Beneath the helmet

Sibel (10)

It took me some time to return to my senses after yesterday's encounter. Nobody had been this close to me before. The way he held my chin, his cologne filling my nostrils, the feeling was indescribable. Lale is telling me about them as she did her research on them over the weekend, at our usual place (flavour station ). I try to focus, struggling to keep all the information straight in my mind. "What's his name? Just tell me that!" I ask. "You know, Lale, I can't keep all this straight." "Shush, girl. Just listen," Lale says. I glance at her, but she's giving me a look I can't ignore. I meet her gaze with pleading eyes, desperate for some clarity. "Alright, last but not least—his name is TURGUT YILDRIM. The sole heir to Yildrim Enterprises, and..." She trails off, watching my reaction. My expression must betray my disbelief and frustration because I can't help but blurt, "Don't tell me, Lale... Are we talking about the same Yildrim Enterprises I'm thinking of?" "Yep, it's the one." I roll my eyes, feeling an inner groan. Of course, it would be. This was the one thing I had to avoid, and now I'm right in the thick of it. I barely know much about Yildrim Enterprises—they have a fierce rivalry with Russo Luxe Hotels. By rivalry, I mean an all-out war. No one knows the full story, except for a few insiders. I never cared enough to dig into it, but from what little I know, it all started with our grandfathers.

Yildrim Enterprise is the biggest architectural firm in the country. Every major project goes through them. Lale speaks again, pulling me out of my thoughts."Girl! Check this out. He's been top of his class since the first grade," she says, turning her laptop toward me. "Look, there's an article about him saying he has an IQ of 190. Even though he hasn't officially taken over the company, some articles suggest that their projects over the past four years are his work."Sibel: "So what?" I give her a questioning look. Lale huffs, pushing some loose strands of hair from her face, which have slipped out of her pink bow clip. "Seriously, he's one of the smartest people in the country! Even Oxford gave him an honorary degree in business, and he didn't even attend. So why are we digging into his details again?" I ask, irritated. "We should be focusing on getting my bike back. You know how important that is to me."Lale grabs my hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "I know how important it is to you, and we'll find it. But you need to calm down—it's not like he's going to keep it forever."I purse my lips. "I hope he returns it soon before Zade gets suspicious. I can't keep sneaking his bike out daily. He'll figure it out sooner or later."Lale releases my hands and claps her own together. "So, where were we?"I shoot her a deadly glare. "Oh right, Mr. Smarty Pants. If you don't want him, can I—"Before she finishes, I get up from my seat, only to bang my knee under the table. Rubbing it, I point my finger in her face. "Don't you dare even think about it! Zade will kill me, and Nico will kill you. We're just getting my bike back and never crossing paths again."Lale: "I'm not so sure about Zade, but Nico won't. Besides, what's not to like about him? He's PERFECT! Like custom-made." She starts counting on her fingers. "He's intelligent." (She raises her index finger.) "Rich." (Middle finger.) "Hot. Handsome. A sole heir. Perfect."I turn toward the counter. "I'll get us something to eat while you get out of your delusion."Lale is my best friend, and she could have anyone she wants, but I can't let her go after him. He's our rival, and we can't be close to them. Our families don't allow it. We are not allowed to be in the same place so then this off limits.

Lale has two other siblings. Nico  was named after his grandfather, Maikain, as the first grandson in the family. Nico, at the age of 25, started his own motorbike showroom business. Little did I know, something had happened to him that pushed him to start this business; otherwise, he would have been the heir to the Ersoy family business.

The second sibling is Sid Ersoy, who took over Phantom's Firewall, the Ersoy family business.

Sibel: "I'd like one fish and chips meal, one beef burger meal, a strawberry milkshake, and a banana milkshake, please."

Cashier: "Sure! That will be 2,100 liras."

I hand her my card, and she swipes it and gives it back with a smile. "It'll take about three minutes," she says. I wait in line, and soon, another waiter brings out my order. I smile at him.

I walk back to our table, where Lale is squinting at her laptop. Just as I'm about to place the tray down, someone with a hard chest bumps into me, and everything falls. I purse my lips, close my eyes for two seconds to calm the anger and prepare to confront whoever bumped into me.

"Hello, my lone tigress," a deep, raspy voice whispers in my ear.

My body freezes. I know that voice.

Why can't he just leave me alone?