Another Kind Of Promise

Chapter Twenty Three

       She reached for the wine bottle, pouring herself another glass of wine, " Tarkan, more wine?" She asked, beginning to feel the effects of the strong wine.

      Tarkan nodded, " Yes, thanks." He answered. The four glasses he had already had was starting to easy his nerves, so maybe one more and he might make it through the night. 

      She poured the wine into his glass, her hands still shaking a bit but she hoped he didn't notice. " The pizza is great." She blurted out, with an awkward laugh. Tarkan smiled, "Oh my god.... She's talking about the food. They have always said, if the woman talks about the food then things aren't going good."  His reminded himself.

      He reached for the glass and downed the wine in one gulp. " Alara, look I haven't had much opportunity to be with many girls, I mean,.... I haven't had many girlfriends....I..I....not sure what....to do next." He stuttered and stammered about. He was glad the room was only lit by a few candles, so maybe she wouldn't see how red his face was...

      Alara was stunned, " What... what are you saying. I thought you probably had a different girl for every day of the week. So you're joking right." She replied with shock. The image she had of him was certainly not what he was telling her, but if that was true, she couldn't have been happier.

      Tarkan was even more embarrassed, " No,.....no. That's absolutely not true. I have only been with one girl and that was a couple of years ago.....and...and, well it wasn't my best moment." He explained, as he stood up, ready to make a hasty exit.        

       Alara stood up in front of him, the wine making its presence known even more, " Hey, hey...where are you going." She stammered, placing her hand on his chest to steady herself.  "You can't leave, I mean,...I don't want you to leave. I'm sorry if I had the wrong impression of you, but...... you,... you're so, you know... good looking and you have a fabulous body....I just thought you had plenty of girls." She stuttered about. 

      Tarkan stood there quiet, unable to speak, as she went on and on. " I mean, where ever we go, all the women turn to look at you. I.....just....thought,...you, well you know what I thought." She spoke quietly, as she leaned in against him, her arms encircling him. " I'm glad,... I'm glad you don't have a lot of women.... I want to be the only one." She whispered, the  wine making her weak.

      Tarkan smiled, his heart beating fast at the touch of her, but at the same time he knew that what she was saying came from the wine. " Alara, hey....let's sit down. I'm not going anywhere. Here, let's get comfortable on the floor." He sat back down on the large pillow and lowered her gently down next to him, holding on to here tightly.

      She snuggled in closer, " Stay, don't go. Please"... She mumbled so quietly he almost couldn't hear her, but he did. The feel of her in his arms, the silky feel of her skin against his, the faint flowery smell of the shampoo from her hair.. It was almost more intoxicating than the wine. 

      This was all he had dreamed of for the past weeks.... So no, he wasn't leaving.... But he didn't want their first time together to be clouded by the wine. So he would wait....because she was worth waiting for.

      He leaned back against the small sofa, getting comfortable. She had a firm grip on his neck and wasn't about to let go. He closed his eyes, letting this moment, this feeling, overtake him.          " Nothing could be better than this.... My heart could not be happier than right now.."    He thought as he gently stroked her long hair, the wine and the feel of her wrapped in his arms, lulling him to sleep...

      Can woke early as usual, made his tea and stepped out to the back garden. The call from Tarkan was still stuck in his head. It wasn't at all like him to have that tone of voice with him. He scoffed at Sanem's worry of him on drugs, but the thought of something being different about him was definitely on his mind. 

       It was early, probably too early to give him a call. He would wait a little while then call him. He wanted to make sure everything was alright with him... And to ease Sanem as well. 

      Ahh Sanem, the thought of her, still lying there in their bed, with nothing but his old t-shirt made his heart skip a beat. And the thought of slipping back into their bed and pressing his body up next to her, feeling the heat that radiated from her body, the way she moaned and called his name when he touched her...all those things called to him, but he resisted that urge. 

      " Not with three teenage girls only a few feet away from their room," he thought, pushing that burning desire to touch his wife's body out of his head.  He poured himself another tea and started breakfast. 

      They always had a good breakfast on the weekends, and crepes was his speciality, and also on of Emi's favorites. He watched the time as he worked around the kitchen preparing their meal. Everything was almost ready, but he wanted to make that call to Tarkan before he woke Sanem. 

       He took his phone and had a seat at the table in the garden. The phone rang twice, then three, then four times. He was beginning to think he wasn't going to answer. Then finally he heard his sons voice..

       The ringing of his phone was muffled, so he hadn't heard the first two rings. But when he realized what it was, he fumbled around in his pocket for his phone. Alara was still wrapped firmly around his body, and she had been all night, so he was trying not to wake her. 

      As he looked at his phone it read, dad, on the caller id. By then it was the fourth ring and he knew if he didn't answer he would have a lot of explaining to do..... 

      " Dad, hello... is everything alright?" He asked in a whisper, trying desperately not to wake Alara. " Tarkan, hey. Yes everything is fine, I just wanted to talk for a few minutes before you got started on your day." He said.

       " Huh, talk...about what? He replied, still in a whisper. " Tark why are you whispering, I can barely hear you." Can asked, annoyed at his behavior.

      Alara started to move, snuggling herself in a little closer to Tarkan, and breathing deep, " Hey babe, who are you talking too." She mumbled, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. 

      Tarkan froze, not even able to breathe. Alara opened her eyes, " You're on the phone, who are you talking too." She asked again only louder.  

      Can took a second before he spoke again, " Tark, are you with someone. Do you have a woman there with you?" He asked, as calmly as he could. " Tarkan, are you there. Please don't make me ask you again." 

      Tarkan closed his eyes and swallowed hard, " Dad can I call you back in a little while, please." He asked, needing to pull himself together.  " I will give 15 minutes, if you don't call me back, then I will call you again...do you understand." Can said, holding in his anger.

      " Yes, I will." Tarkan replied, hanging up the phone quickly. Alara had sat up next to him by this time, looking at him with confusion. " So.... Who was it? She asked, her voice a bit shrill.

      " It was my dad...I have to go. I will call you later. Sorry, I just will need to call him back..ok." He stammered, as he grabbed his shoes and started for the door.

      She followed him, stopping him at the door, " Sorry, I didn't know. I didn't know, or I wouldn't have said anything....Will you call, or come back...please." She said, stroking his face...

      He smiled,... " Yes,...there's nothing or no one that can keep me away. I promise"......