Early Bird (Erkençi Kus)(Part 1)

7. Can will be taking over

Sanem quietly goes into her bedroom when they arrive home and sits down on her bed, letting out a deep breathe as she closes her eyes.
Her first day has been a whirlwind of things and emotions and she has never felt this tired. As she thinks about the day leading up to this very moment, a movement in her peripheral eyeline makes her look left.

Ayhan appears from beneath her covers and pillows and she screams, making Ayhan slam her palm to Sanem's mouth. "Shhh!"

Sanem presses her own palm to Ayhan's mouth and they have a small slapping fight, mumbling against each other's hands.

"I've been going crazy! Where have you been?" Ayhan whispers when they release one another. "I jumped from my window to come here while my brother's sleeping and you weren't here! Where were you?" Sanem gets up to close her door as Ayhan keeps talking. "I'm dying from curiosity! I leave you alone so you can get a job and you end up kissing someone?! Was it at work? What happened? What kind of place is this? Do they just kiss people all the time? I'm dying! Tell me! Who is he? Who were you kissing? Tell me!"

Sanem forgot how excited her best friend could get. And as she rambled off her questions, her eyes wide, Sanem struggled to keep up. When it seems like she's done, Sanem finally has a chance to speak and all she can say is, "I don't know who he is."

Ayhan frowns and stares at her. "You don't know?" Her eyes widen even more when Sanem shakes her head. "Wait a minute," Ayhan looks at her more closely, at her confused face, "look at me." Sanem does. "Did he kiss you against your will?"

Sanem sighs and purses her lips. "No Ayhan." It was just a mistake... "It was by mistake, I think."

"Mistake?" Ayhan scoots forward so she can get off the bed. "Okay, if you say so, but I don't understand... maybe I'm old fashioned but I don't understand how you kiss someone by mistake..." Ayhan pulls Sanem's desk chair closer to sit on it, right in front of her. "Explain."

"Okay," Sanem sits forward a little. Ayhan knows she got a job but she wasn't aware of all the details. "You know I started at my sister's agency right?"

"Congratulations by the way," Ayhan beams and Sanem nods in thanks when Ayhan grabs her for a hug, kissing her cheeks. "You never told me how she got you in? How did it happen?"

"Forget about that now," Sanem shakes her head, "anyway, the boss, Mr Aziz had a 40th anniversary party for the company...I climbed the stairs to the balcony seats...we couldn't see each other clearly in the dark..." Ayhan nods but looks confused still. "I think he thought I was someone else. He kissed me." Sanem smiles as she remembers. "And then I ran away...but..."

"But?"

"It was so strange, I don't know how to explain it to you..." Sanem swallows dryly. "My breath caught, the floor disappeared under my feet and it felt like I was floating..." She blinks at the window behind Ayhan. "I'm still floating..."

"Oh my God," Ayhan smiles, her cheeks flushing slightly. Sanem nods again and smiles somberly. "Who do you think it was? Someone you work with?"

"It could have been anyone who works for or with Mr Aziz. I don't know if I've seen him before. I couldn't see anything in the dark. All I saw was his shoes...very smart, black shoes..."

"Smart black shoes..." Ayhan seems to go into thought and then she stands and starts pacing. "We won't find him on shoes alone, but, if he dresses as smartly as you say, for example, a suit and so on...maybe he's influential?"

"I don't know," Sanem shrugs. "But he was big too. He touched my hand..." Ayhan's eyes bug out. "And he had a beard."

"A beard?" Ayhan walks back to Sanem. "Beard...beard...Ugh! Everyone has a beard these days! What else do you remember? Think."