Early Bird (Erkenci Kus)(Part 4)

13. All about those balls...

"Muzo, I have to tell you, this was a great idea!" Ayhan chuckles coming into JJ's living room with bowls of snacks followed by Leyla with the rest.

Guliz poured herself some juice across the room and walked over to where Muzaffer was sitting. When he called, she decided to come after deliberating for a minute. She wasn't sure how she felt - what with the party where she might have felt a little jealous over him talking to all those women fresh in her mind - but he was cute and she wanted to be there for Osman's big night.

Osman watches Leyla put the bowls she'd brought out down on the side table, playing with the ring on his right hand nervously, wondering what they were going to think.

"Ayhan, I would never leave you to spend the night with the parentals if you could be spending it with me and JJ. Besides, my friend here is about to be on TV screens every hour on the hour for the foreseeable future," Muzaffer laughs.

"It's not the news Muzo."

"So? Commercials get repeated just as much as the news highlights."

"My mother wanted to keep us there to talk about weddings all night, I swear," Leyla huffs. "So annoying when they interfere."

"They're just interested," Ayhan shrugs. "We're all wondering about it. When is it? Where is it? But I have to admit, they could have done it a bit more privately."

Leyla nods in agreement, pouring soda into glasses.

"So, did you choose a date yet? I won't tell," Ayhan grins and nudges Osman's arm, who looks at Leyla.

She stops pouring and looks at him as well before answering Ayhan's question. "It's too early to think about dates."

Osman's mood plummets even more hearing this but he stays quiet, observing his future bride.

"Hm," Ayhan hums and takes her soda. "I think you should decide sooner rather than later. You can't wait long, there might be a queue soon...Me, Sanem, Muzo...Right Muzo?"

"Hm?" Muzaffer hums, still looking at the TV.

"What do you think about marriage?"

"What someone thinks about marriage can take some time to lay out," Muzaffer says with a shy smile and peeks at Guliz.

She looks away and sips her drink. He was cute but not marriage material. Not for her anyway.

"You have to be in love first...you know, feel butterflies in your stomach," he says as JJ hurries in from the kitchen with a platter of finger food. "Feel your heart beat so hard and fast, it sounds like it's trying to get out of your chest and you're confused whether you're in love or having a heart attack... Luckily most of the time it ends up being the first one...I mean, come on it's so romantic, who doesn't want to get married? Two hearts beating as one..."

JJ sits and looks over at Ayhan's smiling eyes on him. Looking away quickly in case Osman sees, he shifts and turns to the side.

"Now I'll pass it on to Miss Guliz. What do you think about marriage?"

"Uhm," Guliz pauses. "Marriage...is a...a...it's connected to luck I think."

"Luck?"

"Yes. You're either lucky to find the right one or you stay...alone..."

Leyla takes her seat next to Osman and his eyes are still following her every move as she does.

"JJ?" Guliz says almost desperately after trailing off and gulps. "What do you think?"

Ayhan had by now moved to sit next to him and she waited, wanting to hear his answer. Everyone else has talked about it.

"No time. The advertisement's about to start." JJ checks the time and then points excitedly at the screen. "Ha! See? It's starting! I'm turning off the lights. Muzo, turn up the volume."