New Leaf

Chapter 13

Two Days Later 

***

I was standing in my walk-in closet hanging the wooden shelves that were delivered yesterday night, the past two days were hectic. 

Flashback

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Meryem took two days off as per our deal and took me to several shops where I ended up buying the entire guest room furniture, two couches, a coffee table and four bean bags for the living room, a small round dining table that fits between the kitchen breakfast island and the couches of the living room with three chairs, two bar stools, an outdoor dining table for six people, a small hanging wooden closet with two doors, a fridge, a dish washer, a stove, microwave and a washing machine all to be delivered the next day.

After that she took me to get the kitchen utensils and we also bought curtains, bed-sheets, pillows and blankets before putting them in Defne's car that we borrowed for the day and headed to my house.

We cleaned the house before unpacking the utensils and place them in their place in the kitchen and kept the rest of the stuff in the walk-in closet, the next day Meryem headed early to the house to meet the movers and tell them where to put the furniture while I took the car and headed to the carpenter that fixed my fence and built my garage.

I gave him the instructions for my walk-in closet, bed, night stands and dresser according to my design. He promised to deliver the first part in the evening at the latest and the rest need a day to be painted to my liking, after that I went back to the house and helped Meryem after the movers were gone.

Half an hour later the electronics were delivered and we had to clean the house again before starting hanging the curtains on all the windows and the balcony door, at 6 pm Meryem took the car and went to pick up Defne and head back home while I waited for the wood to be delivered. 

---

End Of Flashback

***

I just finished hanging the shelves on the wall opposite to the door, I stood in the middle of the room picturing how the closet will look once I finish it.

The top shelves are for the evening purses while the bottom ones are for the evening heels shoes, next to them a small wooden closet with two doors that has mirrors hanged on them. The bottom of the closet is reserves for my everyday shoes while the top is reserved for my everyday purses, on the next wall I placed hangers for my scarves and under them their will be drawers for my folded clothes.

The door wall has hangers all aver it for my hanged clothes and the evening dresses, while the next wall is reserved for the extra bed-sheets, blankets, pillows and towels. 

I left a small space in the middle of the shoes and purses wall for a hanged mirror, in the center on the room will be a dresser with drawers for all the hair and makeup products, a mirror hanged on it and a stool. 

I was brought back to reality when I heard my phone ringing, I answered it and was surprised to find that the caller was from Defne's company.

"Hello this is Asli Mr.Demir's secretary he wants to schedule a meeting with you when are you available?" Asli asked

'Why does Defne's boss want to meet me?' I asked myself "well I'm currently working on a small project but the day after tomorrow I can take few hours off, at what time can you schedule the meeting?" I asked her

"10 am is it okay?" She asked me

"Yes sure" I tell her before we hang up

***

The entire day passed by with a lot of questions popping up in my mind about this meeting and why does uncle Hakan wants to see me, I barely noticed the time getting late before I decided to stop for today and get some rest. 

The next day the carpenter delivered the bedroom wood early and I spent the entire day collecting the pieces together, the bed was the first to finish than the two small night stands beside it and lastly the dresser on the opposite wall.

When I finished it was already 2 pm and Defne arrived with lunch, after finishing she took me to buy two large mirrors one for the walk-in closet and the other for the bedroom on top of the dresser then we returned to finish up the last few things, few tweaks here and there and after hanging the mirrors we headed home. 

After dinner I took a shower before going to my room and choose the outfit for tomorrow's meeting, after deliberating I decided to go with a short black leather skirt above black leggings, white shirt, black professional heels and a small black purse. 

I was so busy that I haven't mentioned the meeting for the girls. I was hoping to ask Defne maybe she had some clue about what the meeting is about but it was too late to ask her now, instead I just put on my pjs, set the alarm on 8am and made myself a warm chamomile tea to help me sleep. 

I wake up to the alarm sound, I groan and reach for my phone to turn it off before dragging myself out of my comfy bed and into the bathroom. I finish my business and head to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the girls, few minutes later Defne exit her room and goes to the bathroom followed by Meryem who head towards the kitchen. 

"Morning" I tell Meryem and give her her coffee

"Thanks" She answers taking it, she start sipping on it when we hear Defne open the bathroom door and head towards us. She is wearing her work outfit and ready to leave, she stop at the kitchen bar and start making herself a sandwich

"Why don't you sit and eat with us?" I ask Defne

"Can't we have an early meeting and I have to prepare everything before the meeting starts" She say before taking a bite from her sandwich "bye" She continue while heading for the door

'What meeting this morning and why does he want to see me today of he has a meeting?' I ask myself frustrated because I don't like not knowing, we finished our breakfast and I cleaned the dishes while Meryem headed to prepare herself before going to the hospital. Once I've finished I checked the time it's 9 am I ran to my room get dressed and prepared myself real quick, took my bike and zoomed out to my meeting. 

