Your Grace - Burak Çelik

CHAPTER 8

"I know quite a bit, I study it," said Ayedah, slightly affronted. "But not everything." "You're not Turkish?" asked Burak. "No, I'm well..." What was she? She didn't associate herself with her mother's family of Yemenis, nor with her father's anonymous family whom she did not know the origin- all she knew that he and Aunty Gab were from Southeast Asia. Ayedah frowned as she pondered on what to answer him, and finally said, "British. I grew up in the UK."

"Interesting," said Burak, continuing to stroke his horse. "And how did you get a job here?" "Ozge," said Ayedah plainly. "She's my best friend, and she knows I'm an unemployed writer. She helped me find a job here." "Don't you need to know Turkish to work here?" asked Burak with a raised eyebrow. "Aii, yeter artık yaa," grumbled Ayedah in Turkish, taking Burak aback but making him laugh all the same. "I know enough to read and write professionally. It's just the conversation I still need working on." "Tamam, tamam," he chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the sides as he grinned. Ayedah narrowed her eyes at him, slightly irritated. She opened her mouth to say something, but the horse whose face Burak was stroking whinnied suddenly and she jumped back in shock.

"Good God," she shuddered, clutching at her chest dramatically, making Burak chortle. "He won't hurt you," he said kindly. "Come and pet him." Ayedah squinted at the horse, reluctant. "Come on," repeated Burak, and stuck out his hand. Stiffening up slightly at the offer to take her hand, Ayedah furrowed her brow. She stepped forward on her own to pet the horse without taking Burak's outstretched hand, and slowly lowered her palm to the horse's long face. To her surprise, its fur was soft, and warm as she pressed her hand gently into it. She gasped as the horse made a soft whinny at her touch, but didn't move her hand.

"It means he likes you," said Burak. "Go on, stroke him." Ayedah nodded at him, and she carefully ran her hand up and down the horse's face just as Burak did. She found herself becoming comfortable with it, and a smile curled up on her lips. She didn't even realize that Burak had put his hand upon the horse's face to stroke it too, and continued to do so comfortably. But suddenly, his hand touched hers and she stiffened up- the contact sending electricity through her skin like it always did when she touched someone who wasn't Ozge or her aunt. She gulped silently, and Burak looked at her, his icy eyes gazing intently at her. She looked back up at him, and once again found it hard to breathe- she wanted to draw her hand away like she always did, as if physical contact burned her, but for some reason couldn't.

She just couldn't.

"He likes you, Ayedah," said Burak softly, and smiled at her- but suddenly he then tensed up himself and drew away. Ayedah coughed, slightly embarrassed but forced a smile at him all the same to not make it awkward. "He's nice," she said. "Is this Amor?" "No, this is the horse I ride during filming," said Burak, averting his eyes. "Amor is the dark horse I was training on this morning." "Oh." Ayedah turned back to the horse, and tickled his nose slightly. "He's cute," she said, and Burak chuckled- but still, he didn't meet her eyes. "Thanks," he said, and a voice was heard coming toward them.

"Ayedah, there you are!"

Relieved, Ayedah looked around Burak to see Ozge walking toward them, and she smiled. "Hi Ozge," she greeted her, and drew away from Burak and his horse to walk over to her. "Oh, so you've finally stroked a horse now," said Ozge, smiling at the horse and giving him a little pet on the head. "Thank you for getting her to actually touch one, Celik. She absolutely refused this morning." Ayedah went red and glared at Ozge as Burak smiled at her, but he still didn't look up or meet their eyes. "It's my pleasure," he said, but then grabbed an empty bucket and left the stables. Ayedah frowned, slightly confused by his sudden stand-offishness. Ozge raised an eyebrow at him. "Probably off to get food for the horses," she said. "We're all supposed to take care of our own horses here, but sometimes Burak does it for us. There are times we even have to talk him out of doing anything for the other horses, and focus just on his white beauty here and Amor."