Eccentric Boss

He found it so hard to take his eyes off her, with the reason unbeknownst to him. Especially when they were in the pharmacy and the doctor was examining her leg, he had to pretend that he was using his phone so as not to appear stupid. When she let that cry out, Yazeed felt something within him, and he had to look up to meet the tears flowing down her cheeks. And until now that she had this pout on her lips while she looked through the window which was obvious to avoid his gaze, Yazeed couldn’t take his eyes off her. Maybe it was because he felt guilty that she had to pause with her practice because of him, he was the one that hit her after all. Maybe it wasn’t the guilt, he wanted to see her dance one more time.

He swerved the steering wheel and parked while he looked at Sulaiman who was grinning widely. This had always been Sulaiman’s reaction whenever they came back home, he figured out this had always been his reaction whenever he spent a few hours away from home and he came back to his wife. Through the rear mirror, he watched as Jalilah stared at the building with a soft smile on her lips before she walked out of the car, careful not to hurt herself more. He got down too and they silently walked inside.

They both sat down in the living room as Sulaiman went inside to call Ilham. Jalilah’s phone rang, and she made a face before she brought out the phone from her bag and slide the answer button. “Farha, how are you?” She asked softly because there was no way she would act all giddy while he was sitting close to her. Like they weren’t that close, but what mattered was they were in a living room together even though they weren’t sitting together. And most importantly, she wasn’t home or in her office, she had to behave herself.

“Hey girl, you promised to call me with an update. How far? Have you checked out the new restaurant and has he apologized for acting as if he doesn’t know you?” How was she ever going to have this conversation with Farha while he was seated a few feet away from her? One of the perks of having one best friend, she told her everything. Even if she didn’t want to tell her, Farha had seen him yesterday.

“I tried checking out the restaurant but I got hit instead, so, no.” she absentmindedly rolled her eyes and pouted her lips before she looked away from him. She was that outspoken Jalilah, right? She could do everything she so wishes, to hell with him. He was the reason she couldn’t practice ballet now. And instantly, she figured out she had to email Mrs Rosey that she couldn’t make it with evidence attached because she felt Mrs Rosey will accuse her of wanting her job so bad that she couldn’t continue doing ballet anymore.

“Oh my god, like hit by a guy? What happened? How does he look like? Did you give him your number?” Farha asked, and Jalilah had no choice but to palm her face. Who had such a crazy best friend?

“Oh, Farha! I was hit by my boss, with a car not with words that might have a place in my heart. And I’ve sprained my ankle because of that, which means no ballet until it’s healed. And also, no apology came because of what happened yesterday, there, I’ve said it all.” For the moment that she spoke through gritted teeth, she kept her eyes fixed on him but he didn’t even acknowledge her presence in the living room, which brewed her anger even more. And she figured out she had to quickly take her eyes off him unless she wanted him to look up and meet her glaring at him.

Before Farha replied her, Sulaiman walked out with his heavily pregnant wife. “Hey, I’ll call you later. Don’t disturb my whole life with your annoying-I-want-to-hear-the-whole-story-calls, okay?” She warned and ended the call while ignoring the way Farha groaned.

She smiled widely at Ilham and waited until she reached the sofa she was seated on, they shook hands with beautiful smiles on their faces. “Hey, my name is Ilham, and you’re welcome to my home.”

Jalilah smiled and nodded her head, “And you can please call me Jalilah. I hope we met you in good health, I can see, you’re heavy already, Masha Allah. I wish you a very safe delivery.” They smiled warmly at each other while Ilham answered her prayers and she turned to look at Sulaiman with a questioning look while pointing at Yazeed with her eyes.

“Yazeedu, what’s with you today? Not feeling okay? Or just the feeling of having your words to yourself?” She was the only person that called him Yazeedu, sometimes Sulaiman did call him that too, but she was a constant. He looked up at her and shook his head with a soft smile, trying all he could not look at Jalilah, and he did that perfectly.

“I was just letting you finish exchanging the pleasantries, Ilham. How are you and the baby?” His words were calculative like he only chose who to speak long words to and who not to. Jalilah found it amusing staring at him while he spoke.

“I’m fine, and the baby is ecstatic today because you’re here, finally you aren’t going to starve yourself in the office today.” She smiled warmly and looked up Sulaiman, “How did you manage to get him out of that office?”

“It was one hell of a job, shall we move? We’ve spent so much in the pharmacy and we have to go back in time.” Sulaiman said and looked at the watch attached to his left wrist.

Even though they all stood up, Ilham turned to look at Jalilah with an apologetic smile, “Yes, he told me what happened. How are you feeling now?” She asked, and Jalilah smiled at her.

“It hurts a bit, but nothing to complain about.” And they walked together to the dining table while the couple spoke lovely to themselves. If Sulaiman acted like Yazeed, she would have wondered how he was able to be so lovely toward his wife, but he was a gentleman that the first time she saw him she knew his wife had gotten herself one of the best husbands on earth.

The men sat down and Jalilah looked at how Ilham was trying to serve them, “Oh please, I’ll do that. You should sit down please.” She wanted to hesitate at first, but Jalilah had this cool look that when she requested something of you, it was hard saying no to her. Ilham smiled at her and sat down.

Jalilah moved around serving them and if it was okay they would say it with a lovely smile on their face until she walked to was serving Yazeed, and she had to move to where he was seated because she sat opposite him and there was no way she could serve him from there. She looked at him with a grim expression and asked, “What will you like?” He looked up, and their eyes met. His eyes that this secret power of unnerving her soul, which she didn’t know how it happened in just two days, but she was certain they did.

“Anything please.” She nodded her head and served him before she placed the plate down while he moved his hand forward to take the spoon and something which she wasn’t sure of brushed her hand. When she looked up, it was his outstretched hand and she quickly retreated her hand before she walked away. Did he feel that? She doubted because he looked so calm as if nothing had happened.

She went back and sat down, finding it a punishment to sit opposite him while she ate. Not that she had never eaten with him sitting opposite her, but this was different, even though she was sure the couple didn’t even realize what was sparking between them. She took her eyes off him, served herself and ducked her head down while she slowly began taking her food.

She didn’t look up at him even though she was sure there were times he looked at her until she was done and he was done as well. Their eyes met while he was taking a gulp of his drink and she looked away, which wasn’t a good idea because Sulaiman was lovingly feeding his wife and she felt the urge to walk back to the living room and wait until he was done so they could go back to the company.

She wordlessly stood up and walked to the living room, glad that none of them asked why she was leaving the dining area because it was evident that she was done and something was happening there which she shouldn’t witness. She was so happy when she heard Yazeed speaking to him that he should do fast, and from how natural he sounded, she was sure he was used to seeing the duo like that. After Sulaiman was done, they left back to the company with no words shared between them. Just a laconic conversation going on between the men which she had no business in.