---

I was standing in front of the secretary desk at exactly 9:50, she leaded me toward uncle Hakan's office and left after I knocked the door. I hear a faint come in before I turn the knob and step into the office, once uncle Hakan sees me his face lights up with a warm smile and stand up from behind his desk heading towards me with open arms. After a warm fatherly hug he leaded us to the couches and ordered us something to drink

"How are you sweetheart?" He asked me

"I'm good uncle thanks, how are you?" I asked back when the office boy entered with our drinks

"Good" He answered when the office boy left

"So uncle Hakan, why did you wanted to see me?" I asked him

"Wow straight to the point, you don't beat around the bush do you?" He asked sarcastically in which I gave him no answer and just kept on staring at him "okay, well when you were here last time you told me about yourself, what you studied and what your field of expertise" He started and to which I only gave a short nod "you also told me that you were looking for a job and still haven't found anything to your liking" He continue

"Yes, don't tell me you are going to offer me a job because like I told you last time I want to earn a job I don't want any favors" I say "no offence" I add quickly to which he smile

"I know and I respect that, that's why I called you. You are the perfect candidate for the job" He tells me

"What job?" I ask him

"You remember when I told you that we landed a big client" He starts and I nod before he continues "they gave us a test project and if they liked the end result we will sign a long term contract with them" He say

"Okay but what does this have to do with me?" I ask 

"I gave the project to my son, he accepted on one condition which is to spearhead the entire thing without my approval on anything to which I agreed but on a condition of having a supervisor from my part. My son created his own team, he picked my best team members before having new employees to add to the mix" He says

"Okay, I still don't get it" I tell him

"I need someone to supervise the employees, the project and my son. This person will be my son's partner and because of our deal that person can't be me, he need someone who have fresh ideas, different perspective and believe me if that person was among my team he would've already taken it but it's not. That person is you" He tells me and I look at him shocked as if he grew a second head

After few minutes I finally ask "why me?"

"I know you, well actually I know your father and I know what kind of person he was. I also know that he planted everything he knows inside you, I already saw hints of him inside you the other day. You are the only person that can stand up to my son when you think he is wrong and I know that with you beside him you will reach a new level of success, beside if you accept the deal he won't have the power to fire you. He won't be your boss" He say the last part with a smirk on his face

"It's all very tempting believe but I don't know if I can take this much responsibility" I say honestly

"I know how much potential you've got so don't sell yourself short, I've made a research on you and your work. I know what you can offer for this company, what you lack my son have and vice versa" He say although my face doesn't look convinced yet so he continue "How about you sign for only this project, a six months contract and after that you decide of you want to continue we can renew the contract and if not you just added new experience to your portfolio" He tells me.

I think for a few minutes before mumbling "what do I have to lose" and shrug my shoulders

"Perfect" He says and head towards his desk, he grabs an envelope and a pen before returning to the couch "this is the contract, read it and see if you have anything to change before you sign it. After that I'll show you your office and than we head for the meeting room to announce your partnership with my son" He say.  

I take the contract and start reading it, I find everything he mentioned is already on it. The partnership, the six months time frame, my job's description but my salary was left empty "uncle why the salary part is empty?" I ask him

"It's because you will have the same salary that my son will have which is 50,000$ and your 25% profit in the project" He answers

"Isn't 50,000$ too much? And what 25%?" I ask

"No that's just fair believe me. And about the 25%, well see this project is between my half of the company and my son's half 50% each and since you are my supervisor and a partner in the project you will share my 50% of the profits, so 25% to you and 25% to me" He explains

"I'm not sure it's just too much money, I can't accept this" I tell him truthfully only for him to take the contract from my hand with the pen, writing down the 50,000$ in the salary space and than slamming the contract on the coffee table.

He hands me the pen back "sign it" He orders me, when I open my mouth to argue he glares at me daring me to say another word. I close my mouth, take the pen from him and sigh the contract. 

"Great now let's go see your office" He say with a smile on his face while standing up, he look at his watch before saying "well that took longer than I thought so we'll have to go to the meeting room first" He say while opening the door for me, I nod my head and follow him.

---

We enter a big white room, it had an oval shaped wooden desk in the center of the room with black leather chairs surrounding it. At the opposite wall of the entrance it was a glass window walls, at one end there was a large TV screen. 

The room was filled with people, they we're all talking but when we stepped inside everyone went quite. All eyes turned to me trying to find out who I was and what I was doing here with the boss when I noticed Defne looking at me with a questioning gaze before uncle Hakan spoke

"As you all know we will start on the new project next week, this past time my son was creating his own team. We won't have any connection between our department and my son's department except of the supervisor, which I'm glad to announce that Iz is going to join our team. She will be the supervisor and the partner in this project, I'm sure that with both her and my son will reach new and higher success" He announce to the entire room, to which I see looks of shock and glares of envy all around the room.

I gulp audibly when I hear the door opens and all eyes averted toward the intruder, which made me  sigh a breath of relief when I wasn't the center of attention anymore. 

I hear uncle Hakan introduce "son meet your new partner, Iz this is Burak my son" He finishes with a smirk on his face, I turn my head and my eyes fell on the most unexpected man, my nightmare. I couldn't believe my eyes it was him, I was frozen in place shocked and my expression was mirrored on his face. 

I take a deep breath and snapping out of my frozen state, I force a smile on my face and offer my hand to shake while saying "can't wait to work with you"

He takes my hand in his while mirroring my smile and say "this is going to be fun" and wink at me, and for the first time in a long time I feel a blush making it's way on my cheeks causing me to giggle before retrieving my hand and covering my cheeks with my loose hair strands. 

'This is going to be awkward' I say to myself and shake my head.