YES, LET'S JUST BE FRIENDS

CHAPTER FOUR

SANEM WAS FURIOUS, " WHAT DO YOU MEAN MR. CAN, HOW COULD I POSSIBLY DRIVE  YOU CRAZY?  WE GOT THE ACCOUNT WITH COMPASS SPORTS, ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU WANTED." SANEM TOLD HIM, DESPERATELY TRYING TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION ON BUSINESS.   CAN BENT DOWN TO LOOK DIRECTLY INTO HER EYES, "THATS NOT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT AND YOU KNOW IT. "  HE SPUTTERED. "WHO IS THAT GUY, AND TOLD ME YOU HAD NEVER HAD A BOYFRIEND BEFORE, SO WHERE DID HE COME FROM. "  

SHE WAS GETTING MORE UPSET BY THE MINUTE, TRYING TO STAY CALM, SHE LAUGHED, " OH YOU MEAN TANER,  WE WERE TOGETHER AT THE UNIVERSITY FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. I REALLY DIDN'T THINK HE THOUGHT OF ME AS HIS GIRLFRIEND, BUT I GUESS HE DID."  SHE REPLIED FLIPPPANTLY AS IF SHE DIDN'T TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY. .

" HE IS REALLY A NICE GUY, AND QUITE THE ATHLETE TOO. DID HE TALK TO YOU ABOUT GOING MOUNTAIN CLIMBING " SHE ASKED WITH. A SMILE ON HER FACE.  " I TOLD HIM THAT YOU LIKED TO MOUNTAIN CLIMB AS WELL." SHE CONTINUED, BABBLING ON ABOUT HOW PHYICALLY FIT TANER WAS. CANS ANGER HAD REACHED ITS PEAK AND LISTENING HER GO ON ABOUT THIS GUY WAS THE LAST THING HE WANTED.  HE HAD FINALLY HAD ENOUGH AND CAN SLAMMED HIS HAND DOWN ON THE DESK AND SHOUTED, " STOP SANEM, JUST STOP, "  I'M REALLY OUT OF SORTS HERE AND YOU'RE NOT HELPING ME.  I NEED A STRAIGHT ANSWER FROM YOU, IF YOU CAN DO THAT. "

SHE FOLDED HER ARMS AND ROLLED HER EYES, " I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT ME TO SAY MR.CAN, HE'S AN OLD FRIEND, AND I WAS HAPPY TO SEE HIM.  THERE, END OF STORY. " SHE BLURTED OUT, HER EYES GLARING AT HIM. 

" MR. CAN? SANEM WE'RE WAY PAST THAT FORMALITY DON'T YOU THINK.  WHY DO YOU KEEP CALLING ME THAT. I NEED FOR YOU TO BE SERIOUS RIGHT NOW. " HE SHOUTED.  SHE TILTED HER HEAD AND FROWNED, " WE ARE IN THE WORK PLACE, ARE WE NOT? HOW ELSE SHOULD I ADDRESS YOU."  

CAN THREW HIS HANDS IN THE AIR AND GROWLED, " YOU ARE THE MOST INFURIATING WOMAN I HAVE EVER MET. "  SHE SIGHED, AS SHE LOOKED AROUND HIS OFFICE UNCOMFORTABLY, SHE ASKED, " ARE WE DONE NOW, IF SO I HAVE A LOT OF WORK THAT I NEED TO GET DONE. "  SHE TURNED TO LEAVE. CAN GRABBED HER ARM TO STOP HER, " WAIT SANEM, WAIT A MINUTE,  DID YOU TELL HIM ABOUT US? " HE QUESTIONED HER WITH HIS EYES.  SHE TURNED TO HIM WITH A PUZZLED LOOK,  " WHAT ABOUT US MR. CAN,  WHAT WAS I SUPPOSE TO TELL HIM ABOUT "US"...  THAT WE ARE FRIENDS? SHE REPLIED, LOOKING HIM DIRECTLY IN THE EYE. " YES  I TOLD HIM, I TOLD THAT WE WERE FRIENDS,...NOTHING BUT FRIENDS." SHE SPOKE BLUNTLY, THEN SHE TURNED AND WALKED OUT THE DOOR......

SHE SAT AT HER DESK WITH HER EYES CLOSED,  TALKING TO HER INNER VOICE. " WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS, HE ONLY WANTS TO BE INVOLVED WITH YOU WHEN HE THINKS SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT BE INTERESTED.  WELL, THATS NOT HOW THIS GAME WORKS CAN DIVIT.  WE ARE GOING TO BE JUST FRIEND AND THATS IT.  MY HEART CAN'T TAKE THIS MERRY-GO-ROUND RELATIONSHIP. "  SHE SCREAMED TO HERSELF AS SHE FELT HER HEART BREAK JUST A LITTLE MORE.

IT WAS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON BEFORE SHE KNEW IT.  SHE WOULD NEED TO HURRY IF SHE WAS TO GET HER WORK DONE. TANER WOULD BE BACK TO PICK HER UP IN AN HOUR, SO SHE WOULD CALL HER MOM TO LET HER KNOW SHE HAD PLANS AFTER WORK AND WOULDN'T BE HOME FOR DINNER. 

