After a long week of office work and university, Sarah and Aniya had finally rented a small apartment.
Today, Sarah arrived early at Mehmet's office, determined to finish the pending draft before anyone else arrived. Aniya and the other two were still at university. She went into the balcony and smelled jasmines. Tulips were blooming and leaning in a little, as if they were asking to meet their new admirer.
Someday, she promised herself, she'd have her own balcony overflowing with jasmines and tulips, a place she could write in peace.
She smiled and went back to work. After an hour, she struggled with the draft. She realized Mehmet was right about her. She was indeed a bad editor. She tried her best and followed Mehmet's instructions. Finally, the draft was ready.
She walked to Mehmet's office and placed the file on his desk. She was about to leave when her gaze stopped at a book. She took the book and opened it, seeing little notes written in pencil by someone. She had just read the epilogue when she sensed someone behind her. It was Mehmet.
"I gave you permission to read books from the library, not from my desk," he said abruptly.
"I was just looking at..." she began. Mehmet took the book from her hand gently and returned it to his desk.
"This book isn't for everyone," he said as he sat in his chair. "You came early today."
"I didn't go to university, and some tasks were pending, so I came early," Sarah said. She didn't like the way he took the book from her hand. Mehmet nodded. His eyes scanned everything so quickly and sharply that her heart raced. It reminded her of that strange half-memory she sometimes had, of quick movements and a blur she couldn't explain. She walked out of his office.
"Who does he think he is? Arrogant monster," Sarah said under her breath.
"Learn to speak in a low voice, Lady," Mehmet said, and Sarah looked at him as she turned her neck.
"I was talking about Eric," Sarah lied.
"Learn to lie, Lady," Mehmet said.
"So when are you teaching me?" Sarah said sarcastically.
"I don't teach people with low IQ," he replied in the same tone. Sarah shook her head in utter disappointment. Kerman, from the editor's table, smiled and said something in Turkish.
She sat in her chair and stared at tulips on the balcony.
"Kehwa," Kerman said, placing a cup on her desk.
"Ever had chai?" Sarah asked. Kerman shook his head.
"Once you try it, you'll forget the taste of Kehwa, Kerman bey," Sarah said, smiling. Kerman returned the smile.
Mehmet was walking in the library, looking for a book, and he heard their conversation.
"Kehwa is better than that," he said.
"Have you ever had one?" Sarah asked, but he didn't answer. He just took one book from the shelf and walked away.
"Why is he so arrogant?" Sarah asked Kerman.
"He's just disciplined," Kerman said.
"No, he's rude and extra bossy," Sarah insisted.
"Maybe a little," Kerman hesitated and said.
"Not a little, Mr. Kerman. Not a little," she said and laughed softly.
Tayyep entered and came to her desk.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Nothing, just Mr. Kerman agreeing that Mehmet is arrogant," Sarah said mischievously.
"Ah! Not to be. Look, little girl, you're teasing an old man," Kerman said and touched the loops of his ears. Tayyep and Sarah laughed a little too loudly.
"I'm going back to work, otherwise Mehmet Bey will scold me because of you two," Kerman said and walked away.
"I can read your eyes, Mr. Kerman. They're telling me what you're hiding. You were about to say 'a lot' instead of 'a little,'" Sarah said, and Kerman just shook his hands in the air.
"Where's Mehmet?" Tayyep asked.
"In his office," Sarah said.
"And we're laughing. He's gonna kill me," Tayyep said.
"Another law by Mehmet Sultan?" Sarah said. If it's a secret, Tayyep just nodded playfully.
Mehmet opened the book he had brought from the shelf. Finally, the noise from the lobby had stopped, so he could read. As he opened it, he saw a petal of a purple tulip inside. He looked at it and closed the book again but he stared at it for a moment longer than necessary, as if the color dragged him into some memory he refused to touch.
Tayyep walked into his office.
"You don't have any other job?" Mehmet asked Tayyep after greeting him.
"I'm here for your support," Tayyep countered..
"Those interns are enough to drive me crazy," Mehmet said.
"They're just working," Tayyep replied and grabbed Mehmet's cup.
