Ring...Ring...Ring...
"Merhaba, Birol bey." Serkan said as he answered the call but then Eda grabbed his phone and put it on speaker.
"Merhaba, Serkan bey." He greeted back. "I know we sent an email following up about our London meeting, but I just wanted to call, personally."
"I just wanted to apologize for the short notice. Ama I hope you did not forget about our offer to have you and Eda Hanim in London." Mr. Birol spoke.
"Yok, yok." Serkan responded, earning a 'you're dead' look from Eda.
"Sevil and I will be taking a vacation next week so we decided to meet with you before this." Mr. Birol continued. "Merak etme, we've prepared a private jet for tomorrow's travel and a stay at the golf resort country club—of course, with separate bedrooms."
"Tamam, Birol bey. Teşekkürler." Serkan responded while Eda looked at him, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Bravo. Görüşürüz." Mr. Birol said with excitement.
"Görüşürüz." Serkan ended the call and looked at Eda who was glaring at him.
"Bravo, Serkan. Bravo." She said sarcastically, nodding and glaring at him. "What else will you decide on without telling me? What other secrets are you keeping?" She asked in anger before storming out of the office.
Serkan sighed, not because Eda was mad at him, but because of what Eda said. He knew that she meant this about him not telling her days ago that Mr. Birol had offered them to travel to London for the project, and also that he had made a decision of going to London without consulting her.
But to him, what she said had another implication—a more serious one.
After cooling off, Eda went back to Serkan's office and sat back down, not looking at him with her arms crossed over her chest. Lara just stood there the whole time, quietly observing the two. Suddenly, Eda turned to look at Serkan then sighed.
"Tamam. We'll go." Serkan nodded and smiled, already knowing that she was going to go anyway. "What time are we leaving?"
"Lara? Did Birol bey send any other info?" He asked, turning to his assistant.
"Evet." Lara answered, tapping on the tablet. "You have a private jet scheduled to leave at 10am, tomorrow. Two hotel rooms at the country club for 2 days. Your flight back to Istanbul has also been taken care of by Birol bey."
"Tamam." responded Eda.
"Email that info to us, Lara. Teşekkürler." Serkan instructed.
"Tamam, Serkan bey." She nodded. "Should I also go with you?" Her question made Eda raise a brow and scoff.
"There's no need." Eda answered, turning to Lara with a smirk on her face. This made Serkan look from Lara to Eda. Her response and reaction, made him smile amusingly as he could feel her jealousy.
"Evet. There's no need." He chimed in.
"Tamam, Serkan bey." Lara lastly said before leaving his office.
As Lara left, Serkan neared Eda and smiled. "Et Eda Yildiz...First Italy, and now, London."
Eda slowly looked at Serkan and couldn't help but gulp at how he smiled mischievously at her as he licked his lower lip. She then cleared her throat, bringing herself back to her senses.
"I...I will work upstairs. So, umm...if you need anything from me, I'll be at the office...upstairs." She rambled, making Serkan smile even more.
"Tamam." He nodded.
"Görüşürüz." She said as she stood up and left the office, fanning herself with her hands.
—-----------------
Knock...Knock...Knock...
"Eda?" Serkan called out as he opened the door to the office upstairs.
"Efendim, Serkan?" She asked, looking up at him.
"Do you wanna go and have lunch?" He asked.
Eda was contemplating whether or not to go but her stomach grumbled at the thought of food, making Serkan chuckle at the sound.
"So I guess that's a yes." He smiled at her.
"Tamam, tamam." She answered, trying to hide her embarrassment as she smiled. She grabbed her bag and headed downstairs.
As they passed by the lobby, Lara came rushing. "Serkan bey, your food is ready." She said.
"Food?" Eda asked, looking at Serkan, confused.
"I totally forgot. Teşekkürler, Lara. Ama, I'll be having lunch with Eda." He said. "You can have the food instead. It's a waste to be thrown away."
"Tamam, Serkan bey. Teşekkürler." Lara responded before nodding and going back to the production floor.
"You invited me to lunch when she had clearly prepared food for you already." Eda said, an obvious tone of jealousy in her voice.
"Yani...when my schedule looks busy, Lara usually orders food for me so I can just eat here at work." He explained.
"Öyle mi?" She raised her eyebrows at him. "What else does she really do for you, Serkan?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at him annoyed.
"Eda..." He smiled and neared her before he whispered. "Are you jealous?"
"Hayır!" She exclaimed with annoyance. "Why should I be?" She glared at him.
"You tell me." He answered, putting his hands in his pockets.
Eda shook her head and changed the conversation. "Why are we even talking about this? We are supposed to be leaving for lunch. Hadi gidelim." She then quickly walked out the doors, avoiding Serkan's eyes as he followed her out, a smug look on his face.
The drive to the restaurant was silent with Eda barely responding to Serkan and only kept avoiding his eyes. She was embarrassed at the question he asked. Although this made her think...Am I really jealous?
Arriving at where they were going to have lunch, Eda looked at Serkan and raised her brow as they came to a stop at the entrance. "Öyle mi, Serkan? What are you trying to do?" She asked.
"Have lunch." He smiled at her before getting out of the car, in which she followed suit, rolling her eyes.
Serkan had brought Eda to the hotel where they met Chef Alexander; where the restaurant was on the 25th floor; where he had also kissed her, not once but twice. Eda looked at him suspiciously as she followed him through the lobby and to the elevators.
Ding...
The elevator sounded, signaling that the doors had opened for them. Serkan held out his hand for Eda to hold for support, in case she might get scared, but he was surprised when she just walked past him with confidence and into the elevator.
