If You Tell Me To Stay

Chapter 10

Can pulled up in front of the restaurant's valet stand. Sanem looked out the window at the establishment. Wow! This place is fancy! Wait, is this a date? This seems like a place for a date. Not that I have much experience with that.

One of the valet attendants opened the car door for her and she stepped out of the car. She looked down at her clothes feeling extremely under dressed. Can circled around to her side of the car and saw her look of concern. He followed her gaze from her outfit back to the restaurant.

"This place is.... Gorgeous. I've never eaten in a place this nice before. I think I'm a little underdressed though."

"You look beautiful."

She blushed and averted her gaze. She wasn't convinced.

"We don't have to eat here. Do you want to go somewhere else?"

"Umm.." She looked at another couple entering the restaurant arm in arm. The woman was wearing a knee length dress, strappy high heels, and sparkling jewelry.

Can caught her looking at the couple walking in next to them. He did not want her to be uncomfortable in any way. He had wanted to impress her by going somewhere elegant. But he had now realized his mistake. Sanem was not like most of the other women in his life. She wouldn't be impressed by chandleries, maître d's, an extensive wine menu and a sommelier to go with it. I could have at least warned her.

"Let's go somewhere else. You're my friend and I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Friend. The word hurt him a little to say and her to hear. But even so, knowing this wasn't a date in his mind helped her relax.

Can spoke to one of the valets who told him where a good place would be and they walked in that direction. They settled down in another restaurant much more to Sanem's liking and Can's as well. They fell quickly into easy conversation.

"So I have good news." Sanem said with obvious excitement in her voice that Can adored.

"What's that?"

"When you called before I was about to go into the grocery store to apply for the job."

"And...? You got the job!?" He was so happy for her.

"Well, no. Not exactly."

"Oh..." Can's face dropped, "but you said you had good news.."

"I do. I went to city hall and met with Miss Deren. Thank you for the warning by the way." She smiled, "I was about to ask after the grocery store job when something.... inexplicable came over me. I saw the town paper on the desk with an article about the retiring editor, and before I knew it, I was applying to fulfill her position."

"What? Really? Am I now looking at the new editor of the Fener Gazette?"

"Well, no. Not yet. And its to be co-editor. I also have a trial period I need to pass first. It's a miracle I was even able to convince Miss Deren to give me that. I'm not exactly qualified."

"What made you want to be the editor then?"

"I have always loved writing. Ever since I was little. I would write stories and plays. I would then make my friends act them out." She laughed at herself remembering how bossy she was. "That's what I've always wanted to be, a writer. I was majoring in creative writing and classic literature before I had to drop out. But apparently this was enough to land me a trial period. That, and the fact that no one else had applied yet." she said humbly.

"Dropped out?" Can was thinking college was another thing she had to leave behind once she moved out here.

"Yeah well, my parents needed help. Money was tight. And me helping at the store before class and on the weekends wasn't enough."