deepestwonderlandcloud

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Elsie looked at Lolong finally realizing she had fallen for him. Fallen for him in a span of a few months. He's her first love, she thought. She loved another guy before him, yes, but maybe first love means when you find the one, all the other loves before him doesn't matter.

"I wanna live for you, Elsie," Lolong said, and his eyes twinkled as he smiled. "I could die for you, yes, but that would be too easy. Living is harder. And I wanna do that for you."

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Fourteen: The Engagement; The Past

"What? Why?"

Ozge asked as Serkan twirled her around.

"Because Can likes you. You're important to him," Serkan said.

Ozge looked at Can. "Don't be ridiculous. We're just friends. And Can---"

"I can see the way he looks at you, Ozge," Serkan laughed. "He doesn't look at other women that way."

Ozge couldn't help but smile at what Serkan said. Can likes her? But... what does that even mean for her? She's not yet sure what she feels for him. I mean, she doesn't like it when Can is with Diletta... or if she thought about it, she couldn't stand seeing him with any other girl either.

Serkan observed Ozge's expression and laughed.

"Anyway, Mr. Derya is very important to Can. Mr. Derya is the wealthiest man in all of Turkey. Yes, even richer than Can's mother. He is among the top 20 of the world's richest people, having a net worth of 59 Billion US dollars. Mr. Derya and Can's father were best friends and they built a company together. That company is now the very famous company that Can's mother now owns. Signing a deal with Mr. Derya will not only mean success for Can, but for his mother to be proud of him as well."

Ozge looked at Serkan, still processing everything he's saying.

"See, Can may not say it but he loves his mother. And he wants her to be proud of him," Serkan said. "I don't really need Mr. Derya, quite frankly. I am already very successful and rich. My net worth of 500 Million US dollars is more than enough for me. But I do it because I wanna compete with Can. I have to be better than him."

"Why are you so obsessed with competing with Can?" Ozge asked. "Weren't you best friends?"

Serkan stopped swaying and Ozge let go of him. He had the same smug smile on his face.

"So, will you do it, Miss Ozge?" Serkan said. "If you accept my offer, I can guarantee a hundred percent that Mr. Derya will partner with Can."

"No!" Ozge said. "I can't betray Can like that. I'm... loyal to him."

Serkan chuckled.

"Always love over work, aren't you?" Serkan said. "I'm not in a rush, Miss Ozge. You can give me your answer at a later date. Think about it for now, alright? Think about Can. And how this will greatly help him."

Ozge turned to Can who was already heading to their direction.

"Ozge, will you dance with me?" Can said, holding out his hand.

And relief washed over Ozge like a waterfall. It was nice to hear Can's voice saying her name. She didn't wanna listen to anything else. She smiled and nodded, holding his hand as she took her in his arms, holding her close. Their faces were so close to each other that she could smell his perfume. He smelled nice. Like strawberries.

"What were you two talking about?" Can asked, almost in a whisper.

"Nothing," Ozge said, trying to think of what to say. "Serkan was just asking me about my day."

"Yeah. He seems too curious about you lately," Can said, frowning.

Ozge smiled and leaned in closer. "You don't like it?"

"No," Can said, silently.

"Why not?" Ozge asked.

Can smiled, leaning closer. "I think you know why, Miss Ozge."

Ozge smiled, putting her hands behind Can's neck. "Is it possible that Can Yaman is jealous?"

Can chuckled, leaning closer that their noses touch.

"And why would I be jealous, Miss Ozge?"

Ozge laughed, looking at Can intently. Then the music stopped. They both pulled away awkwardly. Guldem went to the stage, as she stepped behind the microphone.

"Everyone, thank you for coming to my 55th birthday," Guldem said. "I wanna thank each and everyone for their gifts and kind messages. But this party isn't just to celebrate my birthday but also a celebration of another."

Efe stood beside Can, looking at him, as if wondering what Guldem was talking about. Diletta smiled mischievously at Ozge.

"Tonight, I proudly announce the engagement of my son, Can Yaman and the lovely, Diletta Leotta," Guldem said, as everybody clapped.

It was like time stopped. Ozge looked at Can, who looked back at her, not knowing what was going on. The spotlight focused on Can and Diletta. Diletta slowly walked up to Can and kissed him in front of everyone. In front of Ozge.

Guldem gestured Can and Diletta to come up on stage. Diletta pulled Can and they went to the stage together. Ozge felt the tears coming and she immediately turned around and left the hall. Efe watched as Ozge leave and then he turned to Can. Can could not believe what was happening. His mother made a rash decision for him again. Something he didn't need with someone he did not want.

"What is this?" Efe mouthed at Can.

Can's eyes widened and he knitted his eyebrows.

"I don't know!" Can mouthed at Efe. "Where's Ozge?"

Efe shrugged, shaking his head. Serkan chuckled, then he left the hall to catch up with Ozge.

***

Ozge sat down at a bench by the beach, wiping her eyes with the back of her palm. She looked out at the ocean, wishing she was somewhere else. Some place far away from here. From Can.

"Ozge, look at you," she muttered to herself, sobbing. "What did you even expect, Ozge? That Can will like you back? That he would actually fall in love with you? He didn't even mention that he was already planning to be engaged with Diletta. But then again, why would he mention it to me? I'm nothing to him."

Serkan suddenly sat down beside Ozge, giving her a handkerchief.

"Here," he said.

Ozge took the hanky and wiped her tears.

"Thank you," she said, looking down.

"A beautiful girl like you don't deserve to cry like this," Serkan said, taking the hanky and wiping Ozge's tears.

***

Can immediately got off the stage and dragged Guldem outside the hall.

"Mom, what on earth is this?!" Can shouted.

"Son, I've arranged an engagement for you and Diletta. I think it's time for you to be together," Guldem said. "Diletta is a nice girl..."

"But I don't love her, Mom!" Can yelled, and his voice echoed through the hallway.

"Then, who do you love Can, huh? Demet?" Guldem exclaimed.

"No!" Can said.

"Then who?!"

Can glared at Guldem, his chest heaving. He couldn't say it. But he knew who it was.

"Don't tell me, Can---"

"Mom, please!" Can yelled again. "I'm an adult! I don't need you making decisions for me! Tell Diletta that this engagement isn't true. I can't deal with you right now."

Can left the hall, running to the beach, looking for Ozge.

***

"Look, Serkan, thanks for the handkerchief, but I need to go," Ozge said, standing up.

"Ozge," Serkan said, causing Ozge to turn back to him. "Think about my offer, alright? This will not only be good for Can. But for you, as well."

Ozge turned around to leave, then saw Can standing before her.

"Ozge," Can started to say.

"Look, Can, I'm tired. I'm going back to the suite. See you there," Ozge said, then she left.

***

"Baris."

Guldem stood by the window of her suite, holding a glass of wine. She called one of her assistants, Baris Atalar.

"Yes, Mrs. Guldem?"

"I need you to research everything about this girl, Ozge Gurel. Everything. I need to know where she lives, who her parents are, when and where did she meet Can. Now."

"Right away, Mrs. Guldem," Baris said.

This must be karma coming back to me now. The past coming back to me. I always knew this day would come. But not like this. Not this way. I thought I would handle this easily. But here it is, exploding like a bomb in front of our faces, Guldem thought to herself as she drank her red wine.

Guldem held an old picture of her and Kadir Gurel.

Kadir, is this your ghost trying to haunt me?

Flashback 35 years ago...

Kadir Gurel and Guldem Yaman were high school sweethearts. Being together for four years, Guldem thought nothing would ever tear them apart. Until college came, and they both went to different universities. Suddenly, Kadir went cold. He didn't call or text Guldem often anymore. Not even bothering to ask about her day when they do. Until Guldem went to his university one day, and saw him in the arms of Perran.

"Kadir?" Guldem said, crying.

"Guldem," Kadir said. "I didn't mean for you to find out this way."

"What does this mean?" Guldem said.

Kadir grabbed Guldem by the arm, leading her to the sidewalk where there were no people.

"I'm sorry, Guldem," Kadir said. "I've fallen in love with someone else. I'm breaking up with you."

"Kadir, please! Kadir!" Guldem kneeled down, hugging Kadir's legs, refusing to let him leave.

"Kadir, I love you. I love you, please don't leave me," Guldem begged.

Kadir finally let go from her grasp.

"Guldem, I'm sorry. Please forget about me. I'm happy with Perran," Kadir said.

"Miss Guldem, the baby died while it was in your stomach," the doctor said, holding Guldem's hand. "I'm so sorry but you got a miscarriage."

"No!" Guldem shouted, crying at the clinic.

"I never even got to meet my first born," Guldem said, as a tear fell from her eyes. She took another sip of her wine. "I remember cursing the day Perran ruined our relationship. The day she met Kadir. But it's like Fate wants to try me. Now, Ozge, is involved with my one and only son, Can."

She tore the picture apart, putting the pieces to a trash bin. She then lit her lighter and burned the pieces.

"Ozge Gurel shall never be with my son," Guldem said. "And I will do anything to hinder it."

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Thirteen: The Offer

"What is this place?"

Devrim asked Evren as they went to a sketchy neighborhood in downtown Istanbul. There were thugs in the area playing cards and drinking. Evren took Devrim's hand and led him to a small restaurant.

"Are you nervous?" Evren laughed.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Devrim said. "You're taking me to an unknown restaurant in the middle of the night and there are thugs in the area."

"Hey, come on. They're good guys," Evren chuckled. "I owe them a lot."

They both sat an empty table. Devrim looked around, scanning the place.

"Why?" Devrim asked.

"Well, there was one time I was heading to this restaurant and a group of guys in leather jackets tried to hurt me," Evren said. "And luckily those guys were outside playing cards, so they saw me, and fought off the guys in leather jackets. We've been friends ever since."

"I guess you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover," Devrim said.

"What do you wanna order?" Evren asked.

"Uh, I'll have what you're having."

"Two sweet spaghettis please," Evren told the waiter.

"So, Evren, how will you convince Ozge to go on a date with me?" Devrim asked.

"I'll just tell her," Evren said. "Ozge's my best friend. I can get through to her. Don't worry."

The waiter arrived and gave them their spaghettis. They both thanked him and ate their food. Devrim's eyes widened as he tasted the unfamiliar pasta in his mouth.

"This tastes so good," Devrim exclaimed. "It's different, but it's good."

"Right?" Evren beamed. "The owner here is a Filipino. Apparently sweet spaghetti is very popular in the Philippines. Mom and I used to go here as a kid. Mom's foster parents were Filipinos living in Turkey, and this was her favorite dish as a child."

"Where's your mom?" Devrim asked, as he ate.

"I don't know," Evren said, smiling wistfully. "She ran away when I was thirteen years old. I'm thirty now. And not even one word from her."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked," Devrim said.

"No, it's fine. I'm glad you did. I haven't really thought about my mom for a long time. It's nice to remember the old days."

"Well, your mom missed out a lot," Devrim said. "You're one of the coolest people I know."

Evren looked at him and chuckled.

"You know, you're alright, Devrim. I never thought I'd say that."

"What?" Devrim laughed. "So you thought I wasn't alright before?"

Evren laughed and nodded. They finished their food, talked a bit more, and went home.

***

"What happened last night?" Efe asked Can as they drank their morning coffee at the hotel restaurant. The sun was shining over them and the breeze was cool. It was a great morning.

"What do you mean?" Can asked.

Efe narrowed his eyes. "Come on. I know you and Ozge went out last night. I knocked into your suite and there was no answer. I headed outside and found your car was gone. Did you take her to your special spot?"

Can shrugged, trying to play it off.

"Yeah," he said, taking a sip of his coffee. "It was... not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Efe laughed at Can's remark. "Me, your cousin and best friend, you haven't even taken me there. Demet has never set foot to that place. And Diletta. It was always your safe haven. And now, this girl Ozge who you just met a week ago gets to go there? You must really like this girl."

Can smiled as he took another sip of his coffee.

***

"Yes, Evren?"

Ozge answered her phone. It was Evren video calling. Ozge laid down on the couch in the balcony, enjoying the fresh air. She wished she could stay here forever. No work, nothing else to worry about except being excited for whatever is for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

"Ozge, I miss you," Evren whined. "When are you coming home?"

"I miss you too, Evren," Ozge chuckled. "I think we'll be going home the day after tomorrow. Can said we'll be here for a week though. So I don't know."

"Speaking of Can! Did something happen between you two?" Evren grinned, leaning closer to the screen.

"What? Nothing happened," Ozge said, defensively. She stabbed her broccoli and put it in her mouth.

"Oh!" Evren beamed, pointing at Ozge. "I know that look, Ozge! So something did happen! Spill, girl!"

"Evren, it's not what you think, please," Ozge laughed. "Last night was just a romantic night..."

***

"Romantic?" Efe chuckled. "Oh my gosh, is Can Yaman, Mr. Romantic now?"

Can laughed. "It's just very..."

***

"Comfortable with him," Ozge said, looking at the ceiling. "I actually saw a different side of him last night. A more vulnerable one. He even took me to his secret place which he says he has never taken anyone before."

"It's confirmed, best friend! He likes you!" Evren exclaimed.

Ozge sighed and looked at Evren. "I don't wanna get my hopes up. He still thinks about his ex girlfriend who passed away three years ago, Demet. Also there's this Diletta girl... By the way, I forgot to tell you, Can's childhood friend, Diletta, who is totally in love with him, was so annoying last night. She basically called me poor on the dinner table. But I dealt with her. Nobody messes with Ozge Gurel."

"Atta girl! That's my best friend," Evren said. "This Diletta girl? Is she pretty?"

"She's alright," Ozge said. "I think she got her face done though..."

"Stop!" Evren laughed.

"Shhh!" Ozge put one finger over her mouth, laughing.

***

"What about Diletta?" Efe asked, eating his tuna sandwich.

"What about her?"

"Come on, Can. You know she's been in love with you since we were in high school," Efe said, laughing.

