The effect of the dream was still on me. No matter how hard I tried to focus on work, my mind kept drifting back to that blurry scene. While I was looking at the computer screen, my eyes were wandering over the lines but I couldn't understand anything. I rubbed my forehead with my hand and whispered to myself, "Snap out of it, Ada." But the rhythm of my heart was much more dominant than the sentences in my brain.
Just then the door rang. I was slightly startled in my seat. Who could it be in the morning? I took a timid step towards the door and when I opened it, I was met with Alp's smiling face. He was holding two cardboard coffees in his hand.
"You didn't look well this morning," he said, his voice softer than I had expected. "You're obviously sleep deprived. I brought you some coffee."
My eyes involuntarily shifted to the coffee in his hand. This man… managed to show up at the most unnecessary moments, and the strange thing is that he often showed up when I needed him the most. I pursed my lips and looked at him.
"Alp, did you diagnose me by looking at my morning state, or are you the new coffee delivery person for the apartment building?" I said with a sarcastic smile.
He raised his eyebrows, directed those familiar confident glances at me. "Admit it, you need it. Otherwise, your eyes wouldn't still be red from sleeping."
The stubborn part of me spoke up: If you buy the coffee, you will owe me a favor. But the smell of fresh coffee hit my nose and silenced my reason. With a small grunt, I reached out and took the cup.
"Thank you, but... if this coffee wasn't brought as a favor, if you have a plan, tell me now," I said, squinting.
The edge of Alp's lips curled. "My plan? It's just a neighborly duty. And, I thought maybe we could have coffee together."
What he said was ordinary sentences, but his gaze... There was a challenge that was not hidden in his gaze. For a moment, my heart sped up again.
I shook my head from side to side, angry with myself. "I won't be able to deal with you in the morning, Alp," I said and began to close the door slowly.
As the door closed, an involuntary smile appeared on my lips. I should have been angry, but my heart was still beating fast.
Just as I was about to close the door, he took another step closer with his unique relaxed attitude. The corner of his lips curled up.
"Aren't you going to invite him in?" said.
I was stunned for a moment. The expression on my face seemed to say, "I won't," but he was already on the threshold of the door.
"Alp..." I started, but before I could finish, he put his confident hand in his pocket.
"Don't worry, we'll just chat for a few words over coffee. Your house is also the house opposite mine after all." Neighborly, you know..."
I took a deep breath. The dregs of the dream, my shame, my anger were mixed together inside me. I didn't want to invite him in, but he was already right up my nose.
"Okay," I said, opening the door wide. "But it's short."
Alp stepped in with that sarcastic smile of his. "I promise. Just a short coffee..."
But the look on his face told me that it wouldn't be short at all.
As soon as Alp stepped inside, my eyes involuntarily began to filter him. After the blurry, fiery scenes I saw in my dream, it was even more impressive that he stood by my side in real life. His hair was messy, his t-shirt fit his body, and his gaze was extremely confident and cocky.
My inner voice was confessing: He's more handsome than in my dream... more dangerously attractive…
"I'm just looking at your pajamas," Alp said, a slight smile on the edge of his lips. "How many of the same pajamas do you have, or are they all the same? Whenever I see it, it's always the same pajamas..."
I froze for a moment. What, is he making fun of my pajamas in the morning?
"We're having coffee, but that's what gets my attention when it's always on you," he added. He made a slight shrug and pretended to relieve himself, but the arrogance in his eyes had never disappeared.
My heart was somersaulting in my chest, my face was burning. I muttered with my inner voice: What are you doing Ada... this man is like he's going to piss you off at any moment…
I bit my lips and looked away, "Alp..." I said, but my voice was more like an angry murmur.
At that moment, while he was putting his coffee on the table, he still kept his eyes on me. "My advice to you," he said, his voice sarcastic, "don't keep walking around in these pajamas... or I'll go crazy every time I see it."
Inside, I was both angry and embarrassed. Cocky, confident, slightly prankish, this attitude... Oh, my God, how could a person be so attractive?
Alp's words made my face blush even more. I put the coffee on the table and took a deep breath. I stared at him and said in a stern tone:
"You know… if you're uncomfortable seeing my pajamas this much, you can leave. You'd better get used to it, because I'm going to walk around like this on purpose all the time!"
Alp paused for a moment, then indicated that familiar cocky smile on the edge of his lips. "Wow... How brave she is, defiant in her pajamas. I like this, girl in pajamas."
My inner voice was buzzing; I was both angry and... even though I didn't realize it, my heart was beating fast. "Arrogant, conceited!" I muttered.
Alp replied with one word: "Yes. And it's also a lot of fun to be in front of you."
I was silent for a moment. I was angry at the same time, and that sentence involuntarily warmed me up. Pakize jumped on my knee, purring slightly; as if to say, "Come on, Ada... Will you be able to stand it?" he was saying.
I shook my head from side to side, my lips still wiggling. "Okay, Alp… but remember, my stubbornness is not for you," I said, taking my coffee cup in my hand.
I was both angry and involuntarily smiling inside. Dealing with this man... was both exhausting and incredibly enjoyable.
Alp was sitting in the chair with a relaxed attitude, that mischievous light was still shining in his eyes. "Shall I tell you something?" he said, his voice both sarcastic and confident. "You're even more beautiful when you're angry, but... you're missing something, too."
My insides involuntarily moved; I immediately noticed that my cheeks were reddening. I bit my lips and tried to control myself. "What is that?" I said, fixing my eyes on him with curiosity and slight embarrassment.
Alp raised his eyebrows slightly, replied without hiding his smile: "Sexiness... If you didn't walk around like a little girl, you'd be fine."
At that moment, the words got knotted in my throat. I was angry on one hand, and slightly impressed on the other. My inner voice whispered: Oh my God… What are you saying now?
"You… You are really… Cocky!" I burst out, clenching my hands into fists. But an involuntary smile appeared on the corner of my lips. Alp noticed this; the mischievous light in his eyes shined even brighter.
"Being arrogant?" he said, tilting his head slightly to the side. "No, no… Being arrogant is very simple. It's more exciting to deal with someone like you." You're getting angry, embarrassed, and... even though you don't realize it, you're being affected."
"You'd better go home now!" I said, dropping the coffee cup in my hand hard on the table.
" Oh… I haven't finished my coffee yet. ..." he said, showing the coffee cup on the table.
"Alp… take your coffee, drink it at home!" I said harshly and held out the glass, pointing to the door.
Alp looked at the coffee cup, then smiled at me, still with that mischievous light in his eyes. "You're so rude, Ada," he said.
I rolled my eyes, bit my lips and opened the door hard. Alp was laughing slightly as he left the door, there was still a smartness in his voice: "Okay, okay... but it's not neighborly to behave like this either, the girl in pajamas."
When the door closed, I was filled with anger on one hand, and my heart was beating fast and involuntarily on the other. Pakize rushed to my feet and looked at me, purring slightly; as if saying, "Let's see where this will end?" he was saying.