A LEAP OF THE EARLY BIRD

What are friends for, right?

Surprises often came bearing gifts. That was what Sanem thought of them. She very much preferred to know what lay ahead of her, but greeted surprises with an open heart. She welcomed what came her way as a way of her luck. Where everything was meant to happen. Meant to be lived, meant to be experienced. As such, she expected all, and hoped for even better. But she had not realized that life with Can Divit in it would become a neverending series of surprises...

She felt baffled that someone would choose her for a model. She felt privileged to be selected as a model for the campaign of women's empowerment. But at the same time she was baffled. Especially when Metin fell silent and hesitant when he mentioned the photographer. Yet, she trusted him. She could not explain why, but she felt comfortable around Can's friends. Akif and Metin treated her kindly. They were polite, yes, but she felt as if they liked her too. And that meant a lot. Akif made her feel welcomed when she helped Can at the printshop. And Metin found it easy to talk to her. And that meant a lot too. The fact that he approached her about the campaign and felt that he could, meant also that he valued her for more than just some low level employee at Can's agency. But she could not escape the feeling that when he spoke to her about the campaign that the smirk on his face and spark in his eyes stood for something more than just appreciation for her help.

And, of course, it did. She hadn't any idea then. But Metin did. His friend was done for. His goose was cooked. And Can hadn't the slightest idea about it. That's what was most exciting about it. For the first time since they knew each other Can Divit appeared to have fallen under the spell of a woman. It wasn't just infatuation. Metin knew that better than anyone. It wasn't a crush. Can Divit wasn't that type of a man. It wasn't just a heat of desire in itself. If there would have been desire, there would have been pursuit. And if there would have been pursuit, Can would have admitted it to him and Akif. No, this was different. The fact that Can clearly fell for Sanem but chose to not only keep that to himself but to outright deny it stood for something. And Metin couldn't just let that opportunity pass him by. What were friends for, after all?

Sanem clearly was taken with Can too. More than she understood, more than she dared to admit. She spoke of goosebumps when she spoke with Metin and hadn't the slightest clue why Can caused them. But Metin did. He laughed the matter off because he realized how blind both Sanem and Can were. And because he was sure he was right, he spared no effort for them to work on the campaign alone. Just the two of them. They were both taken with each other. And both too scared to admit it. Not yet. But they would.

Sanem couldn't hide her anxiety from Metin. She was anxious about the photoshoot. Evenmoreso when Metin dropped her off, and refused to walk in with her to the photoshoot set. He praised her for her help yet confused her by saying he could not come with her due to his issues with the photographer, or rather issues that would soon arise. Just what that meant, she would soon find out. Because just as soon as she moved away from the car, Metin left as if chased. And she soon realized why. One look at the photographer was all that it took. She realized she had been duped. Mislead did not even begin to describe it. But it seemed she wasn't the only one...

Though they were both mad at Metin at first, they silently admitted to themselves that what Metin did mattered. And it would matter forever. More than he realized or might have predicted. Can's reaction to seeing her amused her, and scared her too. The flash of the camera in his hand went off faster than the sparks in his eyes. He was just as surprised as she was. And it was beginning to look like her hopes of a good day just might have gone up a notch. Her heartbeat did for sure...