"And you know I only think of her as a friend. Nothing more," Can said. "Diletta is nice, but I just don't like her that way."

"Agree," Efe said. "I totally root for you and Ozge."

Can laughed and shook his head.

"Anyway, Efe, let's go to the conference room. Mr. Derya Gurses will be arriving in five minutes. He's going to be partnering with us for a Strawberry Place branch here in Alanya," Can said, taking his last sip of coffee.

"Nice. Let's go," Efe said, standing up.

***

Ring.

"Hold on, Evren, I just got a message from Can."

Ozge clicked on Can's message and read:

"Ozge, come to the conference room in the first floor of the hotel. We'll be meeting a potential partner of the Strawberry Place branch in Alanya. Bring a notebook and pen, just in case. See you there."

"Evren, I have to go. Work is calling."

"Alright, Ozge. Tell me all the details when you get home, okay?" Evren said.

"Alright," Ozge rolled her eyes. "Bye. Talk to you later."

"Talk to you later!"

Ozge hung up and immediately changed to something casual.

***

"Mr. Derya, it's so good to see you today," Can said, sitting down. Ozge sat down beside him, putting Can's important documents on the table.

"It's so good to see you too, Mr. Can," Mr. Derya, a thin guy in his 50's, with a balding head, sat down across from them.

"I assume you came here today to sign the papers, Mr. Derya? I mean, this hotel is far from downtown Alanya," Can said, handing him the documents.

"Actually, I came to do the opposite, Mr. Can," Mr. Derya said, adjusting his tie. "I went in person because I didn't want to be rude. I've been in this business for thirty years, and when I refuse a deal, I always come in person for courtesy."

"Mr. Derya, if I may," Efe started to say. "We have planned this for months. And you already said you liked our partnership and you were going to sign. What made you change your mind?"

"Look, to be completely honest with you, Mr. Can and Mr. Efe," Mr Derya said. "Another offer has been given to me with a bit more royalty share. And frankly, his restaurant has been up for two years now, it has more credibility. I have been thinking about getting that offer."

Ozge looks at Can, who was clearly getting upset. Can composed himself.

"And who is this that gave you the offer, Mr. Derya? Does he know that we have planned this for months?" Can said, calmly.

"Mr. Serkan. Serkan Cayoglu, the owner of Delicate Eats," Mr. Derya said.

Can chuckled. Efe put a hand on his shoulder signaling him to calm down.

"Serkan," Can sneered.

There was a moment of silence in the conference room.

"Mr. Derya, if I may," Ozge said, and everyone in the room turned to her. "I hope you don't make a rash decision of signing with Mr. Serkan Cayoglu. I am a business owner myself, and quite frankly, a business like Mr. Can's is a much smarter investment since you can go a long way as a pioneering partner in Alanya. Who knows, in the long run, Strawberry Place may even be more successful."

Mr. Derya stares at Ozge, thinking about what she said.

"Alright. I will finalize tomorrow. I will tell you my decision then, Mr. Can," Mr. Derya said, then he stood up. "See you tomorrow, Mr. Efe, Mr. Can and Miss Ozge."

"See you tomorrow," the three of them said.

As soon as Mr. Derya left, Efe immediately went to Ozge.

"Good job, Ozge. You at least gave him time to think about his decision," Efe clapped his hands. "You're literally Can's lucky charm, isn't she, Can?"

Can smiled as Ozge turned to him.

"You are, Ozge," Can said.

Ozge smiled. Efe cleared his throat and stood up.

"Well then, Can, Ozge, maybe we should talk about some new menu changes that I was thinking we should do every week? It will spice up Strawberry Place, making us different from our competitors," Efe said, opening a folder.

"That's a great idea, Efe," Ozge said, leaning closer on the folder. "What did you have in mind?"

***

"Happy birthday, Mrs. Guldem."

A bunch of business owners who have partnered with Guldem arrived at the party. Most of them were multi-millionaires and billionaires. They greeted Guldem as she approached them.

"Happy birthday, Mom," Can said, hugging Guldem.

"Thank you so much, son," Guldem said.

"Happy birthday, Mrs. Yaman," Ozge said.

Guldem gave Ozge a small smile and nodded. Diletta suddenly came and laced her arms around Can's.

"Happy birthday, Aunt Guldem," Diletta said, greeting Guldem with a hug.

"Thank you so much, Diletta," she said. "Where's Efe, Can?"

"He'll be here in a moment, Mom. You know how he's always late," Can said, smiling.

"Oh, I know," Guldem laughed. "You kids enjoy yourselves. I'm gonna go talk to my friends from college."

They all nodded, and Guldem left. Ozge watched as Diletta hugged Can's arms, and rolled her eyes.

"Can, let's dance," Diletta said. "I've always been your dance partner, right?"

Can takes one last look at Ozge, then went to dance with Diletta. Ozge sat at a table, watching them as she drank her sparkling water.

Does he like Diletta too? Ozge thought. She's not bad looking. Plus, she's known Can for so long. He's probably really comfortable with her.

Ozge sighed, taking her eyes off them. Just then, Serkan slowly walked up to her, sitting down beside Ozge.

"You look beautiful, Ozge," he said, looking at Ozge.

"Thanks," Ozge said, as she took a sip.

"You wanna dance?" Serkan stood up, holding out his hand.

Can caught a glimpse of them then, watching Serkan take Ozge's hand and leading her to the dance floor. Serkan put his hand on Ozge's waist, and they swayed to the music. Ozge then remembered about Mr. Derya and Serkan's offer.

"Serkan, can I ask something from you?" Ozge said.

"Anything," Serkan whispered.

"Please drop your offer of partnership with Mr. Derya," Ozge said, sternly. "Look, I know you're just doing this partnership to piss Can off. This is very important to him."

Serkan looked at her intently, then he laughed.

"What's so funny?" Ozge asked.

"You really care about Can, don't you?" Serkan said.

Ozge turned to look at Can, who in turn was looking at her. She immediately turned away, looking back at Serkan.

"He's my boss," Ozge muttered.

"Ahuh," Serkan said, clearly not believing. "And what makes you think I'll do you a favor, Miss Ozge?"

"Because maybe deep inside, you're not a bad person. That you still care about your friendship with Can," Ozge said.

Serkan laughed. "Tell you what, Miss Ozge. I will drop my offer if you do something for me."

Ozge looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Leave Can and work for me as my personal assistant instead," Serkan said.

"What?" Ozge said.

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Twelve: The Tale Of Two Lovers

"So that's it for the meeting today. You can go."

Can said as he stood up, adjusting his shirt. He wore a black and white woman line art print shirt, blue and multi bleached wash skinny jeans, and orchid Vans X Opening Ceremony Authentic QLT.

He gathered his documents and Efe immediately walked to him.

"Yo, Can, let's go to the beach," Efe said.

"Yeah, I'm going there now. I promised Ozge I'd join her. She's in the beach now," Can said.

"Oooohhh, so you're gonna hang out? Just the two of you? In the water?" Efe teased, grinning as he nudged Can.

Can looked at him, then they walked to the beach. "It's not like that."

"So, what is it?" Efe said.

They arrived at the beach, noticing how there were like hundreds of people in it. Can looked around for Ozge.

"Just..." Can said, then he saw Ozge and Serkan laughing together.

Can suddenly felt a burst of anger. He clenched his jaw and his fist, then put his hands in his pockets. He slowly approached where Ozge and Serkan were.

"Ozge, what are you doing here?" Can said, looking at Ozge, then glaring at Serkan.

"Can!" Ozge beamed. "I was just playing volleyball with Serkan and his friends. Uhh, Can, this is---"

"We've met," Can said.

"Can and I are childhood friends," Serkan said.

Can smiled and held Ozge's hand, motioning her to stand beside him. Ozge did so, standing beside Can as she looked at him.

"Can, how have you been?" Serkan said, standing up from the table.

"I was doing fine, until you stole my personal assistant from me," Can said, still holding Ozge's hand.

Serkan laughed. "I didn't steal her. She willingly joined me."

"Can, we were just playing volleyball and talking---" Ozge started to say.

"Serkan, she's mine," Can said, confidently.

Ozge's eyes widened and she felt her cheeks heat up. Serkan chuckled, as Can turned around taking Ozge with him. Efe laughed at the small dispute, watching Can and Ozge walking to a small cottage.

Can let go of Ozge's hand and glared at her.

"Why were you with him?" Can said.

"Like I said, we were just playing volleyball---"

"I don't care what you did together," Can muttered. "Serkan is bad news."

"Why? Who is he?" Ozge asked.

"Serkan and I were childhood friends, until our families got into a dispute about company shares a long time ago and now he wants to compete with me in everything," Can said. "He always tries to sabotage anything I do."

"And what does that have to do with me?" Ozge asked.

Can looked at her, wondering about the same thing. What did it have to do with her? And why was he so angry seeing her laughing and talking with Serkan? What did it have to with her other than the fact that he was...

"I just... wanted to warn you about him," Can cleared his throat.

"Well, I didn't need your warning, Can Yaman. I can take care of myself," Ozge said, walking past Can.

"Ozge."

Ozge turned back to Can. "Yes?"

"I thought we were going to the ocean together?" Can said.

Ozge beamed. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!"

Can laughed as he took his shirt off. Ozge took his hand and they both went to the ocean together.

***

"Thanks for helping me, Devrim," Evren said, tapping Devrim on the shoulder.

"As long as you help me with Ozge, Evren, we're good," Devrim said as he stood up from the sink.

Evren looked at him.

"You really won't give up on her, huh?" Evren chuckled.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I just mean, Ozge just thinks of you as a friend. As a best friend. I know deep in your heart, you know that," Evren said, fixing her tools.

"I love her," Devrim muttered. "I'm never going to give up."

Evren looked at him and smiled.

"You wanna eat something? My treat," Evren said.

"Never gonna say no to that," Devrim said, and they both laughed.

***

"Serkan."

Diletta approached Serkan who was at the hotel restaurant talking to his business associates. He stood up as he saw Diletta coming to greet him.

"Hi, Diletta," Serkan said, kissing her cheeks.

"How are you, Serkan? Still a workaholic, I see," Diletta smiled. "It's Aunt Guldem's birthday. Loosen up."

"Work never loosens up, Diletta," he said. "Besides, this is the last meeting I have for today. Have you met with Can?"

"Where is he? I was just looking for him," Diletta said.

"In his hotel room by now, I think," Serkan said, then he grinned. "He brought a girl with him. It looks like you're too late, Diletta."

"What? Don't be ridiculous. Aunt Guldem never said anything about Can having a girlfriend."

"Oh, really?" Serkan said, confused. "Well, Can must like her. He was pretty jealous when he caught me talking with the girl."

Serkan laughed and shook his head. Diletta knitted her eyebrows.

"Anyway, I guess we'll all see each other later at dinner," Diletta said. "See you later, Serkan."

"See you later," Serkan said, watching Diletta walk away.

***

Can wore his honey classic fit wool linen tailored jacket over a pale blue slim fit icon stripe detail striped cotton oxford shirt, a black classic cut silk satin tie, honey wool linen cropped tailored trousers, and black leather derby shoes. This was one of his favorite suits.

"Ozge, are you done?" Can shouted so Ozge could hear from her room.

Ozge slowly went out of her room, showing herself to Can. She wore an animalier leopard print dress with a ring hardware. Can smiled as he stared at her. She avoided looking at him, turning around to face the mirror.

"I can't zip it up on my own," Ozge muttered. "Will you please zip it up for me?"

Can slowly walked up to Ozge, as she gathered her hair to the front. Can zipped her up with what seemed like forever. She turned around to face him, their faces an inch apart.

"You look beautiful," Can said.

Ozge smiled. "Thank you. You're not so bad yourself."

"Thank you," Can chuckled then cleared his throat. He held out his hand. "Shall we?"

Ozge smiled and nodded.

***

"Where's Can?"

Guldem asked as they all settled down on a table. Diletta and Serkan were also present. The restaurant was quite busy but it was silent nonetheless. Can and Ozge arrived shortly after separating as they sat across from each other.

"Happy birthday, Mom," Can said.

"Thank you, son," Guldem said, then she turned to Ozge. "I don't think we've met. Your name is?"

"My name is Ozge, Mrs. Yaman. Ozge Gurel," Ozge said, holding her hand out to shake Guldem's.

Guldem shook her hand, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Ozge's family owns the strawberry farm I partnered with, Mom," Can said.

Just then, Guldem froze and she looked at Ozge in horror. Silence filled the table as Can, Ozge, Diletta, and Serkan all looked at Guldem.

"Mom, are you okay?" Can asked as he held Guldem's hand.

Guldem looked at Can as if she just saw a ghost.

"I-I'm fine, son," Guldem said, taking a sip of her water.

There as a moment of silence as the waiters served their food. There were a lot of dishes. Among them were, 'Oysters On The Half Shell', 'Farm Raised Sustainable Caviar', 'Chilean Black Truffles', and so much more luxurious food.

"So, Ozge, how did you and Can meet?" Diletta asked, eating a spoonful of caviar.

"Oh, uh..." Ozge looked for the right words to say. She couldn't quite tell her that Can pretended to be her boyfriend at their first meeting.

"Ozge is our Chef de cuisine and my personal assistant as well," Can said.

"Oh, that makes a lot of sense," Diletta muttered under her breath.

Ozge raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"I just think you're not like us, Ozge. Not one of us. And I wondered why would Can even hang out with a girl like you? But since you're his personal assistant, I understand now," Diletta said, laughing.

"Diletta," Can said.

"No need, Can," Ozge said, then she faced Diletta. "I'll have you know our strawberry farm is the most famous farm in all of Istanbul and we make hundreds of thousands everyday. I'm not poor, if that's what you're implying, Miss Diletta. And for the record, there's nothing wrong with being poor. A kind heart is all you really need. Which you clearly don't have."