They stood next to each other, eyes looking straight at the door of the elevator, silent. Serkan would casually glance at Eda to see her reaction being in the elevator but she no longer flinched nor got scared.
"It seems that you no longer have a fear of elevators nor claustrophobia..." He glanced at her.
"Evet. I've overcome this. So, whatever your plan was in taking me here, it's not gonna work." She pointed out, still not looking at him.
Suddenly the elevator slightly shook, startling Eda and making her hold onto Serkan's hand—a smile spread across his lips at this. She was about to quickly let go after realizing that she had held onto his hand, but he tightened his hold.
"Serkan. Let my hand go or else..." She sternly said.
"Or else what, Eda?" He asked, leaning into her face so they were just inches apart. "I am not letting go. I will no longer let go."
Eda couldn't help but just look Serkan in the eyes and gulp at how green his eyes had turned into with the seriousness of the tone of his voice. Suddenly the elevator sounded off, making them look at the door as it slid open to the 25th floor.
Still stunned and speechless, Eda could only follow Serkan out of the elevator and to their table, his hand still holding hers. He then let go, pulling the chair out for her to sit and at that moment, she once again felt a longing for his hand holding hers.
As they enjoyed their meal, Serkan's phone rang.
"Efendim, anne?" He answered.
"Serkan, nerdesin?" Aydan asked.
"I'm having lunch with Eda."
"Harika! Now, I was thinking of picking up Kiraz from school so we can go and bond together." She said.
"I'll ask Eda."
"Neden?"
"Ne neden?" He responded with annoyance. "I'll text you."
Serkan ended the call, sighing. Eda looked at him, confused and curious at what Aydan could have called about.
"Ee?" She spoke, wanting to know what they talked about.
"Anne wants to pick up Kiraz from school and take her out. I told her that I'll ask you first." He explained.
"Tamam. It's fine, as long as they avoid strawberries." She answered with a shrug.
"Gerçekten?" He asked, surprised that she agreed.
"Evet." Shed nodded, taking a bite of her steak.
"Tamam, I'll let her know. Teşekkürler." Serkan smiled at Eda before sending a message to Aydan. He was sure that his mother was going to be happy about it.
"I really appreciate it—that you wanted to confirm with me first." Eda said.
"Yani..."
"But I already trust you enough to let you decide these things with Kiraz. It's your right as a parent, too." She warmly smiled at him and touched his hand on the table to give him assurance.
Step 3: Gain Eda's trust. Check. Step 4: Make Eda fall in love with me again. This is a harder step. Neyse...Good luck, Serkan. He thought.
"Çok teşekkürler, Eda." He responded and turned his hand so he was now holding hers. He lightly caressed her hand and looked at her, also giving her a warm smile.
She sighed at his look then took back her hand as she smiled awkwardly. "Neyse...umm...I think we should go over the project this afternoon so we have a draft before flying off tomorrow." She suggested.
"Tamam." He nodded before going back to eat, sneaking glances at Eda.
—------------------
After working the afternoon to review the blueprints and making drafts for the country club project, Eda and Serkan were exhausted. Eda leaned back on her seat with a sigh, while Serkan massaged his forehead.
"İyi misin, Serkan?" Eda asked, worried.
"İyiyim. İyiyim." He responded, but this did not convince her as she saw him squint his eyes in pain.
Eda stood up behind his chair and took his hand to stop him from massaging his forehead, surprising him of her touch. She then leaned his head back on the chair and slowly massaged his temples and his forehead.
"Eda, it's fine." He protested.
"Hayır, değil." She firmly said. "You didn't get much sleep after Kiraz came, didn't you? I could feel you shifting, everytime she moved."
"Yani...I just kept checking if she was having a nightmare or not because I didn't want her to have another one. I wanted to make sure she knows she is safe in my arms...in our arms." He explained.
All the words that filled Eda's ears warmed her heart and left her speechless. This was the Serkan Bolat that she knew who would become such a great dad to their daughter. A smile formed on her lips as she continued to massage his head.
"She's safe, Serkan. Especially with a baba like you." Eda responded, but Serkan only sighed. He suddenly flinched in pain as Eda had accidentally poked his eye with her pinky finger.
"Özür dilerim. İyi misin?" She asked, quickly moving to face him, holding the sides of his face as her thumb lightly brushed his eye, taking away the feeling of pain.
He then held both Eda's hands which had still rested on each side of his face and opened his eyes, looking deep into Eda's. "İyi misin?" She asked again.
Suddenly a voice made both Eda and Serkan look up. "Abicim? İyi misin?" Engin asked as he entered Serkan's office with Lara and Erdem.
"İyiyim, Engin." Serkan answered as Eda took her hands from his face and stood beside him.
"You two look exhausted." Engin pointed out as he looked at their faces.
"We didn't get much sleep last night." Serkan responded.
"Vai..." Engin cleared his throat. "I'm fine with not knowing how you spent your night together, by the way." He added, holding back a mischievous smile.
"Yok, Engin." Eda and Serkan both responded.
"Kiraz came into our room in the middle of the night. She had a nightmare and wanted to sleep with us." Serkan explained.
"Our room?" Engin asked, confused. "So you sleep together, but are not 'together'?"
Erdem couldn't help but laugh at what his boss had just said, making Engin chuckle, while Lara awkwardly smiled. Eda and Serkan rolled their eyes at this.
"What exactly are you doing inside my office?" Serkan asked, shifting the subject.
"Ah!" Engin exclaimed as he remembered. "We have these documents from the holding that also need your signature. I've signed the ones for Art Life that's also there."
"Is this for the project at Beykoz?"
"Evet, Serkan bey." Lara answered.