 CAN WANTED TO TALK TO SANEM BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY, MAYBE HE COULD SMOOTH OVER THE HEATED CONVERSATION THAT THEY HAD EARLIER. HE ALWAYS HATED IT WHEN THEY ARGUED, AND THAT SEEMED TO BE MORE OFTEN THAN NORMAL.  HE WALKED UP TO HER DESK JUST AS SHE WAS DELIVERING THE MESSAGE AND OVERHEARD THE CONVERSATION.  " MOM YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE WHO I SAW TODAY " SHE GIGGLED.  "TANER MOM. TANER CAME HERE FOR THE PRESENTATION THAT I GAVE. HE'S A BIG SHOT AT COMPASS SPORTS. "  YES, I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. WE'RE GOING OUT TO DINNER, SO I'LL BE HOME LATE.  OK, I'LL TELL HIM YOU SAID HELLO. BYE MOM." CAN STOOD THERE STARING, WITH EYES FULL OF ANGER AND HIS FACE RED. HER EYES MADE CONTACT, BUT JUST FOR A SECOND, THEN SHE LOOKED BACK TO HER WORK. HE TURNED AND STORMED BACK TO HIS OFFICE.

SHE WAS TIDYING UP HER DESK WHEN SHE HEARD GULIZE GASP, LOOKING UP SHE SPOTTED TANER MAKING HIS WAY DOWN THE HALL.  ALL THE WOMEN HAD STOPPED TO WATCH. HE SMILED A VERY  SMUG SMILE AND NODDED AT EVERYONE AS HE MADE HIS WAY TO HER DESK. HE OOZED THAT AIR OF CONFIDENCE AND SENUALITY.  HE WORE A DARK TEAL COLORED SHIRT WITH BLACK JEANS. THAT, WITH HIS TANNED SKIN, HE ALMOST LOOKED  ELECTRIFIED.  HIS EYES LOCKED WITH HERS AND THEY BOTH SMILED.  HE WALKED UP TO HER, TAKING HIS HANDS OUT OF HIS POCKETS , HE SWALLOWED UP HER BODY WITH A HUG. " HOW'S MY GIRL? ARE YOU READY TO GO?  WE'RE GOING TO A NICE PLACE WHERE WE CAN EAT OUTSIDE, IS THAT OK WITH YOU? "  HE ASKED, HIS VOICE SOUNDED AS SMOOTH AS SILK.  " UHH, YES THAT SOUNDS GOOD, AND YES I'M READY TO GO." SHE STAMMERED, FEELING A BIT FLUSHED. 

CAN WATCHED THE WHOLE ENCOUNTER FROM BEHIND THE DOOR IN HIS OFFICE. HIS EYES FILLED WITH TEARS AND EVERY INCH OF HIS BODY WAS TREMBLING. 

NO, NO, NO. THIS WAS NOT GOING TO WORK. I'LL THROW THE WHOLE COMPASS SPORTS CAMPAIGN ACCOUNT AWAY IF I HAVE TO, HE THOUGHT. OR, I COULD MOVE SANEM OVER TO ANOTHER ACCOUNT,  AT LEAST THEY WOULDN'T BE TOGETHER ALL THE TIME. OR,... I COULD TAKE TANER ON THAT CLIMBING TRIP AND THAT "ACCIDENT" JUST MIGHT HAPPEN. CAN SHOOK HIS HEAD FEVERISHLY,  " OH MY GOD, " HE YELLED TO HIMSELF, " WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, GET A GRIP, THINK OF SOMETHING REASONABLE." I COULD ALWAYS KIDNAP HER UNTIL SHE COMES TO HER SENSES. ......HE THOUGHT.  OK DIVIT,  COME ON,  THAT'S NOT SOMETHING REASONABLE.

THE RESTAURANT WAS GREAT, AND THE ATMOSPHERE WAS EXCEPTIONAL. THEY EAT, THEY LAUGHED, THEY REMINISCED OF THEIR UNIVERSITY DAYS. SHE WAS TOTALLY ENJOYING HERSELF.

HE HAD CHANGED SOME SINCE SCHOOL.HE WAS MORE CONFIDENT, MORE DIRECT AND SHE COULD TELL HE KNEW JUST WHAT HE WANTED. THOSE WERE THE EXACT SAME QUALITIES IN CAN, THE ONES SHE ADMIRED SO MUCH.  TO BE TRUTHFUL, THEY WERE A LOT ALIKE.  THINKING OF CAN SENT A SPARK OF GUILT TO HER HEART.  HE HAD BEEN VISIBLY HURT TODAY AND SHE BLEW HIM OFF, EVEN BEING PRETTY MEAN ABOUT IT.  MAYBE SHE WOULD CALL WHEN SHE GOT HOME??   

BUT THEN CANS WORDS  RANG CLEARLY IN HER HEAD...." I'M SORRY SANEM, BUT WE CAN ONLY BE FRIENDS"  THE HURT FROM THOSE WORDS TIGHTENED AROUND HER HEART....

BUT THEN AGAIN, MAYBE I WON'T.......SHE THOUGHT. AS SHE LOOKED ACROSS THE TABLE AT TANER.