Serkan almost spit out his drink from laughing. Diletta made a face at Ozge then went back to eating her food. Can smiled as he stared at Ozge, who smiled back at him.

The rest of the dinner was awkward. Guldem was silent most of the time, Diletta was flirting with Can, Serkan kept staring at Ozge, and Can and Ozge would steal glimpses of each other.

"Thank you for coming, everyone. I will see you all tomorrow at the party," Guldem said, and then she turned to leave.

"Can, let's go to the bar. We need to catch up on a lot of things," Diletta said, twisting her arm around Can's.

Can looked at Ozge, who immediately avoided his gaze.

"Sure," Can said. "Ozge, I'll see you back at the suite."

Ozge smiled weakly and nodded. She watched them leave, her heart dropping every time Diletta leans in close to Can.

Wait, why are you feeling this way, Ozge? Can is just your business partner and boss. You don't like him. You said you hated him!

Ozge kept looking at them until they were out of sight.

He's perfectly free to be with any girl he likes. I don't care. I really don't.

"Ozge."

"Hey, Serkan," Ozge said, snapping out of her thoughts.

"Do you wanna go to the roof? I heard it has amazing views of the ocean," Serkan said.

Fine. If Can wants to be with Diletta, then I'll be with Serkan.

"Sure, let's go," Ozge said, lacing her arms around Serkan's.

***

10 PM rolls around and everyone is back in their rooms. Can, however, just got back from the bar with Diletta. He opened the door to their suite and found Ozge sitting at the couch in the balcony. He slowly walked up to the couch and sat beside her.

"Still not tired?" Can asked.

Ozge shook her head, not looking at him. He leaned in closer.

"You wanna go on an adventure?" Can grinned.

Ozge slowly faced him. "What adventure?"

"Well, there's a hilltop that I used to go to as a kid. We could check it out and go stargazing," Can said. "It's a bit far from here, so we're gonna have to ride my car to get there. You in?"

Ozge thought about it for a moment. "Fine, I'm in."

"Let me change into something more comfortable, then we're leaving," Can said, going back to his room.

The Alanya streets were silent at night, peaceful. They drove down a costal road, enjoying the sea breeze that brushed against their faces. It was a bit of a drive to the hilltop where Can used to go, but when Ozge got there, she knew the drive was worth it.

Alanya City could be seen from up the hill. The lights, the houses, the small shops were evident of the calmness of Alanya, and of course, the ocean. Can looked at Ozge.

"This place is just beautiful," Ozge said, walking further and sitting down on the bench near the edge of the hill. "I can understand why you always came here."

"Yeah, this place always gives me peace," Can muttered as he sat down next to her. "Nobody else really knows about it, only you."

Ozge looked at him and smiled. "Really? Not even... Demet?"

"To be completely honest with you, Demet has never come here," Can said, looking at the city. "When Demet and I got together, we moved to Bulgaria after six months and I stayed there until, well, last week. Demet never got to come here."

"And Diletta?" Ozge asked as she looked down, clearing her throat.

Can laughed then looked at Ozge. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing," Ozge said. "I just thought since you two were childhood friends, you may have taken her here when you were a kid..."

"No, she never got to come here," Can grinned.

Ozge smiled at him. "Okay."

There was a moment of silence as Can and Ozge stared at the view. Only the sound of crickets could be heard.

"Ozge, can I ask you something?" Can said. "Why were you scared of riding the helicopter earlier? I mean, I didn't know you had a fear of flying. You were fine when we were on a plane."

"Oh, I-I don't know, really," Ozge said, remembering what happened earlier. "Actually, I saw a... memory. When we were about to ride the heli, I saw a distant memory. I was in the living room with my mom and the TV was on. The news said my father died on a helicopter exploding in midair. Mom hugged me and cried. And that was the end. Then I suddenly got scared in riding it. It's like something in me awakened."

"So your memories are returning?" Can asked.

"Maybe," Ozge said. "It was a sad one though."

"Well, that's kind of a big step, isn't it? For your memories to return?" Can smiled.

"I guess so," Ozge muttered, then she looked up. "The stars are beautiful, aren't they?"

"Yeah," Can said, gazing up at the sky. "See that one over there? That's Sculptor. My favorite constellation. You know, there's a story my mom and dad used to tell me whenever we were star-gazing when I was a kid. Do you wanna hear it?"

Ozge stared at Can. "Yes. Can you tell me?"

"There were two lovers who had very different life circumstances. They lived in a bizarre world. The guy lived in the upscale part, called the Upper World, and the girl lived in the downscale part, called the Lower World. They never agreed to anything at first, because they were different. Their lives were different. But as they got to spend time together, they both fell in love. It was hard for both of them, but they loved each other. Until one day, the guy discovers something about the girl that made it hard for him to love her. And that drew them apart from each other," Can said.

"And then what happened?" Ozge asked, getting more curious.

"I don't know," Can said. "I always fall asleep at that part."

"Aw, come on! At least tell me what it was that he discovered."

"Mom never told me," Can laughed. "She said when a story is shared to somebody, they can make it to however they like. So, I guess it was up to the listener."

Ozge smiled at Can. He smiled back, then cleared his throat.

"Uh, should we go back? It's getting late. It's already 11:30 PM," Can said, getting up.

"Yeah," Ozge said. "Thanks for sharing that story."

Can held out his hand and pulled Ozge up. Can and Ozge got back to their hotel that night, trying to fall asleep, but couldn't shake off the joy they were feeling.

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Eleven: The Childhood Friend

"Wow."

Ozge muttered as they both went inside their Imperial Suite.

The imperial suite was huge. It had two bedrooms, a living room area, dining room area, and a huge balcony. They could see the whole hotel & resort from their room. Ozge immediately went outside the Alanya heat, closed her eyes to feel the breeze, and rested her hands on the railing.

Can stood beside her, looking at the view.

"Can, let's go to the ocean and swim," Ozge beamed.

"I can't, but you should go," Can said, then he checked his phone. "I have a meeting in fifteen minutes. I'll catch up with you later when we're done."

"Okay," Ozge smiled and opened her suitcase, looking for her swimsuit.

***

Come on, Devrim. You can do this. Just ask Ozge out for dinner later. You've talked to her a lot of times. This will just be one of them. Except you're asking her for a date, Devrim thought.

"Mrs. Gurel?"

Devrim knocked on their door as he went inside the house. Perran came walking from the kitchen.

"Devrim, what brings you here?" Perran asked.

"Well, Mrs. Gurel, is Ozge home? I have something to ask her," Devrim said.

"Oh, didn't you know? Ozge went to Alanya with Can Yaman," Perran grinned. "Didn't she tell you?"

Devrim's smile turned into a frown. He put his hands in his pockets.

"Oh. No, she didn't," Devrim said, looking down. "I'll, uh, I'll just tell her when she gets back."

"Devrim," Perran said, causing Devrim to turn back to face her.

"I'm sure Ozge just forgot to tell you. It's nothing personal."

Devrim gave her a weak smile and nodded. "Thanks, Mrs. Gurel."

Just then, Evren Uzumcu, Ozge's best friend, just walked past Devrim and into Ozge's house.

Evren Uzumcu is Ozge's best friend since college. They met at Sofia University and instantly became best friends since they were both Turkish and confided with each other in Bulgaria. She was also one of the people who took care of Ozge when she lost her memories. Evren is a tall girl with deep blue eyes, blonde hair, and fair skin. She sat down on their couch, finding relief from the heat. Perran was used to Evren coming to their house unannounced. She was Ozge's best friend, after all.

"Evren, what brings you here? As if I had to ask," Perran laughed.

"Mrs. Gurel, is Ozge home? I need her to come with me to buy something," Evren said.

"Seriously, Ozge never told you guys? She went to Alanya with our client, Can Yaman," Perran said, as she swept the floor.

"Oh, the handsome bachelor that Ozge has a crush on?" Evren beamed, leaning closer to Perran.

"What?" Devrim said, coming back to the house to join the conversation.

"Evren," Perran chuckled. "Ozge doesn't have a crush on Can. They're just friends and business partners. Mr. Can Yaman is our generous client."

"Mrs. Gurel, you can't deny love," Evren said. "Ozge says she hates him now, but you know how the saying goes: the more you hate, the more you love."

Devrim snorted. "Love. As if."

Evren turned to him and narrowed her eyes. "And what are you doing here, Devrim?"

"It's none of your business, Evren," Devrim said. "I have to go, Mrs. Gurel."

"Alright, Devrim!" Perran shouted from the kitchen.

"Wait, Devrim," Evren said, running to him. "I need help. I need to buy supplies for our broken sink since I have to fix it. Can you please help me buy and drive me to the mall?"

Devrim sneered. "And why should I help you?"

"Because we've known each other for years?" Evren said.

"No, thanks," Devrim said, turning around.

"Alright, fine," Evren said. "I'll help you... go on one date with Ozge. Is it a deal?"

Devrim narrowed his eyes at her, thinking for a moment.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Devrim said.

"Guess you'll just have to trust me," Evren grinned.

"Alright," Devrim said. "But you better come through with that promise."

"Yeah, yeah," Evren waved him off, walking to his truck.

***

"Knock, knock."

A girl said as she knocked on Guldem Yaman's hotel room.

"Oh, Diletta! It's so good to see you, my dear!" Guldem said, hugging Diletta.

Diletta Leotta is Can's childhood friend, daughter of the owner of Leotta Airlines in Italy. Her father is Guldem's business partner for many years now. Diletta had blonde hair, brown eyes, and fair skin.

Diletta hugged her back, giving her a present when they pulled away.

"Happy birthday, Mrs. Yaman," Diletta beamed. "How are you enjoying your day? I can see you already got dozens of gifts from sponsors."

A pile of wrapped gifts in different shapes and sizes were laid out on the floor of Guldem's suite. Diletta sat on the bed.

"Thank you, dear. I'm having a great day so far," Guldem said, putting Diletta's gift in one of the pile. "By the way, Can is here too. Should I call him to tell him you've arrived?"

"Oh, no need, Mrs. Yaman. I wanna surprise Can myself," Diletta grinned.

Guldem smiled. "I know how much you love my son. I want him to fall in love with you too. You've been best friends ever since your were kids. You know him more than anyone else in the world. That's why I like you for him."

Diletta smiled. "Thanks, Mrs. Yaman. I hope he thinks of me the same way too. But I think he's still in love with Demet."

"Oh, hush. He'll move on sooner or later. Just don't leave his side. He'll fall in love with you in no time," Guldem said.

Diletta smiled weakly and stood up as she realized Guldem was having a hard time with her long gown. "Oh, do you need help with your gown?"

"Please, dear," Guldem laughed.

***

Ozge turned heads as she walked down the beach wearing a black puff sleeve bralette bikini top and drawstring boyshort bikini bottoms. She ran excitedly to the water when a volleyball hit her on the head. She fell to the sand, touching her forehead.

Just then, a guy came running to her, getting down on one knee and touched her head.

"I'm so sorry, Miss. I think I hit the ball too high," he said.

The guy was handsome. He had light brown hair, brown eyes, and fair skin. He helped Ozge stand up.

"I'm really sorry, Miss---"

"Ozge," Ozge said, still touching her forehead.

"Ozge. I'm Serkan. Serkan Cayoglu," he smiled, holding his hand out to Ozge.

Ozge shook his hand.

"Uh, will you join our volleyball game?" Serkan said, looking at Ozge intently. He had never seen a woman so beautiful.

"I can?" Ozge asked.

"Of course," Serkan said, taking Ozge's hand and leading her to where his friends were.

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Ten: The Memory

"Do you have everything you need, Ozge?"

Perran asked as Ozge waited by their gate with a large suitcase in hand. Today was the day they were going to Alanya for Guldem's birthday. Ozge checked her bag: phone, check. Makeup, check. Charger for my phone, check.

"I think I have everything I need, Mom. If I do leave something, I guess I can just buy it in Alanya," Ozge smiled, hugging Perran.

"Take care, daughter. Remember to call me when you get to Alanya," Perran said.

"I will, Mom," Ozge nodded, then her phone rang. It was from Can.

Ozge picked up the call.

"Can?"

"Ozge, are you ready? I'll be there in thirty seconds," Can said, the car's engine could be heard in the background.

"I'm ready. Already outside our gate," Ozge said.

"We'll be going to my house first. Apparently, there's construction in the road today in downtown Istanbul and there's a traffic jam. If we go by car to the airport, it will take us forever," Can said.

Can stopped his car in front of Ozge. He got out of the car, took his sunglasses off and greeted Ozge and Perran.

"Can, please take care of my daughter. I trust you will keep her safe," Perran said.

Can looked at Ozge, who looked away as soon as their eyes landed on each other. He smiled and assured Perran.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Gurel, I'll take good care of Ozge," he said, taking Ozge's suitcase and putting it on the back of the car.

Can went to the driver's seat as Ozge got inside. They waved one last goodbye to Perran and headed off to Can's house.

Ozge looked in awe at how big and beautiful Can's house was. The fountain at the front of the house was overflowing with clean water, slopes of cultivated land ahead of the property, and the beautiful mansion to top it all. She knew Can was a multi-millionaire but she never imagined his house to be this beautiful.

"Whoa," Ozge said, looking around the property. "Your house is amazing."

Can smiled. "Shall we go inside before we head off?"

"Can we?" Ozge beamed.

"Of course," Can said, grinning.

Ozge paced to entrance of the home, only to be greeted by the guard who opened the huge double doors for her. Inside was what looked like a mall inside the home. There was also two living trees below, the basement floor. Can and Ozge were in the second.

It was cold inside the mansion since the air-conditioner was on. Can led Ozge to the airstrip where a helicopter was waiting for them.

"What's this?" Ozge said as her eyes widened.

"Good morning, Sir Can," a guy in a suit said. "The helicopter is ready to take you and Miss Ozge to the airport."

"Thank you, Erim," Can said. "Please take Ozge's suitcase."

