Deniz and Fatih had finished the journey without speaking, with crazy electricity in their bodies.
When they arrived at the main headquarters, Deniz's hair had dried just as Fatih had predicted. But this 45-minute journey was unexpectedly filled with different feelings for both of them.
As Deniz got out of the vehicle, she could still feel the effect of Fatih's touch on the nape of her neck. She was uncomfortable with this situation because she didn't want to feel this way. She had sworn to herself to be professional.
Fatih, on the other hand, was pleased with this situation. But he was trying not to show it.
The main headquarters was a much larger and more modern structure than she had expected. After passing through security at the entrance, Fatih showed her the way.
"The meeting room is on the third floor. We'll take the elevator," he said.
When they were alone in the elevator, silence prevailed. Deniz looked at her reflection in the mirror and gathered her hair at the nape of her neck, shaping it into a bun.
As Fatih watched her do this, he said quietly with a warm smile,
"It looks beautiful."
Deniz's hand froze in her hair. She met Fatih's eyes in the mirror.
Embarrassed, she said in a low voice, "Thank you."
When the elevator door opened, both of them rushed out as if they couldn't breathe.
When they entered the meeting room, five high-ranking officers were sitting around the table. They were all surveying Deniz with curiosity.
Fatih made the introductions:
"Commander, this is Chief Engineer Deniz Hanım I told you about. She'll be attending the meeting in place of Kubilay Bey."
Deniz introduced herself and sat down in the empty chair next to the table.
Fatih stood a little behind.
The colonel spoke as the meeting began:
"This meeting will consist of two sessions. In the first session, we'll discuss the progress of the new base construction on the Iğdır border line. In the second session, security measures."
Deniz was listening carefully to what was being said and intervening when necessary. Questions were being asked about the technical details of the construction, material procurement, and timeline. She answered all of them patiently and in detail.
When the first session ended, the colonel said:
"We're taking a break. The second session will start at 11:00."
As everyone dispersed, Deniz turned to Fatih in surprise:
"So, what am I going to do now? Where should I wait?"
Fatih smiled:
"You didn't have breakfast, you must be hungry. Have you ever had çılbır?" he said.
Deniz looked at him in surprise:
"I haven't, but you look like you've had it a lot with that look, from the outside you didn't seem like a food gourmet at all, Captain Fatih," she said, giggling.
Fatih said in a mocking manner,
"Okay, if you're going to mock me, I'm leaving you. Go gnaw on a pastry at one of the cafes."
Deniz made a zipper motion over her mouth in a childish manner:
"I swear I'll be quiet! I'm very hungry, please let's go."
Fatih was literally melting at Deniz's sweet demeanor. "This woman is going to kill me," he thought to himself.
"Come on then, let me introduce you to Iğdır's most famous delicacies," he said.
They left the main headquarters and headed toward the center. Fatih took her to a small, warm restaurant.
"They make Iğdır-style çılbır and fresh cheese here. Also honey, bread with cream..." he said.
Deniz said excitedly:
"Oh, I want all of them! I'm really very hungry."
Fatih was laughing at Deniz's eager looks around.
"Okay, we'll order all of them then," he said.
They sat at the table. As Fatih gave the orders, Deniz was examining the surroundings.
"This is a very warm, intimate place. How did you find this place?" she asked.
Fatih said, "I discovered it in my first weeks here. It became one of the places I took refuge in when I felt lonely."
"Lonely? Do you feel lonely?" Deniz said in surprise.
Fatih looked at her:
"Why, do I look like a soulless person from the outside?"
Realizing she had put her foot in it, Deniz changed the subject in a somewhat embarrassed manner,
"No, I mean from the outside you seem very tough, maybe because of your profession. I mean, I didn't think you would feel lonely."
Fatih reached out and murmured as he filled Deniz's glass with water,
"Everyone feels lonely, Deniz. Especially when on duty in such remote places."
Deniz had found Fatih's words sincere.
"Can I speak comfortably? This 'you' thing made me a bit tense," she said, laughing.
