With the burn of midday sun on my skin, I strolled down the street toward my car, browsing the cream, pale pink and minty green stucco buildings with golden zigzags and sunbursts, proud and polished like artisan cakes. Hailed as