Same, same but different!

Part 9

Fatma smirks.

Fatma: Uh-huh. And I suppose that glass keeps refilling itself?

Kıvılcım (muttering): If only the same could be said for my patience.

Fatma leans in, raising an eyebrow.

Fatma: So, Are we going to talk about whatever volcanic sexual tension caused the air conditioning in Veritas Gallery to fail yesterday?

Kıvılcım sputters on her wine, coughing.

Kıvılcım: Volcanic? It was more like...

Fatma (grinning): A forest fire? Uncontrolled? Burning through professional boundaries?

Kıvılcım (gritting her teeth): He's annoying.

Fatma: Annoyingly hot.

Kıvılcım: Fatma!

Fatma: Oh come on. The man is carved out of ancient marble. Like a tragic Greek god. Possibly one who gives women trust issues.

Kıvılcım downs her third glass and waves at the bartender.

Kıvılcım:Whiskey. Neat.

Fatma: Whoa, okay. Now it's a party.

Kıvılcım (murmuring): He called me a coward.

Fatma: What?

Kıvılcım: Today we had a heated confrontation in his office. And at the end, after all his arrogant, maddening, ridiculous teasing... he just said it. Coward.

Fatma: Ooof. That's low.

Kıvılcım (quietly): And the worst part is... he wasn't entirely wrong.

Fatma: What do you mean?

Kıvılcım sighs, leans her elbow on the bar, cheek resting in her hand.

Kıvılcım: I've built this perfect box around my life. My son. My work. My memories. And now he's just... cracking the edges of it.

Fatma: Maybe that's a good thing?

Kıvılcım (grumbling): Or maybe he's just a smug, egotistical menace with good bone structure.

Fatma raises her glass.

Fatma: To smug men with good bone structure.

They clink glasses.

Ömer home

Ömer is sitting in his study again. The lights are dim, his sleeves rolled up, a book open on his lap that he hasn't read a word of. He's distracted-clearly.

He finally closes the book, gets up, and walks to the window. The city oblivious in front t of him.

Suddenly, there's a buzz at the intercom. He frowns. He looks at his watch and sees that it's past ten.

Ömer: Who could it be at this time of night?

Ömer walks down the stairs and walks towards the doors.

He looks at the front door monitor and sees Kıvılcım swaying on her heels, arms crossed.

Ömer: No ways. I guess the role has turned tonight Kıvılcım hanım. You're at my door tonight.

Ömer opens the door.

Ömer: Kıvılcım?

Kıvılcım (slurred): Ömerrrr Ünaaaal, I have bones to pick with you!

Kıvılcım stands with her heels in her hands, her bag over her shoulders and her hair pinned up.

Kıvılcım: You said I was a coward, and I came here... to tell you that you're... you're a man-child in an overpriced shirt!