"Yes, the way you were laughing with her , you call that work?" Mehmet said sarcastically.
"Someone is jealous, I guess," Tayyep teased him.
"I don't like her, and you know that," Mehmet said with a dead-serious expression.
"Maybe someday..." Tayyep took a sip and said.
"That day is never going to come," Mehmet said and opened the book again, throwing the tulip petal on the floor and Tayyep sighed with a smirk.
Eric placed a white rose gently on Sarah's desk. Sarah looked at the flower, then at Eric.
"White rose for focus," Eric shrugged and said.
"Is that your theory?" Sarah asked while touching the petals.
"You could say that," Eric smiled.
"Thank you, Eric, but you shouldn't give it to me," Sarah said softly. Eric didn't say anything.
"Kerman told us you drank his secret recipe of Kehwa?" Abdullah asked Sarah during break time.
"Yes, and Kerman spilled many secrets," Sarah said and laughed. Kerman smiled from a distance.
"Where's Aniya?" Abdullah said.
"She's talking to her parents," Sarah replied, and Mehmet walked into the room.
"I'm going to Izmir for publication work," he announced. "Two of you can come." His gaze stopped at Sarah's desk, where the white rose was placed. Aniya came back to the room.
"Aniya and Eric, I think you can come," he said again, and Aniya sat in her chair.
"When?" Eric asked.
"Tomorrow morning. Abdullah, you should handle the workflow here since Tayyep is busy," he said and sat in a chair near Sarah's desk. Aniya looked at Sarah as if asking for permission, and Sarah nodded.
"If you want," Sarah said in Urdu so no one else could understand.
"You're okay with it?" Aniya asked, and Sarah nodded.
"I want some mental peace. If he's going, I'm fine with everything," Sarah replied, and Aniya laughed softly..
"Okay, I'm coming," Aniya switched back to the shared language and said. Eric agreed too.
After a moment of silence, Eric and Abdullah went to buy coffee. Aniya was trying to read something written in Turkish on a paper.
"Be ready at 9:00 AM," Mehmet said suddenly.
"Got it," Aniya replied.
"How many days are we staying?" Aniya asked.
"Two," he replied in one word.
"Where will you stay?" Mehmet asked, and Aniya shook Sarah.
"He's asking you," Aniya whispered.
"Apartment," Sarah said with blank eyes.
"You're new in that building," he said.
"I'll manage," she replied.
"In case of any emergency..." he was talking, but Sarah interrupted.
I don't need your help Mr Mehmet Ibrahim aka Crazy monster.
"Abdullah is here. I'll manage," she added, and Mehmet left after a moment.
"You can come with us, Sarah. It's just been a month in Istanbul. We're still new here. I'll talk to Mehmet," Aniya said.
"He doesn't want me to come. That's why he didn't mention my name," Sarah replied.
"He has some kind of allergy to me. I know he doesn't like me," Sarah added.
"There's not a single human on earth who doesn't like my friend," Aniya said and hugged her. Mehmet heard their voices in the corridor.
"I'll miss you," Aniya said and then Eric and Abdullah came back with coffee.
"Sarah! I won't be here for two days, so here's an advance positivity," Eric said, placing black and pink roses on her desk.
"I told you I don't need them, Eric," Sarah said gently.
"I know, but whenever I give you flowers, it feels like I did a nice job and brought a smile to your face. I know you're missing your family," Eric added.
"Thanks for noticing that, Eric," Sarah said gently, but she also very gently ignored the flicker in Eric's eyes when he spoke to her. She thought it was just his way of making someone happy. They sipped their coffees and talked about Istanbul.
Finally, the workday ended.
As Sarah was leaving, Mehmet called her.
"These are some files. You have to draft them and send them to my email tomorrow," he instructed, and Sarah nodded.
He looked at the three roses in her bag's chain (pink, black, and white roses) then shifted his gaze.
She left. The soft click of the door closing seemed to echo longer than it should have. Mehmet's eyes lingered on the spot where she'd stood. His jaw flexed.
"Eric…" he breathed, the name barely more than air. His fist tightened on the desk until the knuckles whitened.