YES, LET'S JUST BE FRIENDS

CHAPTER SEVEN

CAN STORMED TO HIS CAR, THE IMAGE UNABLE TO ESCAPE HIS BRAIN. " THIS GUY DOESN'T MISS A THING, " HE SNORTED. " IT'S REALLY GETTING ON MY NERVES. "  HE DECIDED TO STAY AT THE MOUNTAIN CABIN, TO TRY AND CLEAR HIS MIND....HOW AM I GOING TO COMPETE WITH HIM, HE THOUGHT.  SHE HAS A HISTORY WITH HIM, IT MAY NOT BE A STRONG ONE  BUT NEVERTHELESS  IT'S A HISTORY.......HIS MEMORIES OF THE CABIN AND SANEM FLOODED HIS THOUGHTS.  ALL THE SPECIAL TIMES THEY HAD THERE, HOW SHE WANTED TO SPEND THE REST OF HER DAYS THERE WITH HIM.  SOME MEMORIES WERE NOT SO GOOD, THE LAST TIME AT THE CABIN PROVED TO BE THE WORST.  ALL THE TERRIBLE THINGS HE SPEWED TO HER, THINGS HE WISHED HE HAD NEVER SAID. HOW WAS HE GOING TO GET HER TO LISTEN TO HIM AND BELIEVE HIS CHANGE OF HEART....

SANEM'S HEART ACHED FOR THE PAIN THAT SHE HAD SEEN ON CANS FACE. MAYBE HER COMING BACK TO WORK THERE HAD BEEN A BAD IDEA AFTER ALL. IT SEEMED TO BE MAKING THEM BOTH MISERABLE.  SHE NEEDED TO GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT.. SHE COLLECTED HER THINGS ALONG WITH HER VERY LARGE AND BEAUTIFUL FLOWER BOUQUETS, SHE HAILED A TAXI TO TAKE HER HOME.  

WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT HOME, THEIR NEIGHBOR MELIHAT CAME RUNNING OVER TO INSPECT THE FLOWERS. WAVING HER HANDS WITH EXCITEMENT, SHE BOMBARDED HER WITH QUESTIONS.   " DID MR. CAN  SEND YOU THOSE MARVELOUS FLOWERS, " SHE EXCLAIMED. "AHHH, HE IS SURELY A GENTLEMAN. SO, I TAKE IT YOU TWO HAVE RECONCILED? "   SANEM WRINKLED HER FACE SAYING, " NO THESE ARE NOT FROM MR. CAN, THEY ARE FROM TANER A FRIEND FROM MY DAYS AT THE UNIVERSITY. "  MELIHAT GOT EVEN MORE EXCITED, SLINGING HER ARMS AROUND AND LAUGHING, "  ALLAH, ALLAH. LOOK AT YOU MY DEAR, OF ALL THE SUITORS.  WHAT IS CANBEY SAYING ABOUT THIS, OR DOES HE KNOW? "  SHE ASKED EXCITEDLY. SANEM SHOOK HER HEAD, LETTING HER KNOW THAT CAN DID KNOW ABOUT THE FLOWERS, AS SHE QUICKLY UNLOCKED THE DOOR AND DUCKED INSIDE...THIS NEIGHBORHOOD,  SHE THOUGHT, WHAT WOULD THEY DO WITHOUT GOSSIP...

UNLOADING HER ARMS, SHE WENT TO FIND A VASE FOR HER FLOWERS. AS SHE SEARCHED FOR A VASE HER PHONE RANG AND TANERS NAME POPPED UP ON THE SCREEN, " HI TANER, THANKS FOR THE FLOWERS. THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL, I REALLY LOVE THEM."  SHE TOLD HIM, HER HEART STILL THINKING ABOUT CANS REACTION.   " MISS  AYDIN, YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME. "  HE REPLIED. " THOUGH NONE CAN COMPARE TO YOUR BEAUTY. "   SANEM LAUGHED,  " OH MY, TANER,  IT'S ME YOUR TALKING TO, YOU KNOW , SANEM. "  IT MADE HER A LITTLE EMBARRASSED FOR HIM TO TALK TO HER THAT WAY, IT JUST DIDN'T FEEL NATURAL.  HE TOLD HER TO BE READY BY 8:00 THE NEXT MORNING , HE WOULD PICK HER UP FOR THE DAY.  " BE SURE AND DRESS SPORTY WITH HIKING SHOES, AND YOU MIGHT BRING A LIGHT JACKET JUST IN CASE. " HE SAID WITH EXCITEMENT.   " OK, I'LL BE READY, HOPE WE'RE NOT GOING ROCK CLIMBING, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT ANYTHING LIKE THAT. " SHE ANNOUNCED..  " YOU'LL SEE MY DEAR, TRUST ME YOU CAN DO IT. "  HE LAUGHED....

