A Necessary Journey

Coming Home

She had managed to avoid speaking to Omer the entire first day following his return to the office, unfortunately with the launch looming imminently on the horizon it was impossible to avoid him any further and she knew it. She'd dropped her schedule and the launch plans on his desk before he arrived this morning in an attempt to avoid him for as long as possible, and she made a conscious effort to completely avoid his eyes when she sensed him arrive. He  had stood for a few moments, halfway between his desk and the office door, and she could see from her lowered lids that his body was turned towards her, watching. Refusing to give him the satisfaction of returning his gaze, she shuffled papers around her desk in an attempt to appear busy and focused. She'd be mortified if he knew just how on edge she was, that every nerve was attuned to his presence. Unfortunately though, her solace didn't last much longer. An hour after he arrived, the desk phone rang. She picked it up, and when his voice filtered through the ear piece her eyes automatically flew to the window between them. 

"Defne, come see me please?" He was gesturing for her to come to the office. 

Biting back her anger she responded "Of course Sir."

Smugly replacing the handset she swept up her sketch pad and her notepad. If he insisted on being here and communicating with her, it would be without any familiarity or reference to their intimate past. Their relationship was purely professional now, and she'd make sure that he knew it. 

She travelled the short distance to his office and knocked on the door, waiting until he finally asked her to enter. Closing the door behind her, she stood waiting for his instruction, face purposefully blank. He was looking down at the schedule for the event and as the silence stretched out he finally looked up to meet her eyes. 

"Sir? Are there any concerns with the schedule?"

She itched to move as his eyes slowly swept over her. Her face, hair, then down the length of her body. Clenching her jaw as he pushed himself up from the desk and walked around to face her, she forced herself not to react, even though she was sure he could hear her heart pounding. Forcing her eyes up to his, she was surprised to see concern and hurt reflected in them. 

Resting against the leather chair to alleviate the strain on his leg, he regarded her silently for a few moments. "How are you Defne?"

"Was there something regarding the work that you needed me for Sir? To go over the schedule? The plans for the launch?"

"Defne please.. I want us to speak about this."

Clutching her books to her chest she held one hand up to silence him. "If it's all the same, I would rather that we only discuss work related subjects going forward... I don't have time, nor the energy for anything else. It's in the past, let's just make the best of a bad situation. We've moved on, there's no sense in dragging it up again."

"We've moved on? So you're speaking for me now? You've decided that?"

She rubbed a hand over her forehead tiredly. "Please? Let's just discuss what we need in terms of Passionis, and leave everything else behind us."

"What is behind us exactly Defne? It's been 3 months, was I so easy to get over?"

"I won't discuss this with you. I said what I had to say on the very same night that you left. I'm focusing on other things now, and so should you. So if we could keep this strictly professional, I'd be grateful. I'm not interested in anything more, if that is too difficult, you should let me know and I'll look for alternative employment." Her chin was raised in defiance, projecting an air of confidence that she certainly wasn't feeling.

He sighed and hung his head. "Tamam. Okay Defne, you're not ready to talk. That's fine." Reaching behind him he picked up the folder on his desk and flicked it open. "I didn't see an invitation for Tranba getting issued."