The next day, Jan and I woke up early to return to Istanbul. He was still waging his "cold war" of silence. Once again, instead of turning on the radio, I decided to sleep. Of all the confusing feelings Jan awakens in me, this is the worst: being ignored as if we were miles apart, even though we are sitting side by side. He looks at me with an indifference that frustrates me; he is a riddle I simply cannot decode.
When I wake up, I realize he has driven me right to my doorstep. I panic. What will the neighborhood and my mother think?
"How do you know where I live?" I ask, startled.
"While you were sleeping, your mother called and gave me the address," he replies curtly.
"You have to go! Drop me off at the corner!"
"Don't be silly, Aylla."
"Jan bey, please! You don't know what you're getting into."
It was too late. My mother and half the neighborhood were already at the door, and to my bad luck, Osman was there too. "Aylla! Where were you? Who is he? I was worried!" Osman exclaims. "I'm fine, Osman. Go home, we'll talk later."
Jan gets out of the car and greets my mother, who welcomes him with a warmth she rarely shows me. He hugs her, turning on all his charm to win her over. Osman continues to glare at Jan with suspicion.
"Merhaba. I'm Osman, Aylla's fiancé," he blurts out. For the first time, I'm actually happy with that false title.
"Merhaba. I'm Jan Divit."
Jan extends his hand with an icy politeness. I cover my eyes, wishing this was just a nightmare. Mom pulls Osman inside the house, and Jan turns to me with a victorious smile, looking as if he's dancing after winning my mother over.
"Your mother is very kind. And that young man... an admirer?" I decide to use Osman as a shield. What better armor is there than a commitment?
"Osman wants to get married, but I want to focus on my career first. I'm telling you this, but I don't see how my love life concerns you."
I look at him confidently, hoping to bruise his ego. But Jan just fumbles with his two stones, indifferent.
"That's true. Boss and employee relationship. I forgot. Work talk only," he says coldly. "Bye, Aylla." He closes the car door without looking back.
A week has passed since Bursa. Jan is so cold he seems to have taken lessons from Deniz. Now, the company is holding an immersion event—a weekend retreat. Layla and Zeki are taking down the names of guests. Jan approaches, the first time he's been near me for something other than work.
"Jan bey, are you bringing anyone?" Layla asks. Jan looks at me with a challenge sparking in his eyes. A smirk plays on his lips.
"I'm bringing my girlfriend, Polen."
My blood boils. I didn't intend to bring anyone, but his look pushes me into a counter-attack. "I'm bringing someone too, Layla. My fiancé, Osman, and my best friend, Ezgi."
"I didn't know you had a fiancé, Aylla!" Layla says, excited. Jan leaves the lobby immediately.
Later, I knock on his office door. "Jan bey? I brought your tea."
"You can leave it on the table, Aylla."
"Do you need anything else? Is everything okay?"
"Do you want to talk about something outside of work?" he asks, staring at me intently.
"No."
"Then everything is excellent, Aylla."
It's the first time he's truly looked at me, without games, since he dropped me off at home.
"You don't have to treat me this way, Jan bey," I say, and I leave before he can retort.
My goal now is the retreat. I need to convince Jan that I'm with Osman and, at the same time, make poor Osman understand that we are just friends. He is sweet, with his curly black hair and green eyes, but I see him as a brother. Ezgi will come with me to ensure nothing goes wrong. Everything will be perfect, Inshallah.