Lara then walked towards Serkan and stood beside him, putting the documents on his table. She opened it and gave him a pen, lightly brushing her fingers on his—Eda caught this and secretly gave Lara a side-eye to which she did not notice. Lara guided him where to sign on all the documents before finally closing it and walking back beside Erdem.
"Tamam, abi. You may resume whatever it was you and Eda were just doing." Engin winked before walking out with Lara and Erdem. Eda and Serkan could only shake their heads in amusement.
"What do you say we head home and get a little rest while Kiraz is still with your mom?" Eda suggested.
A warm smile grazed Serkan's lips at the word home. "Tamam." He nodded, getting up from his seat as Eda grabbed her bag and they both headed out of the office.
Engin, who was just in his best friend's office, confusingly looked at the Eda and Serkan as they walked out. "Are you going home?"
"Evet, Engin. I think we need to get some rest." Serkan answered. "Lütfen, overlook everything. Tamam mi?" He firmly reminded his best friend as Piril and him were not around.
"Tamam." Engin nodded.
"Teşekkürler. Görüşürüz." Serkan and Eda bid goodbye, but before they could leave, Engin spoke.
"Just make sure you guys are actually going to rest and not do anything else." He teased, making Eda and Serkan shake their heads on their way out.
—----------------
Arriving home, an echo filled the house as Serkan closed the door. The house was so quiet with just the two of them. They looked at each other and seemed to have the same thought—it's just the two of us.
Eda felt her cheeks warm up as a blush started to creep onto her face at the thought of just them. She quickly turned her heel for the stairs, avoiding Serkan's eyes. He looked at her confused as he followed behind.
They both went straight to the walk-in closet as they walked in their bedroom. Like a married couple, they already had a routine. Like so:
Serkan would grab a change of clothes from the walk-in closet and changed out in the bedroom, while Eda changed inside the walk-in closet. It saves them time from having to wait for the other to alternately use the closet.
Going out of the walk-in closet, Eda found Serkan shirtless, making her stop in her tracks to admire his muscular back. He then started stretching his back, seeming to try to relieve a certain painful spot.
"Does your back hurt?" She asked, startling him.
"Just a little sore from the position last night with Kiraz." He answered. "But it's nothing."
"Do you want me to give you a massage?" She asked.
"Ne?" He was surprised at her question.
"Why don't you lie down on the bed and I'll massage your back." She offered.
"Yok, yok. It's fine." He protested, just like earlier.
"Just lie down." She instructed, lightly pushing him to lie down on the bed.
"Eda..." He protested again.
"Serkan..." She responded sternly.
"Tamam, tamam." He raised his hands in defeat as he laid down on the bed, back towards Eda.
Eda put some oil on her hands and also on Serkan's back, slowly rubbing it all over. This sensation made Serkan close his eyes. The more she her hands roamed his back, the more he felt something starting to harden down below.
Happy thoughts, Serkan. Happy thoughts. He thought to himself, which seemed to be effective.
As Eda started massaging Serkan's back, he could feel the pain going away little by little. His eyes started to close shut as he slowly drifted to sleep.
When Eda felt that Serkan's sleep was deep enough, she stopped massaging his back and pulled the covers over him. She smiled at his peaceful state then slowly leaned in.
"Sweet dreams, Serkan Bolat." She whispered in his ear. As she pulled away, she had the urge of kissing his cheek so she leaned back in, about to kiss his cheek when...
Serkan suddenly moved, shifting to his side, startling Eda. She checked to see if he was still asleep and indeed he was. She sighed in relief before lying down beside him to stare at his beautiful face.
The more she stared at him, the more she was drawn into inching closer to him. Her eyes then landed on his lips, making her gulp and lick her own lips.
She inched closer once again and slowly leaned in and planted a very light kiss on his lips before turning her back to him with a big smile on her face, amused at what she had secretly done to a deeply asleep Serkan.
————————
The clock read 6 in the evening and Eda was in the backyard, sitting on top of the picnic table and looking up at the stars. Serkan was inside, cooking dinner while they were waiting for Kiraz who was on her way home with Aydan and Seyfi.
"Dinner is ready." Serkan spoke, startling Eda.
"You startled me." She said, looking at him as he walked towards her.
"Çok pardon."
"It's fine." She smiled at him then looked back up in the sky.
"They look brighter tonight, don't they?" He said.
"Evet, they look so pretty." She responded.
"Çok güzel." He stared at her for a while, letting the silence in the surroundings embrace them as he looked at her beautiful face before looking at the sky with her.
"The stars shine the brightest on the darkest of nights..." Serkan suddenly said, making Eda look at him. "...and for every dark night, there's a brighter day." He turned to glance at Eda and found her looking intently at him.
A light wind suddenly blew Eda's hair onto her face, breaking their stare. She was about to brush her hair away when Serkan brushed it and tucked it behind her ear. Eda couldn't help but look at him and he to her.
The moment was perfect. The starry night, the peaceful atmosphere, the light blow of the wind, and two people just staring at each other, obviously drawn to one another by a sense of intense feeling. Serkan then slowly leaned in, about to kiss Eda when...
Knock...Knock...Knock...
"That's probably Kiraz and your mom." Eda said as she cleared her throat.
"Tamam. I'll get the door." He answered before going inside the house, Eda following behind.
Opening the door, Kiraz immediately jumped into Serkan's arms. "Baba!" She said.
"Hoş geldiniz, Aydan Hanim." Eda said, appearing from behind Serkan, opening the door wide. "Come in."
