YES, LET'S JUST BE FRIENDS

CHAPTER EIGHT

CAN STAYED THE WEEKEND AT THE CABIN. HE RE-EVALUATED HIS WHOLE LIFE. EVERYTHING THAT HAD DEFINED HIM OVER THE PAST TWENTY YEARS. THE DEVASTATION OF HIS MOTHER ABANDONING HIM SO EARLY IN HIS LIFE, THE LONELINESS THAT HAD BECOME HIS LIFELINE TO SURVIVAL.  SANEM HAD BROKE THROUGH ALL HIS FEARS, SHE SHOWED HIM THE WAY THAT LIVING WAS MEANT TO BE, AND SHE GAVE HIM THE STRENGTH TO OPEN HIS HEART.  IF YOU BELIEVE IN YOUR LOVE, YOUR LOVE WILL LIVE...SHE HAD TOLD HIM ONCE. SO HE KNEW IT WAS MEANT TO BE, HIM AND SANEM.  HE WAS MEANT TO BE HERE AT THIS TIME. HIS HEART WAS FULL YET SO EMPTY.  

THE WEEKEND HAD BEEN THE BEST, PROBABLY THE BEST IN A WHILE.  AS SHE MADE HER WAY TO WORK, HER MIND WAS FOCUSED ON CAN AND REMEMBERING WHEN HE STORMED OUT OF THE OFFICE.  SHE WANTED TO GO AFTER HIM SO BADLY, BUT THAT IS WHAT SHE ALWAYS DID.   HE EXPECTED IT.  TANER HAD BEEN A GOOD DISTRACTION FOR HER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. BUT, AS CHARMING AS HE WAS, THERE WAS SOMETHING MISSING, SHE COULDN'T QUITE PUT HER FINGER ON IT.  SHE HAD TAKEN SOME WORK HOME WITH HER TO FINISH UP ON SUNDAY, BUT SHE WAS SO TIRED FROM SATURDAY SHE DIDN'T GET IT ALL DONE.  SHE WOULD HAVE TO GET STARTED ON IT AS SOON AS SHE GOT TO THE AGENCY? 

CAN WAS DETERMINED TO GET THINGS BACK TO THE WAY THEY WERE, SO HE STROLLED INTO THE OFFICE,  WITH CONFIDENCE, GREETING EVERYONE AND SMILING....SANEM WAS BUSY WORKING ON THE FILES AND HADN'T PAID MUCH ATTENTION AS HE CAME IN. HE STOPPED IN FRONT OF HER DESK,  JUST STANDING THERE UNTIL SHE LOOKED UP.  " GOOD MORNING SANEM,  COULD YOU PLEASE BRING MY TEA AND COME TO MY OFFICE. "  HE SAID, SMILING AT HER.  " IT WOULD BE MY PLEASURE MR. CAN, BE RIGHT THERE. "  SHE SAID.   SHE BREWED HIS TEA AND WALKED TOWARDS HIS OFFICE,  SHE TAPPED ON HIS DOOR AND WENT IN.  SHE WAS READY FOR A CONFRONTATION BUT HE SEEMED HAPPY AND EXTREMELY GLAD TO SEE HER. HE ACTED DIFFERENTLY,   CALM,  IN CONTROL, ALMOST LIKE THE OLD CAN....

" HOW WAS YOUR WEEKEND? " HE ASKED, GIVING HER A SMILE.  " IT WAS GOOD, AND YOURS? " SHE REPLIED. " I SPENT MINE AT THE CABIN, HE SAID,  IT WAS GREAT, DID A LOT OF THINKING." SANEM SMILED, "OH, THATS GOOD,  I BET IT'S BEAUTIFUL THERE RIGHT NOW. " SHE STATED..   CAN STOOD, WALKED TOWARDS SANEM,  " I REALLY DID A LOT OF THINKING,  THINKING ABOUT US. MOSTLY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO US. MY HEART IS STILL SO FULL OF LOVE FOR YOU I THINK IT MIGHT BURST."....HE MOANED, LOOKING INTO HER EYES.

