The First Goal

Dinner

Amel

As soon as I got home, I grabbed my phone and called Gizem, needing someone to talk to. I told her everything that had happened: the idea for the "day in the life" project, my nerves about presenting it to Baris, and, of course, tonight's dinner.

"Oooh, dinner with Baris, huh?" she teased, and I could practically hear her eyebrow wiggle over the phone. "I thought this was work-related?"

"Oh, shut up," I said, laughing and blushing. "Or else..."

She laughed, clearly enjoying my flustered reaction. After we hung up, I realized I had just one hour to get ready. 

A shower, hair, makeup, and picking out an outfit. I rushed to shower, but as soon as I looked at my closet, I froze. 

How fancy was fancy? Was it a little black dress situation, or more of a casual-but-cute dress, or maybe even a long, elegant one?

After some agonizing deliberation, I went for a simple but classic black dress and heels. I didn't have time to mess with my hair, so I let it down in its natural big blowout curls and did my makeup quickly but carefully. 

I was about to second-guess the dress for the millionth time when the doorbell rang.

I opened the door to find Baris standing there in a sharp all-black outfit, his frame tall and solid. His scent—woodsy, with hints of cedar and a little spice—was almost intoxicating, and I found myself a little stunned by the sight of him. 

He looked me over slowly, his gaze burning as it moved down and back up, finally meeting my eyes with an intensity that nearly took my breath away.

"Amel," he said, a hint of warmth in his voice. "You ready? You look... really beautiful."

"Yes, I'm ready," I managed to say, though my heartbeat had picked up. He gestured for me to step out and opened the car door for me. 

In the car, I thanked him for the opportunity to meet about the project and asked where we were headed.

"No need to thank me," he said. "You're just doing your job. I'm taking you to my favorite spot, though—it's a little place called Mikla in Beyoğlu. I'm basically a regular there at this point," he added, with a slight chuckle.

My curiosity grew as he drove, and soon we arrived at a beautiful, upscale restaurant overlooking the Istanbul skyline. As we walked in together, I felt relieved that my outfit fit the vibe here, which could have been embarrassing otherwise. 

The hostess greeted him warmly and escorted us to a table that was already set up. After we were seated, I figured I should cut to the chase—he looked so handsome, and I knew I had to focus if I was going to pitch this project properly.

"Okay," I began, looking directly at him, though it was hard to hold his gaze. "So, the project I wanted to discuss is part of our goal to build more engagement with your fans. They love the recent content, and we've been getting lots of requests for more behind-the-scenes moments. We want to create a genuine bond between the players and the fans, and we think a 'day in the life' segment could help with that."

Baris listened intently, his expression unreadable. I couldn't tell if he liked the idea or hated it, so I kept talking.

"Umut will handle the arrangements with the coach," I continued. "I'd just need to follow you around for the day and ask some light questions here and there." I trailed off, finally letting a silence settle over us. He paused, then nodded slowly.

"Sure. If Coach is good with it, I'm in. When do we start?" he asked, his voice steady.

I could hardly believe it. Relief and excitement flooded over me. "Thank you, Baris," I said, unable to hide my grin. He smirked a little, seeming slightly amused by my reaction.