Aydan and Seyfi walked in, curious at what Eda's house looked like inside. They were both amazed. Their heads turning at every corner to admire the interior design of the house. Aydan looked at Eda and a small sincere smile appeared on her lips as she felt happy seeing a once aspiring young woman become a professional, like Eda had always dreamed of being.
"Teşekkürler, Eda, for letting me have Kiraz for today." Aydan said, surprising Serkan and Eda at the warm sincerity tone of her voice.
"Teşekkürler, Aydan Hanim. I'm pretty sure Kiraz enjoyed a lot." responded Eda, smiling at Aydan who smiled back, genuinely.
"İyi misin, anne?" Serkan asked, finding Aydan's reaction weird.
"İyiyim, Serkan. Why are you even asking such a question." She responded with an annoyed tone. Ah, there's my mother. Serkan thought.
"Why don't you stay for dinner, Aydan Hanim? Serkan cooked." Eda offered.
"Yok, teşekkürler. All I want right now is a massage." Aydan responded. "O zaman, we'll go ahead. Hadi gidelim, Seyfi." Seyfi opened the front door as Aydan walked to go out, waving goodbye and lastly saying, "İyi geceler."
As the door closed, Eda spoke. "I think you tired out your babaanne, Kiraz." This made Kiraz laugh. "Hadi, let's have dinner."
Throughout their dinner, Kiraz talked about her day with Aydan and how much fun she had—of course, her babaanne spoiled her, leaving their living room with bags and boxes of gifts.
"Annecim..." said Eda, getting her attention. "Baba and I will be taking a work trip tomorrow. But we will be back after two days. Halam and Melo will stay with you here. Tamam mi?"
"Tamam, anne." Kiraz nodded.
"O zaman, what do you want to do tonight?" asked Serkan.
"Watch a movie!" She exclaimed. "...and also sleep in your bed tonight." This made Eda and Serkan smile.
"Tamam." They both responded.
—------------------
The following morning, Ayfer and Melo were already at Eda's house as Eda and Serkan prepared to leave. They were going to take Kiraz to school before hopping on a plane to London.
"Bebeğim, have fun in school today." said Eda. "We will be back in 2 days."
"I'll buy you everything you want." Serkan said, smiling at the excited reaction of Kiraz.
"Serkan."
"Tamam. I'll buy you many gifts from London." He rephrased, making Eda smile in amusement.
"Maybe one day, we can all go to London, just like in Italy." said Kiraz.
"Oh kızım, I want that to happen so much." He responded.
"I had so much fun with everything we did in Italy, baba."
"Everything that happened in Italy was so much fun." He nodded at Kiraz before glancing at Eda and giving her a mischievous smile.
Eda bit her lip as she knew what Serkan meant. She quickly interrupted their conversation before he could say anything else.
"Tamam, annecim. Come on and give us a hug." Eda said.
Kiraz then hugged both her parents and gave them each a kiss before walking inside the school and waving goodbye. Eda and Serkan rode back in the van then drove off to the airport.
—----------------
It was now 1 in the afternoon and Serkan and Eda had just arrived at the country club. They were welcomed by the staff who were aware of their arrival. Their luggages were brought to their rooms while the manager gave them a quick tour.
"Mr. Birol and Ms. Sevil are at the country club lounge, waiting for you. We hope you have a wonderful stay here at the resort." said the manager before leaving Eda and Serkan, who stood outside of their hotel room doors.
Serkan turned to Eda. "I guess we'll be sleeping separately tonight."
"...and it couldn't be any better." She responded.
"You say that now..." Serkan gave her a flirtatious smirk to which Eda couldn't help but bite her lip to stop herself from smiling back at him.
He broke their stare by opening the door to his room and going in with a mischievous smile on his face, knowing that he had somewhat hooked Eda. On the other hand, Eda went into her room then closed the door to lean back onto it, sighing deeply. Pull it together, Eda. She thought to herself.
After a quick refresh and a country club dressdown, Serkan and Eda headed to the lounge. There, Mr. Birol and Ms. Sevil were enjoying their tea and seemed to be in a loving conversation as Mr. Birol took Ms. Sevil's hand and kissed it. Serkan and Eda couldn't help but smile at this.
"Remember how you said that if we got accidentally married, we'd be like them?" asked Serkan.
"That was only applicable to that time, Serkan." responded Eda.
"Yani, I still think it applies." He winked at her before walking towards Mr. Birol and Ms. Sevil, Eda following behind who rolled her eyes.
"Merhaba, Birol bey, Sevil Hanim." They greeted, taking a seat in front of the couple.
"Merhaba, Serkan bey, Eda Hanim." They greeted back then signaled to the waiter to give them some tea.
"How are you liking the landscape, Edacim?" asked Ms. Sevil.
"To finally see my design in person after so many years is truly a great honor." Eda responded.
"And we are happy that you are here with us today for the extension of the golf resort—both you and Serkan bey." added Mr. Birol. "I'd call you the power couple but.." He shrugged.
"You can call us a duo." Eda suggested.
"I think 'couple' sounds much better." Serkan insisted while looking at Eda.
"Serkan." She silently said, giving him a warning look.
"Efendim?" He looked at her with a loving but mischievous smile where his eyes looked like they were about to shoot hearts out. Mr. Birol and Ms. Sevil gave each other a knowing look.
"Tamam. Umm...we made a draft presentation based off of the blueprints you gave us." Eda said, changing the topic as she clasped her hands and directed their attention to the tablet on the desk.
With that, Eda and Serkan started presenting their initial proposal. Although Mr. Birol and Ms. Sevil had already said that they trust Eda and Serkan's judgment, Eda and Serkan couldn't help but also take the professional route of approaching their close-longtime client.
