A LEAP OF THE EARLY BIRD

Not on his watch...

There were many things that set Aziz Bey and Can apart as managers. They both cared about the business and the agency, but they had a different approach to the matter, both of which helped with the agency's prospect. Yet they shared the same point of view when it came to employees. Never underestimate their value, and never underappreciate their effort. If that happened, either the business suffered or they lost the employee. And Can never tolerated either one. Especially when it came to Sanem. Not on his watch...

He knew she was special. She was beginning to shine in the agency. She had that something, that spark of imagination, and that drive to keep going. That set her aside from others. She showed effort. Not just in completing the task, but in going out of her way to finish the task and complete it with a fresh new vision that was perhaps too hard to see to those who worked there for too long. He saw that in her. Even if others did not. Especially Deren. For some odd reason...

Aziz Bey left the management of the agency to Can. He entrusted it to him. If nothing else, he wanted to make his father proud. That is why the contract with the international cosmetic company coming on to the Turkish market mattered so much to him. He was set on it. And believed his employees would do their best to make sure they won. They avoided the crisis of the torn up documents. He acknowledged Sanem's assistance in going to the printshop to obtain the project's copy. The fact that Leyla trusted her spoke for itself. Yet upon their return from the printshop Can learned that the auditors lowered the agency's score due to lack of a space where employees could relax. Where they could unwind. He was surprised, he was sure such place would have been set. Should have been set. And then he learned that such a place did exist. Sanem had prepared it. Only Deren denied any acknowledgement of it. By doing so, she made two mistakes. She acted against the company and as a result aided in lowering the agency's score in the audit. The second mistake angered Can even more. She underappreciated Sanem's effort. And that never sat well with Can, nor would if ever with Aziz Bey. Can went to see Sanem and the space she created. And he had to admit he agreed with Ceycey. The space was beautiful. It would most definitely been enough to please the auditors. But none of that mattered now. Because Sanem was crying. He hadn't realised her tears would cause him pain. He could stand Sanem's hot temper. Her stubborness. Even her denial of any feelings for him. But not her tears.

The moment he touched her tear-soaked cheeks his heart stung. Deren didn't just underappreciate her. She didn't just reject Sanem's effort. She hurt her. And that was not acceptable. He felt the urge to calm her hurt heart. He wanted nothing more than to hold her and let those tears dry. But she was so hurt she turned away. She wasn't ready to open up to him. And he didn't blame her. For now he was her boss. Not Can. Only her boss. And a boss equal to Deren, because he did nothing to ackowledge how badly Deren had been treating her. And that, he would darn well make sure, would change. It had to, because he was not ready to loose Sanem.

The fact that she mattered was no longer a secret to him. A secret to others, but no longer to him. He wanted to be near her, to keep her out of harm's way. The more he knew her, the more he wanted to know. It did not matter if he went out of his usual ways to help her. And he was glad he did, when he found her at the bus station and brought her home. He had to admit he was beginning to like taking her home. And this time was no different, even if they barely spoke. She was next to him, and that was what mattered. He didn't need or want to explain it to himself. He just liked her presence. But that night he came across another piece of Sanem's puzzle. She confronted a man who seemed to have crossed her family. Even though she did not have the means to convince him to act like a man, Can did. And he would. And he did not need Metin's chuckle in his voice to let him know he already started to care...