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(B)

Yazeed looked at her for some minutes before he questioned, sometimes if she did something, she acted like the younger sister he had never gotten the chance to live with. And right now he wished he was her brother so he could smack her head so painfully that she would have to cry. “And if you know you can’t take the stairs, why did you follow me?”

With her eyes still fixed on the floor, she answered him. “I have a phobia for elevators, but whenever I ride it with you I feel safe, or Wafiyya, which I'm quite sure she was long in her office and it’s so rude to ask her to come down. I have no other choice but to follow you.” Her voice broke as she spoke because even if she wasn’t giving too much away, she only used the word ‘phobia’ to make it seem less painful than it is, she felt it within her heart.

He stared at her for minutes, trying to figure out what was going on with her. He didn't miss the hint of sadness in her voice while she spoke and he wondered, did this bubbly spirit ever felt what sadness was to look this solemn when she was confessing about a phobia she had? But what he didn’t understand was why him?

“And why me and Wafiyya you said?” He asked, and she sighed before she looked up at him.

“Because all the rest of them feel like strangers, I don’t know them, I don’t spend time with them. I have never shared a pleasantry with must of them. I feel like they’re going to hurt me. But I know you won’t hurt me, that’s why I feel safe with you.” Was this an emotional blackmail or what? Because she made him feel bad about making her take the staircases this much. Because if he had known this was the depth of it, he wouldn’t have acted that way. He knew pain so well to wish to add more of it to someone.

He ducked down and removed his shoes, she watched as he peeled his socks out and stood upholding them. “Wear this, you can’t be walking around with bare feet.” She was hesitant at collecting them, and when she did, her sad smile turned into a wide grin before she sat down on the stairs and put the socks on.

She pulled her legs forward and made some weird and funny moves with her feet that he had to smile because it was safe to do, she wasn’t looking at him. “Thank you so much for the socks, they look adorable.”

“If you’re done because I have some work to do in my office.” She jerked up and nodded her head before they silently kept walking. With each passing minute, he stared at her through his peripheral view as she lifted the ends of her abaya and stared at her feet with a wide grin. He didn’t know what she was happy for. Because he gave her socks or because she had something to put on her feet?

For a reason unknown to him, he felt happy and somewhat relieved, he had made someone happy and at least that was a good start of the day.

❤︎

She looked up from the screen of her MacBook and even though she wanted to speak to him about something, she had to look at him for some minutes. She still couldn't get over the warm feeling of his socks on her feet, and the way he looked at her when she told him she felt safe with him, which was true. Because it was rather weird if she was with Wafiyya, she felt that something might happen with them, but she would be able to take the risk, but if it was with him, she felt safe that she can even sleep if she could.

And right now, staring at him as he absentmindedly worked, she wished she can stare at him like this for all she wanted until her eyes turned sore, which she doubted if they ever would. Maybe he felt her gaze on him, or maybe he used to take stolen glances on her as she did on him? But she threw all thoughts away because the first thought was what with no doubt, Wafiyya would say. And the second, Farha would even scream it out.

She realized she had held his gaze and had fallen into her train of thoughts, and right now, he had one of his eyebrow lifted inquisitively and she felt embarrassed. She had to tell him what she initially wanted to before she got carried away with his handsomeness.

“I’m hooked here, I don’t know whether I was taught about it at school or I have forgotten. Will you please help me out?” She asked, and she watched the way he gave her the ‘Are you sure?’ Look, which she expertly fought with her confident stoic expression.

“Bring it here, let me see.” He said and began putting aside some of the files he had on his table.

She stood up and walked up to him with the system while he had fixed his eyes on her every move. As much as it felt uncomfortable for Jalilah, she loved it with everything in her soul. She placed down the laptop and by Allah when she leaned in to show him all that she wanted help on, she wished she could stay there forever. She had never been this close around him, and his scent had got to be the most amazing and mind-blowing scent she had ever known.

Focus, Jalilah. Understand first, fantasize about him later.

She kept saying this to herself, wishing she could do as she told herself too. But with each passing second, everything proved her wrong. She tried managing to focus on what he was showing her, to understand so she couldn't find another excuse to come this close to him next time, and she did.

“Are you sure you’re understanding what I was saying?” He asked, and she nodded her head at him.

“Yes, I do.”

“What did I say then?” Mr, are you a secondary school teacher? That’s the first thought that crossed her mind, but she restrained herself because she wasn’t in her right mind now. She was silent because she didn’t know what he said and didn't want to embarrass herself further.

“I knew you weren’t listening to me. What we're thinking of?” This was the right time to smack his nape, and if she did, he would have to duck down and place his face on his keyboard. What kind of question was that? She was thinking about him. How his scent was mind-blowing and it was a punishment being this close with him.

“I’m sorry, I don't even know what I was thinking of. Can you show it to me again? I promise I will understand and never disturb you again.” She was innocently fiddling with her fingers in such a way she knew even though Yazeed might appear as a hard guy, he could never ignore that.

“For the last time, and if you don’t understand it you have to go back to school because you can’t be a graduate without knowing this.”

She rolled her eyes at his head and whispered, “Rub it on my face that your father is the CEO and you’re the manager while I can't even solve this code.”

“Are you talking?” He looked up at her and she quickly masked up her annoyed expression with a smile and shook her head.

“No, I was just being thankful that you were able to help, I don't need to go back to school anymore, Boss.” This girl, he wished he can set her head straight. One minute she was a normal human and the next she was something else. He truly didn't know what was wrong with her.

When he was done, he asked her to explain it to him, and she did exactly lichee did to her, he was impressed. That’s one thing he liked about her, she was so smart and interring, jus that she was dangerously crazy.

Jalilah took her system back to the sofa and they began working in an eerily silence until it was time for Zuhr and she looked at him before he walked out without her knowing. “Are you coming back here immediately after prayers?”

“What’s the question for?” He asked Jalilah fiddled with her fingers to think of the right lie to tell him.

“I can't shut my laptop right now, and if you’re coming back immediately I can leave it here, I know it’s safe.” She said and touched the edge of her laptop.

“Oh, yeah.” He said and in the blink of an eye, Yazeed was out of the office. She ended up watching his walking body through the glasses and just smiling to herself.

She quickly pulled her phone out and texted Farha, because she knew she wasn’t in the right mind to have a phone call which she was sure if she did, Farha would make her even more anxious than she was.

‘Girl, do I have to do this? Should I abort the mission? I'm so nervous, Ya Allah.’

‘You can’t back out when it’s just a few minutes away. You have to do this, Jalilah. Make sure you don’t fail as well, fight as much as you can, and if you get hooked, imagine what I will do. Yes, I know I'm crazy but sometimes it will turn out well with a topping of craziness.’

‘Let’s give it a try, but so you know, I'm going to rip your heart open if something bad happens. You pushed me into doing this.’

‘Trust the Farha spirit, I assure you nothing will happen. Bye, gotta go.’

‘Farha spirit indeed, bye.’

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