Early Bird (Erkençi Kus)(Part 1)

68. He works for me

Aylin looked up at Fikri Harika's building with a small smirk, standing outside for a moment. She was about to shake their little cages. She inhales and lifts her chin, walking into the lobby like she owned the place.

"I'm tense enough as it is! Do it properly, that file will never fit there!" JJ says loudly as she enters the office and walks past. He glances up at her and drops the file, gasping and jumping back a step. Everyone is looking at her too, but she keeps her eyes forward.

Sanem is sitting on the side of the couch and she looks right at her. The little tramp... She rolls her eyes away and keeps going, straight through to Can's office, passing Emre's on the way. She smiles slyly at the look on his face before she knocks on Can's door.

He looks up, lifting his head off his arms crossed on the desk.

"Hello Can, how are you?" Aylin stops on the other side of the desk as Emre comes through the side door. That was fast.

"I'm alright Aylin, thank you, yourself? What's wrong, why are you here?" Can asks.

"Hello Emre," Aylin nods at him and he holds out his hand with a small smile. She shakes his hand. "I heard what happened Can and I came to say that I'm really sorry it did."

Can frowns but nods. "Thank you, uh, it wasn't worth a trip all the way down here but thank you."

"I know there's been some tension between us, with your father and my leaving, but that is all just business. This issue is about your personal career." He just looks at her, listening. "We've known each other for years, and believe it or not I truly respect you and your work." She smiles sadly and looks down. "I really was sorry to hear about this."

Emre sneaks a peek at his brother, who is also looking at him with his eyebrows raised, suspicious of Aylin. Emre shrugs. "Thank you Aylin," Can nods, pursing his lips. She extends a hand to him and he looks at it.

"Please, if you need anything, I'll help you with pleasure."

"Okay," he shakes her hand with his left, the same way Sanem did the other day, sighing. "Thank you for coming by Aylin." He sits back his hands in his lap, rocking his chair back and forth waiting for her to go.

"Emre? Can I talk to you for a few minutes? We haven't been able tl really talk in a while," Aylin lifts her shoulders. "I think we can be in the same room like two adults don't you?"

Can peeks over at his brother, who stares at her for a moment and then gestures to his office. Aylin nods at Can again. He looks at Emre as she passes through the side door and waves his fingers boredly when Emre rolls his eyes.

Emre orders Aylin a coffee from Guliz and they wait for her to bring it. She closes the door when she's done and Emre checks before he looks at Aylin.

"I can't believe it," she smiles, "I'm actually having coffee in Fikri Harika again."

"Why did you come here?" He asks, standing next to his desk. "You have some nerve."

"I used to work here, if you remember correctly Emre. We were engaged, you and I. And because of that I had a pretty good relationship with Can too." Emre clenches his jaw and she shrugs, sipping her coffee. "That is, until your father decided to fire me and ran a smear campaign against me," she says bitterly, staring at the floor.

"I know Aylin, I was there," he sighs and then shakes his head. "Listen, we're not talking about this right now." He pushes his hands into his pockets and turns to the glass wall looking at Can on the other side.

"Emre, I really do feel sorry for Can. I don't know how it came to this." She looks at the passing employees, all curiously glancing in as they do. "I mean, we could have been married by now. I could hold your hand openly in the street instead of under the table like some forbidden teenage romance. That's all I've ever wanted."