Early Bird (Erkenci Kus)(Part 2)

85. Dinner and a show

"Oh no," Sanem huffs, looking at her phone on the way out of the parking garage lobby with Can. Her jacket and shirt were back on as was his own.

"What?"

"It's 2 AM." She dials and waits while they walk. "Ayhan's not answering. What do I do now?"

"She's probably just asleep. If you knock on her door, she'll wake up and open, I'm sure."

"No," Sanem lowers her phone and stops. He halts too. "I can't do that to her. Plus she sleeps like the dead."

"I'll take you home then. You have keys don't you?"

"I do." Sanem blinks. "I do, but...I told my dad I was staying over at Ayhan's. If my mother catches me sneaking in now she'll ask me what I've been up to."

"And what have you been up to?"

"What could I have been up to? It's like it's my fault the elevator broke," she scoffs and shakes her head. "The elevator was already broken. We pushed like, two buttons and it decided to get stuck."

Can stares at her blankly. I'm not saying a word. He shakes his head and lifts his hands. Not saying anything. It's safer. He starts walking to his car.

"What's that face for? What's this?" Sanem asks, following him doing what he is doing mockingly. He unlocks the car and stands by the door, looking at her in question. "Er... You can just take me to a hotel."

"Are you saying we should go to a hotel?" He frowns. Am I already sleeping?

"No," she says quickly. "No, I don't mean...Not like that, no...Uhm...I mean, there's a hotel a few blocks from here, isn't there? You can drop me there, and tomorrow morning I can get up later than usual because I'm close to work already so I can just come here directly. Yes?"

"No."

"What?"

"No way. You're coming to my house." He gets into his car.

"Your house?" Sanem stares at him.
"Uh," he closes the door on her, "I can't do that - " She knocks on his window and he shrugs inside. She gestures for him to roll down the window and he shakes his hands and shakes his head, mouthing he doesn't have a window handle. She points her finger like there's a button and he shakes his head again.

Finally he sighs and turns on the car, pressing the button and opening the window. "Yes?"

"I can't go to your house."

"Why not?"

"Because it...Because I can't," Sanem shrugs, "I'll be in the way and I don't want to disturb you any more. So no." She turns around and heads back to the lobby.

Can purses his lips and lays on the horn. She stops and turns back round. "Sanem, can you just get in the car? Please, for the love of God, I am tired. Look at the time, come on, get in the car, please?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Sanem." He nods and rubs his eyes tiredly.

Sanem shrugs sheepishly. "Alright, since you're sure," she says and turns to walk around the nose to the other side, smiling to herself. "As you wish," she whispers and gets in. He pulls out of the spot as soon as she clips herself in and drives.

-

Twenty minutes later, they shuffle into Can's house. He turns on lights slowly, in a sleepy daze, and Sanem walks through to the living room, dropping her bag on the couch before she flops down onto the soft cushions, sinking in and yawning.

Can drops onto the same couch on the other end and groans, lifting his feet onto the coffee table.

"I'm so tired," Sanem whines, her head leaned back, barely able to keep her eyes open.