49

Demir made a stop at the 6th floor before the doors shot open and Demir walked out of the elevator, headed for rome 613. He hadn't expected her call that day as he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her as she was always the busy type. However since she had called first in a while, he'd decided to show her some face.

The door opened to reveal the face he hadn't seen in years and the woman smiled, on sighting him.

"You look good today as usual." She said as she ushered him in.

There was a cake on the centre table, along with a couple of side dishes and he waited for her to walk over to have a seat.

"Have a seat." She said, before he walked over to sit on the seat opposite her. She opened her bag, which was beside her, to take out something before dropping it in front of him and he was about to ask what it was when her hand withdrew to reveal the car key to a Maserati.

"Happy birthday. I heard that there's a lot of things to carry and move for Sculpture students."

"This is too much." He replied.

"Let me at least do this." She said and he felt a stab of pain, on hearing that tone of regret.

He dropped his hand and reached forward to pick it up.

"Thanks."

Silence fell as they started eating and Demir lowered his cutlery to ask something he'd never thought he would ask in a long while. "Mom." He called and the older woman in front of him raised her head. "Did the performance go well?"

"Yeah. I'm performing in Paris next week." Paris? He repeated silently and recalled that Tahti wanted to go there.

"How is Paris?" He asked. His mother has been there before.

"Paris is nice." She replied and she must have noticed something as she turned to tilt her head. "Do you want to come with me?" "Someone wanted to go there." He replied and his mother leaned closer, smiling. "It must be someone you like."

Someone he liked? Did you like Tahti? He doubted it. "No. It's just someone bothersome."

His mother paused for a while to ponder on what he said. "Aydemir, do you know what I regret the most? Not knowing my own feelings. No...Pretending not to know. Who would love someone who doesn't even know how to take care of their own emotions? A person who doesn't have to love can never be happy."

His mind went back to what Stella had told hilm, in the hospital, about how he hated people getting clingy and he recalled Tahti had also said the same thing the night they had broken off. Was he pretending not to his feelings?

It was a couple of minutes after ten and the blue sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily in the gentle breeze.

Josh was waiting outside for her when she walked out when she wore a smile, on seeing the bicycles he'd come with.

"Good morning." She greeted as she walked towards him.

"Good morning, Tahti. Did you sleep well?" He asked.

"Yeah, you?"

"Yeah. Shall we go?" He asked and she turned to one of the bicycles. It'd been a while since she's rode one.

They mounted their bikes and started cycling towards the market. Since the workshop was opening that day, she'd volunteered to be Josh's assistant for the day, from helping him buy the ingredients to helping in cooking.

The already risen sun shine softly on the city streets, bringing with it a flurry of the morning's activity in the market.

On arriving the market a couple of minutes later, they went shopping after packing their bikes. Most of the older women in stores gave Josh a discount, because he'd come to the market with his 'pretty girlfriend' as she'd been tagged. Tahti had thought he was going to deny it, but she couldn't help but notice, Josh kept grinning at every store.

"You keep getting these discounts, because of me."

"I'll cook something delicious in return." He winked, before they went over to get some sweet potatoes.

They walked over to the bicycle park where they'd parked their bicycles, once they were done shopping and Tahti frowned, on seeing a girl looking over one of their bicycle chains. "Excuse me..." Tahti's voice trailed off and the girls smiled, on turning to see them before she straightened herself.

"Hi, Josh." She said, before turning her eyes to her. "It's really you, Tahti."

Wait, this girl knew her?

"What are you doing here?" Josh asked and Tahti turned to him, before returning her eyes to the girl before her.

"I was just returning from seeing a friend and when I noticed a kid playing a prank with the chain." She said and dropped her head to give the bicycle, a little kick. "Unfortunately, he had already destroyed the chain before he ran off." Tahti blinked, feeling like the odd one out. "Who..."

"Oh...I guess you don't remember. This is Janine, my little cousin."

"Janine?" She repeated and recalled the girl before her, had been a little girl who loved running around the house, the last time she'd seen her.

"You've grown so much...I didn't recognise you."

"You've gotten pretty, yourself. I can totally feel the Los Angeles's touch from here." Janine said and she smiled.

"I think we should go get this fixed." Josh said. "Okay."

"There'll be no need for that." Janine suddenly said and he turned to look at her. "You two can ride together I'll get it fixed and ride home." "Ride together?" Josh stuttered and she smiled.

"You should take her back couz, I will be there in a jiffy." She told him with a wink, before she hurried off, with the bicycle.

There was an awkward silence after Janine scurried off, and Josh took off his pullover shirt, to cover the metal seat at the back. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"It might get a little uncomfortable for you so I want to use this first." He replied, straightening up to mount the bicycle before turning to her.

"Get on."

"Okay." She smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist while he pedalled out of the park and back home.

The guesthouse was a newly constructed building, she noticed when they arrived, as it hadn't been there the last time she had been in town. She alighted and Josh drove over to park the bicycle, by the edge of the house before she walked over to pick up the groceries in the bicycle's basket.

"Are you sleeping here with your friends tonight?" He asked and she shook her head. "No. I'm going to sleep at my aunt's place." "Really? Then, I'll take you home. I need to tell you something."

"Tell me what?" She asked and he smiled as he unwrapped the shirt on the seat.

"I'll tell you later." He replied and she shrugged lightly, before raising the shopping bag.

"Where should I put this?" She asked and he raised his head to see she was referring to the shopping bag.

"Don't worry. I'll put it away."

She was about to comment on how sweet he was when she noticed a presence by the entrance. On turning, the shopping bag almost dropped to the ground when she saw who it was and she wished the ground would open up and swallow her.

Josh turned to look at the guy before him and returned his eyes to Tahti, who had a pale expression on her face.

The guy before him slowly stepped forward, not breaking the eye contact with Tahti and Josh suddenly wished he'd been the one to take the initiative of breaking the ice.

Tahti could finally breathe again, when Demir tore his scrutinising eyes off her to look at Josh, who are neared him.

"Hi. I'm Demir Wilson."

"It's nice to have you." Josh replied, without a smile. "I'm Josh Daniels."

Tahtii curled called her fist, wondering why she had a feeling that things were about to go wrong, in the worst way.