Fatih immediately got into the situation, he smiled.
"Go ahead, redhead!" he said.
Deniz opened her eyes wide, "Look at you, you relax 360 degrees right away."
Fatih was just looking and smiling.
Deniz said with a sweet smile on her face, "You must have been a soldier for years, my mother said you were 30."
Fatih suddenly raised his eyebrows. "Did you talk about me with your mother?"
Deniz said, "Well, I mean... No, my mother mentioned it when she was telling my sister about you. I remember from there."
Fatih answered with a deep laugh, "Yes, I've been a soldier for many years."
Deniz cleared her throat and murmured, "So, did you always feel lonely?"
Fatih's face had darkened, as if they had reached a point he didn't want to talk about. "Actually no, I didn't always feel lonely," he said.
"There was someone I met after the academy," he said.
Deniz paused. She reached for the glass on the table and sipped her water, slowly averting her gaze.
"We had a four-year relationship. But because I wasn't in the same city with her, she said the long-distance relationship was wearing her down. And she left me, and about 2 months later, she got married."
With the shock of what she heard, Deniz had choked on the water she was drinking. While choking on coughs, she was trying to turn her head.
Fatih quickly got up and approached her, patting her back.
"Are you okay? Deniz, breathe!" he said, watching her with concern.
Deniz raised her hand and said, "I'm fine, please sit down."
Fatih, returning to his seat, was still watching her with concern.
Deniz said, "I'm sorry, I was shocked for a moment, it was involuntary, please excuse me."
Fatih was laughing.
"Okay, please don't laugh," Deniz said.
And she continued curiously, "So what was the rush, didn't you ask for an explanation?"
Fatih shook his head. "No, I didn't ask. I learned later that this man was from her workplace and they had a two-year on-and-off relationship."
Deniz hit the table in anger. "Look at that slut!"
Then she flinched when her ears heard the word she used. "I'm sorry, oh pardon me, I just suddenly... you know..."
Fatih was both shocked and pleased by the curse he heard.
Deniz asked curiously, "How can you tell it so calmly? This is outright immorality! Didn't she love you at all?"
Fatih said in a very calm manner, "Apparently not."
"So what happened next?"
"I just focused on my work. I miss my family. And sometimes I feel lonely," he said.
Deniz was now deep in thought. Was this why Fatih's mother was arranging arranged marriage dates for him? Had she sensed her son's wounded and lonely state? And Fatih? She couldn't think that this man who seemed like an iceberg from the outside had experienced such things...
When the orders arrived, Deniz excitedly tasted the çılbır and her eyes lit up:
"This is magnificent! Really very delicious."
Fatih was smiling as he watched her:
"I'm glad you liked it."
"You eat too, why are you just watching me?" Deniz said.
"Because watching you is more enjoyable than eating right now," Fatih said.
Deniz blushed:
"Don't say such things and please eat. Otherwise, I can't eat either..."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it," Fatih said, rolling his eyes.
"No, don't apologize. Just... I need to get used to these sudden emotional changes of yours," Deniz said softly.
Then she added with a laugh, "On the arranged date, you were warm. Then the moment you first saw me, you turned into a monster. Then you were cold again, then soulless again. Now you're warm again!"
Fatih started laughing when he thought about what they'd been through. "I guess you're right," was all he could say.
Now as the minutes passed,
They were chatting during breakfast. While Fatih was giving Deniz information about the history of Iğdır, Deniz was talking about her life in New York, the last city she lived in.
"So why did you decide to become an engineer?" Fatih asked.
"Well, I mentioned it a bit on our last date, you remember. I'm a math genius," she said, giggling.
Fatih was also laughing. "Yes," he said.
"My teachers always directed me to engineering and its branches. But what really led me to this path was something else. Actually, as a child I always played with Legos. Then I was always scribbling drawings at home. Naturally, I evolved into engineering," Deniz said.
Fatih asked curiously, "So, what was your family's reaction to you coming to this assignment?"
