Made For Me

Chapter 3

I muttered, 'What a jerk!' under my breath. I will not let his arrogant ass get the best of me. I'm pretty sure he saw steam coming out of my ears. Relax Nazli, he is trying to get a rise out of you. Just then, Ms. Ikbal calls my name to inform me that the Aslan family needs me to stay the night because they have guests over for drinks. I immediately call Fatos to let her know that I won't be going home. I then set to work on preparing, cooking, and serving an array of fancy hors d'oeuvres that could rival a 5-star restaurant in France or Italy. From spicy lamb meatballs to goat cheese balls, salmon crostini, and a charcuterie board, I took pride in my creations.

After completing my tasks, I took a shower and settled into one of the empty rooms in the maid's quarters for the night. Despite my exhaustion, sleep barely came. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, I saw it was 2:19 AM. I lay on the bed, unable to drift off. Should I get a glass of milk? It could help me relax and sleep. With that in mind, I rose from bed and made my way to the kitchen to pour myself a glass.

While in the kitchen, I took a sip of my milk when suddenly a voice asked, "Couldn't sleep either?" Startled, I accidentally spat out the milk, creating a mess on the floor. Taking a deep breath, I exclaimed, "Could you please refrain from sneaking up on me? It's not that difficult to announce yourself!" Placing a hand on my chest, I doubt it would calm my racing heart. 

A hint of enjoyment appears in the eyes of this poopy head, I'm frustrated that 'poopy head' was the best insult I could muster. I feel like he can read my mind because a smirk appeared on this ridiculous good-looking face, this prompted an eye roll from me. "With all due respect, Mr. Ferit, I find you quite irritating" I mumbled. At 2:30am I clearly didn't care that my job might be on the line. 

He chuckled, and his laughter was infectious, causing me to laugh too. "You're right, actually and it doesn't bother me," he shrugs

 "Then this proves why you are irritating." 

"I might be, but I'm not the one who spent the time putting post-it notes on every item of the fridge." 

"You didn't give me a choice." I quickly remind him with a sour smile. 

"So it's my fault you're crazy?" He whisper yells

"Ugh!" I throw my hands in the air exhausted with Ferit crazy antics. I honestly don't have the energy to continue bickering.  "Well I'm going to sleep. Good night Mr. Ferit" I say before walking away. 

----***----

"Bulut!" I call out as I chase after him in the kitchen. We are both running circles around the island. The mischievous little boy is attempting to sneak a cookie before dinner, and I am on his heels to prevent him from indulging in another treat. "I already told you no more. You better not take that bite," I warn as he teasingly brings the cookie to his mouth in slow motion. In the background, I hear laughter and turn to see Ferit chuckling at our antics. It is the first time I have witnessed his radiant smile, and it is truly is a sight to behold. The man is already striking but when he smiles it elevates his charm to a whole new level.

Breathless, I call out, "Mr. Ferit" after running numerous laps with Bulut.

"Hello, Nazli. Looks like the party is here" he mumbles.

Bulut rushes over to him "Uncle!" I can't help but smile at the sight of this handsome man with his five-year-old nephew. Nazli you are supposed to be mad at him you fool!

"Bulut enjoys testing my limits" I remark, pursing my lips to look at the little menace.

Bulut giggles as Ferit asks, "Is that so, Bulut?"

No," he replies innocently. Ferit then starts tickling him, and watching their dynamic is a heart-melting sight. After a while, Bulut admits that he ate a cookie, and we all laugh at his antics.

In a moment of silence, I blurt out, feeling the love in the air "Bulut is so easy to love."

"He is, and I can see how much he loves you back," he responds, making me blush. Am I in the twilight zone? This is the most we've talked so far after our heated exchange last week. Feeling a bit on the spot, I stay silent. "Mother wanted me to speak with you. We're expecting a full house tomorrow for Zeynep's birthday, so we will need your help with cleaning. Can you start at 7am? We will have about 100 people over. And don't worry about the kitchen, we usually hire a catering company so you won't have to worry about that."

I'm upset. I really wanted this, catering to Turkey's high society and putting my services out there would have helped me attract clients and opportunities. I know I'm just starting out but I'm hopeful that I will soon get a chance to cater.

"Sure I will be here early."

Later in the day as I'm cleaning the sink, Zeynep enters the bathroom with excitement. "Hi Nazli," she greets me.

"Hi, Ms. Zeynep," I respond formally.

"Girl, enough with the formality. We've talked enough to be friends, so please just call me Zeynep," she insists.

I blush and apologize, "Sorry, Zeynep."

She then surprises me by inviting me to her birthday party. "I only want my close friends there, so consider this your invitation. The party starts at 6. Dress formally."

I am taken aback and ask, "I'm invited? Are you sure?"

She confirms "See you at 6!"

After Zeynep leaves, I rush to the maids' quarters to call Fatos. My hands are trembling, I'm so nervous. Once Fatos answers, I whisper "Fatos, I've been invited to a party. Zeynep is inviting me to her birthday party!" Fatos exclaims loudly, "OH MY GOD!"

"Fatos, what am I going to wear? Zeynep said it's a formal event. I'm used to sneakers and t-shirts, I don't know anything about formal attire. Is formal a suit or formal formal like a gown with glitter. I don't even own anything with glitter." I ramble. When I'm anxious my thoughts spill from my lips.

"Calm down. Maybe I can borrow something from the atelier?" Fatos suggests.

"Borrow? Fatos, are you serious? I can't just 'borrow' a dress, and I definitely can't afford those expensive dresses. Maybe I should just tell her I have other plans."

"Have you lost your mind? This is Turkey's high society and invitations like these are rare. You have to go!" Fatos insists.

Instead of borrowing anything from the atelier, I decided to meet up with Fatos at Zara. "What do you think?" I step out of the dressing room in a sleek black satin dress. Fatos pauses, pursing her lips before exclaiming, "Hmm, not quite." Disappointed, I retreat back into the dressing room and emerge in a polka dot asymmetrical ruching dress. "I'm not a fan," Fatos responds with a hint of distaste. With limited options, I purchased the black satin slip dress.

"Okay, I'm done" I say confidently walking out of my room. My hair is sleek straight, my makeup is simple with an eyeliner and red lips, I also paired the dress with strappy silver heels. Feeling beautiful, I wait for Fatos' opinion. "You look stunning Twigs." We hug goodbye and I walk out to hail a cab.