YES, LET'S JUST BE FRIENDS

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SANEM WAS STILL TYRING TO PROCESS WHAT SHE HAD JUST HEARD FROM TANER WHEN CAN AND CEYDA CAME OUT OF HIS OFFICE. HE WALKED WITH HER TO THE ELEVATOR, COMPLETELY IGNORING TANER.  SANEM SAID GOODBYE TO TANER AND HE FOLLOWED CEYDA TO THE ELEVATOR.  CAN NEVER ACKNOWLEDGE TANERS PRESENCE AS HE SAID GOODBYE TO CEYDA. SANEM QUICKLY WALKED TO THE RESTROOM, SHE WASN'T READY TO ENCOUNTER CAN JUST YET.. ON HIS WAY BACK TO HIS OFFICE CAN LOOKED AROUND FOR HER BUT DIDN'T SEE HER,SO HE RETURNED TO HIS OFFICE...CAN WAS GOING OVER WHAT CEYDA HAD TOLD HIM IN THEIR MEETING.  THE POSSIBILITIES OF WHAT IT WOULD MEAN FOR THE AGENCY IF COMPASS SPORTS WERE TO OPEN UP ANOTHER LOCATION.  BUT HE WASN'T SURE IF IT WOULD BE THE BEST THING FOR HIM.

SANEM WAS STILL HURT AND CONFUSED  AS TO WHY CAN WOULD HAVE TOLD TANER THAT THEY WERE MERELY FRIENDS. HAD SHE MISUNDERSTOOD HIS ACTIONS...SHE WONDERED, AS SHE LET THAT FEELING OF DISAPPOINTMENT OVER WHELM HER. .." WELL, IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, " SHE THOUGHT, AS SHE RETURNED TO HER DESK. SHE GATHERED HER STUFF AND GOT READY TO LEAVE FOR THE DAY.  IT WAS A LITTLE EARLY BUT SHE HAD TO GET SOME FRESH AIR...SHE HEADED OUT THE FRONT DOOR TO CATCH THE BUS. JUST AS SHE WAS BOARDING THE BUS  CAN CAME JOGGING OUT OF THE BUILDING CALLING HER NAME. SHE STOPPED IN THE DOORWAY OF THE BUS AND LOOKED AROUND AS HE WAVED FOR HER TO COME BACK.  SHE STARED AT HIM, FEELING THAT SAME PAIN AS BEFORE.  MY HEART HAS HAD ENOUGH,  SHE TOLD HERSELF, THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO FEEL.... SHE STEPPED THROUGH THE DOOR OF THE BUS AND DIDN'T LOOK BACK...

CAN YELLED,  " SANEM, WAIT.  HEY WE NEED TO TALK. " BUT THE BUS DROVE AWAY WITH SANEM INSIDE...A STRANGE FEELING CAME OVER HIM AS HE WONDERED WHAT HAD BROUGHT THAT ON.  HE GRABBED HIS PHONE AND RANG HER NUMBER,  BUT THE CALL WAS DECLINED.  WHAT'S SHE DOING?  CAN WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED, THINKING MAYBE SHE  UPSET ABOUT CEYDA.  HE WENT BACK TO HIS OFFICE TO FINISH UP WHAT HE HAD GOING,  THEN HE WOULD GO TO HER HOUSE AND SEE HER, THEY HAD TO TALK. 

SANEM GOT OFF THE BUS AT HER REGULAR STOP,  BUT SHE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE GOING HOME SO SHE HEADED TO THE COAST.   SHE CALLED HER MOM TO LET HER KNOW SHE WOULDN'T BE HOME FOR DINNER....THE AIR WAS WARM AND COMFORTING, BUT HER THOUGHTS OF CAN  MADE HER ANXIOUS. WHY WAS HE DOING THIS, SHE ASKED HERSELF,  HE WAS THE ONE THAT SAID HE WANTED TO BE MORE THAN JUST FRIENDS, THAT HE LOVED HER,  SO WHEN DID IT CHANGE...LETTING HER HEART OPEN UP TO THAT POSSIBILITY HAD BEEN A MISTAKE,  BUT SHE KNEW IT WOULD BE...

TANER DIDN'T WASTE ANY TIME AS HE HURRIED TO SANEMS HOUSE THAT EVENING. HE RANG THE BELL AND WAITED AS MEVKIBE OPENED THE DOOR. " TANER, HOW ARE YOU? "  HOW CAN  I HELP YOU "  SHE SAID..."  MS. MEVKIBE, I'M LOOKING FOR SANEM, IS SHE HOME YET."  HE ASKED  " NO SON, SHE CALLED AND SAID SHE WAS GOING TO THE PIER FOR A WHILE TO GET SOME AIR."  SHE TOLD HIM....." OK THANKS, I'LL CATCH UP WITH HER THERE THEN. " HE REPLIED WITH EXCITEMENT....HE DROVE TO THE PIER AND PARKED, LOOKING AROUND FOR A MINUTE,  HE SPOTTED  HER SITTING AT A TABLE IN THE OUTDOOR CAFE..... " SANEM, THERE YOU ARE, I HAVE  BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU. "  HE YELLED.   SHE LOOKED AROUND, NOT EXPECTING HIM TO FIND HER THERE.  "TANER, WHAT DO YOU WANT? " SHE ASKED .  " I THOUGHT WE WOULD GO FOR DINNER, IF YOU WANT? "  HE SAID, GIVING HER THAT SMILE OF HIS.... SHE LOOKED AWAY,  " I'M NOT GOING TO BE VERY GOOD COMPANY TONIGHT, " SHE SAID, " I HAVE A LOT ON MY MIND. "   HE KNEW SHE WAS STILL THINKING ABOUT WHAT HE HAD TOLD HER EARLIER IN THE DAY AND WANTED TO HELP HER GET CAN OF HER MIND... HE REACHED FOR HER HAND, " THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE," HE SAID, " YOU ARE ALWAYS THE BEST COMPANY.  COME ON LETS GO.  I KNOW A GREAT LITTLE FISH PLACE A FEW BLOCKS FROM HERE. "  HE REPLIED, URGING HER DOWN THE PIER.