Deniz thought a bit:
"They were worried, of course. Especially my mother. But I was determined. I absolutely wanted this project..."
"Why?" Fatih asked.
Deniz paused:
"It's a long story. Maybe I'll tell you another time."
Fatih didn't insist. Because he knew why. She wanted to make her father proud, but he respected Deniz for not wanting to share it yet.
Then he was surprised when he looked at the time on his watch:
"Deniz! It's 10:50! The meeting starts at 11!"
Both of them panicked. They quickly paid the bill and immediately jumped into the car.
"How did time pass like this?" Deniz asked while running.
"I have no idea!" Fatih said, out of breath.
Minutes later, when they arrived at the main headquarters, they ran through security. They were standing breathlessly in the elevator.
"Third floor, third floor!" Deniz said anxiously.
When the elevator door opened, they ran to the meeting room.
When they opened the door, all the high-ranking officers around the table were looking at them with curious eyes.
Fatih and Deniz said at the same time:
"Well... There was traffic!"
The colonel raised his eyebrow:
"Traffic? In Iğdır?"
Both of them blushed.
The colonel said with a stern look, "Sit down and let's begin, young people."
Deniz quickly sat down, and Fatih returned to his old position.
At that moment, the only thing both of them in the meeting were thinking was that they had spent the best hour of their lives. They hadn't realized how time had passed.
As the colonel continued the meeting, Deniz and Fatih occasionally made eye contact and smiled, then averted their gazes.
"Regarding security measures," the colonel said, "smuggling activities are intense in this region. Especially during the night hours..."
Deniz was trying to focus on the meeting, but her mind kept staying on the breakfast a while ago. Fatih's laughter, their conversations, the way he looked at her...
She shook herself and tried to focus on the colonel's words, opening her eyes wide.
The situation was the same for Fatih. He was thinking about that happy expression Deniz made while eating çılbır and smiling to himself.
"Captain Fatih!" the colonel said in a harsh voice.
Fatih flinched:
"Yes, commander!"
"How are you planning the night patrols?"
Fatih pulled himself together and answered professionally. "We've arranged shifts, 5 armored vehicles, 2 air control drones, we have plenty of heat thermal and motion sensors installed in the mountainous area, Commander!"
The colonel nodded with a satisfied expression and continued the meeting.
When the meeting ended, as everyone dispersed, the colonel called Fatih over:
"Captain, you were a bit distracted this morning," he said in an authoritative tone.
Fatih stood at attention:
"I apologize, commander. It won't happen again."
"I hope not. This mission is very critical, we cannot allow anything to distract you," he said with an implicative expression.
Fatih had gotten the message, his face fell but he didn't show it. "I understand, commander," he shouted in a firm voice.
Deniz was waiting outside for Fatih. When Fatih came out, there was a worried expression on his face.
"Is there a problem?" Deniz asked.
"No, I just got a warning. He's right too. I was very distracted this morning," Fatih said.
On the way back, both of them were silent. But this time it wasn't a tense silence. Both of them were thinking about that beautiful hour.
Deniz felt guilty because Fatih had received a warning. But if she brought up the subject, it would turn into something even more ridiculous. She silently fixed her eyes outside.
But her insides were eating her up, she couldn't stand it anymore.
"Fatih," Deniz finally said.
"Yes?"
"This morning was very beautiful. Thank you."
Fatih smiled:
"Thank you. It was a very enjoyable breakfast..."
Then he added with a mischievous expression, "Our engineer is actually a very sweet person."
"Sweet?" Deniz said in surprise.
Fatih smiled. "Yes, I'd never seen you like that before."
Deniz blushed but immediately turned the conversation into a joke so as not to show it.
"You were very different too. More... like a human being," she murmured.
"Like a human being?" Fatih said, laughing.
Deniz nodded, confirming. "I mean, you weren't constantly in that tough soldier mode."
Fatih was now laughing heartily.
When they arrived at the base, Fatih got out of the car and looked at Deniz with sadness in his eyes...
It seemed they had returned to the real world now...