Beginnings

...I was flying from Tel Aviv to Istanbul at three in the morning. It was a red-eye-flight...the airport was empty. But, of course, when you have 20 pages of stamps from Islamic countries in your passport and an "al" in your last name, it's still quite a hastle getting through customs. Even more of a haste when you've over-stayed your visa.

Security check, meticulous luggage search.

I'm really chatty when I'm tired and I'm really chatty when I'm irritated and I'm really chatty when I'm stressed.

Just started talking to this guy in front of me. A sort of average looking, 30-something I-Banker from manhattan. And the funny thing, so like, we hit it off.

Great conversationalist, talked for 4 hours straight, and halfway through the flight, so um,  my language school started the next morning and we were getting in at 4 a.m., and I am a cheap-ass so I didn't have a hotel, and was just going to sleep in the airport.

And half-way through the flight he was like 'hey so do you want, if you want you can sleep at my hotel.' In a sort of awkward way. But nice. And I was like, hell yeah! And it was the weirdest thing, you know, being picked up by this turkish dude in a suit with a badge and wizzed through customs and driven to a 5-star hotel in a mercedes, and the strange look on the driver's face and the faces of the hotel reception. Especially because I was leaving my suitcase at the reception so I could just bring it in the next day.

The suite - incredible. Gin & Tonic. Bed.

We didn't have sex then. Or even kiss, really, he was a total gentleman.

He was in town on a holiday for 5 days. I stayed at his hotel while he was in town. I went to language classes. He was chauffeured between tourist sites. We met for dinner and drinks. & Crashed.

We had sex the third night.

At some point, I mentioned that I was having trouble finding an apartment in the district my school was in.

At some point, he offered money to rent a nicer one.

It was the same awkwardness (on his part offering, on mine accepting) that came with the initial offer to share his hotel.

I tried to decline.

He offered again.

And I figured...why not?