CAN DECIDED TO LOOK AT THE PIER FIRST BEFORE  GOING TO HER HOUSE.  HE KNEW SHE SOMETIMES WENT THERE TO CLEAR HER HEAD.. AS HE PULLED UP TO THE SPOT SHE LIKED THE BEST, HE SAW HER GETTING INTO THE CAR WITH TANER.  HE COULDN'T BELIEVE HIS EYES, "THAT'S JUST GREAT,  HE SAID OUT LOUD.  IF THIS GUY DOESN'T STOP WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A REAL PROBLEM... " OK TANER, I'LL PLAY YOUR GAME. "  CAN THOUGHT.   HE DROVE TO SANEMS' STREET AND PARKED, HE WOULD WAIT UNTIL SHE CAME HOME AND THEN THEY WOULD TALK...

SANEM WAS DEFINITELY IN A BAD MOOD.  DINNER WAS QUICK AND SHE BARELY FINISHED HER DINNER BEFORE SHE REQUESTED TO GO HOME... TANER KNEW HE HAD TO GET HER BACK SOMEHOW, SINCE THE FAILED ATTEMPT AT THE CAMPOUT...HE PULLED UP IN FRONT OF HER DOOR, SHE GAVE HIM A SLIGHT HUG AND STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR.  " GOODNIGHT TANER, THANKS FOR DINNER. "  SHE MUMBLED, AS SHE SHUT THE CAR DOOR....HE WAVED AND RELUCTANTLY DROVE AWAY.  CAN JUMPED OUT OF HIS TRUCK AND RAN DOWN THE STREET TO HER DOOR.  " SANEM, WAIT.  I NEED TO TALK TO YOU. " HE SHOUTED..

SHE TRIED TO GET IN THE DOOR BEFORE HE REACHED HER, BUT SHE WASN'T SUCCESSFUL.. "WHAT DO YOU WANT CAN, I'M TIRED AND WANT TO GO TO BED. "  SHE SPAT BACK AT HIM.   "SANEM WHATS'GOING ON, WHY ARE YOU ACTING SO MAD AT ME? "  HE ASKED..   " I'M NOT ACTING CAN,  I AM MAD. " SHE SHOUTED.. CAN TOOK GRABBED HER ARM AND PULLED HER CLOSE TO HIM,  " WHY, WHAT HAPPENED, YOU HAVE TO TELL ME."  HE WHISPERED.. " WHY WERE YOU WITH HIM TONIGHT?  DID HE SAY SOMETHING TO YOU? "  SHE LOOKED INTO HIS EYES WITH FURY,  " WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE TO YOU, WE ARE STRICTLY FRIENDS AND NOTHING MORE, RIGHT. "  SHE SPEWED, FEELING THE TEARS BURN HER EYES.  HER WORDS TOOK CAN BY SURPRISE, " NO, AND WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT.  THAT'S NOT HOW I FEEL AT ALL. "  HE SPOUTED.  " WHERE DID THAT COME FROM, " HE ASKED, MORE CONFUSED THAN EVER.  SHE TRIED TO PULL AWAY, BUT HE HAD A SOLID GRIP ON HER, " SANEM, TALK TO ME, DID TANER TELL YOU THAT.  PLEASE....TALK TO ME.

" YES, " SHE SAID, SHIFTING HER EYES AWAY FROM HIM.  " HE TOLD ME THAT WAS WHAT YOUR FIGHT WAS ABOUT WHEN WE WERE CAMPING.  CAN SHOOK HIS HEAD, " WHAT?  HE TOLD YOU THAT I SAID WE WERE ONLY FRIENDS? "  CAN WHIRLED AROUND KICKING AT THE DIRT.  " SANEM, I PROMISE THOSE WORDS NEVER LEFT MY MOUTH, NEVER. I COULDN'T EVEN DREAM OF SAYING SOMETHING LIKE THAT." HE SHOUTED.  CAN LEANED IN CLOSE TO HER, "DON'T YOU SEE WHAT HE'S TRYING TO DO. HE WANTS YOU FOR HIMSELF, THAT'S WHAT HE TOLD ME.  I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF HIM THEN, I  DON'T  KNOW WHY I DIDN'T.  BUT HE'S NOT GETTING AWAY WITH THIS. " .....YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME SANEM"......HE LIFTED HER HEAD AND LOOKED INTO HER EYES.....

HIS EYES.......THEY ALWAYS TOLD HER WHAT SHE NEEDED TO KNOW........