"Right away, Sir Can," Erim said, immediately taking Ozge's suitcase.

"Ozge, come on," Can said, walking to the chopper.

Ozge shook her head, terrified. She felt her heartbeat quicken, and her palms sweating. She felt cold. Then a vision flashed in her mind.

Breaking news: A helicopter in midair exploded, killing three people onboard. The case is now being investigated. The passengers' names were Ozturk Ozbey, Alaattin Ozoguz, and Kadir Gurel.

"Mom, why is Dad on the news?" ten-year-old Ozge said, as she went to the living room.

Perran turned the TV off and slowly walked up to her with tears in her eyes. She hugged Ozge tight, sobbing.

"Mom, why are you crying?" Ozge said, caressing her mother's hair. "Don't cry, Mom."

"Your father is gone, Ozge. He's gone."

"Ozge."

Ozge didn't say anything. She froze in her place, staring at the ground. Can held her shoulders and shook her gently.

"Ozge," Can said.

"What?" Ozge said, waking up from the trance.

"Are you okay?" Can said, looking at her intently. "You froze for a minute."

"I-I-I don't think I can ride the helicopter, Can," she said, silently. "I'm sca-scared."

What was that? It looked like a... memory. A childhood memory. A painful one at that. Are my memories returning?

Can held her face and pulled her closer to his chest. She hugged him and he could feel her shaking.

"I'm here, okay? I'll be right beside you inside," Can whispered.

Ozge nodded and slowly walked up to the chopper, holding Can's hand, afraid he might go away. Can sat beside her with his arm around her shoulder. Ozge moved closer to his chest, closing her eyes as the helicopter started to hover above the ground.

Can held her closer, nuzzling the top of her head. The helicopter ride went on for twenty minutes until they reached the airport. Ozge looked at Can who smiled at her. She pulled away slowly, turning her back to him and smiled. She got off the heli first, Can following behind her.

"Thank you," she said.

Can cleared his throat. "No problem."

They looked at each other for a moment, grinning.

"Sir Can, Miss Ozge, the private jet is ready to take you to Alanya," Erim said.

They both looked away and turned to Erim then back to each other.

"Right. Let's go," Can said.

***

"What will we be doing for your mother's birthday?" Ozge asked Can as they sat together on the plane.

Can looked outside the window, deep in thought.

"Can?" Ozge said.

Can snapped out of his thoughts, turning to face Ozge.

"What will we be doing when we get there?" Ozge said.

"Well, we're having dinner with Mom tonight. Then there will be a grand party tomorrow for her birthday," Can said.

Ozge nodded, looking at Can as he looked out the window again.

***

"Sir Can, here are the keys to The Imperial Suite," the front desk lady gave Can his keys.

"Uh, what about my room?" Ozge said.

"Ozge, we'll be staying in one room." Can whispered.

"WHAT?" Ozge exclaimed.

Efe chuckled, holding his girlfriend's hand. Can cleared his throat, leaning closer to Ozge.

"Please don't make a scene here, Ozge," Can whispered, minimally opening his mouth to talk.

"I don't wanna share a room with you!" Ozge said, whispering back. "Book me another room. I don't care if I have to pay for it."

Can forced a smile and turned to the lady.

"Can you please book me another suite? Just next to mine, please," Can said.

"I'm sorry, Sir Can. All of our suites are booked for today. We can't book you another one," the lady said.

Can turned to Ozge forcing another smile. Ozge heaved a sigh and glared at Can. Can walked past Ozge, walking to the elevator.

"We better have different beds!" Ozge said, following close behind him.

Can smiled and shook his head as they all proceeded to ride the elevator.

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Nine: Meteor Shower

A crash. Shreds of glass on the floor. The strong smell of iron.

A loud boom. Fire.

A girl. Tires screeching.

Then Ozge woke up. The same dream, over and over again. She had been having this same dream for three years, yet she doesn't know what it means. It was familiar though. As if she had been in the same situation before. In the same dream she had before, it was blurry. She couldn't even picture out the car. But this time, it as clear. Not totally unclouded, but enough to see details.

A red car.

What does that mean? She didn't have a red car. So why did it seem so familiar?

She slowly got up and went to the bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she touched her forehead. A scar. Three inches long, was right outside her hairline. It was completely healed of course, it now blended with her really fair skin.

How come she never noticed it before? And how come she doesn't remember when she got it? And where? It was a big scar too. Like a deep cut was embedded in her forehead. A wound like that... surely she would remember it, right?

Ring, ring.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. She quickly went back to her bedroom, grabbing the phone.

"Ozge, are you ready to go?" a familiar voice asked.

"Who is this?" Ozge said, though she was quite certain who it was.

"Can. I'm picking you up so we could go to Strawberry Place together," Can said. "I'll be there in an hour."

Ozge sighed and immediately went to the shower.

***

Can leaned against his Lamborghini SIAN FKP 37, waiting for Ozge to come out. It had been ten minutes since he arrived at their house.

"Do women always have to take so long to get dressed?" Can muttered to himself as he looked at his watch.

Ozge walked up to Can, smiling as she saw him. She wore an ivory sweetheart peasant-sleeve top, khaki lace-up flounce-trim skirt, and white sneakers. Can stared at her for a moment, then looked down.

"Good morning," Ozge greeted.

"Good morning," Can said, then he opened the car door for Ozge. "Shall we go?"

Ozge nodded and got in, and they went off.

Can glanced at Ozge as she looked out the window not saying a word. He turned the radio on.

"At least smile a little, Ozge," Can said, never taking his eyes off the road.

She turned to look at him. "How can I smile when I'm with you, Can Yaman?"

Can laughed lightly. "Why do you hate me so much?"

Ozge looked at him, looking for words to say. Why did she hate him? On the contrary, she knew she didn't. She just didn't know what to feel when he's there. So she results to acting like she hates him.

Ozge remained silent until they got to Strawberry Place. Can led her inside, admiring how good the place looked. The mini chandeliers, beautifully handcrafted wooden tables, artsy paintings on the wall, it was everything Can wanted and they delivered. Ozge looked around, impressed by the place.

"So, what do you think?" Can asked, noticing she liked the place.

"It's beautiful," Ozge said. "Your restaurant is very nice."

"Thank you," Can said, then led her to the kitchen. "Come with me, Ozge."

Ozge follows Can to the kitchen. Chefs were working all around preparing dishes.

"Now, I'm sure you know majority of the common dishes in cafes, and you're the head chef, anyway. You won't really be doing a lot of cooking, just supervising," Can said.

"That's it?" Ozge asks, amazed at everyone cooking.

"Well, not quite. You're also my personal assistant," Can said.

"I will be paid double, right?"

"Of course," Can said.

"Yo, Can, people are coming in. I invited my friends to eat here today," Efe said, suddenly coming out of nowhere.

He spots Ozge and whispered to Can.

"Who is this beautiful lady?" he asked.

"Our head chef and my personal assistant," Can said, holding Ozge's arm. "She's the girl I was telling you about."

"Oooooh, right. Miss Ozge Gurel, hi," Efe said, taking out his hand to shake Ozge's. "I'm Efe, Can's cousin, best friend, and business partner. He's told me a lot about you."

"Good things, I hope," Ozge looks at Can.

"Of course," Efe laughed, and then he turned to Can. "By the way, Can, we're going to Alanya tomorrow, right? Aunt Guldem's birthday, of course."

"Of course," Can said, then he turned to Ozge. "By the way, Ozge, we're going to Alanya tomorrow for Mom's birthday. We'll be there for a week so pack everything you need, okay?"

"What?" Ozge chuckled. "Such short notice."

Efe grinned and shook his head. "That's how the Yamans are, Ozge. Better get used to Can being like that around you."

"Alright, well, what do I have to do today?" Ozge said, looking around.

"Right, just supervise what the junior chefs are doing, I'll be in my office all day taking care of paper work. If you need me, just come to my office, okay?" Can said.

"Okay," she said.

Ozge had fun supervising, helping the chefs cook, studying every recipe on the menu, and even trying out recipes of her own. She even became friends with most of them. She looked around smiling, thinking she might just be the luckiest person ever to have this job.

***

"Ozge's very hardworking, isn't she?" Efe said.

Efe and Can watched as Ozge supervised and talked to the customers. Can caught himself smiling as he stared at her.

"Looks to me you're already crushing on our head chef," Efe nudged Can.

"Efe, don't be ridiculous. I'm just admiring her hard work," Can said, still staring.

Ozge caught him staring and smiled. Can smiled and nodded, his heart beating fast.

"I think you're admiring her," Efe laughed. "I support it, Can."

Can looked away and turned to Efe.

"Come on, Efe. You know I still love Demet," Can said, returning to his office with Efe following behind him.

"Dude, you have to put yourself out there again. It's been three years," Efe said, sitting on the chair in front of Can's table.

Can looked at him, not saying a word, then out the window.

***

"Good night, everyone," Ozge said.

All of the staff of Strawberry Place were now getting ready to go home. Ozge fixed her things, and was about to go out the front door when a voice called.

"Ozge."

Ozge turned to see Can walking up to her.

"You're going home?"

"Yeah, why?" Ozge asked.

"Well, I'm going home too. I could just drop you off your place since it looks like it's going to rain," Can said, looking out the window.

"No thanks, Mr. Can Yaman. I can just hail a taxi. Besides, it's not going to rain so I'd just find one easily," Ozge said, already out the front door.

As soon as she said it, the sky lit up with a bright flash of lightning, and thunder rattled the ground. Rain came pouring, then Can looked at Ozge, grinning.

"Fine, I'll ride with you," Ozge smiled weakly, defeated.

"Can."

"Yes, Ozge?" Can said, focusing his eyes on the road. The rain had died down, and it was only drizzling.

"The news said there would be a meteor shower today," she said, opening the window to look out. "Can we please see it?"

"Now?"

"Yes!" Ozge beamed. "We can totally watch it in our strawberry field! It starts in five minutes!"

"Ozge, we're gonna be early tomorrow and---"

"Pleaseeeeeeee," Ozge said, pressing her palms together.

"No."

Can and Ozge sat at the half-wet grass, at the strawberry field. The rain had stopped now and the stars were beginning to show. Can looked at Ozge and how she smiled as she gazed up at the stars. At how beautiful she was. It felt like he'd known her for years at that moment. Like, she had been with him in a past life, in another dimension. Like, that exact moment was where they should be.

Can looked away, afraid he'd might feel something more.

"Can, it's starting! It's starting!" Ozge said, gesturing Can to look above.

Can gazed up and dozens of falling stars appeared. He smiled, he had never seen something more beautiful. But deep down, he knew it was a lie. Because something more beautiful than the phenomenon he was witnessing right now, was the one sitting beside him.

"Ozge---"

"Shhh," Ozge cut him off. "I'm making a wish."

Can chuckled lightly and waited for her to open her eyes.

"Well? What did you wish for?" Can said.

"For you to find the love and happiness you deserve," Ozge said.

Heartbeat quickening. Breathing stopped. Can never felt this way before. Not even with Demet. There was something about Ozge he couldn't quite pinpoint.

He laughed and looked up the stars again. The meteor shower was still occurring. He closed his eyes, making a wish. Something he never did before.

"Well, what did you wish for?" Ozge asked.

"For you to remember your memories," Can said, silently.

Ozge smiled wistfully as she heard Can said the words. She never knew she'd feel this comfortable around Can and it scared her. It made her want to run away.

Ozge cleared her throat and stood up.

"Well, thanks for being with me tonight, Can," she said.

"It's my pleasure," Can said.

"Uh, should I escort you out or---?"

"No need," Can said, smiling. "I think I already know my way back. I'll see you tomorrow at 8 AM. I'll pick you up then. Good night, Ozge Gurel."

"Good night, Can Yaman."

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Eight: The Tour Guide

Ozge woke up to a bunch of familiar voices talking downstairs. She checked her phone. It as already 9 o'clock in the morning. How could she have slept so much? She guessed cooking last night really made her tired.

She immediately went to the bathroom, took a shower, changed into a dress, and went downstairs. She found Perran and two of their farmers talking to Can Yaman. They kinda looked liked they were arguing, but in a calm manner.

Can saw her walking down the stairs, and immediately stopped what he was doing. She smiled at him and he smiled back, seemingly never taking his eyes off her.

"Good morning," Ozge greeted.

"Good morning," Can said, nodding.

"What's going on? Why is there a meeting so early in the morning?" Ozge said, walking up to them.

Can cleared his throat. Perran stood up and smiled.

"Daughter, we were just talking. Mr. Can Yaman says in the long run, he might just buy the strawberry farm for himself," Perran worded it carefully, trying to ease the tension.

"WHAT?" Ozge exclaimed, then she turned to Can. "I'm sorry, Mr. Can, I know you're a multi-millionaire and all that, but you can't just buy something that other people worked so hard their entire lives for! That's not how it works!"

"Ozge, calm down," Perran whispered, then she dragged Ozge to the kitchen, away from the living room.

"Mom, why aren't you mad? He's taking advantage of the fact that he's our client! And that he already deposited 10 million liras! I swear---"

"Ozge, it's not that deep. He said he has been thinking about it, and he decided to tell us now just so we wouldn't be surprised if he made the offer one day," Perran said, caressing the top of Ozge's head to calm her down. "Anyway, he said that it is subject to change. And I hope it does change. I can see Can is a good guy."

"I hope it does," Ozge said, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway, Can wants to tour the strawberry farm today. I told him that you will be his tour guide," Perran said.

"WHAT?" Ozge exclaimed once again. "Mom, I don't want to! I can't even stand being in the same room as that conceited guy! No way!"

"Ozge, come on. Besides, you might just be able to change his mind about buying the farm," Perran winked.

"And here we harvest the strawberries that we've been waiting for three months," Ozge smiled as she led Can to the strawberry field. The strawberry field was big, measuring 5 hectares in total. The farmers were busy picking strawberries and putting them into baskets.