CAN SLEPT OUTSIDE IN HIS FAVORITE LOUNGE CHAIR, BUT SLEEP WAS HARD TO COME. HE AWOKE WITH THE SAME THOUGHTS AS THE NIGHT BEFORE. " WAS HER PLANS TODAY WITH HIM? "  HE WONDERED.  " PROBABLY SOMETHING FANCY AND ELABORATE, SOMETHING SHE WOULDN'T CARE FOR.  SHE WAS MORE INTO THINGS THAT WERE SIMPLE AND MEANINGFUL, HE THOUGHT.  HIS HEART WAS FULL OF PAIN, HE THOUGHT HE KNEW EVERYTHING ABOUT HER BUT NOW HE WASN'T SO SURE.  THAT DEEP INNER CONNECTION THAT HE ALWAYS FELT WITH HER WAS BEING PUT TO THE TEST.  SHE'S PUSHING ME AWAY,  HE THOUGHT, AND I CAN'T HAVE IT,  MY LIFE IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT HER IN IT.  ALL THAT I AM TO BE, IS BECAUSE OF HER.  YOU KNOW THAT DIVIT, HE SAID STERNLY TO HIMSELF, NOW JUST GETTING HER TO KNOW IT, THAT WILL BE THE TRICK. THE ACT OF HUMILITY HAD NOT ALWAYS BEEN HIS STRONG POINT, BUT THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING HER FOR GOOD WAS NOT AN OPTION.  SHE LOVED ME ONCE, WITH ALL HER HEART,  I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT HAS CHANGED,  MAYBE JUST A BIT CLOUDED. GO TO HER AND TELL HER THE TRUTH, MAKE HER LOVE YOU AGAIN..........

SHE WAS UP AND READY TO GO.  FEELING ANXIOUS ABOUT THE DAYS ACTIVITIES, SHE DIDNT EAT MUCH NOT WANTING TO UPSET HER STOMACH. TANER WROTE A MESSAGE, " BE THERE IN 5 MINUTES,  ARE YOU READY? "  SHE REPLIED, " YES , READY TO GO. "  SHE WORE LOOSE FITTING JOGGER PANTS WITH A T-SHIRT. HER HAIR WAS IN A BUN ON TOP OF HER HEAD, A BANDANA TIED AROUND HER NECK.  I GUESS THIS IS CASUAL ENOUGH,  SHE THOUGHT, AT LEAST IT'S COMFORTABLE.  TANER ARRIVED IN A BLACK JEEP WITH THE TOP OFF.  HE SPORTED ARMY GREEN CARGO SHORTS AND A TIGHT FITTING TANK, A CAP AND SUNGLASSES.  HE HONKED, SHE GRABBED HER BACKPACK AND BOUNDED OUT THE DOOR.  SHE LOVED THE JEEP,  THIS JUST MIGHT BE FUN, SHE THOUGHT, IT WILL DEFINITELY BE  A DIFFERENT OUTING, BUT I WILL RESERVE ALL OPINIONS UNTIL THE END OF THE DAY.......

THEY HEADED OUT OF TOWN.  CONVERSATION WAS STRAINED BECAUSE OF THE NOISE OF THE WIND SWEEPING THROUGH. SHE WAS GLAD SHE HAD PUT HER HAIR WAS IN A BUN.  ABOUT AN HOUR OUSIDE OF TOWN, HE TURNED ONTO A DIRT ROAD. FOLLOWING THE ROAD FOR SOME TIME, HE PULLED OVER.  HE GOT OUT, SO SHE STEPPED OUT ALSO. " IS THIS WHERE WE ARE GOING? " SHE ASKED, LOOKING AROUND.  " WELL, NOT EXACTLY,  HE RESPONDED.  THIS IS JUST OUR STARTING POINT."  SHE LOOKED AT HIM WONDERING WHAT HE MEANT. " STARTING TO WHERE."  SHE SAID, BEGINNING TO DOUBT THE WHOLE SITUATION.   " JUST GET IN AND BUCKLE UP TIGHT, WE ARE GOING ON A RIDE. " HE STATED.......SHE DID WHAT HE SAID, LOOKING OVER AT HIM WITH SOME RESERVATIONS,...HE SMILED A HUGE SMILE AS HE TURNED HIS CAP AROUND BACKWARDS,  "HOLD ON............HE YELLED. 

HE TORE OFF DOWN A SMALL TRAIL, BARELY WIDE ENOUGH FOR THE JEEP TO FIT THROUGH.   THE TRAIL WAS NARROW WITH LOTS OF ROCKS AND ROUGH TERRAIN. HE MANEUVERED THE JEEP OVER , AROUND AND THROUGH THE MOST FORBIDDEN COUNTRY SHE HAD EVER SEEN...WITH HER SCREAMING ALL THE WAY...

BUT.......SHE LOVED IT....................