Çok Seviyorum

"Jan you look very handsome...." Jeyda's voice floated as if from millions of miles away. She stood right next to him but he didn't really hear her. Her hand brushed his while she spoke animatedly, looking up at him with expectations of more, so much more. But what could he offer really? His mind, his body, his soul no longer belonged to him. Signed over lock, stock and barrel to a brown eyed nymph with a smile that lighted up the world, his world.

He stood tall amidst a crowd, a big man with increadibly wide shoulders. His friends often joked that he reminded them of an Albatross, a solitary majestic bird that stays afloat for years on end till the time it finds its mate... His breathe hitched.. Yes mate! Albatrosses mated for life....

"There is Sanem... " He felt her presence even before he turned to acknowledge her. An angel in blue. Her head thrown back in tinkling laughter at something Leyla said. Her delicate throat exposed, a graceful column of alabaster only adorned by an incredibly rare piece of amber, a gift from him, that rested right above her heart. His blood thundered through his veins and there was a strange roaring in his ears that drowned all sounds until...
"Jan..." a softly spoken endearment. Even his name on her lips sounded sinful.
" You look very beautiful" he replied huskily.

Sanem turned a delicate pink. A blush that seemed to travels from her forehead and disappeared down the neckline of her dress. He had the strangest urge to traverse that forbidden path with his finger and leaned forward without a conscious thought. Her incredible scent caught him on the raw and he inhaled the fragrance deeply, so unique to Sanem, so alluring, so rare. So...his!

" Jan! Its Aileen...! " Deren's voice breaks the spell.
"I really didn't need to know that Deren!" Jan replied as he watched Aileen enter the hall. "Maybe we should go over the presentation once before you go up on the stage" Jan suggested as he placed his hand on the small of Sanem's back and slowly guided her towards his table away from Aileen's toxic presence. Sanem faltered at his touch and shivered slightly. "Are you cold!" He murmured close to the delicate shell of her ear. Sanem just nodded her head mutely looking up at him with eyes filled with an unnamed emotion. He offered her a flute of champagne as they reached their table. Sanem took a fortifying sip, which was more like a gulp, of the champagne and looked every where but at him. He continued to look down at her oblivious to the people around them. She looked up finally and bestowed him with a radiant smile. Her feelings in her eyes for the world to see. She hid nothing and that humbled him greatly. It pierced the veil of lust and burrowed into his heart. Yes he would do anything for that smile. He tested the thought and found himself not afraid of it. For the first time he was ready to trust another, to love another, to give that someone the power to hurt him to the extent that he may never survive that pain. He looked into her eyes and smiled in return.

"Are you nervous?" He asked her softly.
"Yes. I have never gone up on stage before. Speaking before so many people is causing my stomach to ache... " Jan listened to Sanem ramble on about her current voes. He marvelled as he looked upon her beautiful face so guileless so honest so lovely..
" I believe in you Sanem.. " he stopped her mid rant.
She halted and looked into his eyes. He took her tiny hands in his much larger ones and gave them a firm squeeze. " This whole campaign came from your beautiful head, your beautiful soul. You got this. Nothing can stop you from shining today...." A solitary tear slowly slid down her eyes. He caught the tear at the tip of his finger before she could wipe the errant drop away.
" Don't cry, please don't cry! " he felt helpless for not being able to comfort her the way he wanted. Sanem took a deep breath and looked at him earnestly, " I will not let you down Jan... " she promised solemnly.

Soon it's time for the presentation. Sanem slowly got up on the stage and took the microphone to present her vision behind the campaign for Compass Sports. She searched the crowd before her till her eyes landed on him. He smiled and nodded at her to proceed. She opened her speech with a vote of thanks and then took the mesmerized audience through the incredible journey of developing this amazing campaign. She laughed and shared funny anecdotes that kept the audience engaged and attentive till the very last. His heart felt like it would burst open with pride when Sanem was showered with applause at the end of her speech. She looked at the crowed before her not really seeing anyone, that is, until she spotted him and smiled at him with all the love in her heart. She walked back towards him and stopped when she reached his table. " You were beautiful up there.. " Jan declared for all to hear.

"Oops so sorry! " Jeyda cried out as champagne dripped down the front of Sanem's dress. " I don't know how I could be so clumsy? " Sanem took one look at her face and realized that this was no accident.
" It's ok Jeyda. Some people just can't help being that way.. " she turned away from the table and made her way towards her friends.

"Jan, can we please leave for the party now? " Jeyda asked plaintively after sometimes.
" Am not sure Jeyda. I don't like parties and crowds. Also not everyone is here. Let everyone gather, we can leave after that..ok! " Jan walked away from the table with his empty glass in hand. He couldn't ignore Jeyda's maneuvers anymore and he realized belatedly that that little accident with the champagne glass was no accident at all.

" Guliz, where is Sanem? " Jan asked Guliz when he caught her with Leyla and Ayhan but no Sanem.
" She is in the washroom..." She didn't finish before Jan moved away in search of Sanem.

He found her just as she was coming out of one. " I don't want to go to the party Jan. I am going back home! " Sanem's eyes were red.
" Neither am I Sanem. " Jan replied.
" But you need to be there. This party is for the success of Fikri Harika and... "
"If you are not coming then I am not going either.. " Jan cut her mid sentence.
"Ok. I will go. You can leave first. I will follow with Leyla and Guliz."
" I want us to go together.." Jan answered.
" I am your employee Jan. I can't arrive at a party with you..." Sanem looked down to hide her tears.
" My employee may not but my girl friend surely can! " Sanem looked up at Jan trying to fathom his expression.
" Jan I know we are friends.. " Jan didn't let Sanem finish whatever excuse she was coming up with. He was tired of the games between them. He had been a fool to even contemplate that they ever could be just friends. He slammed her against the wall and kissed her like a man possessed. He ran his fingers through her hair causing it to come undone. After what seemed like eons he slowly lifted his head and looked into eyes filled with love and surrender. It was too much. He burried his face in her hair and inhaled her unique scent. It helped him regain some of his composure but he remained flush against her beautiful body unwilling to lose the intoxicating physical connection.
" Will you come with me.." he didn't get to finish his question.
" Yes" Sanem answered breathlessly
" ..to the chalet in the mountains? " he finished huskily.
" Yes" Sanem replied looking him in the eye.
He searched her eyes trying to understand if she realized what she was saying yes to. Whatever he found there seemed to satisfy him as he took her hand and guided her towards the exit...

To be continued...