Take Me To Your Heart

The Fickle Universe

Of course, Zeynep is overjoyed. She suggests we have a small celebration Saturday night at a club that Deniz and her band are scheduled to perform at. I agree, excited to bid my days of joblessness adieu with some drunk dancing. Not that Zeynep would have taken no for an answer.

Ferit and I are the first ones to arrive, apparently the only punctual members of our group. Yasmin texts me that she's running late, a needless warning, and Deniz and her band are not arriving until later since their set doesn't start for another few hours.

"Your boyfriend isn't joining us?" Ferit asks as I approach him. He is dressed more casually tonight, in a simple white t-shirt and sport coat. I prefer this more relaxed look, though it poses a more imminent danger to my composure.

"What boyfriend?" I ask with a frown, confused.

He rubs his neck, a little uncomfortable. "The man...Sunday morning...sorry I just assumed..."

I laugh, realizing he meant Ozan. "Oh God no! Ozan is just a friend."

He smiles, his shoulders relaxing a little. It crosses my mind that he might have been jealous. The idea causes some nervous energy to bubble inside of me.

Ferit informs me that Bulut is the cause for Zeynep and Amir's delay. He was very disappointed that he had to stay home with a babysitter instead of celebrate with us. "Poor kid," I say, pouting slightly as we head to the bar to order drinks while we wait.

I'm feeling a little awkward in his presence again and will one of my useless friends to walk through that door as soon as possible. I'm usually not uneasy around strangers, but being around Ferit makes me so self-aware. It feels as though he is always observing me and I feel pressure to exceed or subvert his expectations. I want to impress him, is the truth.

"You look nice." He compliments as we lean against the bar waiting for our drinks. I'm wearing a mid-length black skirt with a slit up the leg paired with a crop top and some dramatic, dark make up. This outfit always makes me feel invincible.

I smile, thanking him, trying to get the butterflies in my stomach under control. "You always look nice." I return, boldly, smirking at his surprise.

It feels like a return to our dynamic of old where I would entertain myself at Zeynep's functions by flirting with Ferit. But, back then, I had never taken him seriously, knowing that as intriguing as he was, he was completely off limits. Now, with the promise of seeing him on a more regular basis, the stakes were so much higher. And yet, I couldn't stop myself from trying to make him blush.

I'm searching for something to say to make myself seem interesting, but Ferit beats me to it. "What would you change about this place?" he asks me, as if he knew about the ongoing game I had been playing since Wednesday night. I grin widely at him, excited to dissect the floor layout with my newly minted partner.

He's watching me attentively as I answer, over-animating my words and gestures to try to draw some laughs out of him. I feel myself getting flush under his gentle gaze. I make the mistake of looking at him in the middle of my prattle and immediately lose my train of thought at the glint of admiration in his eyes.

Our moment is broken by the arrival of my enthusiastic sister. Ferit smiles warmly, leaning back against the bar to watch as Laila douses me with affection. "I am so happy for you, didi!" She squeals, hugging me tightly.

I laugh, trying to steady my footing so that we don't fall down as a result of her excitement. "Laila, this is Ferit Aslan, my new partner. Zeynep's brother."

Laila jumps to hug him, shocking him completely. It's a fairly comical scene: his eyes wide, his arms frozen in place, confused as to what their next action should be. Nobody can really resist my sister, though. Her joy is infectious. Eventually, he gives her a small pat on her back as she squeezes his neck, shrieking in his ear.