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But even after she stared at his face and their eyes met, he gave her a questioning look. Like, won’t you do what I said? She curled her fist and ducked her head down. “I’ll get the laptop now.” He turned back to his work and she walked out of the office.

When she closed the door to her office, she let out a soft groan and responded to her annoying vibrating phone. “He asked me to work in his office, Farha! I’m so going to kill that guy!” She half screamed, but to her annoyance, Farha giggled before she laughed.

“Am I hearing I want to keep seeing you so why not work in my office?” Behold, she wasn’t wrong when she told herself that she was as crazy as Farha was, sometimes. Because this was what she thought for a brisk second before she looked at him and realized he wasn’t giving a single damn.

“That’s not the case, you idiot. This man only wanted to torture my life, he wants me to enter some annoying figures in a spreadsheet, how do they even do it? I haven’t been attending that lecturer’s class. Na shigesu!”

Farha burst out laughing so hard that Jalilah had to threaten him that she was going to end the call before she sobered up. “You know I can’t believe you when you ask me that, and guess who scored an A in that course? Idiot, you’re just anxious. Go and work in front of your hot ass boss, I’ll hear feedback when you’re back. You said you’re going to buy the things you want for your house tonight, right?” Farha asked, and Jalilah knew she had to unless she wanted to starve herself to death with only junks to save herself while making it hard for herself to practice ballet.

“Yes, keep your phone by yourself, I’ll call you to help me choose. Bye, I have to go.” She quickly took her laptop and walked back to the office. He was in the same position she had left him, only that now as he worked, he had his brows creased together and Jalilah wondered what he was thinking about. She softly knocked before she entered, and just in time, he looked up and their eyes met. What a sight to behold, he had one of the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen! He quickly took his eyes off and went back to his work, she shrugged off her shoulders.

She took the files and stood by his table, looking at him. When he sensed that her eyes had lingered much on his face, he looked up at her, “What do you need?” He asked, and she pointed at the empty chairs and sofas he had in his office.

“I was wondering if I could sit on one and work? Last time you said I can’t sit on your chair.”

She could see how taken aback he was by her words, “To the sofas please,” he pointed at her and she nodded her head before she walked over and sat down. She silently prayed for Allah to give her the strength to stay focused on what she was supposed to do. She began working, but from time to time, she would look up at him and find him intensely staring at the screen of his desktop, she wished she could go over to that table and move apart from his creased eyebrows. It even wondered to her how he had naturally arched brows, which they always fought with Mama because whenever she went for makeup or Farha did one for her, she had to carve her brows, and Mama always scolded her for that. She claimed that her full and nearly bushy brows looked more beautiful on her. But she had never seen that beauty.

There was a time when she looked up at him and Jalilah could swear she found him looking at her. What the hell was that?! He quickly looked away, but even if the heaven and earth were to kiss each other and someone would have to tell her if she didn’t believe it wasn’t him that looked at her the world would come to end, she wouldn’t believe. Because for a brisk second, they had eye contact.

Before she was out of that sentiment, a soft knock came and Sulaiman walked into the office. He didn’t notice her, he went directly to Yazeed’s desk and placed his hand on his shoulder, “How are you? It’s prayer time. I have to go back home, eat, and pray. I also have to take Ilham to her Yoga class, do you mind coming? Maybe so you can eat? You haven’t been eating enough food lately, Yazeed.”

Now that she looked at both men, they were surely related. If Yazeed would smile even for a split second, he would look so much like Sulaiman. Maybe they were cousins? Whatever relation they had, she was sure they were blood-related.

Yazeed silently shook his head, “No, I might come and have dinner there, or I’ll send my gateman to get it for me. If I don’t do either of the two, that means I’m full. Greet her for me, and the baby please. And also, don’t forget to tell her that…”

Sulaiman smiled before he finished his sentence, “That she should take very good care of herself, the baby too. I will never forget that.” He smiled and Yazeed only tried what was never a smile but Jalilah knew to him, that was meant to be a smile.

Sulaiman turned to where she sat and he smiled at her, she lifted her eyebrows and smiled back at him. Lifting one of the files, she spoke, “We’re still working, I thought I was done.” There was a hint of a pout on her lips and Sulaiman nearly cracked up, he knew Yazeed did that on purpose to punish her for always getting into the elevator with him.

“Oh, and that must be tiring. I think you should join my wife’s Yoga class, she said it relieves muscle pains. Because this work will keep your muscles soaring with pain.”

She smiled politely at him and nodded her head, “Maybe if I feel the day I can’t move my limbs, I will surely join. Ask her to reserve my space.” She chuckled because she thought he was joking. It was surprising when she heard he had a wife, but he looked like a gentleman, his wife was so lucky to have him. They were expecting a baby too, that was amazing!

“I think I should leave before Ilham calls again. Bye you too, work hard.” He walked out of the office and Jalilah used that as an excuse to take a peek at his face. She didn’t know what was her attraction with his face. Yes, he was handsome, that was undeniable, but whenever she looked at his face she felt as if she wanted to find something new from him, but he didn’t give way to anything apart from the beauty that made itself palpable on his face.

A few minutes later, she watched as he stood up and he looked at her while trying to stretch his body. “I’ll go to the mosque and pray, you should too. You can have your lunch if you want to before you come back.” She quickly turned the laptop off and stood up.

Fixing back her veil while she watched as he walked out of the office. Again, they met in the elevator. And now was different, they weren’t the only ones, Jalilah saw Wafiyya. “Wafiyya! Oh my god, we met again!” She smiled widely and Wafiyya smiled back at her, softly side hugging her.

“It was a pleasure meeting you again, Jalilah. How have you been? How’s our company treating you?” She asked, and Jalilah took a glance at his face before she turned back and smiled.

“Hectic, too much work, but it’s amazing.” They chatted for a while and walked to the mosque together. When they were done, she smiled and told Wafiyya she wasn’t eating yet, she had work to finish and she would eat after Asr. She went back to the office before him and decided she would relax before he came back, she was sure she would see him coming before he reached the office.

She played soft music on her phone, the slow kinds of music she played whenever she wanted to clean her room, that way she could sway a little while she did her work. Sometimes if she had much space in her room, she would dance ballet, while staring at herself in her mirror and she endlessly smiled at herself. She couldn’t wait for the day she would dance on stage, without doubts, Jalilah was sure that would be the happiest day of her life. Even though she was only going to dance now, like normal dance even though Farha had told her times without number that she didn’t know how to dance as normal people do, all her moves were always related to ballet.

But she knew dancing was the only way she could ease off her muscles, and she began moving softly in the office, her eyes intently fixed on the way she was sure he would emerge from. She kept giggling to herself, dancing softly, moving with her body as if she had no bone in it. She could remember the way she thought Farha how to wine her waist, that day she laughed like no tomorrow. She didn’t know how she began wining her waist, maybe it was because she hadn’t done that for long.

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