"I mean, it looks great!" exclaimed Mr. Birol after Eda and Serkan's presentation.
"I think they'd now love to see the place, Birol." Ms. Sevil said to her husband.
"Tamam. Hadi gidelim." Mr. Birol said, standing from his seat, Ms. Sevil followed suit and so did Eda and Serkan.
A golf cart that could fit 8 people was waiting for them outside the country club. Following Mr. Birol, they all hopped in and the driver then stepped on the accelerator and they were off to the other side of the golf resort.
There was a tall barricade dividing the two areas of the existing golf resort and the extension where the new project will be built. Upon entering, they were met with a massive land, giving Eda so many ideas for a design.
As the driver drove around, Mr. Birol and Ms. Sevil pointed out the areas based on the blueprints they have on hand. They got off at one section where Serkan was proposing to build the new country club while Eda also talked about how to incorporate other designs to the place. Mr. Birol and Ms. Sevil were in awe at how harmonious the two worked together. For them, they could still feel the fire burning in Eda and Serkan's hearts.
They spent the whole afternoon going around the area of the resort. By the time they got back, it was late afternoon and Mr. Birol and Ms. Sevil had invited them for dinner—casual dinner and no talking about work—Ms. Sevil specifically pointed this out.
Stepping out of the room, Serkan couldn't help but gawk at how gorgeous Eda looked in her silky blue dress that stopped mid thigh and had a plunging neckline, slightly revealing her cleavage. He had been waiting for her outside her hotel room door, looking handsome with a striped buttoned-down shirt and blue pants.
"Serkan?" Eda asked as she walked up to him, but he did not respond and just stared at her. "Serkan."
"Efendim?" He finally spoke, looking at Eda.
His dumbfounded face made Eda smile. "Hadi gidelim."
With his hands in his pockets, Serkan nodded and trailed behind Eda as she walked to the elevator, checking her out from behind.
As they got to the restaurant, a waiter led them to a private area which overlooked the entire golf resort and where a table, the only table there, was waiting for them. It was beautifully decorated with roses and all kinds of beautiful flowers where scented candles lit up the place.
Serkan and Eda took their seats beside each other, opposite two currently empty seats. A waiter walked up to them, giving them their menu for the evening, then took their orders before coming back to pour champagne into their glasses.
"It's so beautiful." Eda spoke.
"Evet. Most people would call this a romantic dinner." Serkan responded.
"It can't be a romantic dinner when we're having it with our clients." She pointed out.
"...longtime clients who seem to consider us as friends." He said. "So...I think I could call this a double date or a double couples dinner." He shrugged.
Suddenly, the waiter walked up to their table and spoke. "Excuse me, sir and madam, Mr. Birol and Ms. Sevil would not be able to join you. They extend their regards and hope that you enjoy tonight." He then nodded to excuse himself again and left.
This made Serkan chuckle while Eda slightly glared at his amusement. "Evet..." He said before standing up and sitting opposite Eda to face her. "As I was saying...a romantic dinner." He flirtatiously smiled.
The dinner was filled with casual conversations and laughter as they seemed to have drank more champagne than they were supposed to, especially Eda. Serkan missed this version of her—the one that does not worry too much and just decides to be herself, carefree and joyous.
"Bak, söyleyeceğim...I think Birol bey and Sevil Hanim set us up." Eda said.
"Öyle mi?" responded Serkan.
"Evet." She nodded. "I mean, how romantic could this get? I highly doubt this is a dinner for 4 people. Something this romantic is only for two...you know, to make things intimate."
"Intimate?" He asked, amused at their conversation.
"Evet. Yani...the roses, the candles...the atmosphere that it creates. It makes things really intimate between two people." She slowly said, with a hint of a flirtatious tone as she glanced at Serkan.
Serkan raised his eyebrows at her and smiled. Is she suggesting what I think she's suggesting? He thought.
"I highly agree...so what do we do with this...intimacy?" He asked, crossing his arms as he leaned on the table, intently looking at Eda flirtatiously. She gave the same look back and smiled, shaking her head in amusement.
———————
Getting out of the elevator and walking towards their hotel rooms, Eda lightly stumbled on her feet. Luckily, Serkan had caught her arm, helping her stand straight.
"Eda? Eda, iyi misin?" He asked.
"Evet." She answered.
"I think you've had way too much champagne." He said, amused.
"If you're telling me I'm drunk, I am not. I may be getting there, but I am not." She answered back, holding up a finger at him.
She is absolutely tipsy. He thought, smiling to himself. "Tamam. Let's just get to our rooms so we can both get some rest. I think that's what we need."
Eda nodded and proceeded to walk to her room, Serkan beside her, making sure she does not trip. The two of them stood outside Eda's door, staring at each other, both taking in one's features.
"İyi geceler, Eda Yildiz." He said, not taking his eyes off of her.
"İyi geceler, Serkan Bolat." She responded, looking deep into his eyes.
Serkan then leaned in and softly kissed her cheek, making Eda close her eyes at the feeling of his lips on her face. As he pulled away, his lips accidentally grazed hers as she turned her head to the side. This sudden sensation of their lips touching made their hearts race.
Eda put her hand on his chest then slowly reached in, motioning to kiss him. At this, Serkan also leaned in slowly, capturing her lips into his as they shared a soft passionate kiss. She deepened that kiss and he responded before slowly pulling away, caressing her cheek as he rested his forehead on hers, looking deep in her eyes.
"İyi geceler." He softly said, making Eda warmly smile and pull away. She opened the door to her room then went in, before looking at Serkan with a smirk and closing it.
