YES, LET'S JUST BE FRIENDS

CHAPTER TWELVE

THEY DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY BACK HOME IN SILENCE. HE WOULD GLANCE AT HER FROM TIME TO TIME WITH THE LOOK OF DEVOTION, OR WAS IT PURE UNDENIABLE DESIRE.  HE NEVER RELEASED HER HAND AND THEY DROVE BACK TO ISTANBUL. JUST HIS TOUCH MADE HER FEEL SAFE AND COMFORTABLE. SHE KNEW THAT CAN FELT THE SAME WAY....TANER HAD DONE OR SAID SOMETHING THAT HIT HIM IN THE CORE, SHE COULD SENSE IT,  IT WAS SO EASY FOR HER TO READ HIS THOUGHTS. THE PROTECTIVE SIDE OF CAN DIVIT WAS PERHAPS HIS MOST  ATTRACTIVE SIDE.....IF YOU WERE IN HIS LIFE IT MEANT HE ALLOWED YOU IN.  HE DIDN'T ACCEPT EVERYONE OR ALLOW MOST PEOPLE TO GET CLOSE TO HIM. THAT WAS HIS DEFENSE MECHANISM. IT HELPED HIM TO ALWAYS BE IN CONTROL..

WHEN THEY ARRIVED BACK IN TOWN, HE ASKED TO TAKE HER HOME TO MAKE SURE SHE GOT THERE SAFELY. SHE AGREED,  KNOWING THERE WOULD BE NO OTHER WAY.....HE WAS CALM NOW, BUT STILL WOULD NOT TALK ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED AT THE CAMP..."  SANEM, YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT , " HE TOLD HER .  " I WILL TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING. "  THAT CONCERNED HER MORE. "  WHAT IS IT YOU'LL TAKE CARE OF CAN,  I REALLY NEED TO KNOW. "  SHE BEGGED.  CAN LOOKED AT HER, SMOOTHED HER HAIR AND SMILED, " YOU,  YOU SANEM. " I WILL TAKE OF YOU ALWAYS. "  SHE WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD AT HIS CLOSENESS, SO SHE NODDED HER HEAD, QUICKLY  GRABBED HER BAG AND TOLD HIM GOODNIGHT.

THAT FEELING, LIKE A  SWARM OF BUTTERFLIES FILLED  HER BODY, MAKING HER WEAK. HIS EYES ALWAYS PENETRATED HER, LOOKING STRAIGHT INTO HER SOUL. HE WAS LIKE A LION, THERE TO GUARD AND PROTECT WHAT WAS HIS.  SHE TURNED AND WAVED AS SHE WENT INSIDE...WAS HE READY TO FORGIVE HER,  COULD HE ACCEPT  WHAT SHE HAD DONE AND THE REASON BEHIND IT.  SHE KNEW IT WAS HARD FOR HIM TO THINK LIKE OTHERS, TO LOOK AT THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE SHE HAD GIVEN HIM.  HE STILL NEEDED TIME, SHE NEEDED TIME,  IT HAD TO BE RIGHT THE NEXT TIME, OR SHE WOULDN'T SURVIVE....

TANER FELT LIKE THE TESTING WAS BIG SUCCESS, THEY HAD PUT THE PRODUCTS THROUGH THE PACES AND THEY EACH PERFORMED PERFECTLY. NOW ALL THEY NEEDED TO DO WAS PUT THEM ON THE MARKET.  HE FELT PROUD OF ALL HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS, WITH THE NEW PRODUCTS AND WITH CAN DIVIT.  HE COULD SEE THAT CAN ACTED FROM ANGER.  IT WAS THAT  IRRATIONAL AND SPONTANEOUS BEHAVIOR THAT WOULD CAUSE CAN TO LOSE THIS GAME.  ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS WAIT FOR SANEM TO SEE IT..MAYBE WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIM.

THE NEXT DAY WAS CRAZY IN THE OFFICE. SO MANY DEAD LINES TO MEET AND DEREN WAS IN A TERRIBLE MOOD.  NO ONE HAD TIME TO EVEN LOOK UP, UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON.  SHE HAD MOVED TO THE ARCHIVE ROOM TO FINISH THE RESEARCH ON THE TIRE COMPANY, WHEN CAN POPPED HIS HEAD AROUND  THE CORNER, " HEY, THERE YOU ARE, " HE SAID. " I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY, AND I'M ABOUT TO LEAVE SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY GOODNIGHT. HE SAT DOWN ON THE FILING CABINET NEXT TO HER DESK AND REACHED FOR  HER HAND. " HEY ARE YOU OK, YOU SEEM QUIET. " HE ASKED. " I'M SORRY ABOUT TODAY BUT IT'S JUST BEEN HECTIC."  SHE SMILED AT HIM BUT LOOKED AWAY AS SHE NODDED HER HEAD, TO LET HIM SHE WAS FINE..  " I'M WAS JUST WONDERING HOW YOU ARE, AFTER YESTERDAY AND WHATEVER THAT THING WAS THAT HAPPENED BETWEEN YOU AND TANER. " SHE QUESTIONED....CAN RAISED HIS HAND TO STOP HER,   " LET'S NOT EVEN MENTION HIS NAME, OK " HE STATED, " IT JUST GETS ME ANGRY. BUT I'M OK NOW. "  SANEM KNEW NOT TO PUSH HIM SO SHE AGREED. " MAYBE WE COULD HAVE LUNCH TOMORROW AND TALK." HE TOLD HER, BEFORE TELLING  GOODNIGHT.  JUST THE THOUGHT OF BEING ALONE TOGETHER, EVEN FOR JUST A LUNCH MADE THE BODY TINGLE....SHE SMILED, " OK, THAT SOUNDS GOOD." SHE SAID, HER HEART BEATING HARD..

