Early Bird (Erkenci Kus)(Part 3)

24. Presenting fails and wins

Ayhan walks into the venue ten minutes after Sanem's arrival and starts searching for JJ. She had an orange colored dress on with her shoulder length hair curled.

She finds his back, as he is talking to three of his coworkers, who stare at her in awe when she approaches.

"Isn't that - ?" "I think so." "She looks beautiful."

JJ turns around to see who they were talking about and his mouth drops open. His eyes move from her legs up to her smiling face. "Ayhan," he breathes.

She smiles even wider and pushes a curl out of her eyes. "Hello."

"Hey," he steps away from the three now discussing her to move closer.

"Thank you so much."

"For what?"

Ayhan glances at the three walking away. "Uhm, for inviting me. I've never been to something like this."

"You're welcome." He looks her dress up and down. He himself was in a polka dot greybsuit with yellow lining and a yellow shirt and belt.

"What?" she asks when he does nothing else. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I look bad?"

He slowly shakes his head. "I...uh...no you...you just look different...Like a woman," he leers with a smile.

"A woman?" Ayhan deadpans, her smile dropping. "What did I look like before? A banana?" She scoffs and looks away from him.

"No, that's not what I meant," he says quickly. "No, you look really beautiful. You know, like a peach... and I like peaches...yeah," he clears his throat when she looks at him again.

Ayhan grins widely and bites into her lip, giggling. "Thank you," she curtsies and touches his jacket. "You look really handsome yourself."

"I do?"

"Hm hm."

"It's my own design. I made it."

"No," she gasps and he nods.

"Yes."

"Really?" This one doesn't look that bad! He looks really good in yellow.
"This belt is really nice..." She looks at it closer.

"Yes, it's supposed to look weaved."

"Amazing."

"The jacket material is so soft. What is it?" She stands on her toes and leans closer, her face next to his as she inspects his jacket. JJ stares at her face this close to his, seeing every eyelash.

"Ayhan," he clears his throat, "we're standing very close...and people are watching." He wipes his forehead with clammy hands.

"Oh, sorry," she says and steps back. "Oh, my ring," she gasps when she feels the jewellery item slide off her finger and looks down to see it on the floor. She bends the same time he does and they bump heads. "Ooh, ow,"  she puffs and stands back up, holding her head. She laughs at the sillyness of it.

"Ayhan, I'm trying to be a gentleman over here, why did you bend down? You should have just let me get it." He picks up the ring and shakes his head.

"You wanted to act gentlemanly with me?"

He looks up at her and grins. "Yes." She laughs quietly when he pushes himself up and then freezes, his smile gone from his face. "Oh..."

"What's wrong?" Ayhan looks down at him in his frozen kneeled position.

"I'm stuck."

Stuck? "What? Stuck?"

"Yes."