Love for Rent - The Remix Remixed

If We All Used Logic

Passionis

He'd returned from lunch with Koray more unsettled than he had been when he left. Getting away from Defne appeared to help just as much as being around her, he was destined it appeared to be in a constant state of irritation. He spent most of lunch listening half heartedly to Koray waffling while his mind was firmly focused on what Defne and Sinan could be doing, was his friend making her laugh, touching her?... God this wasn't working.

Seeing her in her office, he couldn't help but go through to see if she would discuss whatever that 'personal' matter had been that she urgently needed time for. Could lunch with Sinan be considered urgent? It was certainly personal.

Stepping through the door of her office, she whirled to face him, a small sheepish smile on her face as she chewed on her biscuit.

"Ah Sir."

"So? Did you finalise your personal matter?"

He hated the smile that she gave him at that very minute, the one that would normally set his heart racing. "Yes, thank you very much for allowing me."

"Where's Sinan?"

Shrugging she shook her head in confusion. "I don't know."

"He didn't come back from lunch?"

"I have no idea."

Was she playing with him? Is that what this was? "You have no idea?"

Her eyes were wide, confused. "But if you want, I can get a hold of him right away."

Irritated he bit back the immediate response that came to his mind. "No need. Just get back to work." Turning on his heel he missed the confused hurt expression on her face.

"Allah" She raised her eyebrows and walked around her desk, focusing on her work whilst also thinking about where she might find the book for Omer's birthday.

Defne's House

The next morning she woke up earlier than normal, took a little extra care when getting ready and walked to the bakery a few streets over, even though there was one closer, and even though it was in the opposite direction of her bus stop, simply because they were the best in the neighbourhood. It was Omer's birthday today and she had noticed on the list of party preparations that a birthday cake was missing. Her family might be poor, but her grandma always made sure that they at least had a birthday cake. I mean the gifts weren't incredible, but she always felt special and loved on her birthday.

If she could make him smile, it would be worth the twenty minute round trip.

Omer's House

Sukru had agreed to give Defne the address of one of Istanbul's specialist booksellers later, so there was still hope that she might be able to find the first edition of Love and Pride, but she would have preferred to have been able to gift it to him this morning, without anyone else seeing them. That way she'd have been able to see his real reaction, he was closed off and cautious when they were around other people, but alone, he seemed to be warmer and more open. She imagined he might smile, the unguarded one she'd noticed a couple of times, the one that made her forget where she was.

Placing her bag on the kitchen counter she pulled out the bag containing the muffin that she'd picked up from the bakery and the sole candle that she'd brought from home, placing it in the centre of the cake. At the very least she had this to give him, it was undoubtedly humble compared to what he might normally expect, but it would be nice to show that she was acknowledging the day.

She'd just opened the back doors to the garden to let the sunshine and fresh air in when she noticed him returning, he was testing the soil of the yellow flowered plant that she'd brought from home. Smiling as he picked up the watering can she was suddenly horrified as she watched him pour it directly onto the poor plant's flowers. Running out of the doors she shouted to stop him.