A Dream of Little Robots and Fairies

21. Hide and seek

Serkan hit and hit and hit again. He was picturing his anger leaving him with each blow. The more he hit and the more he felt like screaming at how unfair it was for him and Eda never to have a moment of peace and quiet in their lives. Why did her grandmother have to arrive now, when they were finally getting close to experience pure full happiness and be a family? Why did it look like fate always kept something bad up its sleeves?

After a good hour of punching, running, jumping rope and weight exercises, he finally felt drained and calmed down enough to stop. A mischievous idea passed through his mind while he was heading to the locker room. He took out his phone from his bag and snapped a picture of him and sent it without any adjoining message. Then, he decided to only put his sweater on and take a shower at home.

"We've known each other for a couple of years now," Prince Seymen told Eda, speaking about his relationship with Semiha hanim. "She is quite inflexible when it comes to work but her work ethics are known from all parts of the country."

"He came to me with a very interesting project and managed to convince me with his vision. It turned out to be a very good and profitable deal for both sides."

"Absolutely. When we managed to pinpoint the importance of the ecological part of the project, she agreed to increase the budget and found the best contractors to realize it. Semiha hanim is very comprehensive and understanding once everything is clear and presented in an efficient way."

"You are exaggerating Prince Seymen." Semiha hanim chirped with a proud smile.

Eda hummed. "You seem to know her better than I do."

"I doubt it. I believe the ones who know us best are our families."

Eda stared at the older woman with a neutral expression. "I believe you're right."

At that moment, Eda's phone – which had been silent for a while now – buzzed in her bag. She discreetly looked at it while the other two kept on talking. She frowned when she saw that it was a message from Serkan, and that it was actually a picture. Glancing at the others who seemed not to pay attention to her, she opened the conversation and almost died instantly!

She felt her eyes open wide as she looked at the picture he had sent her. He was standing in front of a full-length mirror in what seemed to look like a locker room so he most probably was in the gym, working out his frustration like he usually did. She couldn't see his full face, only his enticing lips and scruff, and above all, his chest. His very muscular chest was covered with a wet grey tank top.

She closed her eyes and gulped. She could almost smell his body from across the miles. His powerful, manly, intoxicating scent. She could clearly picture the drops of sweat dripping down his neck, almost feel his muscles flexing under her palms, and his strong arms closing around her tiny body, his big hands roaming on her hot skin...

"Eda? Are you feeling alright?"

Eda opened her eyes to find two pairs of eyes looking at her worriedly. She wondered what she must have been looking like just then and put on her neutral face again. She would have to get a word with Serkan Bolat for almost throwing her resolve out of the window! Semiha hanim had been clear on her intentions. And Eda didn't want to mess everything up.

"With your permission, I think I'm going to head home. I've had a long day and I still have to work on tomorrow's presentation."

"I understand perfectly, Eda hanim. I wish you could have stayed longer but I admire your dedication to work."

"Thank you Prince Seymen."

"Lütfen, call me Seymen."

Eda smiled awkwardly. "Peki... Seymen."