I was about to ask something else that had been bothering me when Aylin cut in.
"Based on the time frame you gave, you were dating on the night we went to the bar, right?"
Not sure what she was about to hit me with, I answered cautiously.
"Yes. Why?"
"How does it make sense that you're dating, but one of you is casually dancing with some random guy while the other is sitting practically mouth-to-mouth with another girl? You can't possibly have done that nonsense just to hide your relationship from us."
What kind of cursed luck did I have?
It felt like I'd studied an entire book, then got slammed with the hardest possible essay question on a hundred-point exam.
After thinking for a second, the first excuse that came to mind was a little dramatic, but it seemed like the most believable.
"Remember how you asked why I looked upset while we were sitting at the bar? My mood was ruined because we argued on the way there about what I was wearing. Then when we got inside, Kerem tried to take his anger out with that girl, so I didn't stay behind and tried to hit back with Can. And then… things got messy."
"Wow. That's really not like you, but I guess Kerem threw you off."
"To be honest, Kerem isn't someone who'd do stuff like that either. Especially commenting on clothes, that's not him at all."
Apparently, I'd grabbed my plot support from the worst possible place. Neither of us was suited to inventing excuses with soap-opera-level drama. Since I had no idea how to respond to Aylin and Nil staring at me with confused faces, I settled for a wobbly smile.
At this point, getting outside help would be my best move.
"I'm going to the bathroom. And you three, don't just sit there. Prepare something to eat or drink. If you're craving something we don't have, you can order from the market. The number's on top of the fridge."
Once I got into the bathroom and closed the door, I pulled my phone out and texted Kerem.
You need to call me, Hotshot. Important!
Since there wasn't even enough space in the bathroom to pace properly, I started rearranging every single item into a perfectly measured order, just to keep my patience intact. A few minutes passed and there was still no sound. Staying in there longer would be weird, so I washed my hands and walked out.
I was about to go help the girls in the kitchen when my phone rang. I pulled it out, saw the caller ID, and grinned with satisfaction.
"Yes?"
"I'm in the middle of a really important meeting. So it better be an actual emergency, Duru."
"I'm good, honey. How are you?"
"Honey?" His voice sharpened. "Are you drunk again?"
I was about to snap back, but I saw the girls watching me closely. I forced myself to stay calm and smiled sweetly.
"Yes, the girls are with me, babe. I just told them too. They were a little mad, understandably, because they found out late, but it's resolved."
"Now I get it. So you need backup." I could hear it in his voice, he thought my situation was funny. The fact that he was enjoying the mess he'd thrown me into made me even more annoyed, but I couldn't scold him in front of them, so I kept quiet.
"Fri…" A loud, rough grunt from a man in the background cut him off. "Wait a second, Duru."
I pressed the phone tighter to my ear, trying to hear better, and asked quietly,
"Kerem, where are you?"
He didn't answer. I moved away from the girls and headed toward the bedroom so they wouldn't get suspicious, then spoke in a low voice.
"Listen, Hotshot. You promised me. You said you wouldn't do anything without telling me."
"I'm not doing anything. Now put me on speaker."
When he spoke again, the background noise had completely stopped. He must've changed locations so he could talk more easily.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Kerem. Talking while they're here was enough, I think."
"If you don't want me to call Feyza, you'll do exactly what I said."
"Fine. Okay. Give me a second."
I walked back to the girls and showed them the phone.
"Kerem says he wants to tell you something."
All three smiled and nodded, so I put the phone on speaker.
"We're listening, sweetheart."
I nearly twisted my face off trying not to cringe at the word sweetheart. This whole "terms of endearment" thing was turning into pure torture in this fake relationship. If this kept up, it wouldn't even take three days before he made me appreciate Demir.
"Hi, girls. I'll keep it short so I don't take up too much of your time. The real reason you found out so late is me, but I promise I'll make up for it at the first chance. So please don't go too hard on my beautiful girlfriend. Have fun tonight."
I turned off speaker and brought the phone back to my ear, exhaling in relief. Thank God he kept it simpler than I expected.
"That should hold them for now, Sunshine. I have to hang up."
"Okay, honey. Bye."
I shoved the phone into my pocket and turned to the girls. All three of them were staring at me with dreamy, idiotic grins.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Feyza and Aylin sighed and turned to each other.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Teresa?"
"They're such a cute couple, aren't they?"
I rolled my eyes and walked to the fridge, shaking my head in disapproval.
"I talk for half an hour and it does nothing. Hotshot says two sentences and suddenly we're the love of the year. And I call you my besties. Shame. Shame!"
Just then, someone knocked on the door. I closed the fridge and looked at them. Feyza grinned and went to open it, then came back carrying two huge bags. I snatched the bags and looked inside.
"Are you serious, Sapphire? Are we shutting the house down and opening a bar? What is all this?"
She took the bags back and started pulling bottles out.
"Don't interfere, Red. We declared tonight a girls' night. We're drinking until we forget our own names."
I laughed and looked at them.
"Alright then. I guess blowing off steam will be good for all of us."
My eyes landed on Nil's tight jeans and sweater.
"Want me to give you something more comfortable to wear too?"
She smiled and nodded, and we went into my bedroom together. Keeping in mind she was much thinner than me, I started digging through the drawers for something that would fit, while she looked around. After a moment, she studied the large frame on the wall with the photo collage inside it, then turned to me with a sad little smile.
"You have a big family. That's nice."
I smiled too as I handed her the clothes I found.
"Yeah. Even if it's hard sometimes, I still like having a big family."
I was about to leave the room when she called out. I turned back.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For everything." She took a deep breath, then continued with a small smile. "Since I started hanging out with the guys, most of the girls who come near me just want to be friends to get their attention. So I haven't had a close girl friend in a long time. I'd forgotten what a real girlfriend feels like. Thank you for letting me be part of you."
One day, Bora and her emotional moments were definitely going to make me cry. I smiled and stepped closer, wrapping my arms around her.
"Choosing three wooden fairies over being friends with someone as sweet and kindhearted as you was their loss. If we'd had the chance to meet earlier, I'd have preferred to know you without them around, trust me."
I pulled back with a grin, and she laughed too.
"And besides, it's too early for thanks. First you need to learn what it means to drink under Sapphire's leadership. Now go change and come on."
When I left the bedroom, I saw Aylin busy with snacks and Feyza busy with the drinks. I went to the living room, sat at my computer, and started picking the best songs from my music fileser for a girls' night, one by one. When the playlist was ready, Aylin and Feyza came in carrying trays loaded with drinks and snacks. Nil joined us right after them.
We were ready to start.