"Very beautiful," Can said. "I'm guessing it's very busy here everyday."

"That's right," Ozge said, then she turned to look at him. "People here pour out their blood, sweat, and tears for their work. They love the farm and they love taking care of the strawberries. We don't sell the farm, Sir Can. I hope you know that."

Can smiled and nodded. Ozge proceeded to the next stage of the tour.

It was now 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Can and Ozge toured the strawberry farm all day. They at under the tree, just ten meters away from the strawberry field. It was windy, and the sun was going down. Ozge looked at Can, who seemed too silent and too dejected.

"You seem sad," Ozge said.

"What makes you say that?" Can said, still looking over the horizon.

"Well, I can see it in your eyes," Ozge smiled. "Even when you smile, there's sadness along with it."

Can chuckled lightly and looked down.

"I guess that's just how I really am," he whispered, looking at Ozge.

"Why?"

"You ask too many questions, Ozge," Can said, turning to look over the horizon again. "Why would you think I would tell you? We're not even friends."

"Well..." Ozge said, moving closer. "What if I tell you something about me? And in exchange you tell me something about you."

Can thought about it for a moment. "Okay, go ahead."

"Well, I took up Law in Sofia University in Bulgaria seven years ago, and that's where I met Mahzun actually," Ozge said. "Stayed in Bulgaria for four years for college, although I go home here from time to time, then went back to Turkey after graduation."

"So why aren't you a lawyer now?" Can asked.

"Hey, it's your turn," Ozge chuckled. "Come on."

"Well, I lived in Sofia, Bulgaria for three years with my... fiance," Can said.

"Oh," Ozge said.

"But she, uh, died three years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ozge said.

"It's fine. It's been three years anyway," Can said. "Your turn."

"Okay, well, I never became a lawyer after graduation because I figured I didn't really wanna be a lawyer. Spending all those four years in college was just something I swore I would do, but not really what I wanted. I wanted to be a chef," Ozge said. "But... apparently, it's not easy finding a job as a chef in Istanbul. Nobody really wanted to hire me because I didn't have enough experience. So I devoted all my time here, in the farm. And I don't regret it."

Can smiled.

"So, how did your fiance die? If you don't mind me asking," Ozge said.

"A car crash. A car crash killed Demet," Can said, silently. "We were supposed to have a special dinner that night. But instead of receiving a phone call from her, I got a phone call from the police instead. And it all went downhill from there."

Ozge looked at him, tears welling up. She held his hand to comfort him.

Can cleared his throat.

"So, um, how did you grow up here? Like, how was your parents? Your dad?" he said.

Ozge let go and looked down.

"I don't know," she muttered, fiddling with her hands.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Can asked.

"See, I don't remember anything from my childhood. I don't even remember growing up here, I don't remember anything before three years ago," Ozge said. "Three years ago, my mom said I had amnesia."

"What?"

"Yeah. I don't even remember taking up Law actually," she chuckled. "I only knew all those because it was apprised to me by Mom and Devrim. I don't even remember Dad."

Can looked at her intently.

"And? What caused your amnesia?" he asked.

"Ozge!"

Their conversation was interrupted by Yaren, who was running to their direction. Can and Ozge quickly stood up.

"What is it, Yaren?" Ozge said.

"Mom says she needs help in the kitchen," Yaren said, then she waved at Can.

Can waved back.

"I'll be there," Ozge said. "Um, Can, you're welcome to stay for dinner---"

"No need," Can said. "I'll be going anyway. Thank you for the tour, Ozge."

"I'll escort you outside then," Ozge said, leading him to the front gate.

"Ozge, I was actually thinking..." Can turned around to look at Ozge. "Strawberry Place needs a head chef and I think you'll be perfect for the post. You don't even need to apply. Just come on Monday and I'll show you around."

"Okay, I'll come on Monday if... you don't even think of buying the strawberry farm," she said, moving closer.

"Ozge, I already said I'll think about it. Will you please come on Monday?" Can said, leaning closer so their faces were just an inch apart.

"Alright," Ozge said, pulling away. "I'll see you on Monday, Can Yaman."

"I'll see you, Miss Ozge Gurel."

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Seven: Fate

"Will everything be ready next week?"

Can asked the architect and engineer he hired for the construction of Strawberry Place. He scans the room. It was now all coming together. The low mini chandeliers, tables, chairs, the painting in the walls were almost done. He also had staff. Waiters, janitors, cashiers, junior sous chef. All he needed now was a Chef de cuisine or the executive chef. There weren't really great candidates that they have interviewed for the past few days.

"Yes, Sir Can. Everything will definitely be ready next week," the engineer said.

"Alright, thank you," Can said, then the architect and engineer left.

He sat down on a table, putting his hand on his chin, wondering where he could get an executive chef in time.

"Yo, Can. How's it going?" Efe Sezen asked, putting his arm around Can as he sat down next to him.

Efe Sezen is Can's cousin and best friend. Efe and Can literally grew up together. Since they both were the only children in their family, they treated each other as brothers. Efe has also been beside Can through the first year since Demet died. Can trusted Efe with his life.

"Not good," Can said. "The restaurant is opening next week and I still haven't found an executive chef."

"I thought you auditioned people?" Efe said.

"Nah, it didn't work out. None of them fit the role."

"Don't worry, Can. You'll find one in no time," Efe said, then he checked his watch.

"I hope so," Can muttered.

"Look, Can, I have to go."

"Where are you going?"

"To Dad's office. He said he has something to talk to me about a new business venture," Efe said, standing up.

"Uncle Cinar is having a new business venture again? What a surprise," Can said sarcastically. "I swear, your dad probably already has every department of business. And with all that, he still is behind Mom in the Forbes list of billionaires..."

"Can, Aunt Guldem literally owns one of the largest restaurant chains in the world, Socially Basket. I mean, we own Yummy Crave too, one of the largest restaurant chains but Socially Basket is just more popular. Dad still beats himself about it, you know," Efe laughed.

Can smiled, imagining his Uncle Cinar scratch his head at the stocks sold every year.

"Look, Can, I gotta go. See you later," Efe said, running.

"See you," Can said, taking one last look at the restaurant, then he walked to his car.

***

"What do you think the new client will like? What do multi-millionaires eat?"

Perran asked Ozge, searching for luxury dishes on her phone. Their staff were already preparing for tonight's dinner with the client. Ozge looked for luxury dishes as well.

"How about something new? While I was in Bulgaria for two weeks, I've taught myself how to cook some Bulgarian foods that everyone seemed to love in Sofia. I'll just cook those," Ozge said, already listing everything she will need.

"Do you think the client will like it?" Perran asked.

"Trust me, Mom. The client will love it," Ozge said.

"Well, you're the chef," Perran said. "I'll just help with the organization, daughter. You go do your cooking."

"Alright, Mom," Ozge said, already excited to cook.

Ozge spent the afternoon cooking and preparing. She wore her amber and cream tropical print maxi tube dress and matching 2 inch heels. She tied her hair in a half up, half down hairstyle and put on light red lipstick.

"Looking good, sister," Yaren, Ozge's younger sister said. Yaren is 21 years old, thirteen years younger than Ozge.

"Yaren, why haven't you changed yet? You should go change. It's already 6:30 PM," Ozge said, checking her phone.

"Ozge, I heard the client is handsome and a bachelor. You must be excited," Yaren said, eating popcorn.

Ozge laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yaren, this is all for work. We're grateful for this very generous client, that's why we invited him tonight."

Yaren sneered and gave Ozge her bowl of popcorn.

"Ugh, you're no fun. I'm just gonna go change," she said, then she left.

Ozge got out of her room and went downstairs, leaving the bowl of popcorn in the kitchen. The dinner tonight will be held in the garden. The sky was filled with stars and moon was shining over their table. Ozge went to the garden and admired the food she cooked and set up, excited for the client and everyone to taste them.

"Mom, what did the client say? Will they be here soon?" Ozge asked.

"Yes. He said he's on his way," Perran said, fixing her hair.

"Alright. I'll just go to the kitchen real quick to prepare the wine," Ozge said, running to the kitchen.

***

Can looked out the window. The trees and small houses they passed through was unfamiliar to him. He hadn't been to this side of Istanbul. The suburbs wasn't particularly a place he was fond of, though he knew he should get used to it now. He'd be coming here more often for the strawberry farm, after all.

It took ten more minutes for Can and Halis to finally get to the strawberry farm. It was dark by the entrance, but they saw bright lights just a hundred meters inside the farm. Can wore his usual business suit. Adjusting the tie one last time, he and Halis went to the garden and found Perran and the staff waiting for him.

"Welcome, Sir Can Yaman," Perran said, shaking Can's hand. "Please sit down."

"Mrs. Perran, thank you for this lovely dinner," Can said, taking a seat. "You have an enchanting home."

Perran and all the staff sat down in their seats.

"My family and I are very grateful for you, Sir Can," Perran said, holding Yaren's hand. She noticed Ozge's chair was missing.

"Yeshim," Perran whispered to one of the waiters. "Please tell Ozge that the client is here. She's in the kitchen."

"Right away, Mrs. Gurel," the waitress said, running to the kitchen.

"Mrs. Gurel, I'm also very grateful for your farm. I couldn't open my restaurant without you," Can chuckled.

Perran smiled and nodded, then beamed when she saw Ozge walking up to them.

"Oh, my daughter is here," Perran said.

Can stood up and looked behind him. He couldn't believe what he saw. Or rather, who he saw.

***

Seriously? Seriously?!

Ozge stopped in her tracks, not believing her eyes. The client, the client who just partnered with them is none other than Can Yaman. The guy she's been trying to avoid. Her heart pounded as she walked closer, then dropped when she realized the only empty seat was the one next to Can. Can looked down and smiled, probably laughing at this funny situation. She looked down and slowly sat down on the seat next to Can. He looked at her and she gave him a half-smile.

"Ozge, meet our new client, Can Yaman," Perran said.

"We've met," Can said, looking at Ozge.

Ozge's eyes widened. "Yeah, we've met, Mom. At the airport."

"What a coincidence," Perran said, laughing.

"Is this what they call Fate?" Can whispered to Ozge.

"Fate?" Ozge said. "Annoying, maybe. Not fate."

Can chuckled and shook his head. Perran stood up once more to speak.

"Well, this is a wonderful night and may this partnership not just be about work, but about friendship as well," Perran raised her glass, and everyone followed. "To Strawberry Place and the Gurel Strawberry Farm!"

Everyone clinked their glasses against each other. Can and Ozge clinked theirs, then drank the red wine.

Can grabbed his fork and stabbed the Kebapche. Putting it in his plate and taking a slice, his eyes widened at how good it was.

"This Kebapche is amazing, Mrs. Gurel," Can said. "Did you make this yourself?"

"Ozge did, Sir Can. She's a great cook," Perran said, looking at Ozge.

"How did you know that I like Kebapche? When I was in Bulgaria, this was what I ordered all the time in my favorite restaurant," Can said, savoring the taste. "But yours is definitely better, I must say."

"Thank you. I actually just wanted to cook something different tonight and it turns out I made the right choice," Ozge said, taking a bite of the Kebapche.

Can looked at her, realizing he just found who he was looking for.

The rest of the dinner was great. Can got to meet all of the staff and farmers in the Gurel Strawberry Farm and Ozge got to see a side of him that she had never seen before.

He's actually a nice guy, Ozge thought as she watched Can talk and laugh with one of their farmers.

"What is this, Ozge? Are you crushing on our new client?" Yaren teased, nudging Ozge.

"Yaren, stop it," Ozge rolled her eyes. "I'm just... admiring his generosity... and camaraderie."

"Admiring his generosity or admiring him?" Yaren laughed.

"Shut up," Ozge chuckled. "Why don't you go help Mom in the kitchen?"

"Alright," Yaren said, taking off to the kitchen.

Ozge fixed her hair, slowly walking up to Can. She was nervous again and she didn't like it. It's like she...

"So, how do you find everyone?" Ozge asked.

"Friendly, everyone here is in high spirits. Great to be working with good people," Can said. "How come you never mentioned you own a strawberry farm?"

"Well, you never told me you needed one," Ozge said, and they both laughed.

"Well, I have to go, Miss Ozge. I will see you tomorrow," Can said.

"Just Ozge."

"What?"

"Don't call me, Miss Ozge. Just... Ozge," she said.

Can smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ozge."

"See you," Ozge said.

She watched him leave, wishing he would have stayed longer. Then she caught herself wanting that for quite a while.

Ozge, you're not liking him. No way.

***

"Nice to see you smiling again, Sir," Halis said, as he looked at Can through the rearview mirror.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you seemed kind of sad last night when we got home, but now you're smiling again," Halis chuckled. "Is it because of Miss Ozge?"

Can laughed. "That girl is weird... but lovely. Kind of like the heat on a summer's day. You say you don't want the heat, but then realize it's what you wanted all along when it starts raining."

Can slumped back in his seat, actually glad he came to dinner tonight.

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Six: Fill The Void

"Hi, Can."

Can laughed and helped Ozge stand up. He looked at her intently, as if not believing she was actually here.

"What are you doing here?" Can asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing? Of course, I'm eating dinner," Ozge said, defensively. "What about you?"

"I'm having dinner with my mother," Can said. "Who are you with?"

"Devrim, my best friend," Ozge said. "Well, I have to go back to my table, so..."

"I'm going back as well," Can put his phone in his side pocket.

Ozge nodded, and they went back to the outside dining area together. Ozge came back to Devrim already eating. She sat down, ate her lobster, casually taking glimpses of Can and his mother.

He's awfully nice tonight. Was his dinner that good or something? Whoa, his mother is so beautiful! She looks like she could be my older sister, honestly.

***

As Can talked to Guldem, he caught Ozge looking at them through his peripheral vision. He chuckled as he watched her spill her water on her dress, while drinking and looking at them.

