Early Bird (Erkenci Kus)(Part 2)

58. Bribes and rides

"Why is my sister the copywriter not at the meeting?" Leyla asks with a smile, walking up behind Sanem as she pours coffee. 

"Miss Deren's downgraded me to tea girl again it seems, thanks to Mr Can. I'm back to making coffee and tea instead of sitting in on meetings."

"Nasty woman," Leyla mumbles as Sanem returns to the cups. "Don't pay attention to either of them, okay? Forget about it." Sanem nods. "Let them say and do what they want. In one ear and out the other, yes? Don't let them get to you."

Sanem puts down the coffee pot and nods. "That's what I'm trying to do."

It's not really working but who cares... Can hates me and I'm stuck doing this again.

"Mr Can, the coffee, it's ready, I was just on my way back inside," Sanem says hurriedly when she looks up at the door to the boardroom opening and sees Can exiting the room.

Leyla pats her back and then turns to go back to her own office.

Can looks at the tray then in Sanem's hands and then at her, stopping. "The meetings's over. The coffee's not necessary anymore." He holds out a file to her. "This need to be taken to the printers."

Sanem puts the tray down and takes the file. "Alright Mr Can."

"Can?"

Can stops, already busy leaving and turns to look at Deren coming out after him.

"Can, where are you going?"

"I'm a little hungry. I'm going to get something to eat."

"Me too, shall we eat together?"

"Okay," Can says after a moment. "I'll wait outside."

Sanem watches them in a daze while the rest all come out, one after the other and getting their coffee. She nods at them thanking her and tells them quietly it's a pleasure, all as her eyes follow Can across the bridge.

**

"Have you heard what they're saying about Sanem?"

"Shh, look."

Mevkhibe and Nihat watch the two women walk by, both getting quiet and avoiding them.

"Good day," she greets them and they walk faster, whispering. "Well..." She scoffs, tucking her sweater around her middle and holding it there with her arms crossed. "What is going on? I wonder the big secret is. Maybe Melihat knows? Should I call her over?"

"Are we sure we're not just seeing things Mevkhibe?"

"Did that look like us seeing things? They ignored me," she whispers and he sighs just as Ayhan comes around the corner with a large smile.

"How is it going here?"

"Ah, Ayhan!" she whisper yells. Ayhan frowns and shrugs in question. Mevkhibe stands and points at her feet.

"What?" Ayhan asks, taking it to mean she was to go over and she does.

"What's going on? What's this gossiping around here about?"

"I don't know?" Ayhan shrugs. "They're just busy with nonsense again, but I heard something about Sanem being upset and depressed or whatever, but I'm not so sure that's even true."

"Sanem?" Mevkhibe gets a thoughtful look on her face. No wonder they're avoiding me, the gossip concerns my daughter. "Right. Well, she is a little down and upset yes, so what? That isn't news, it's human."

"She is?" Why don't I know anything?
"Why? What happened?" Ayhan looks behind Mevkhibe at Nihat, who stands up and comes to them.

"My God, even we don't know why or what happened yet. What are they saying?" Nihat asks, pointing in the general direction of the neighbors.