Aylin Bozkurt
I absentmindedly snoozed the alarm blaring through the room and went back to sleep. Not long after, the sound echoed through the room again. This time it wasn't the alarm, but a call. I forced my eyes open, checked the caller, and answered.
"Yes, Duru… Hmm?.. I'm awake. I'm getting ready… Of course, of course… Hmm."
Just as my phone was about to slip from my ear, Duru's shouting made me open my eyes wide and press the phone back to my ear.
"Okay! Stop yelling… I'm getting up, I'm getting up… Okay. I promise."
I ended the call and buried my face into the pillow. I was just about to fall back asleep when the useless yet irritating voice of my conscience kicked in, making me turn irritably in bed and kick the blanket away. I pushed myself up on my elbows and stared ahead with eyes that still refused to fully open.
The glow of the streetlights seeped through the edges of the curtains. When I saw that the sky was still dark, I let out a rebellious groan and dropped back onto the bed.
The day hadn't even started yet, and I was already praying for it to end as soon as possible.
Half an hour later, fully dressed, I put on my shoes and went downstairs. As the morning frost—far colder than one would expect from a winter day—hit my skin, I shivered and wrapped my coat tightly around myself. I quickly exited the garden gate and walked toward the car parked across the street. When I saw Demir asleep with his seat reclined, I sighed in exhaustion and opened the passenger door.
As I settled into the seat and buckled my seatbelt, he woke up.
"Good morning."
I turned to him angrily.
"Good morning? What good morning? Which good morning? The sun hasn't even risen yet! It's freezing like hell outside, and instead of being in my warm bed, I'm out on the road with you at six in the morning because of a bunch of idiots who decided to work early just to take a few clothing photos! And all because of that pathetic foreigner! I swear, the way he even breathes—"
He quickly raised his hand and cut me off.
"Whoa, easy there, champ! We get it, you're not a morning person. A simple nod would've been enough."
I sighed and muttered irritably.
"Sorry, I'm not fully awake yet."
"Oh really? Are you serious?"
When I responded to his sarcastic question with a look warning him not to push his luck, he laughed and turned back to the road. As he adjusted his seat and started the car, he murmured,
"We should probably stop somewhere and get coffee on the way. I don't think I want to risk getting there before you wake up. Or wait a second…"
He stared off thoughtfully for a moment, then turned to me with a grin.
"On second thought, how about some warm milk instead of coffee, Jigglypuff?"
I laughed involuntarily and shook my head.
"Drop the jokes and drive, Demir. We're running late."
He replied with a smug smile.
"Late? With me by your side? I highly doubt it, beautiful."
Since I spent most of the ride to the coffee shop half-asleep, the trip was quiet but peaceful. When he returned to the car with the coffees and handed me one along with a package, I placed the coffee between my legs and looked at the package. When I saw the sandwich inside, I smiled and started eating it after murmuring a quiet thank you.
A while after we got back on the road, I had finished my sandwich and was halfway through my coffee. Watching Demir softly hum along to the song on the radio, a thought crossed my mind and I asked curiously,
"According to Duru, you speak five languages. How did you learn so many foreign languages?"
He answered with a smile.
"From the age of fourteen, I worked through all my holidays to earn my own allowance. Since the pay was higher, I mostly worked in tourist areas. When I realized that the friendlier I was with tourists, the more tips I got, I decided to improve my foreign languages. With a bit of talent, a bit of ambition, and foreign friends, I was fluent in three languages by the time I finished high school. I learned the other two because they're common in construction work."
"That's impressive," I said, nodding with admiration.
If there was one thing I could say based on what I'd learned about Demir recently, it was that you truly shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
We spent the rest of the drive chatting about random things. When we arrived at the given address, I took a deep breath and got out of the car. I hoped I could get through the day without committing murder.
As soon as we walked inside together, I recognized the foreigner who was in a heated conversation with a young man holding a massive camera and grimaced in displeasure. When he noticed us and started walking toward us with his arms spread wide, I began muttering under my breath.
"Oh God, just look at him! That pathetic creep! Damn his face—"
"Aylin! What did we talk about?"
Before I could finish my sentence, Demir cut me off sharply through clenched teeth, without wiping the smile off his face. I turned to him rebelliously.
"That's not an insult! I was just talking to myself. And anyway, who cares what I say? He doesn't understand a single word!"
When he shot me a scolding look, I sighed and forced a smile as I reached out to shake the man's hand. But before I even realized what was happening, he rattled off something and pulled me into a hug.
I blinked in shock, my hands frozen awkwardly at my sides. A few seconds later, he pulled back and moved on to greeting Demir.
'Nope. This guy was definitely sent by divine forces to test my patience.'
While the two men talked, I scanned the place out of boredom since I neither understood nor cared about what they were saying. I wasn't sure what they called the place, but it looked like a warehouse.
It had a high ceiling and was quite spacious. The walls were decorated with interesting posters, and potted plants of various sizes were scattered around the non-working areas. In one corner stood a two-seater couch, and a little farther ahead was a large meeting table surrounded by several chairs. Separate from all of that was the photographer's computer desk.
Right across from the desk was a wide area with a pure white backdrop. Clearly, the photos were taken there. Surrounding that area were all sorts of equipment whose names and purposes I didn't know.
When I turned my attention back to the people beside me, I noticed the man staring at me with an impressed look. I frowned and leaned closer to Demir, whispering,
"What did you say to him that he's staring like an idiot?"
He answered with a pleased grin.
"I told him it's been your biggest dream since childhood to become a model, and that you're taking this very seriously."
I laughed and placed my hand on his arm.
"Stop messing around. Seriously, what did you tell him?"
He laughed and replied again,
"I seriously told him that."
"What?!"