"What's so funny, son?" Guldem asked.

"Nothing, Mom," Can smiled. "Shall we go? I already told Halis to wait for us by the entrance."

"Let's go," Guldem said, standing up.

Can stood up as well, fixed his shirt, took one last look at Ozge and left.

***

Ozge watched as Can and Guldem left, kind of hoping Can said goodbye to her before leaving. It was weird. It felt like she missed him. And she was glad she saw him tonight. Ozge shook her head, consigning to oblivion the thought of missing Can.

Ozge, get it together. Why on earth would you miss that jerk?

Devrim looked at Ozge inquisitively, observing her nervous demeanor.

"Are you okay?" Devrim asked, stabbing the crunchy fish fillet.

Ozge looked at him, as if waking up from a trance. A trance named Can Yaman.

"Yeah, I'm good," Ozge said. "Let's finish this quickly so we can go home. I think I wanna take a long rest to clear my thoughts."

Yeah, that's it. I just need some rest. Nothing like a good ole rest to take my mind off that jerk.

Ozge ate her meal quickly, trying not to think about anything else.

***

Can watched the tall, colorful buildings of downtown Istanbul, smiling. His mind was somewhere else. Quite specifically at the Mikla restaurant where he heroically caught Ozge just in time before she slipped.

Whoa, Can. Why are you thinking about Ozge? Get yourself together. It was just mere coincidence. I mean, what are the chances of her going to Mikla as well, the same day and time as you?

Can cleared his throat, focusing on the buildings outside. Istanbul looked beautiful at night time. The air was clear, the sky was, well, not raining the very least, and it as windy. He missed this. No other place could give him homesickness other than Istanbul. He loved the feeling.

If Demet was here, she'd be glad to be back in Istanbul too.

Can tried to imagine Demet. Her face, her features, her laugh, but this time, it was blurry. He couldn't really see her face. He tried to imagine the time they slow-danced. He failed. Instead, his mind drifted off to Ozge, and the feeling of her in his arms. He caught himself smiling. It was like he missed her. And seeing her tonight was all he ever needed to get going. Like her mere presence was enough to fill the void that was inside him.

"You look happy," Guldem said.

"Just really excited for Strawberry Place and my new investment, Mom," Can said.

"I'm happy for you too, son," Guldem grinned, then she turned to Halis. "Halis, please drop me off at the office. I have to meet with a few people before I go home."

"Certainly, Mrs. Yaman," Halis responded.

Can was still looking outside when his phone rang. He took it out. It was from Yildirim Iscan. The lawyer he hired to investigate Demet's death.

"Yes, Yildirim?" Can said. "Any updates?"

"Sir Can, I have been trying to get more information from the Sofia Police Department but they only give me minimal report. What I did find so far was from the car that Miss Demet was found. Apparently, the bumper and headlights were damaged almost beyond recognition, and there was red paint on the dents, of Miss Demet's white car. Another car crashed on Miss Demet's that night, which resulted to her car falling off a cliff to the river," Yildirim said through the phone.

Can's eyes widened. "What? Does this mean---"

"Exactly, Sir Can. Someone else is responsible for her death."

Can felt his heart drop at the information. He thanked Yildirim and told him to keep him posted for new information.

Demet was killed... Demet's killer is out there still... And that person has been getting away with it for three years!

Can's good mood was replaced by anger and hatred. He clenched his fist, trying to calm himself down. Guldem put a hand on his shoulder.

"Son, calm down. We will give justice to Demet's death," Guldem said, trying to comfort Can.

After dropping Guldem in her office, Can went home, heart heavy once again because of Demet and the new information he just received. He looked at their photo, their engagement photo, and tears welled up in his eyes.

I'm gonna find your killer, Demet. And I promise I will make sure they will go to jail. I will give you the justice that you deserve.

***

"Mom, is it possible to miss someone you just met?"

Ozge asked Perran as she sat on their balcony, petting their dog. Perran went to the balcony with a plate of Boreks, and put it in the table in front of Ozge.

"Why do you ask?" Perran said, taking one and sitting down beside Ozge.

"Nothing... I was just curious," Ozge said, trying to not think about Can.

"Well, I guess it's possible..." Perran said, chewing a Borek. "I mean, if you feel a deep connection with that person at first glance... I guess you might. Why? Did you meet someone special?"

"What? No!" Ozge exclaimed.

"Alright!" Perran laughed, putting her hands in the air in surrender. "By the way, I invited our new client for dinner tomorrow night. Don't be late, okay? Dinner starts at 7 PM."

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be there," Ozge said, taking a Borek.

"I'm excited to meet this new client."

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Five: The Millionaire Client

"What are you thinking about?"

Demet asked Can as they slow danced through 'You Don't Know Me' by Michael Buble. The breeze were blowing through their hair, and Can kissed Demet's forehead.

"Just... me and you, and getting married, and having our four kids running around," Can chuckled. "I'm just so excited for what the future has for us, baby."

Demet laughed and kissed his cheeks.

"What do you want? A boy or a girl?" she whispered.

Can titled his head, thinking.

"That depends on you," Can grinned. "Just as long as you're here with me, Demet, I can get through anything."

"Really?" Demet asked, pulling away, her face suddenly turning serious.

"Then why did you let me die, Can? Why didn't you save me?"

Can sat bolt upright in bed, awaken by the dream. The sunlight's UV rays were now hurting his eyes, and he grabbed the curtain remote and closed the curtains.

A dream. Or a nightmare.

Can shook himself awake, immediately running to the bathroom. Turning the faucet on, he splashed water on his face, the coldness trickling in his skin. He looked at himself in the mirror.

He knew Demet's death wasn't his fault, but he still beat himself up about it. If only he called her... if only he was there... if only... if only...

If only what?

He knew he couldn't have done anything. He also knew blaming himself wouldn't bring her back. Not now. Not ever.

Can composed himself and decided to tour Istanbul for the day. He hadn't been here for three years, after all. He'd forgotten most about the city. He had to get to know it again.

Can took a bath, brushed his teeth, wore his yellow classic fit floral print shirt, side-striped distressed moto skinny jeans, and red and yellow racer sk8-hi vans shoes. He called Halis and told him to take him around Istanbul.

Can smiled as he looked out the window, excited to explore the city.

***

Ozge woke up early to immediately go to their strawberry farm. The Gurel Strawberry Farm has been named as the best strawberry farm in all of Istanbul, and most restaurants buy their strawberries from them.

Their strawberry farm was her father's beloved. He took care of the farm all his life, since it was given to him by Ozge's grandfather too. Kadir Gurel, Ozge's father, loved strawberries until the day he died. And Ozge swore to herself that she would take care of the farm for her father.

Ozge wore her black floral print mini dress, a white scarf, and immediately went to where the farmers were. It was only 8 o'clock in the morning, but there were already twenty baskets of strawberries harvested. Devrim immediately went to Ozge as soon as he saw her.

"Good morning, Ozge," he said, smiling.

"Good morning, Devrim," Ozge said. "Amazing! We already harvested twenty baskets and it's only 8 o'clock in the morning!"

"Well, we have a new client today, Ozge," Devrim said. "A recently opened strawberry restaurant in downtown Istanbul called, 'Strawberry Place.' Apparently, the owner is a multi-millionaire, and has already deposited 10 million liras to us."

"Whoa, that's amazing," Ozge beamed. "I'm already feeling today's gonna be a good day. I can't wait to meet this new client. Is it a man or a woman?"

"A man, I believe. I haven't got a hold of his name. Apparently, he asked for his name to be kept secret from all of us until he meets us two days from now, this Wednesday," Devrim said.

"Quite mysterious," Ozge said. "I can't wait for Wednesday then. Well, Devrim, I'm going to buy more baskets and other gardening supplies at Mall of Istanbul, so I'm gonna be back in a few hours."

"Oh, well, Ozge, can I come with you?" Devrim asked. "I mean, I don't think you'll be able to carry everything yourself, right? Plus, you don't have a car. I can borrow my uncle's truck and we'll go from there."

"Well, if it's okay with you..."

"It's more than okay," Devrim said, the excitement in his voice evident. "I mean, I'd be glad to."

Ozge gave him a small smile and nodded. "Well, lead the way, Devrim."

***

Can went to almost every tourist attraction in Istanbul, getting more and more familiar with the city. Istanbul was, of course, the place he grew up in. He loved everything about Istanbul despite the cons of the city.

It was now 6:00 PM and Can got tired of walking around Topkapi Palace Museum. He felt his phone vibrate and saw he just got a text from Guldem.

'Can, let's have dinner at Mikla Restaurant. Halis knows where it is. See you, son.'

"Halis, Mother says we're having dinner at Mikla Restaurant. Take me there, please," Can said, immediately getting in the limo.

"Certainly, Sir Can," Halis said, going back to the limousine as well.

Can and Halis arrived at Mikla Restaurant in fifteen minutes, shorter if it wasn't for the Istanbul traffic. Can looked around and found Guldem in the balcony, the outside dining part of Mikla. He smiled and waved at Guldem and Guldem smiled back.

Can and Guldem were never really close. Can was closer with his father, Guven Yaman. Guldem never really took the effort to be close with Can too. Even with Guven's death ten years ago. I guess you could say Can and his mother were just civil with each other. Guldem also wasn't against Demet when Can and Demet got together.

Can sat down across Guldem who was already looking at the menu. Can stared t his mother for a while, waiting for a greeting, but she never looked up from the menu. Can smiled and looked at the view of Istanbul from the balcony instead. It was a nice evening, and Mikla was a solemn place. Guldem finally ordered for the both of them and turned to Can.

"How are you, son?" she said, sipping her water.

"I'm okay, Mom. How are you?" Can said.

"I'm good. Busy, as I always am," Guldem chuckled. "How are you holding up since... you know..."

"I'm doing fairly... alright. I've been keeping myself busy for the past three years anyway," Can said, taking a sip of his iced tea.

"Ah. The famous architect, Can Yaman of Bulgaria now back in Istanbul," Guldem said. "I've always been proud of you, son, and you kno I've always loved Demet."

Can nodded. "Thank you, Mom."

After a few minutes, the Rib-Eye Steak with Butter, and Lobster Tails with Garlic Butter have been served. Can took his fork and knife and stabbed the steak.

"So, how are you and Strawberry Place? Have you found a source of where you can get your strawberries?" Guldem asked, as she sliced her steak.

"I have. Already gave 10 million liras for the deposit," Can said, naturally.

"Wow, that's a big investment. Are you sure it's a smart one?" Guldem asked.

"Trust me, Mom. I know what I'm doing."

Guldem smiled. "Well, you're the boss. I have given you Strawberry Place after all. Everything in it is yours. I trust you will make it one of the most famous restaurants in Istanbul."

"Got a long way to go, but I think I will," Can said, smiling confidently. "Honestly, I'm planning to buy the strawberry farm as well. I think it's better if the source was mine, I could avoid a lot of problems."

"That's actually a good plan," Guldem said.

***

"Do we have everything on your list?"

Devrim asked as he loaded a ton of groceries and supplies in the truck. Ozge took out her phone and checked everything on the list.

"Yup, that's all of it," Ozge grinned. "Gosh, I'm hungry!"

Ozge clutched her stomach as she climbed inside the truck. Devrim climbed to the driver's seat and turned the engine on.

"Where shall we eat?" Devrim beamed.

"I've actually always wanted to try this luxury restaurant, Mikla. Let's eat there, Devrim!" Ozge eagerly said.

"Ozge, you know I can't afford that. And I'm not even wearing something nice today. Just a plain shirt, and skinny pants."

"Devrim, are you forgetting that we're best friends? Of course, it's my treat. Besides, what you're wearing is fine! Let's just fix your hair," Ozge said, running her hands through Devrim's hair.

Devrim froze in place, his heart pounding as Ozge's face were inches away from his. He had always liked Ozge, but only from afar. He never knew how to tell her how he felt.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ozge said, already pulling away. She was done fixing his hair.

"I'm fi-fine," Devrim said. "Let's just go to Mikla, shall we?"

"Let's go!" Ozge shouted.

Ozge and Devrim arrived at Mikla after a few minutes. They were escorted by a waiter to their table in the outside dining area of Mikla, the balcony overlooking the city. The breeze made Ozge's mood even better. She was right. Today was a good day. They just had a new multi-millionaire client, the strawberry business was booming, and now, she's dining at one of the best restaurants in Istanbul.

Nothing will ever ruin her night tonight.

The waiter gave Ozge and Devrim their menus and Ozge ordered for both of them since Devrim wasn't familiar with any of the dishes. As they waited for their dishes, Ozge took her scarf off and put it in the table. A strong breeze lifted her scarf off the table and landed on the face of the customer behind them. Ozge gasped and immediately ran to the customer.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, Sir---"

Ozge took the scarf off the guy's face and could not believe who it was.

"Mr. Misfortune!" Ozge exclaimed.

"What?" Can asked, still closing his eyes.

"I mean, I'm so sorry, Sir," Ozge turned around and covered her face from Can. "It will never happen again, please enjoy your meal."

She immediately ran to her table and sat down. Thankfully, her chair was facing the other way and her back was turned to Can.

"I can't believe he's here!" Ozge muttered to herself. "Of all the restaurants he could go to in Istanbul, he really chose Mikla! I guess my night just turned for the worse."

"Ozge, are you okay?" Devrim asked.

"I'm not. I have to go to the bathroom, Devrim," she said, getting up.

"But, Ozge, our food will be here any minute."

"I'll be back right away," Ozge said, running to the bathroom.

***

"Are you okay, Can?" Guldem asked, laughing.

"I'm fine, Mom," Can smiled.

Then his phone rang. An unknown number. Can got up and took his phone from the table. Noticing he had garlic butter in his hands, he proceeds to the restroom.

"I'll be back, Mom."

Can paced to the restroom and walked carefully, seeing the 'Wet Floor' sign by the restroom entrance. He got inside, washed his hands, and stopped by the Men's restroom entrance to call the unknown number.

