Keşke

Offers

"Emre Bey!  I couldn't"-

He cut her off.  "Consider it an advance.  You can take care of your issue, and secure your spot here at the agency to work it off."  She still protested.  "Why would you do this?  I've done nothing to earn this kind of favor from you."

"Sanem- it's not a favor-  it's a simple pay advance.  This is done from time to time in business- nothing out of the norm.  It's a way to keep you employed - you won't be dismissed if you owe the company."  She still didn't feel right - "Sanem- this buys us some time, tamam?  We can work to save the agency from my brother with your time here."

"Save the agency... why would Can Bey want to hurt his family's business... what does he plan?"  She pressed.   Emre sighed with some frustration at this girl's ability to remain steadfast.  "He will sell it and take the proceeds to spend on his next frivolous excursion to entertain himself, leaving us all hung out to dry."  She frowned at the thought that this family's dynamic was so different from hers.  Did they truly not care about one another?  Yes, Can Bey had seemed like he could be a stubborn man, but he also seemed genuine in his affection for his father- perhaps a little less of a connection with his brother, but that hardly equated to this kind of ploy to destroy the family business and desert.

Emre could see her mind working...  An inner argument with herself.  He pushed again.  "Sanem.  You don't know this business, you don't my brother like I do.  Trust me."

She looked from him back down to the check in her hand.  This could be such a weight lifted from her family- to get the store back and Jackal out of their lives...  well- out of their business at least.  It could also help Emre Bey get her sister back to work...  if his story was true.  And-it would keep her at the agency, out of the clutches of an unwanted marriage.  As hard as it was for her to believe a family could be this way to each other, she truly didn't have the first clue about this business, or the Divit family history.  She knew Leyla respected Emre Bey and he had been the one there at the agency, while it seemed his brother was off gallivanting around until now.

Still.  Something just wasn't sitting well with her in this whole thing.  She offered a compromise of sorts.  "Emre Bey, can I have tonight to think about this?"   He was losing her - "Sanem-  we must be quick.  My brother may not have my business savvy, but he's no idiot.  He's a smart man, and can be very direct in his approach, so things could move quickly with additional dismissals if we don't get in front of this!"

"I understand what you say Emre Bey, but you said yourself-  this is all very new to me... It's so much bigger than me."  He nodded a bit in understanding, trying to keep from being overly aggressive.  He figured she'd completely abandon the idea if he took that tactic with her, so he refrained-  trying for a connection with her compassionate nature instead.  "Sanem, I understand this, for sure-  I am sorry- I didn't mean to push, but this situation is of the utmost importance and time is against us right now."  She recoiled a bit further at that... it was going to backfire!  He felt now, that if he didn't retreat a bit, she'd refuse the offer right then and there.

"But it can wait for tomorrow."  She immediately softened again- the wall she'd started to build up ceasing it's advance.  She conveyed her gratitude for his understanding in such turmoil.  "Thank you very much Emre Bey!  I just need to consider everything... and I'm supposed to meet with someone after work about this debt you overheard, so once we've talked and I know their intentions, I can make a better-informed decision about this advance...  it's a significant thing you know." She set the check on the table and slid it to Emre, who simply looked at it for a beat, then picked it up, rose and placed it in his desk drawer, locking it.

He said "I wish you luck with your meeting, but I'll keep this ready to go for you tomorrow."  He forced a smile that seemed sincere enough.

"Thanks again Emre Bey-  really."

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said.

Sanem left his office to check her workstation for any unfinished tasks she needed to close out before she left.  Hurrying out the door, she turned her body before her head, promptly crashing into Can Bey, full force.  She bounced off his rock-hard torso, but he caught her with one of his brawny arms around her back, his other shifting to her hip to balance her.  They each took a minute to recover from the shock of the impact and then spoke over each other... 

S-"I'm so sorry!"    C-"Are you alright!?"

C-"It's OK."    S-"I'm OK."

Soft smiles are exchanged and as they part ways, each back to their original course, neither smile faded until a few steps further down their paths.  Can thought it a rather pleasant encounter.  Sanem shared the sentiment, but also had a flashback to the opera house.  He was a large man...  she wondered for half a second, then shook it off, recalling that she'd seen Can Bey at the exits-  he was wearing casual clothes and boots, so it couldn't have been him.  She made a mental note to add height/size as a determining factor as she gathered possible candidates for her mystery man...  

She decided she also needed a code name.  Really she had already subconsciously begun thinking about him as The Albatross- the great Galapagos bird she had become enamored with in her studies.

After clearing out a couple of things, she headed to the drink station to tidy up.  Can Bey appeared out of nowhere and asked for tea before she left for the day.  "Of course Can Bey."  He smiled in thanks and headed to his office.

She made a cup of tea and went to deliver it, pausing at his door.  He was at his desk, facing away from the door.  She took a moment, appreciating his form, relaxed back in his chair, his hair coming slightly loose from its binding.  He had reached back with one hand, rubbing his neck/shoulder area for a moment.  She noticed his rings, accentuating the length of his fingers.  They seemed very strong, but gentle...  perhaps attentive, as her mind flashed back to the feel of his fingers at the opera house as they traced a shiver down the back of her arm.  Uff Sanem!  Get your head together!  She scolded herself and waved her hand in front of her face to bring reality back.

She knocked on his door-  He leaned his head back over his shoulder, seeing her and waving her in he said "Thank you, Sanem."  She smiled, telling him "Bon Appetit" as she turned towards the door.  "Sanem?" he called before he could stop himself, a bit surprised at himself as he really didn't know why he'd stopped her.  "Evet, Can Bey?"

He paused a moment to come up with something.  "Eh-  would you care to join me?  Bring yourself a cup?  I remembered you also enjoy the chai," it was a weak offer he knew, but it's all he had, smiling at her in some small hope.

She smiled back, "Tamam...  I'll get a cup, thank you Can Bey."