Early Bird (Erkenci Kus)(Part 3)

8. Driving lessons

"Mr Emre," Leyla whispers to herself when she sees Emre coming in from the back door and down the hallway. He isn't looking and she stands up from her seat at Sanem's desk and calls him again. "Mr Emre."

He looks at her and comes into the hub just as she tries to walks round the desk to the other side. He stops and chuckles at their moving in opposite directions. She is frowning and looking down and he tilts his head. "Why aren't you looking at me?"

"How can I, Mr Emre?" Leyla asks with a huff, looking at his chest. "I can't look at you." She closes her eyes. "I said so many things that I thought should be said which didn't have to be said in the first place without really knowing what's going on." She looks up fleetingly, his understanding nod making her feel even worse.

"You did, yes," he says and then lifts his shoulders, sighing, "You owe me an apology I think."

"I do, and I am very sorry. I beg your pardon and forgiveness, Mr Emre," she swallows and finally meets his eyes longer than a second.

He narrows his eyes to the side, his lips pulled in like he had to think about his reaction. "Hm," he hums, "no I don't accept it," she stares at him with wide, scared eyes, "you won't be saved my wrath by that one apology alone."

She frowns and gives him an apologetic peek. "I don't know what to do right now...I'm so uncomfortable and I feel horrible about what I said to you." She fists the page in her hands that she had been strangling, waiting for a chance to speak to him.

"Hm, let me think," he looks up at the coffeebar across the bridge, "let me think..." he whispers. "What can we do? Hm..." He blinks and then points at her. "Ah yes! Food."

"I'm sorry?" Leyla asks in confusion.

"We'll go have dinner after work."

She blinks, the smiles a little, things making more sense in one way and not in another. "Okay? Of course, Mr Emre. Sure."

"What are you going to order?" Emre asks with a grin, even though he knows as soon as she opens her mouth it was going to be only one thing.

"Uh...I don't know..." Leyla glances around and then lifts her shoulders. "Maybe a chilli salad?" She sounds unsure but he chuckles and she blushes, looking down.

Thought so, you love that salad.
"Alright. I'm just going to the archive for a minute and I'll be back."

"Okay," Leyla nods, still laughing. She was happy that there didn't seem to be too much of any hard feelings. She smiles looking after him and sighs happily.

-

Sitting on the couch with Guliz and seeing this laughing exchange but hearing none of it - Osman looks down at the card in his hand and chews on the inside of his lip.

Why not? She clearly won't see me without some kind of advancement in life, so why not give it a shot? I can't sit around and hope something happens for the rest of my life - Muzo and Ayhan are right - I have to take active steps if I want to get what I want.

**

"Sanem, keep it straight after you turn," Can instructs on the back of the scooter, steadying his hold on the sides after her sharp turn into the empty lot as it wobbles under them. "And relax the steering a little."

Sanem turns her hand down, the scooter complaining at the move as it's on the wrong gear.

"Turn your hand up and forward not down and back...no! Don't grind it down, relax!"

Decide what you want already Mr Can! Sanem rolls her eyes and turns the handlebars down, the scooter sputtering under them again.

They sway from side to side as she tries to keep the scooter straight.