As I walked down the long hallway after leaving the bathroom, the paintings on the walls caught my attention. They all looked like they were by the same artist.
Suddenly, a fireball rose from my stomach to my throat. Skipping dinner and then drinking on top of it had been a terrible idea. It was definitely a good idea to stop by the kitchen before heading back to the garden.
It was easy to find since it was one of those open, "architectural masterpiece" kitchens with no door. The moment I walked in, I was greeted by every kind of snack neatly lined up on the counter.The sight alone was enough to quiet my stomach. After happily popping a few of those tiny, colorful bites on toothpicks into my mouth, I reached for a cookie that looked dangerously delicious. It tasted every bit as good as it looked.
"You really do love eating, don't you?"
The unexpected voice behind me made me jump, and the bite in my mouth went straight down the wrong pipe. Between coughs, I grabbed a glass from the counter and downed it without even checking what was inside. Luckily, it turned out to be a light fruit cocktail. With the drink's help, I finally swallowed and turned to him angrily.
"Why are you sneaking up on me like a burglar! I almost choked to death."
And there it was again—that same arrogant smile. "Right, I forgot how excited I make you."
I rolled my eyes and popped the last bite of the chocolate cookie into my mouth. I leaned back against the counter, watching him walk over to the cabinets, grab a glass, and pour himself a drink. This was probably the only right moment to ask the question that had been bugging me for a week.
"That day in the elevator… When we were getting out, you said my last name too. Since I never told you, how did you learn it?"
He seemed amused by my curiosity. "Depends on what I get in return for answering that question."
Even I didn't know why I was bothering. It was obvious he enjoyed getting on my nerves.
"When you were a kid and your friends pretended to be doctors or teachers, were you the lone loan shark in the game?"
His grin spread wider across his face. "If we're going to dig into my childhood, we can always go up to my room, sunshine."
"I highly doubt modern medicine can do anything for someone at your level of personality disorder."
With a playful expression, he put a hand over his heart. "That hurt."
He had the kind of personality that was genuinely hard to tolerate. "Has anyone ever told you you're incredibly annoying?"
He answered with a mischievous, half-thoughtful look. "Don't think so. Usually I just hear how handsome, attractive, sexy…"
I raised my hand and cut off the sentence that sounded like it would never end. "Okay! Let's pretend I never asked."
When I muttered "hotshot" under my breath, he laughed and moved to stand in front of me. He leaned his hips against the dining table and crossed his legs at the ankles. For a brief moment, we just studied each other in silence.
I couldn't understand how someone could look this attractive without even trying. With his white shirt sleeves rolled up, dark blue jeans, and that confident, cocky stance, he was tempting in every possible way.
With a dangerous glint in his eyes, he ran his gaze over me from head to toe. He took a calm sip of his drink. "Given that you don't usually dress like this, should I assume this is just for me?" He said it in a teasing tone, but he also seemed to really like the idea.
Matching his crooked smile with one of my own, I walked up to him and stopped right in front of him. Slowly, I leaned in closer to his face. "You'd really love that to be true, wouldn't you?" He didn't answer. He just looked at me, silently waiting for me to go on.
For a moment—a very brief one—I actually wanted to continue.
The next second, I laughed and pulled back. That was enough playing around. In a dramatic move, I grabbed the glass from his hand and knocked it back.
And right then, I swear I was struck by divine punishment. While I coughed like I'd just swallowed bleach, he watched me with silent laughter shaking his shoulders. I tried to speak between coughs.
"What is wrong with you?.. Are you drinking bug spray to speed up your own death?"
"You're still alive, aren't you?"
I fixed him with an angry glare, ready to snap back, but then decided against it. I had to admit it; this time, I'd asked for it. These little games just weren't my thing.
Ignoring him, I started rummaging through the cabinets. I filled the first glass I found with water and only relaxed once I'd finished it.
"As for the answer to your question; coming here and wearing these clothes weren't exactly my choices. I was threatened by a blonde whose sweet looks hide a demonic personality that makes me seriously question my taste in friends."
He laughed genuinely at my tired reply. "I think you should be threatened more often, sunshine."
"Well then, since I've entertained you enough for one night, I'll be going."
I set the glass on the counter and turned to leave the kitchen, but he stopped me. I shifted my mischievous gaze from his hand on my arm up to his face.
"I thought we still had time before you confessed you can't live without me."