"Hi, who is this?" Can asked through the phone.

"Hi, Mr. Can Yaman," a woman said. "This is Perran Gurel, the owner of Gurel strawberry farm, I just wanna thank you again for your generosity. I was actually thinking of inviting you to a dinner tomorrow night in our place. And I won't take no for an answer."

Perran said, laughing. Can chuckled.

"Well, if that's the case, I'll be there, Mrs. Gurel," Can grinned.

***

"Calm down, Ozge, it's just Can Yaman, no need to get all nervous with that jerk," Ozge muttered to herself, then looking around making sure no one is in the restroom with her. She wouldn't want anyone thinking she's crazy.

Wait, why was she nervous? It's just Mr. Misfortune. She can handle this. Just as long as he doesn't see her.

Ozge slowly opened the restroom's door, only to find Can standing, talking to someone on the phone, in front of the Men's restroom across the Women's restroom. Her eyes widened, and she immediately closed the door.

"What the heck?!" Ozge whispered.

You can do this, Ozge. Just run. He won't see you.

Ozge immediately opened the door, turned on her heel, and made a run for it. What she didn't know was the floor was wet, and having high heels on, she slipped. But the good news was, Can caught her just in time, securing her close to him.

"Ozge?" Can asked.

"Hi, Can," Ozge said, waving her hand.

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Four: Strawberry Champagne

Ozge paced back and forth trying to see if a taxi passes by. The road was all too lonely. She couldn't believe he'd really speed off and leave her!

"I hope your car breaks down, Mr. Architect!" Ozge exclaimed.

The streets were already silent in this part of the city. The eerie, cold breeze kissed Ozge's skin and it made her shiver. She wrapped her scarf around her shoulders in an attempt to keep herself warm. The sky, however, were full of stars. It almost made the whole thing beautiful, except for the fact that she was alone in the streets, with no ride, no one to accompany her, and has a fifty-one percent chance that she could get mugged by thugs in the area.

Ozge started to get scared and took out her phone. And feeling as if the odds were not in her favor, her phone had died. She had forgot to charge it while she was on the plane.

"Seriously?" she muttered to herself. "I swear this is all because of Can Yaman. Misfortune has fallen upon me because of Mr. Misfortune himself."

What on earth am I going to do now?

"Ozge?" a voice asked.

Ozge turned around to see who it was. She smiled when she saw her childhood friend, Devrim Ataman, in his motorcycle.

Devrim Ataman is Ozge's childhood friend. He has also been working in the Gurel Strawberry Farm for as long as she could remember. He had been there through everything Ozge experienced in her childhood. Even through her father's death. Devrim had been her companion.

"Devrim! I'm so glad to see you!" she said, hugging him.

Devrim hugged her back, lingering. She pulled away and smiled at him.

"Ozge, why are you still here? Did you just get back from Bulgaria?" Devrim asked.

"I did! And unfortunately, I can't call or text my cousins to pick me up since my phone just died. Can you please take me home, Devrim?" she said, holding his hand.

"Of course, Ozge. Hop on," he said, giving Ozge a helmet.

Ozge promptly rode on the back of the motorcycle, hugging Devrim from behind. He smiled, making sure she was holding onto him. Then they rode off.

***

Can kept looking at the rearview mirror, wondering if Ozge was alright.

Maybe I should go back, he thought. I mean, it's already 9 PM, she could get mugged by random thugs in the area.

Ugh. Whatever. She said she'd be fine on her own.

But what if she isn't? What if she was in danger?

"Hey, Halis," Can said, talking to his driver. "She'll be fine, right?"

"Who are you referring to, Sir?"

"The girl we just left. Are there still taxis by this time of night?" Can asked.

"Sometimes, Sir, but very rare to come by," Halis said, focusing on the road.

"Really?" Can said, as he imagined Ozge sitting by the sidewalk, hopelessly waiting for a taxi to come.

"Is that area safe? Like, there aren't gangsters at that part of the road, right?"

"There was a dispatch precisely last week, Sir, of a woman raped and butchered in that area..." Halis started to say, which made Can's eyes widen. "Yeah... I'm pretty confident it was around that area."

"WHAT?" Can exclaimed.

"What's wrong, Sir Can?" Halis asked, agitated by Can's reaction.

"Halis, we have to go back," Can said, thinking of every possible way that could harm Ozge at that moment.

"But, Sir, we're literally just outside your mansion---"

"No, go back now!" Can asserted.

Halis bolted upright, turned the car around and drove towards where they were earlier.

***

"Mom!"

Ozge ran towards her mom, who was already coming to greet her.

Ozge immediately felt comforted by Perran's presence as her warmth surrounded Ozge. It felt like years since she last saw her mom, when it had only been two weeks. Devrim parked his motorcycle out front and slowly joined in their little reunion.

"Why are you late? I reckon you arrived in Istanbul an hour ago," Perran said, touching her daughter's hair.

"There was a... misfortune. But it's gone now, and will never be seen again!" Ozge said, walking past her mom and sitting on the couch.

"Devrim, thank you for taking her home," Perran said, putting a hand on Devrim's shoulder.

He gave her a smile and nodded. "No problem, Mrs. Gurel. Well, I have to go, I have to get up early in the morning to harvest strawberries. Good night, Ozge."

"Good night, Devrim," Ozge gave him a half-smile.

"Good night, Devrim," Perran said, escorting Devrim outside.

Perran returned a minute later, staring at Ozge, looking disappointed.

"What?" Ozge asked, confused.

"Oh, nothing," Perran said. "Devrim is so reliable, isn't he? Plus, we know him, he doesn't have to prove anything to gain my trust and approval. If only he were my daughter's boyfriend, my mind would perfectly be at ease..."

"Mom!" Ozge shouted. "Devrim and I are best friends. Nothing more. And if it wasn't for him, I would have had hypothermia outside. Or worse! I could have been murdered!"

Perran laughed and shook her head, then went to the kitchen, leaving Ozge in the living room.

Ozge lay down on the couch, her eyes glued to the ceiling. For some reason, she couldn't get her mind off the conceited Can Yaman. She was mad at him, of course, but she was also curious for some reason. She shrugged off the thought knowing it didn't matter.

Well, we're never gonna see each other again, anyway. No use thinking about him now. Plus, he was a jerk for leaving me in the sidewalk.

***

"She could have been murdered!" Halis exclaimed, putting his hands on his head. He and Can got back by the airport, at the sidewalk where they left Ozge.

Can raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Halis, relax. She could have already been fetched by her cousins," Can said, utterly convinced that Ozge was safe.

She isn't the type to just get mugged after all. Knowing her personality, she'd probably beat the guys up, and then they're the ones who'd end up in the hospital.

Can laughed at the thought. Again, another thing he hadn't done in a while. Seriously, what has this girl named Ozge, done to him? She made him do everything he would never do in his life, all in one day. He hadn't even thought about Demet all day.

Demet.

The smile in Can's face was replaced with a sullen countenance. He suddenly got too tired to do anything and immediately went back to the limo. Halis took this as a hint, ran back inside the vehicle, and took Can home.

Can didn't say a word until they got to his house. This mansion was as big as their mansion back in Sofia. Maybe even bigger.

35,000 square feet perhaps, Can thought. Mother always knew my preference for houses.

The glass walled staircase leading to the second floor glowed with elegant LED lights that signified the luxury the property had to offer. Can was used to all of this. Growing up with billionaire parents, and now he himself is a self-made multi-millionaire. This was nothing new.

The second floor consisted of seven bedrooms in total. Can had to walk quite a distance just to get to the master bedroom. The master bedroom was huge. 5,000 square feet of bedroom interior space laid out before him. The chandelier that costs 50,000 dollars hang high in the room's twenty-foot ceiling.

Can took his jacket off, untied his tie, and went to the balcony. The cool breeze of Istanbul was refreshing on his skin. He poured the champagne that was laid out in the terrace onto his glass and sipped.

Strawberry champagne. His favorite.

Ozge smelled like strawberries, Can thought, then laughed at himself. It's not like I'm going to see her again anyway.

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Three: The Most Annoying Guy That Ever Lived

"You!" they both exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?!" Ozge exclaimed.

"What am I doing here? This is my seat! What are you doing here?" Can retorted.

"Please! I booked this seat 2 weeks ago!"

"Well, I booked this last night!" Can said.

Ozge sighed and crossed her arms. Can calmed himself down and slumped back to his seat. He couldn't believe his luck. Or rather, his misfortune. The business class section was silent, and only the clinging of glasses could be heard. The moonlight seeped through the windows of the plane and it made Ozge's eyes shone like light reflecting on glass.

"Look, let's just work through this, alright?" Can said.

Ozge turned to look at him, uncrossed her arms and rested it on the arm rest. Can looked at her, as if admiring the view in front of him.

"What?" Ozge asked.

"Nothing," Can said, then he chuckled. "This is like one in a million chances. What are the odds that we would be in the same plane, same schedule, and same seat? That's crazy."

"You mean one in twenty-five chances? There are only twenty-five people in a Business Class section and we happen to be two of them," Ozge laughed.

"Right," Can smirked.

"By the way, why did you say you owned my scarf?" Ozge smiled, menacingly. "Last time I checked, this was mine."

Can cleared his throat.

"The-the scarf? I... was about to return it to you... if I ever saw you again and here you are."

Ozge laughed, her voice echoing through the plane's walls, which made Can laugh as well. Laughing felt so new to him. He hadn't laughed this much in three years, probably. He couldn't remember the last time he did. Yet here he was, laughing. With a girl he just met. Yet she felt easier to talk to than any of his friends.

"Well, thanks anyway, Mr. Architect," Ozge said. "I was feeling kinda bummed out because I lost this. So... thanks."

"No problem," Can said. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Who was that guy at the airport? And why would you put up with him? You don't seem the type of person who would tolerate someone like that," Can said.

Ozge smiled weakly.

"That was Mahzun, Mahzun Akcatepe. My boyfriend of seven years. Well, ex-boyfriend," Ozge clarified. "We actually took the trip to Bulgaria together, what I didn't know was... he was actually visiting his new girlfriend in Sofia. And he took me along with him to break up and prove to his new girlfriend that he finally broke things off with me."

Ozge tried to word everything carefully, trying to avoid a voice crack. Her attempt failed, however, when she cracked her voice at the last word. Can looked at her, and realized she was only as strong as she wanted everyone to think she was. The way her hands shook at the coffee shop earlier proved it. In a way, she was like him, escaping a sudden tragedy.

Can held her hand and tried to comfort her.

"Well, Mahzun doesn't know what he's missing," he said.

Ozge turned to him and leaned in closer, her nose a centimeter away from his.

"And what is he missing?" she whispered.

Can's heart pounded. This was new. He hadn't been this nervous in front of anybody for a long time. Not since Demet.

He cleared his throat and pulled away, putting on his sunglasses. He slumped back to his seat.

"Your annoying and invasive personality," he said, loud enough for Ozge to hear. "Honestly, Mahzun's lucky to have finally gotten out."

Ozge narrowed her eyes and frowned. She thought he was finally warming up to her, but his self-absorbed attitude got the best of him again.

"You know what, whatever. It's not like we're gonna see each other after this anyway," Ozge said, looking at the window. Then she turned back to Can who was casually relaxing in his seat.

"In fact, I'm glad we won't see each other again! Who would even wanna be with somebody as selfish and self-absorbed as you? I can't wait to never see your face again, Mr. Architect."

"The feeling is mutual, Miss Ozge."

The plane ride to Istanbul was short-lived. It was an hour and forty-seven minute flight from Sofia to Istanbul. The plane ride doesn't bother Can, he was used to flying from country to country.

Taking the first step out of the plane and onto the ground was an experience for Can. He hadn't been to Istanbul for three years. He almost forgot everything about it. He looked around, looking for something familiar, but everything was new to him. Even the Istanbul International Airport's building was changed, now in their newly painted and furnished high ceilings and walls.

He felt like he just went to a country he had never been to before.

He felt like he could start over.

He breathed a sigh of relief and proceeded to the waiting area for his chauffeur to arrive. His limousine arrived after a minute. He got inside and settled in the backseat. Then, his phone rang.

"Yes, Mother?" Can said.

"Can, have you arrived in Istanbul?" Guldem asked, with a monotone voice.

"I did."

"What time shall we meet tomorrow?" Guldem said, and Can could hear papers and people talking in the background.

"Dinner, Mother," Can said, then he saw a familiar figure holding a huge suitcase just outside the airport gate.

"Alright. I'll text you which restaurant tomorrow, okay? I'm very busy right now."

"I know, Mother. See you tomorrow. Bye."

Can put his phone down and smiled as Ozge gave up standing and sat down on the cold concrete floor. Can rolled down his car window and called Ozge's attention.

"Waiting for somebody?" Can asked.

Ozge sneered at him and looked ahead.

Ignore him, Ozge. Just keep waiting, Ozge thought. Where on earth is my ride anyway? Are my cousins seriously aren't picking me up?

"Can't you tell?" Ozge remarked, still not looking at Can.

"Are they coming?" Can chuckled. "You look like you could use a ride."

Ozge turned to him and made a face. She stood up, holding her suitcase firm to help her.

"Never mind, I can walk," she said, starting to pace.

Can's limousine slowly moved, following Ozge's footsteps.

"You're not gonna get home in time, Miss Ozge. It's getting late," Can said.

"I'd rather walk than endure another ride with you, Mr. Architect. So no, thanks. I can go home by myself," she said.

Ugh. Why the heck did I bring so much clothes anyway? Ozge thought to herself. Now I'm having a hard time carrying this suitcase. It weighs like a ton!

"Are you sure?" Can asked, observing how tired she was carrying her suitcase.

"I'm sure, Mr. Architect," she lied.

"Suit yourself," Can said, then his limo sped off.