SHE FINISHED HER WORK AND CALLED IT A NIGHT...STILL CONCERNED ABOUT CAN AND TANER, AND ALL THE PRESUMPTIONS THAT TANER HAD CAME TO.  JUST TO ASSUME SHE WOULD STAY THE NIGHT WITH HIM IN THE WOODS HAD ANGERED HER. THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A SERIOUS TALK....

THE NEXT DAY HAD SERVED UP THE SAME CRAZINESS. RIGHT BEFORE LUNCH TIME CEYDA AND TANER MADE THEIR APPEARANCE,  DRAWING ATTENTION FROM EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE...SHE WALTZED INTO CAN'S OFFICE AS IF SHE OWNED THE PLACE, AND TANER STOPPED OFF AT HER DESK. AS SHE STOOD TO WELCOME HIM, HE SURPRISED HER BY GIVING HER A HUG, " HOW ARE YOU? " HE ASKED. " THINGS GOT A LITTLE BAZAAR AT THE CAMPOUT,  I HOPE EVERYTHING IS BACK TO NORMAL NOW.."  SANEM NODDED TELLING HIM SHE WAS FINE, AS SHE STEPPED BACK AWAY FROM HIM.  " TANER, TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOU AND MR. CAN THE OTHER DAY,   HE WON'T TELL ME ANYTHING, BUT I COULD TELL HE WAS UPSET." SHE SAID. " OH THAT, " TANER REMARKED. " IT WAS A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION, I WOULD SAY.  HOPE YOU'RE NOT MAD AT ME, BUT I ASK CAN WHERE THINGS STOOD BETWEEN YOU TWO. YOU KNOW, JUST SO I WOULD KNOW. "   SANEM LOOKED AT HIM,  " AND, WHAT DID HE SAY? " SHE ASKED HESITANTLY,  NOT SURE IF SHE WAS READY TO HEAR THE ANSWER. TANER LAUGHED, " WELL, HE ASSURED ME THAT YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS STRICTLY A FRIENDSHIP AND NOTHNG MORE, BUT HE GOT UPSET WHEN I ACCUSED HIM OF LEADING YOU ON, WHEN HE KNEW PERFECTLY WELL THAT YOU HAD FEELINGS FOR HIM. "  TANER REPLIED...

SANEM HAD EVERY FEELING OF HURT AND ANGER YOU COULD IMAGINE....SHE YELLED AT TANER..." WHY DID YOU SAY THAT, I NEVER SAID I HAD FEELINGS FOR MR. CAN, WHERE DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT? "  SHE WAS FURIOUS WITH HIM.  HE QUICKLY APOLOGIZED,  " I SO SORRY, I HAD NO INTENT TO UPSET YOU,  I JUST NEEDED TO KNOW,  BUT I'M GLAD I FOUND OUT HE'S NOT INTERESTED IN YOU. " HE SAID SMILING...SANEM SUNK IN HER CHAIR, FEELING LIKE A HUGE WEIGHT HAD COVERED HER....I CAN'T BELIEVE IT...SHE THOUGHT....WAS HE PLAYING WITH HER JUST  TO PUNISH HER FOR THE THINGS SHE HAD DONE. ..SHE THOUGHT SHE KNEW CAN DIVIT!! BUT MAYBE SHE DIDN'T KNOW HIM AT ALL.....

CEYDA WAS WITH CAN, PLAYING HER PART AS CAN'S POTENTIAL GIRLFRIEND, IT WAS SO OBVIOUS.  SANEM WATCHED FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DIVIDER WALL..CEYDA ALWAYS SAT A LITTLE TOO CLOSE TO CAN,  TOUCHED HIS ARM A LITTLE TOO LONG AND LAUGHED A LITTLE TO HARD AT EVERYTHING HE SAID.  AS SHE STOOD THERE, STUDYING HIS FACE, HIS EYES,  SHE WONDERED,  WAS HE THE MASTER OF DECEPTION OR......

....HAD SHE SEEN ONLY WHAT SHE WANTED TO SEE....