THE WARM TINGLY FEELING THAT ALWAYS OCCURRED WHEN HE WAS NEAR, MADE ITS APPEARANCE.  MAKING HER MOUTH GO DRY AND THE TINY HAIRS ON HER NECK STOOD UP.              " HOLD IT TOGETHER GIRL, " SHE SCREAMED IN HER HEAD. THE EFFECT HE HAD ON HER WAS UNDENIABLE, BUT NOW WAS NOT THE TIME TO SURRENDER.  HE WAS SO CLOSE TO HER, SHE COULD FEEL HIS BREATH ON HER FACE.  " CAN.......SHE STARTED.  BUT THERE WAS A KNOCK ON HIS DOOR THAT INTERRUPTED THEM, THEY BOTH JERKED AROUND TO SEE TANER WALK IN SMILING.."  CAN, HOW ARE YOU. " HE SAID. " HOPE I'M NOT DISTURBING YOU BUT I WAS LOOKING FOR SANEM, AND THEY TOLD ME SHE WAS HERE "   HE REACHED OUT TO SHAKE HIS HAND, BUT CAN HAD ALREADY TURNED AROUND TO SIT AT HIS DESK.  TANER DISMISSED IT AND TURNED TO SANEM. " HOW ARE YOU. NO DAMAGES FROM SATURDAY I TAKE IT.."  HE LAUGHED.  HE LOOKED AT CAN SAYING, " DID SHE TELL YOU WHERE I TOOK HER ON SATURDAY? " WE REALLY HAD A BLAST,  I TOOK MY JEEP AND WE WENT OFF-ROADING, THEN WE HIKED TO THIS BEAUTIFUL LITTLE LAKE AND HAD A PICNIC.  IT WAS A PERFECT DAY, DON'T YOU AGREE SANEM? " 

SANEM LOOKED AT CAN WITH A PLEA OF FORGIVENESS IN HER EYES. AFTER A MINUTE SHE FINALLY ANSWERED, " YES TANER IT WAS A NICE TIME, I WANT TO THINK YOU AGAIN. " SHE MUTTERED.  SHE GLANCED AT CAN, ASKING IF THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE THEY NEEDED TO DISCUSS. HE LOOKED AT HER AS HURT FILLED HIS EYES, BUT SHE WASN'T ABLE TO LOOK DIRECTLY IN HIS EYES. SHE FELT HER FACE BURN WITH EMBARRASSMENT SO SHE TURNED AND QUICKLY LEFT THE ROOM.  

TANER WAS FLAMBOYANT IN HIS DESCRIPTION OF THEIR OUTING TO EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE. SANEM WAS ANNOYED AND EMBARRASSED ABOUT IT ALL AND SHE WAS STILL WORRIED ABOUT CAN.  TANER ASKED IF SHE HAD PLANS FOR LUNCH,  HE WOULD PICK HER UP AND TAKE HER SOMEPLACE SPECIAL. SHE IMMEDIATELY DECLINED THE OFFER SAYING HER WORK LOAD WAS HEAVY, AND SHE WOULD PROBABLY EAT AT HER DESK.  EXCEPTING HER ANSWER, HE TOLD HER HE WOULD CALL HER LATER AND THEY COULD MAKE PLANS....HE WAVED AT EVERYONE, GAVE HER A KISS ON THE CHEEK AND WALKED OUT.  GULIZE SWOONED, " HE IS THE MOST PERFECT MAN " SHE REMARKED.....SANEM STARED AS HE WALKED AWAY, " BUT WHY  AM I NOT FEELING IT? " SHE THOUGHT.  MY INSTINCTS ARE USUALLY RIGHT. MAYBE THATS WHY WE NEVER MADE THAT SOLID CONNECTION IN SCHOOL.  

CAN SAT, STARING INTO SPACE. " YOU CAN'T GIVE UP,  YOU SAW THE LOOK IN HER EYES.   STAY CALM AND MAKE A PLAN TO BE ALONE WITH HER. "  YOU JUST NEED TO TALK AND BE HONEST WITH HER.  NO MORE FRIENDS, WE ARE BACK TOGETHER TO STAY.  LET HER KNOW YOU TRUST HER AND ALWAYS WILL.  THIS HAS GOT TO WORK ." HE VOICED OUT LOUD, FEELING A BIT DESPERATE. 

SANEM FINISHED HER WORK ON THE COSMETIC FILE AND, WENT TO THE DRINK STATION FOR SOME TEA. SHE BREWED TWO GLASSES AND HEADED FOR CANS' OFFICE.  SHE TAPPED ON HIS DOOR AND ENTERED. HE WAS ON THE SOFA WITH HIS HEAD LEANED BACK, AND EYES CLOSED. THINKING HE WAS ASLEEP SHE STARTED TO LEAVE.  " YOU DON'T NEED TO GO SANEM, I'M NOT ASLEEP, JUST THINKING. "  HE SIGHED.   SHE PUT THE TEA ON THE TABLE AND SAT DOWN BESIDE HIM.  SHE REACHED FOR HIS HAND, HER DEFENSES WERE DOWN AND GUILT WAS FILLING HER BODY.  HE TOOK HER HAND WITH  STRONG GRIP,   HE LIFTED HIS HEAD, TURNED AND POURED HIS SOUL INTO HERS WITH HIS EYES.  

"SANEM, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME" HE WHISPERED..........HIS EYES FILLED WITH TEARS