Ozge looked at him go and pushed her suitcase. She grabbed a handful of leaves from the plants at the sidewalk, throwing it into the air, to Can's direction.

"He really left me! Can't he see that I was having a hard time?!" she exclaimed, throwing another handful of leaves. "I hate you, Can Yaman! You're the most annoying guy that ever lived!"

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Two: Strawberries

"I am so sorry, I'm new here..."

"Clearly," Can said, letting out an exasperated sigh.

The girl stopped to look at him and squinted her eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said, crossing her arms.

"Exactly how I meant it," Can said, walking past the girl and taking a seat by the window.

Can took his phone out and called Zeynep.

"Zeynep, can you please go to Cakey Bakey here at the airport? I need a change of clothes," Can said, watching the girl sit across from him.

The girl smiled as she looked at Can. Dang, this girl is beautiful, Can thought. She gave Can a cappuccino. Can looked at it and raised his eyebrow.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Cappuccino. My peace offering for spilling coffee all over your clothes," she said.

Cappuccino. Demet's favorite. She was the one who got Can into coffee. Can used to hate coffee, until Demet made him taste one. Cappuccino was his favorite too. But now, he hated the sight of it. It just reminded him of her. The mornings they spent in their balcony drinking cappuccino was something he would never get to do with her again. For him, cappuccino was a tragedy waiting to happen.

"Look, don't worry about it. Also, I don't drink cappuccino," Can said, going back to reading.

"What? Everybody loves cappuccino," the girl said.

"Well, I'm not like everybody else, Miss..."

"Ozge," Ozge said, taking her hand out. "Ozge Gurel."

Can looked at her from his book, saying nothing and refusing to shake her hand. Ozge's smile faded and was replaced with a scowl.

"Are you always this rude when you meet new people?" Ozge asked.

Can chuckled. "I don't really meet new people that often. For the record, you are the first new person I've met in three years, Miss Ozge."

"Well, maybe because you don't always make a good impression," Ozge retorted.

Can laughed and shook his head and turned back to his reading. He watched as she ate her bread and drank the cappuccino. Then she turned her head and watched a couple that was heading their way.

"Oh my gosh, what is he doing here?" Ozge muttered.

Can followed her gaze. She was looking at a tall guy, probably about 5'11, had a full head of hair and a short beard. He was holding hands with a brunette woman that was obviously his girlfriend. Honestly, he thought the guy looked smug. He watched as Ozge nervously drank her coffee. She was shaking.

"Are you okay?" Can asked.

"Hey, Ozge."

Can looked up from his seat and saw it was the guy Ozge was looking at.

"He-hey, Mahzun," Ozge said, the nervousness in her voice was evident.

"I thought you left Bulgaria? What are you still doing here?" the guy names Mahzun said. "Are you following me? Seriously, Ozge, we broke up two weeks ago, you have to move on. You're acting like a complete idiot following me around..."

Who is this guy? Can thought to himself. I'm guessing this is her ex-boyfriend, who just dumped her two weeks ago. Smug. Someone who thinks he's all high and mighty. Why is he treating Ozge like this? And why is she letting him?

"Look, Mahzun, I wasn't following you---"

"Mon amour, qui est-ce? (My love, who is this?)" Can said, taking out his hand to hold Ozge's.

Ozge's eyes widened and Can gave her a wink. The smile broke out her face like when the moonlight sets the clouds on fire. Ozge's hands were cold beneath his and he had the sudden urge to keep her warm.

"Just an old friend, love," Ozge said. "Mahzun, this is..."

Ozge turned to Can. Can got up and took his hand out to shake Mahzun's.

"Can. Can Yaman, Ozge's boyfriend," Can said, confidently.

Serkan shook his hand, baffled by this new information. The brunette girl's eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh, you're that famous architect!" The brunette girl implied. "The one who built the most famous hotel in Bulgaria, The Orchid Hotel."

"I did," Can chuckled. "Well, this was a pleasure. Unfortunately, Ozge and I have to catch our flight so... honey?"

Can held out his hands to Ozge and Ozge quickly took it. He held Ozge closer as they walk, firmly placing his hands on her hip to keep her with him. She was so close to him that he could smell her perfume. She smelled like... strawberries. Can's mother loved strawberries, he grew up around them, so he knew what they smelt like. He smiled. Ozge smelled like home.

Wait, why was he smiling? He thought. He caught himself off-guard and let her go as soon as they were out of Mahzun and the girl's line of sight.

"Thank you," Ozge said.

Can scoffed and turned to her.

"It wasn't for your benefit, trust me," he said, even though he knew it was a lie. "I just---I hate when people denigrate other people. That guy was acting smug around you, I mean, I had to do something."

To his surprise, Ozge still smiled and held his hand.

"Still... thank you. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't stepped in," she smiled, looking at him intently. "You know, you're actually a good person. I think you're just afraid to show that side of you."

Can sighed. "Look, we just met thirty minutes ago and now you're psychoanalyzing me or whatever it is you're doing. It's been fun, but I have to catch a flight. Goodbye, Miss Ozge."

Ozge laughed and waved her hand.

"Goodbye, Mr. Architect."

Ding. Dong.

Flight to Istanbul, Turkey, Business class is now onboarding.

Finally. I will finally leave Bulgaria for good. Leave all the tragedy behind. I can finally start a new life. A new life. Huh.

He never thought he would say or think about those words. Three years ago, he was sure how his life was going to be. Be married with Demet, have a successful career in Architecture, and live happily ever after. And now, that's all gone. Changed. It had to change. The reason for that dream was gone.

As soon as he got up and lifted his suitcase, he noticed something fell on top of it. A scarf.

A scarf? Then he remembered that Ozge wore a pink scarf around her neck exactly like this one. It probably fell on top of his suitcase when she leaned onto him. Her scarf smelled a lot like her. He smiled and folded it neatly, holding it with his free hand.

Zeynep got him a change of clothes as they went to the Business Class section. Can put his suitcase below his leg room when he noticed a bag beside his seat. That was impossible. He was sure he told Zeynep to book 2 seats for him so he wouldn't have to share with somebody.

"Zeynep?"

"Yes, Sir?" Zeynep came running.

"I told you to book me two seats, right? Why is there another bag in here?" Can asked, gesturing towards the other seat.

"About that, Sir..." Zeynep said, afraid to say another word. "The airline said, all the seats were booked and they only had one seat left, and you precisely told me to book you a flight to Istanbul at this day and time, and I had no choice but to get it."

Can sighed, trying to calm himself down. This day was already going bad. As soon as that girl came, everything hadn't gone according to what he had planned. He was going to have just a peaceful coffee a while ago, but because of Ozge, his coat and shirt got ruined and he had to pretend he was her boyfriend. And now, even his other seat was taken. It's like a domino effect.

"It doesn't matter," he said, taking his new clothes. "I'm just gonna go change."

Ozge came out of the Business Class section washroom, still thinking about what had happened earlier.

That jerk, Mahzun, she thought. Did he really think I would follow him around like some psycho? The nerve.

Then she thought about how Can defended her. How he held her hand and pulled her close. Surely, he was truly nice inside. He was just afraid to show his good side to others.

She smiled and went to touch her neck for her scarf. Then she gasped.

"Wait, my scarf! It's gone!" she exclaimed.

Where could she have left it? Gosh, that was expensive as well. She had to sacrifice a certain amount of her savings for it because it was just too pretty.

She sighed and sluggishly went back to her seat by the window. She noticed there was a suitcase underneath the leg room of the seat next to her. My seatmate is probably a businessman.

She let out an exasperated sigh and sat down. She noticed a familiar pink scarf on the seat next to hers.

"My scarf! Did I just leave it here?" she wondered, then shrugged. "I probably just forgot I put it here."

Relieved, she took out her headphones, plugged it into her phone, closed her eyes, and listened to music. She was actually feeling good tonight.

Can changed into his usual office suit and went back to his seat. He noticed there was now a person on the seat next to him. There was a small wall separating them, like an office space, but he could see the person's legs below. He instantly noticed that the pink scarf was gone. He looked below and saw that his seatmate had taken it, and was now hanging beside this person's leg.

He knocked on their wall. No answer.

Twice. Still none.

Thrice. Still no answer.

He flicked his seatmate's leg.

"Excuse me, I think you have something that's mine. The pink scarf is mine," Can said.

"Yours?" a familiar voice said.

The wall window was slowly rolling down and to Can's surprise, Ozge was the one behind it. They both looked at each other with the same surprised expression.

"You!" they both exclaimed.

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter One: Coffee Stain

Can Yaman closed his eyes trying to remember her face. Her long hair, her brown eyes, and the way she smelled like orange blossom. Her laugh, her smile, the way she looks at him when they were on the same page in an inside joke.

It was all a memory now.

He put her picture down and put his hands in his pockets, taking in the now all-too-familiar, all-too-empty room. This was their safe haven, their home. But now it was just an old shack full of memories.

He couldn't take it anymore. He had to go back to Istanbul, Turkey.

Bulgaria was a place Can learned to love when he was with Demet. When she was alive. Demet was a Bulgarian Turk, and having engaged 3 years ago, Can and Demet decided to live in Sofia, Bulgaria. Can and Demet were together for 7 years, 7 wonderful years. He could still remember that February 5 night when he proposed to her.

Can took Demet's hand and kissed it. He knew what he wanted to say. Or ask was the better term.

"Demet, we've been together for seven years," he started to say. "And I fall in love with you more and more each passing day."

Demet looked at him intently, carefully listening to every word that came out of his mouth.

"Demet, you are my everything. I don't---I can't imagine my life without you. Truly. I'd be lost. I fell in love with you at hello and will love you from here to eternity."

Can suddenly got on one knee, and tears fell from Demet's eyes. He kissed her hand again, this time lingering.

"Demet, you are all things kind and generous with a huge heart for loving and caring for others. For me. I love you. Will you marry me?" he said, carefully wording it so his voice wouldn't crack. He wanted to sound sincere, as his heart was.

"No."

"What? Why?!"

Demet laughed. "I was kidding! Yes, yes! I will marry you!"

He laughed and got up, pulled her to him and kissed her. He couldn't wait to wake up every morning with her, to take care of her. This time it was going to be forever.

"Sir Yaman?"

Can's thoughts were interrupted by the call of his secretary. He wiped the tear that was threatening to fall from his eyes and collected himself.

"Yes?"

"Your limo is ready to take you to the airport, Sir."

"Thank you."

He took one last look at the room. He was going to leave it all behind. All the memories. All the happiness, the pain, and the girl.

It's been three years, he thought.

But still feels like yesterday when I got that dreaded phone call.

Can gathered his things from his office. He worked as an architect in his own architectural firm, Yaman Designs. He had just finished a meeting with a billionaire client who wanted him to design the newest hotel that would be built in Sofia.

He was excited to tell it all to Demet. She, too, had been anticipating this moment since they've been waiting for weeks for this client to come through.

Can bought flowers and chocolates and ordered catering to their mansion for their special dinner. This was a huge thing. Can will now be one of the most in-demand and famous architects in Bulgaria. They had to celebrate.

He got home first and got people to set it all up. The dining room and the living room were filled with rose petals and balloons and food. Each one was Demet's favorite. Can wore a three piece black suit, patiently waiting for Demet in the living room. He had texted her what time she was going to arrive and she promised she'd be there at 8 PM.

It was 9 o'clock in the evening. It's been an hour and Demet still hasn't come home.

"She probably had some last minute papers to grade," Can tried to convince himself. Demet worked as a Philosophy Professor at Sofia University.

Another hour has passed. Not even a text.

"Where on earth is she?" Can muttered to himself.

Then his phone rang. And he didn't know it was a phone call that would change his life forever.

"Demet, where are you---"

"Is this Mr. Can Yaman?" a man said.

"Oh, uh, yes. This is he. Who's calling?"

"Good evening, Mr. Yaman. This is Officer Anton Emilov. We're very disheartened to tell you that Miss Demet Ozdemir's car was found crashed in Iskar River. Unfortunately, Mr. Yaman, Miss Demet was also found inside. We took her to the hospital as soon as we got her out, but she has been declared dead on arrival. The hospital we took her in is Lozenetz University Hospital..."

"Sir Yaman, we have arrived."

His thoughts were once again interrupted as the driver told him they have arrived at the airport. He was thankful though, at the interruption. He was going back again. Way back to the night she died. And it was breaking him inside again.

Can's assistants immediately went up to him and carried his bags. He looked at his plane ticket that said: "5:30 PM departure." He checked his watch. 4:30 PM. He had one hour to wait at the sky lounge.

"Sir Yaman, Miss Guldem asked if you will be taking one of her private planes to Istanbul today since..."

"No need, Zeynep," Can told his secretary. "I've already booked a flight to Istanbul in Business Class. Please tell mother I won't be needing her help."

"Yes, of course, Sir."

The airport was busy and that's how Can liked it. He didn't want to be alone with his thoughts. For three years, he had to keep himself busy. He used his job as his escape. He did become one of the most in-demand and famous architects in Bulgaria. He is now a self-made multi-millionaire yet he didn't care. Sofia was now a place he never wanted to go back.

He stepped in line to get coffee at Cakey Bakey, then he was going to read a book in the Airport Sky Lounge. He looked at the options, trying to avoid the ones he and Demet used to drink together.

"One Affogato please," Can said.

He took his drink, paid the cashier and tried to find an unoccupied table. He found one facing the window and walked slowly to it. Until, freezing cold liquid spilled onto his Gucci cashmere wool coat.

That was cold. And frustrating.

Can let out an exasperated sigh and looked who it was who just ruined his $3,800 dollar coat.

"I am so sorry, I didn't see you and this is my first time here..."

As mad as he was, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful the girl was. Her long, brown hair that fell just above her shoulder, those deep brown eyes, and those full lips. She looked just about the same age as him. She tried to wipe the coffee stain on his white shirt, but she only made it worse. Annoyed at the girl, he stopped her and pulled her arm away.