It's his Lips, Everytime

chapter 4

Tanner's POV

It was mid-August, the summer heat relentless. In a cosy bedroom adorned with a messy bookshelf, a tall figure stirred awake. With tousled, wavy hair and chiselled abs and pectorals, he sat up in his large, dark blue bed. The blare of his alarm interrupted the quiet morning, and he reached to shut it off before jumping out of bed with purpose.

Taner, a 25-year-old recent graduate, had his sights set on pursuing his master's degree. With determination in his stride, he prepared himself for his morning jog, eager to start the day on the right foot.

"Mom?! I'll be back after my jog," Taner called out as he slipped on his shoes. His house exuded a sense of elegance and history, with antique Mughal pieces adorning the interior, reflecting his mother's refined taste.

"Tan? Buy milk bottles while you come back," his mother shouted from the garden, her voice carrying over the sounds of her watering the flowering plants. In the summer heat, the garden thrived, and her care for the blooms was evident. She was a middle-aged woman of striking beauty, with dark hair and clear eyes that reflected her love for the world around her.

Taner stepped out of the house, dressed in a sleeveless tank top and shorts, paired with sturdy outdoor sneakers and socks. The sounds of Charlie Puth's songs filled the air as his Bluetooth played his favourite tunes.

"I hope I get my admission letter very soon. The sun is already bright for early morning," he mused, beginning his morning jog with brisk breaths, determined to make the most of the day ahead.

"Mom?! You made breakfast already?" Taner asked eagerly as he walked into the kitchen, munching on the toast she had prepared.

"I have an early meeting with the secretaries. So, help your father with the bank errands. Oh, yeah..." His mother paused, then sighed and handed him a letter, sealed with a stamp in the top left corner.

Taner's excitement grew as he washed his hands at the sink and eagerly tore open the envelope. Upon reading the contents, his face lit up with joy, and he dashed towards his mother, enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Mom?! They accepted me finally," he exclaimed, the thrill of his acceptance evident in his voice.

As Taner and his mother reveled in their excitement over his acceptance letter, their joy was interrupted by the voice of an old man in his late 50s, instantly causing their expressions to shift to annoyance.

"So you got the seat you were looking for? I assume that it was the place I wanted you to go? The city X," his father's voice rang out, eliciting a desire in Taner to retreat to his room.

As Tanner's mother patted him and gestured for him to talk with his father, he reluctantly approached, showing his father the acceptance letter. His father smiled and congratulated him, then mentioned, "I will ask my friend Cristiano to arrange a house and other facilities for you there."

"Dad, I'll take care of that. I don't like the idea of involving your business partner in my life," Taner responded firmly, slipping his acceptance letter back into the envelope.

"Is it because of Sherine? Hahaha, why are you so shy when it comes to..." his father attempted to say something, but Taner's mother intervened.

"Honey, I already asked my best friend to help him, and you know her. It will be a new experience for him to meet new people outside our business circle. So let him be," she said, coming over to hug her husband in an attempt to persuade him.

With everything settled, after a week, Taner was ready to embark on his new journey. A young man with aspirations of forging his own path, he was determined not to live in his father's shadow forever. His desire to achieve something for himself and stand out in his own way fueled his ambition. Postgraduate studies were his first milestone towards that goal.

With his luggage packed and dreams in tow, Taner boarded the flight to his new city with boundless excitement and anticipation. The prospect of new beginnings and the opportunity to carve out his own identity filled him with a sense of purpose and determination. As Taner's thoughts wandered, his mother's call interrupted him, coming the very moment he exited the airport.

"Darling, I've sent you the address. You'll be meeting an elder sister there, my friend's eldest daughter. Though she may not be your age, I hope you two get along well. Don't be rude to her and be obedient," his mother's voice chimed through the phone, her words flowing nonstop.

Taner waved his hand to stop the cab, eager to end his mother's nagging. "Mom, don't worry. I'll take care of everything. It's pretty late, and I shouldn't delay my visit to her any longer than this," he assured her, eager to get on with his journey.

Realising the time constraints, his mother also ended the call, leaving Taner to continue on his way.

As Taner reached his destination, he observed the lobby and ambiance of the apartment complex. "I don't think she's just an elderly lady. She must be a successful career woman to live in such an apartment on her own. I hope she's not some old aunt who nags me all day," he mused to himself.

Taking the elevator to the 11th floor, he made his way to door number 1157. Standing in front of the door, he took a moment before ringing the bell, curious and perhaps a bit apprehensive about the person he was about to meet.

As Taner stood in front of the house, ringing the bell for ten minutes with no response, he began to doubt his surroundings.

"Did I come to the wrong place? No!"

"Don't tell me she's already asleep? Is she that old? Taking pills? No way."

"Could it be that she's still working and hasn't returned home yet? That's possible, right?" he muttered to himself, considering every possible scenario.

Suddenly, the lift opened, and he heard the sound of a lady giggling on her phone, sparking a new curiosity within him.

As Taner turned around, he caught sight of a girl in her mid-twenties, and his brain immediately began calculating her possible age. "26? 27?" he speculated silently. Observing her, he noticed her holding her phone upside down. "Is she drunk? She looks beautiful, though," his mind raced with thoughts.

The girl noticed him looking at her and addressed him, "Babe. He's really handsome, just like you described. A bit young for me, though," she remarked to the friend on her call. Walking around him, she appraised his attractive physique. "But he still looks hot, especially his lips," she added, pausing to take in his appearance.

"Excuse me?" Taner gulped, feeling awkward and caught off guard by the unexpected encounter.

"Ms. Diana, next time you date someone, please find someone like my boy. He's worth the effort," the girl remarked, turning on a video call to show her drunk female friend, which made Taner chuckle.

"Hey? Aren't you being too bold to call me yours already?" he interrupted her, trying to regain his composure.

"Why? Can't you be mine already? You're already in my place, so you belong to me," she replied with a serious expression, which Taner found both adorable and amusing.

"God, she looks adorable with her funny serious face while making senseless demands," he thought to himself before informing her, "I haven't even set foot inside your place yet, though."

"Is that so?" She punched in her passcode and opened her door, pushing him inside along with his luggage before he could react. The door closed behind them automatically.

"Now, you're inside! You belong to me," she declared proudly.

"Smooth move, Khadija," her friend on the video call chuckled in encouragement.

"Okay, I don't mind that at all. But for your information, my lady, you're playing with fire," Taner sneered, grinning as he approached her.

She tossed her phone onto the couch, grabbed his collar, and jumped onto the kitchen table to face him directly. "Now I can see your face clearly. You look really cool, especially those lips," she said, running her fingers appreciatively over his lips.