Unexpectedly yours

Public Facades?

Seda slammed the door of her car, trying to shake off the irritation that had settled in her chest. Kenan Yıldız. Just the name made her blood boil. It wasn’t the first time she’d been hired to fix someone’s image, but it was certainly the first time she’d been assigned to work with someone so clearly out of touch with reality.

The meeting had been nothing short of a disaster. Kenan had acted as if the whole charade was beneath him, making it clear he resented every minute of the process. She’d seen his type before—athletes who thought their talent made them untouchable. But Kenan took it to a whole new level with his smug attitude and outright contempt for the situation.

As she drove to her next appointment, Seda’s thoughts were a whirlwind of frustration. She knew her job was to manage the fallout from his latest scandal, but Kenan’s blatant disregard for the plan was infuriating. She couldn’t afford to let him derail her efforts. If anything, she needed to stay focused and make this partnership work, no matter how much she despised it.

Their next meeting was scheduled for dinner at a trendy restaurant downtown. The idea was to present a more relaxed, “authentic” image of their relationship to the public. Seda rolled her eyes at the thought. As if pretending to be in love with Kenan Yıldız in a high-profile restaurant was going to be anything but a train wreck.

When she arrived at the restaurant, she was greeted by the chic, modern décor that seemed to mock her mood. Seda glanced around, hoping for a quick exit, but Kenan was already there, seated at a table near the back. He was slouched in his chair, looking as disinterested as ever.

“Nice to see you’ve graced us with your presence,” Seda said with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

Kenan looked up, his expression a mix of annoyance and resignation. “I didn’t realize you were so eager to get this over with.”

Seda took her seat, trying to mask her irritation. “Let’s just get through this dinner. We need to look like a real couple, remember?”

Kenan nodded, though he clearly wasn’t thrilled about the prospect. The conversation started off awkwardly, with both of them making half-hearted attempts at small talk. Seda tried to steer the conversation towards topics that would paint them in a favorable light, but Kenan’s responses were terse and uncooperative.

“So, Kenan, how about we talk about some shared interests?” Seda suggested, attempting to sound cheerful.

Kenan barely looked up from his menu. “I don’t see how that’s going to help. This is all just for show, right?”

Seda clenched her jaw. “Yes, it’s for show. But if we’re going to pull this off, we might as well try to make it convincing.”

Kenan’s eyes met hers with a flash of defiance. “Why should I bother? You clearly don’t think much of me, and frankly, I’m not impressed with you either.”

Seda’s patience was wearing thin. “This isn’t about personal feelings. It’s about doing a job. If you’d put a fraction of the effort into this that you put into your football career, we might actually get somewhere.”

Kenan’s expression darkened. “I don’t need a lecture from you about commitment. I’ve got enough on my plate without pretending to be in a relationship.”

Seda’s eyes narrowed. “And I’ve got enough dealing with people who think they’re above the rules. If you’d rather not do this, then say so. But don’t waste my time.”

The tension between them was palpable, and their attempts at polite conversation quickly dissolved into a series of pointed barbs and stony silences. The dinner was a disaster, and Seda could tell that Kenan’s attitude wasn’t going to make her job any easier.

As they parted ways at the restaurant’s entrance, Seda felt a wave of frustration wash over her. Kenan Yıldız was everything she had expected—difficult, arrogant, and utterly uncooperative. But she wasn’t about to let him ruin her career.

She would need to keep her wits about her and play her part, no matter how much she loathed the task. This was a challenge, but Seda wasn’t one to back down from a fight. If Kenan wanted to play the part of a reluctant partner, she’d make sure he understood that this was one role he couldn’t afford to mess up.