Looking at the door, Serkan sighed. Although Eda had obviously made a motion towards him, he didn't want to take advantage of her vulnerability. It was not how he wanted to spend a night with her. So he, with all the power he could muster, stopped himself from going any further.
What a night. He thought, sighing again as he finally entered his room.
—------------------
"Ah, sleeping beauty is finally awake." Serkan said as Eda walked towards him.
It was 10 in the morning and Eda had just arrived at the project site extension of the golf resort since she overslept due to the hangover she had from the champagne last night. Serkan already expected this and left her be, instead of waking her up to join him.
"Ha-ha...çok komik." She said sarcastically. "How long have you been here?"
"2...3 hours." He answered, to which she only nodded in response. "Sen iyi misin?"
"İyiyim. İyiyim. I just can't remember how I got back to my room." She answered.
Serkan nodded to himself as Eda obviously did not remember they kissed. More like, she kissed me. He thought.
"I helped you. Merak etme, nothing happened between us." He said.
"I'm sure I wouldn't let that happen—drunk, tipsy, or whatever." She pointed out, making Serkan smile as the memory of last night's kiss came to him.
"Mm-hmm...keep telling yourself that." He quietly said, a bigger smile plastered on his face.
"Pardon?" She asked, turning to him.
"Hiçbir şey..." He answered, shaking his head as he smiled, confusing Eda at where his amusement was coming from.
As yesterday was inspection and observation, today was planning. They continued working till the afternoon, only taking a break to have lunch—which was another romantic setup by Mr. Birol and Ms. Sevil. Eda and Serkan had caught on to it, finding their persistence amusing.
Ring...Ring...Ring...
"Efendim?" Serkan answered the call.
"Abi, I'm here. Where should I meet you?" Engin asked.
"Just meet us at the country club lounge, Engin. We're on our way." Serkan responded before ending the call.
"Engin?" Eda asked, confused at what Engin was doing in London. "What is Engin doing here?"
"There are some documents that you need to sign and today's the deadline, that's why he's here." He answered, earning a nod from Eda. "Hadi gidelim."
—---------------
Meanwhile, back in Istanbul...
Ayfer and Melo had been dealing with Aydan and Seyfi the whole day as they welcomed themselves freely into Eda's house. Aydan had just learned in the morning that Serkan and Eda flew to London and left Kiraz with Ayfer and Melo. With her jealousy, she stormed at Eda's house and made herself at home. Luckily, the setup amused Kiraz.
While Kiraz had fallen asleep in her room, Aydan and Seyfi sneaked into Eda's room. There, they found Serkan's stuff and it was arranged as if he was going to live there forever; as if a wife had neatly put her husband's clothes into the closet. There was even a desk where Serkan's files were kept.
Melo, who was confused as to why the door to Eda's room was open, called Ayfer. "Ayfer abla?"
"Efendim, Melo?" She responded, walking up to her.
"Did you go inside Eda's room?" Melo asked.
"Hayır."
"Then why is it open?"
Ayfer went up the stairs and to where Eda's room was and indeed found the door open. She went in with Melo and saw Aydan and Seyfi snooping around.
"What are you two doing here?" Ayfer asked, startling Aydan and Seyfi.
"You're not supposed to be here." Melo pointed out.
"We are all not supposed to be in this room." added Ayfer.
"Yeah, well, if we didn't go snooping into this room, we wouldn't be able to find out that Serkan had completely settled into this house." Aydan said, with a tone.
"Ne?" exclaimed Ayfer.
"Evet." Aydan responded, raising an eyebrow at Ayfer. "Seyfi..."
Seyfi then walked inside the walk-in closet, the three women following behind, and opened the closet, revealing all of Serkan's clothes—from suits, sleepwear, casual wear, everything. He then went back to the bedroom and pointed at the desk where Serkan's important files are.
Ayfer bit her lip, thinking then spoke. "Don't be ridiculous, Aydan. This is temporary."
"Does anything about this look temporary to you, Ayfer?" Aydan asked.
"Your crazy son just wants to bring all his stuff. What's wrong with that?" Ayfer answered back.
"My crazy son does not just move in, Ayfer!" She exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure they are back together!"
"Yok, yok." denied Ayfer. "They are not."
"Your crazy niece must've brainwashed him or something for this to happen!" Aydan exclaimed again.
Ayfer was enraged. "Your son is the one that keeps chasing my niece!" She exclaimed.
"I don't even get why Serkan wants to go to someone who left him while he was struggling to save his company!" Aydan exclaimed, flinging her hands up in the air.
"Bi dakka, bi dakka. Serkan is the one that left Eda. He pushed her away!"
"Gerçekten, you are delirious!"
Seyfi and Melo looked back and forth at the two women who were now arguing. They tried to interject but they would only make their voice louder and shush Melo and Seyfi. At this point, Ayfer had had it.
"Eda may have left Serkan due to his dismissiveness but she did not know anything about the company going down. Only when Ceren told her! And Eda immediately went back to Serkan to apologize, only to be pushed away! He did not even care about Kiraz!" Ayfer panted, catching her breath from shouting.
Aydan was silent, processing the information Ayfer had just thrown at her. Seyfi was speechless while Melo was trying to calm Ayfer down, making her sit down on the bench at the end of the bed.
"What do you mean she came back?" asked Aydan, confused.
"She came back after Ceren told her everything. She wanted to make everything right with Serkan. She felt really guilty not supporting him and just leaving him." Melo spoke.
"Eda said that she was sure Serkan wanted her back, too, but when she mentioned that she knew about what happened with Art Life, he pushed her away and asked her to leave...not even acknowledging anything about Kiraz." Melo added.
This made Aydan speechless as she sat on the bench beside Ayfer, covering her mouth in shock.
