Chapter 1: Introduction
Zeynep had come to the tea house for the peace and quiet it always offered. The way her life was going recently, she definitely needed a break.
The chaotic and unpredictable nature of her full-time job as the manager of a marketing firm was nothing compared to her marital life. Her husband spent more time away on business than with her. She was always alone, with only her thoughts and late-night TV shows as company.
Her tea had just arrived when a shadow fell over her table.
Zeynep looked up to see Selim, an old family friend and her husband's college buddy, standing there. The room suddenly felt smaller, her heart raced as she took in his tall, muscular frame and the confident smile on his face.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked, his voice as smooth as the dark, rich tea.
Zeynep hesitated for a moment, she shouldn't. She was a married woman, but Selim had always been one of those people who made her feel alive.
There was something about the way he spoke, the way his eyes sparkled, the way he seemed to understand her, even after all these years. The way he made her feel, the way he made her think.
She stood up hurriedly, trying to conceal the excitement in her voice as she told him to take a seat. "Of course," she said, her heart pounding. "I'm just here on my own for a change."
And so, in the dimly lit recesses of the traditional Turkish tea house, they sat down together.
Selim's presence was electric, making Zeynep's heart beat faster with every passing moment. She couldn't help but steal glances at him, admiring the way his eyes sparkled with mischief as they took in their surroundings, how his lips curled up in a knowing smile.
She tried to suppress the growing sense of excitement and anticipation, telling herself that she was being silly and that she was married. But the truth was, she had become bored with her marriage, and Selim had always been the one person who made her feel alive.