Meanwhile, in another part of town, Shea grappled with a whirlwind of emotions. Her guilt over her initial misunderstanding of Ilker and her intense curiosity about the mysterious girl Joseph Ilyas was searching for weighed heavily on her mind. Despite these distractions, Shea valiantly attempted to focus on her work. Periodically, she engaged in light-hearted conversations with her colleague Meryem, and their laughter filled the air.
However, when their boss, Ameer, suddenly appeared in front of them, Shea and Meryem fell silent as if on cue, feverishly typing away on their computers. In the ensuing silence, Shea's thoughts drifted back to Ilker. She compulsively checked her phone, anxiously awaiting a reply. Four long hours had passed since she sent her last message to him.
Shea couldn't help herself and messaged Ilker once more, "Are you mad at me?" She impatiently watched the screen, and this time, the gray balloon icon appeared almost instantly. Ilker's response popped up: "Hey, sorry, I just woke up. And no, I'm not mad at you. I thought you were the one who was mad at me!!"
A wave of relief washed over Shea, and she hastily replied, "Heyyyyy... Omg, I'm so happy now you're replying to me... Can we meet?"
Ilker proposed, "Sure, you have a 30-minute lunch break, right? What if we meet at the French cafe near the office we found earlier?"
Excitedly, Shea agreed, "Oh, yes, sure! I hope I don't get lost while looking for that cafe, lmao..."
Ilker reassured her, "Oh, come on!"
Subsequently, no more texts arrived from Ilker. Shea assumed he was preparing to meet her and returned to her work. However, as the clock on her computer struck 12 pm, she immediately put her computer to sleep, grabbed her phone, and headed out.
Observing her departure, Meryem couldn't resist a chuckle. "Where are you going? Are you that hungry?"
Shea chuckled in response, "No, I'm going to have lunch with Ilker, so I really need to go now!"
Meryem smiled and requested, "Oh! Send my greetings to him, okay?"
"Sure, I will!" Shea replied with a simple nod.
As Shea left her office building and traversed the streets towards the cluster of cafes, her excitement grew. She looked forward to reuniting with her best friend after a week apart.
Upon arriving at a charming, French-themed cafe adorned with blue and white decor, Shea scanned the interior for a familiar figure. Meanwhile, a handsome waiter approached her and politely inquired, "How may I help you?"
Shea nodded and said, "Yes, please. I'm looking for my friend. Did anyone make a reservation under the name Ilker Tek?"
The waiter checked and confirmed, "Oh yes, on behalf of Ilker Ilyas, at table number 25."
Shea couldn't help but smile at the waiter's friendly demeanor but quickly composed herself, asking, "Could you please point me to table number 25?"
The waiter kindly offered to guide her. As they approached the table, Shea spotted Ilker's figure from behind and exclaimed, "Ilkerrrrrr!!!" as she hugged him.
Ilker, realizing Shea's presence, smiled warmly and took her hand. Shea settled in front of him and asked, "How are you?"
"I'm fine, and you?" Ilker replied.
"I'm fine too!" Shea placed her phone on the table and continued, "Hey, look! I'm really sorry about before. I thought you were just being difficult at Joe's concert, and for the whole week, I was genuinely mad at you for bailing on me like that!"
Ilker raised an eyebrow, holding up his watermelon juice. "You're kidding, right?"
"No! I genuinely believed you were being difficult and canceled at the last minute!"
Ilker chuckled and said, "Well, let's not dwell on it anymore!"
"Alright then! By the way, Meryem sends her regards. She's the one who cleared up my misunderstanding," Shea said with a laugh.
"You really are something else!"
Their waiter, Ibo, approached the table, introduced himself, and offered assistance with the menu. Shea glanced at Ilker, asking, "Have you ordered?"
Ilker nodded, "Yes."
Shea teased, "It's not salad, is it?"
Ilker smiled and replied, "No, I ordered the French Toast With Onions."
"Great," Shea returned the menu book to Ibo and said, "I'll have the same."
Ibo noted down their orders and asked, "And for the drink, miss?"
Shea pondered for a moment and then requested, "Coldwater, please?"
"Coldwater?" Ibo repeated, slightly surprised.
Shea confirmed, "Yes, just that, thank you!" She checked if Ilker wanted anything more, but he shook his head.
As they resumed their conversation, discussing Ilker's plans for the day, Shea's attention occasionally wandered to the entrance of the cafe. She discreetly scanned the crowd, hoping to spot Joe among the patrons. However, her disappointment was evident when she realized he wasn't there.
Across the cafe, Ebri's group had entered and seated themselves. Ebri, in a few stolen glances, confirmed that Shea was indeed the person Joe had been searching for. With this revelation, he couldn't wait to share the news with Joe.