He was about to say something when someone called his name, and he let go of my arm. Just then, a girl I hadn't seen before walked up to us. Her dress somehow managed to include every type of cleavage possible and clung to her perfect body like a second skin. Her hair and makeup looked like they'd been done by a professional team.
"Baby, I've been looking for you everywhere." The way she grabbed Kerem's arm and started interrogating him like a wife of forty years confirmed everything I'd already thought about his type.
That was just Kerem's style.
When Kerem didn't answer, she finally seemed to notice me and looked me over with thinly veiled contempt. "And who's this? Your new toy?"
I was somewhere between stunned and furious. What was this woman's problem?
Kerem warned her in a hard tone. "Don't be ridiculous, Burcu. Are you drunk?"
"I'm not drunk, but if you can stand next to someone who looks like that, you definitely are."
It was obvious she'd overdone it with the alcohol, but that didn't exactly help me keep my temper in check.
"Who exactly do you think you are, talking to me like that?"
At that point, Kerem stepped between us and tugged her by the arm.
"Drop it, Burcu. Whatever's between me and her is none of your business. Call Burak and have him come pick you up."
She yanked her arm free, completely ignoring Kerem, and turned those disgust-filled eyes back on me with a laugh that made my ears hurt.
"I'm Kerem's girlfriend, sweetheart. Now disappear before you ruin my view any further."
Before I even realized what I was doing, my hand flew up and slapped her across the face. She clutched her cheek in shock.
Even after the slap, my anger hadn't cooled in the slightest.
"Know your place! I'm not interested in your boyfriend at all! And you're not above me—you're just plain pathetic!" With the same anger, I turned to her beloved partner. "And you should really stay away from me from now on."
While Burcu was still standing there, stunned, with her hand on her face, I turned my back on them and left the kitchen. I marched toward the front door with angry steps, fishing my phone out of my bag. Neither Feyza nor Aylin were answering my calls. I couldn't stay inside any longer.
I opened the door in front of me and slammed it shut behind me as I stepped outside. The cold air hitting my face helped, at least a little. But my hands and feet were still shaking with anger. I covered my face with my hands and took a deep breath.
"You okay?" The sudden voice made me jump.
Leaning against the wall in the back, smoking a cigarette and somehow looking even more intimidating than usual, Rüzgar was the last person I expected to see right then.
"Not really." When he didn't say anything else, I let out a tired sigh and held out my hand. "Got another cigarette?"
He held the pack out to me. I took one, handed the pack back, lit my cigarette with the lighter he offered, and took a deep drag.
Everything felt strangely unreal.
As we smoked in silence, I decided not to ruin the girls' fun and to go home alone. Especially these days, when Aylin desperately needed a distraction, dragging them out with me would have been unfair.
Careful not to meet his eyes, I asked politely: "Could you call a taxi for me?"
He flicked his cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his shoe. In a tone that sent a chill down my spine, he said, "It's late. I'll drive you," and started walking, leaving me torn between objecting and thanking him.
Did he actually enjoy looking like a cold-blooded killer or something?
Hoping he wouldn't murder me on the way and dump my body in some deserted place, I tossed my own cigarette, crushed it out, and followed him.
When I got into his car—the literal dictionary definition of luxury—the comfort briefly made me forget that the person next to me was Rüzgar. Exactly what a potential killer would need to distract his victim!
He drove faster than Feyza, but somehow it didn't make me nervous at all. Even to my inexperienced eye, it was obvious he was skilled behind the wheel.
Aside from me giving him directions, we didn't exchange a single word on the way, and it still took less than half an hour to reach my place.
I kept my gratitude for arriving home alive to myself and simply thanked him. He answered with a silent nod. I got out of the car and went into the building; only then did he speed off.
When I finally stepped into my apartment, a wave of relief washed over me. First thing I did was send the girls a quick apology and a flimsy excuse so they wouldn't worry. Right after that, I headed for the bathroom. Standing under hot water was always my fastest way to relax.
After my shower, I moved on to method number two: I put on my favorite soft, oversized pajamas and sprawled on the couch with a tray full of snacks.
I knew myself too well. If I didn't keep my mind busy, I'd just keep replaying everything and drive myself crazy. So I picked something fun from my watchlist and poured all my remaining energy into focusing on the screen.
Whether it actually worked… is debatable.