—---------------
"Engin!" Eda called him upon entering the lounge, making him turn around from his seat and stand up to greet her with a hug.
"Eda..." He said, releasing her from the hug then looking at Serkan who he then also hugged. "Abicim..."
"Engin, we just saw each other 2 days ago." Serkan said after Engin hugged him.
"Biliyorum. Can't I miss my best friend?"
"Tamam, Engin. Tamam." He rolled his eyes and gestured for everybody to take a seat.
"Ee–Serkan said you had something for me to sign." Eda said.
"Evet." Engin nodded, opening the folder with several papers in them. "These are the same documents Serkan signed the other day—we thought that his signature would be enough. But since you are officially back as an active partner in the holding, your signature is also needed." He explained.
"Tamam." Eda nodded and started signing.
"So while you two are doing that, I'll go ahead to my room and prepare—I'm meeting Birol bey this 5PM." Eda and Engin nodded as Serkan got up to leave but he then turned around and spoke.
"Bu arada Eda, we have dinner with Birol bey and Sevil Hanim at 6PM." Eda gave him a look as if saying 'I'm not falling for that'. "Merak etme, this time, it's nothing romantic." He winked at her before turning to his best friend. "Görüşürüz, Engin."
"Gerçekten, Engin...your best friend is driving me insane." Eda complained.
"Yani Eda...driving people crazy is one of his talents." Engin pointed out, making Eda laugh.
"Sağol, Engin."
"Ee—how's London? Is it as good as Italy?" He asked, obviously hinting something but Eda didn't catch on.
Eda paused, thinking about Italy—a smile then grazed her lips. "It's alright. Ama as of right now...I like Italy better." She shyly answered, signing the last document and closing it.
"I think Serkan likes Italy better, too." He smiled playfully. "...and after so many years of avoiding going to Italy, he finally went."
"Öyle mi?"
"Öyle. We have had so many project opportunities in Italy that Serkan just kept on declining. Ama, you know...with you being there, he did not want anything to do with Italy."
"Ne demek istiyorsun?" Eda asked, furrowing her brows, making Engin bite his tongue, realizing he he had said more than he was supposed to.
"Are you telling me that Serkan knew where we were all this time?" She asked again.
Engin just closed his mouth shut and looked at Eda then looked down. His reaction was an obvious answer—Serkan knew all along. Eda's blood started to boil as her anger reached its peak. She stood up and shook her head at Engin and stormed out, leaving Serkan's nervous best friend.
—----------------
Knock...Knock...Knock...
Knock...Knock...Knock...
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" exclaimed Serkan, annoyed by the constant knocking at his door.
Opening the door, he was surprised to see Eda who just shoved him back inside the room and slammed the door behind her.
"Eda, n—" He was about to ask her what happened but she cut him off.
"Gerçekten, you are unbelievable! You are the worst!" She shouted.
"Eda, what are you talking about?" He asked, brows furrowed as he had no idea why Eda was mad at him.
"What have you been hiding from me, Serkan?" She asked with gritted teeth but he didn't answer.
"You won't talk? Tamam." She calmly said but with anger in her tone. "Then I will. You knew where we were all these years, didn't you? You just chose not to come to us." Serkan's eyes widened at this, shocked.
"Evet. I now know. Your best friend just spilled the beans on you." She confessed then shook her head. "How heartless can a man be to choose not to see his child?"
"And here you are, for more than a week, convincing me that you love us...have loved us all these years. Is this love, Serkan?" She asked, a tear falling from the corner of her eye.
"Eda..."
"You know, I thought that all this time, you didn't know. I thought that I hid us so well that not even with all your power can you find us. I gave you the benefit of the doubt...all those years. Because I believed that you'll still come and find us...and that whatever you were going through that time will pass...and that our love was greater than any obstacle—I was naive to think that."
"And here I am with my life rebuilt and have healed my soul, and you come with all your romanticism, gentleness, telling me that being together is what you have always wanted? What kind of game is this, Serkan?" She exclaimed.
"Eda, let me explain..." He calmly said.
"Explain? Will you tell me another lie, Serkan? Then sugar coat it by telling me you love me? That you love us?"
"I do love you, Eda." He exclaimed, getting annoyed at not being able to explain himself. "I love you and Kiraz, and that never changed! I always have and I always will!"
"What love, Serkan? Is this your version of love?? Love us by hurting us??" She shouted.
"Didn't you think I was hurting? Didn't it ever occur to you that it also hurt me??" He answered back. "I loved you so much that I had to walk away!"
"Walk away from what?" Eda exclaimed. "Why can't you just tell me! Just say it! Why do you have to make me keep guessing? Why do you have to keep everything hidden? I want the truth, Serkan."
"Tamam." He took a deep breath in, preparing himself to finally tell Eda the truth. She looked at him deep in the eyes, anger still boiling inside her as she waited for him to speak.
"Art Life—I didn't want to tell you what happened with the company because I knew that you were going to do everything you can to help out. I didn't want you to get stressed when you just had Kiraz. Çok özür dilerim for being dismissive...I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to get angry at you and I didn't mean to shout at Kiraz. I just wanted to fix things so we could finally move on from the chaos."
"When you came back to me, I thought that I can finally put everything in the past. I just wanted to live a life where we could be together, but when you told me that Ceren had told you the truth about the company's downfall, I just couldn't..."
"Couldn't what?"
"There are things that I've hidden from a lot of people, just for their own good, Eda...especially for you and Kiraz."
"Lütfen, Serkan." She pleaded for him to be straightforward with her.
