Chapter 2

Saturday, November 10th, 2018.

9:05 p.m.

- Umut, calm down! I'm on my way.

Hayat ended the call pressing her lips, "How impatient he is," she thought. She had already sent a message that she would attend Yasmin's birthday party in a downtown bar. After the conversation with Hande, she decided to go to the party, after all, now more than ever, she needed to relax. With the help of her sister Defne, Hayat's look was simple but dazzling. Her dress had long sleeves, but it was short. Her makeup made her glow and today, was a day for high heels!

The bar was reasonably full and Hayat suddenly felt nervous, as if she didn't belong there, "What am I doing here?" - she asked herself - "I'm not ready." As she turned to leave, she saw, of the corner of her eyes, four arms waving at her, calling her: Umut and Yasmin. "Ahh, now there is no way out. An hour! Put up with it for an hour, Hayat! " - she told herself.

- Hi everyone!! Yasmin, you look beautiful! Happy Birthday!

-Why did it take you so long? - said an inquisitive Umut.

- I've been busy all day and I've lost track of time - she lied.

Busy crying ... She sat on one of the VIP area couches, saw Melike in the distance talking to people she didn't know. Umut sat next to her and began to blab as usual. Hayat's mind resembled a pendulum that moved only in two directions: Aslan and the most convincing excuse she could come up with to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Scanning the bar with her eyes, she saw her sister Defne from a distance, who had left the house an hour before her, talking animatedly with Burak. Her sister had a huge crush on Aslan’s brother. Hayat lifted her face up and sighed loudly. She needed air.

- I'm going to get some sparkling wine.

- Ahhh ... but I was telling you how good I was yesterday in my pilates class ...

- Umut, I'll be right back.

Hayat went to the bar and placed her order.

-Please, a glass of sparkling wine.

-You know you can't drink.

That smell, that voice. No! He came. She turned as if she were staring at a lion with no cage separating them. Him. His eyes. And he looked beautiful, as always. The hair on the high bun, a loose strand of hair on the left side. He was all in black. Hayat's heart felt like a bird trapped in a cage struggling to break free.

- Hi, Hayat.

- Hi, Mr. Aslan.

-It's just Aslan, you know, we're friends.

That word struck her like a wrecking ball.

-Right! Aslan! Hey! What brings you here?

-Same as you, Yasmin's birthday.

-I thought the boss didn't come to these parties - she said, already drinking half her drink.

- Why? Are you disappointed?

- Me? No! No! Quite the opposite...

- What did you say?

- Nothing, of course you'd come, even Miss Melike came. Are you going to join her?

-Why would I join her? I already am with my favorite friend.

Hayat didn't notice, but there was not even a single drop left in her glass, and for some reason her gaze lingered on his lips and her throat was suddenly dry. She needed to quench that thirst and turned to the bartender again.

- Another!

- Hey, slow down! Are you trying to provoke me? You know how you behave when you drink ... - he said as he looked into her eyes and slowly lowered down to her mouth, chest, until her feet. Hayat felt as if a drop of water dripped on her back making her shiver. Her stomach seemed to be the habitat of countless butterflies. She needed air. Now.

-Enjoy the evening, Aslan. That's what I intend to do. - She left, not waiting for his answer and headed for the roof of the bar which had a view of the whole city. Air, finally. Her cheeks burned and her second glass was almost empty again.

- Damn, I need another one.

She took a deep breath and the night breeze enveloped her, numbing the giant urge to throw herself in his arms. She had always been a whiner, tears would come without she even realizing it. But now, it wasn't the time! When a tear tried to escape, she closed her eyes and shook her head and tried to think of something else. When she opened her eyes she saw the moon.

-Oh, moon! Can’t you help me forget him? You are so powerful! You can attract the tides! Why can’t you also pull this love out of my heart for good!? – Hayat kept rambling – But then, he is my world. So I need to get out of this world. – she sighed - He also seems like the sun, no one makes me burn like him. Without him not even the seasons make sense...

-Are you talking to yourself? Well, I cannot blame the alcohol for that, because I've seen you doing it when you're sober, too. - He said, putting his hand on the small of her back. Hayat felt the electric current pass from him to her.

-Hey, stop it, I'm not drunk - she said as she moved away from his touch.

- Yet...

- That's my second one!

-So what do you think about ending here, on two? Two is an ideal number. Don't you think?

What was he doing to her, was this a game? An enigma? Did she have to give him the right answer?

-I'll drink as many glasses as I want! As a matter of fact, I'll do it now. - she started walking toward the bar again, and he came right behind her.

Hayat ordered another glass and joined Yasmin, Defne, and the other girls from the company on the dance floor. The three glasses she had taken left her light on the head and her troubles seemed to be lost in that sea of bodies. Among all those heads that she saw in front of her, Hayat saw some frinsky women sitting by the bar counter next to Aslan. Her blood seemed to boil in her veins and she wrinkled her face in disgust. The music was over, and before another one could start, she walked to the counter.

- Wow, how crowded is this bar, huh? There's barely any room to order... - Hayat spoke without taking her eyes off the women, who seemed like vultures. The bartender handed out a beer to Aslan. One of the women touched Aslan’s arm and asked:

- Can I have a taste?

Aslan sighed and answered:

- Sorry, I don’t share.

The woman seemed offended as she turned away from him. Hayat who witnessed everything, grabbed his beer and took a big sip as if she as making a point that he didn’t share things with others, only with her. Hayat’s fourth glass of sparkling wine was handed to her and thus she returned the beer to Aslan. She was about to go back to the dance floor when she heard him saying:

- Let's toast? - Aslan asked.

- To what?

- Hmm ... I can think of many things, but for now... our friendship!

The alcohol was already beating loudly in her head like a church bell, then she let out a chuckle and toasted with a little bit more force than was necessary on Aslan's bottle:

- To us! - she lifted the glass to her mouth and drank it all at once. He took a sip of the beer and, taking the glass from Hayat's hand, put the drinks on the counter.

- Come! – he said, pulling her by the hand to the dance floor.

Hayat saw no one else, she only looked down, where her hand touched Aslan's. What was he going to do with her? This man was going to be her ruin.