Artemis (CanEm Fan-Fiction)

Chapter Fifteen

Can had respected Sanem that night. He had so much to say to her, but he could tell she was angry and upset and it killed him knowing that he'd been the cause of that. But it was now the next day and all of this waiting around was killing him. He needed to see her, and it was near impossible to do so when he no longer worked for him so, he did what he had to do and asked Leyla to bring her into work with him the next day.

Leyla had refused at first but after Can's persistence, she reluctantly agreed.

So, Can tried to keep himself busy in the office before Sanem's impending arrival. He had been impatient at home and gotten to the agency hours before the sun had even gone up. The office was dark when he arrived, but he didn't care. He was giddy inside. The thought of seeing her again when they both had clearer heads gave him hope. To pass the time, he made himself tea, but it didn't taste as good as Sanem's. He paced his office, he read over prospective campaigns – he even undid and re-tied his bun.

It felt like an eternity but ... time eventually played to his favour and there she was, familiarly knocking on his door like she'd once done daily.

However, her hair looked different to what he had seen it before. It was pushed back away from her face in tiny little braids; a strand or two free to frame her face, and she was dressed for the weather in a jumper and a pair of jeans. She looked casual and yet still like most beautiful person Can had ever set his eyes on.

"Come in, Sanem." He beckoned her over with his fingers and he watched her hesitate slightly, inhaling deeply, before she complied.

"What am I doing here, Mr. Can?" Sanem used her formal 'work-voice' as if her and Can were what everybody thought they were – just a boss and his employee.

"Can, Sanem." Can scolded Sanem like he remembered doing at his house. When they were alone, he was just Can. And if she failed to call him Can when they were by themselves, he would have to stick by the threat he had made back then and kiss her for slipping up. "Call me, Can."

"Can, why did you call me here?" Sanem folded her arms over her chest and stood by the door. By being by the door, she was safe. She had an escape. He couldn't corner her against a wall or engulf her with his scent. She had no ties here, she could run if she wanted to.

"I want you to take your job back."

"What?"

"You heard me." Sanem's eyes widened and her jaw dropped lightly as she contemplated Can's request. This was the guy that was meant to be going to see his ex-girlfriend – why was he asking for her to come back to work? "I want you back at the agency."

"But why?"

"Because you're good at what you do!" Can was desperate to have her back. He needed to see her daily. He had upset her, and he was going to repent. The past had represented that Can and Sanem couldn't stay away from each other, no matter how hard they tried, and Can was relying on that now.

"Why now?"

"Sanem, nobody – not even my own brother – thought to do what you did." Can pushed the cheque signed by Fabri forward. "You put yourself on the line for my company, my dad's legacy, not because you had to but because you cared-"

"Mr. Can-"

"Can." Can got up from his seat and walked towards Sanem. As he did, Sanem felt her breathe falter. She repeated a light mantra in her head – 'please don't kiss me, please don't kiss me, please don't kiss me' because she knew, if he did, she'd be hopeless. There would be a stupid grin on her face and she'd be able to hold her ground. "Sanem, the agency needs your creativity, your dedication-"

"Look, I did what I needed to do." Sanem looked down at her feet awkwardly. "I did my fair share of damage. I'm done here now – a fresh start."

"You can have that here!" Can's desperation was showing as he threw his arms up in exasperation. "Look, Deren is going to Antalya for business this week and a big campaign has just come in. You'd be perfect for the creative director role-"

"I'm just the run around girl-" Sanem wasn't remotely qualified for Deren's job.

"But you're much, much more than that, Sanem!" Can began to list off all the significant contributions she had made to the company's success.

"You're just saying that because you feel-" Sanem was going to say guilty. Can was just saying all of this because he felt guilty – guilty for not trusting her, guilty for thinking about going to England.

"Sanem." Can knew what she was going to say and sighed deeply. He had disappointed her and her expectations of him and he knew it would take some elbow grease to get Sanem back. But the only way he knew how was to spend time with her. And the only way he could spend time with her was if she said yes to his offer.

He seized Sanem's elbow and pulled her towards him, their bodies coming flush against one another. Warmth radiated between the two of them and Sanem couldn't help but feel at home. Can's hold was comforting, and the weaker, more romantic side of wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and rest her head against the comforting sound and feel of his heartbeat. "You have a creative mind and I need you on this campaign. Forget the past, forget what you did, forget what I did ... you wanted a fresh start, right? Well here it is."

"I don't know-"

"Sanem, if we lose this campaign, all of your work with Fabri would have been for nothing."

Fabri's money helped the agency, yes, but it wasn't solely enough to save the agency from bankruptcy. This upcoming advertising campaign with Compass Sport would determine whether Fikri Harika made it back onto the well-established business ladder or not.

"I have a job," Sanem tried to rebut with as much conviction as she could muster. "With Osman."

"Sanem, please."

Sanem paused and contemplated her options. She wanted to say no, she wanted to teach him a lesson. She also wasn't sure how healthy it was going to be to work with Can again. She remembered the tears, remembered how hard it was to see him daily and not actually be with him. The logical thing would be for her to say no and that's what she was going to say ... but her spontaneous mouth didn't say that. In fact, it said the one thing that ignited ambivalent emotions in both Can and Sanem.

"Okay, I'll come back."