"I wanted you to stay so badly that day. I didn't want to push you away, nor did I want to walk away. I just had to. The morning of that day, I had planned to find you and apologize and do everything I could to get you back since finally, the fight was over—we won the case and Rosenberg bey was going to jail. But when Kadir met with Roseberg bey's lawyer, he handed out a paper to Kadir that contained the whole agreement and plan of attack towards Art Life."
"What I did not expect to see on that piece of paper was...Selin's name." He added.
"Ne demek istiyorsun?"
"Selin...it was all her. Rosenberg bey was just a pawn. And I called her that very day—fought with her over the phone. I told her that I will be bringing a case against her. But what she said to me scared me to death." He shook his head at the memory. "She said that if I file a case against her, she will hurt you and Kiraz."
Eda covered her mouth in shock. "Selin would do such a thing?"
"Bilmiyorum, Eda. But I feared that she really would so I did what I had to do. Because I knew that if I told you the truth, you'd stay. You'd tell me we'll make it through whatever it may be. So I told you to leave because it's the only thing that would make you stay away from me."
"Evet, I knew where you were all these years. I knew you went to Italy. I knew where you lived. I knew everything. But I chose not to see you. I chose not to come after you...because I was too afraid that if I saw you, I wouldn't be able to walk away...and I had to walk away."
"I never meant to hurt you or Kiraz. All I ever wanted is to protect you. So shoot me if, for me, walking away was the best decision. But don't question how much I love you because you don't know how much that hurts. Lütfen." He said with furrowed brows and a clenched jaw as a tear fell on the corner of his eye.
Eda was speechless as she finally heard the truth—the thing she had been wanting to hear for all those years. Her breathing started to get heavy as she stared at Serkan's green-hazel eyes, both of them felt the pain and relief of the truth. She didn't know what to say so she did what her heart was screaming for her to do.
She kissed him.
She pressed her lips hard onto his, surprising him. Tears slowly fell from her eyes as Serkan kissed her back with the same hunger. She pushed him, slamming his back on the wall and not breaking their kiss.
Eda popped off his shirt, breaking the buttons as Serkan slipped it off of his arms. He then turned her around, pressing her onto the wall as he towered over her small physique. His hands on her waist, caressed the figure of her body then, traveled down to her thighs where her dress ended.
One hand held her back, making her arch towards him, their groins touching—making Eda moan at the feeling of his hardness. His other hand then grabbed her thigh, lifting it to his hip as he slipped his hand under her dress and caressed her thigh then up to her bottom then back—making Eda moan at his touch.
Not only Serkan's hands were busy, but also Eda's as she quickly started to unbuckle his belt and unbutton his pants. She then pushed him back making him walk backwards towards the bed as she slowly pulled his pants down, leaving him in his boxers.
His leg hit the edge of the bed, making him stumble back, breaking their kiss. Eda and Serkan took this as an opportunity to catch their breath as they looked at each other, not saying a word. Serkan stood back up and caressed her face.
"Eda..." He breathed out, panting.
She responded by giving him a soft and passionate kiss before turning around, signaling him to unzip her dress. He unzipped it and slowly pulled down the straps on her shoulders before sensually kissing her shoulders up to her neck, making her tilt her head to give him more access, while the dress slid down her body.
He then turned her around and kissed her passionately before carrying her and laying her on the bed where he trapped her in between his arms.
"Seni çok seviyorum, Eda." He said, hoping to hear the same answer from her.
"Ben de seni çok seviyorum, Serkan." She answered.
Finally, no more hesitations.
At her response, Serkan deeply kissed her and they then quickly discarded whatever clothing they had left. They were emotionally hungry for each other. He kissed her from her jawline, down to her neck, then to her breasts.
"Serkan..." She moaned. "Lütfen..."
Hearing her say his name and pant through her words made Serkan groan in pleasure. It had been years since he heard her with this type of vulnerability. He gulped, no longer able to contain his want for her, as he slipped his hard rock wood into her, making her gasp at its size.
His pace started slow, both of them adjusting to each other's movements as this was their first time being with each other again after a long time. Their breathing got heavier as the pacing started to pick up. Serkan then pulled himself out, not wanting to end the moment early as he was already reaching his peak. Control yourself, Serkan. He thought.
Suddenly, Eda put her hands on Serkan's shoulders and flipped him, placing herself on top. She then slowly slid down his shaft making him close his eyes and clench his jaw at the tightness he felt.
He let out a deep breath and groaned in pleasure. "Oh shit..."
Like riding a horse, she thrusted her hips forward then backward. She then leaned close to him, supporting her body with her arms on the sides of his head, quickening the motion. Eda and Serkan were now panting like crazy as he started to match her movement, hitting both of their sweet spots.
"Eda..."
"Serkan..."
They both whispered to each other, both feeling that they were nearing their end. With one more thrust, they moaned together as they reached climax. Eda collapsed on Serkan's chest, her head laying directly where she could hear his heart beat. They closed their eyes and took a deep breath, their hearts starting to slow back down from such adrenaline—not realizing that they were starting to drift to sleep at each other's embrace.
————————
A/N:
Hi guys! I know I promised last chapter that I would upload right away but...if anyone is on twitter, you know the chaos that's happening so my attention went there 🤣.
But seriously, this chapter was 70% finished when I uploaded chapter 10 🤣.
Neyse, chapter notes:
- I'd like to say that I'm not the best at writing those kinds of scenes soooo 👀🤣🤣
- There will be more clarity next chapter about Serkan's story. 😉
- What did you think of Aydan and Ayfer both not having an idea of what really happened?
- Lastly...
Who was surprised at the twist? Did you see it coming? 😉🫣
Let me know what you think!
Hope you enjoyed!