[D]
“What do you know? Just say it out and I'll clarify on it if it needs one.”
“I saw Jalilah in the elevator, she seemed so scared like she wanted to cry. And as much as she tried controlling herself, her body kept shaking. Did I think maybe something happened? Or you two are fine?” That was a huge blow, he knew she wasn't like that because of what he had done to her, but he knew she was that way because she was in the elevator, or so she thought.
“Nothing happened, I think she wasn’t feeling okay.”
Sulaiman shook his head, “Tell me the truth, Yazeed.”
“Okay, she has a phobia for elevators, she didn’t tell me the reason though. So that’s what happened.”
“But you always ride with her, why did you let her be this time?” He asked, and Yazeed wished he could run away from this question.
“You know how I act sometimes, I think I got her angry and she left without waiting for me.” Sulaiman was about to rain another question on him when he quickly shook his head and whispered, “Sulaiman, please.”
He lifted his hands in surrender and smiled, “I won’t say another word, whenever you feel like talking about it, know that I'll always be here.”
They walked to the mosque in utter silence and after they were done praying, Sulaiman begged him that they should go to his house and have their lunch, but he declined. He hadn’t told him the reason was sole that Jalilah had cooked for them and there was no way he could not eat it, especially today that he was sure she was angry at him.
He walked back to his office and met her there, she was scrolling through her phone. With just a single glance at him, Jalilah didn’t even smile as she used to and when she looked at the sofa opposite hers, he knew what she meant. He needn’t be told to find himself a seat, but really, how she was sulking was rather funny to him.
He sat down and without a word, Jalilah served him, placed the plate in front of him and she went back to her phone. Okay, maybe he had never seen this part of her, the sulky and angry part of Jalilah that didn't smile nor speak. “Why are you not eating?” He asked, and she looked at him for a brisk moment before she shook her head.
“I’m full. You can eat so we can get back to work.” That was straight, and he understood sarcasm when he heard one.
Minutes had passed and he realized he wouldn’t be able to eat while she sat opposite him, angry and aggressively scrolling through her phone. “Why didn’t you wait for me to take the elevator?”
“Because I can survive on my own, sorry for my choice of words.”
He stared at her longer than usual before he nodded his head and got back to his plate, it wasn’t unto a minute before he looked up at her again. He had never known he could be this restless when she acted this way. “Why are you sulking your face then?”
She looked at him then back to her phone before she shook her head, yet again. “I’m not sulking my face, I act this way to at times.”
He placed the plate down and stared at her, “You aren’t like this, is it because of what I said?” As much as he didn’t want to bring that up and act like it had never happened nor did it bother him, he couldn’t.
She looked at him, pouted her lips before she looked away. “No.” There were more words to this no, they both knew.
His Adam’s apple bubbled up and down before he found it in him to say the words out, “Okay, I'm sorry. I just wanted to burst your bubbles, but you look so beautiful in it. That’s it, what you wanted to hear, right?” The moment the edges of her lips began to stretch into a beautiful smile, he knew it was worth it.
She turned to face him completely, for a moment she masked up her smile but when she opened her lips to speak to him, it came back. “Say that again.”
He looked amused, and today, Yazeed didn’t try to mask up to his smile. “Say what again?” Even though he knew it would be one of her craziness, but he was ready to take up the risk.
“Say that you’re sorry and I look so beautiful in it.” She grinned, and he had no choice but to chuckle at how excited she seemed. Maybe not telling her that when she wanted to hear it was worth it.
“Why would I? I've just said that barely a minute ago.”
“Please...” She drawled and gave him the puppy face.
Yazeed nodded his head and spoke again, “Okay, I said I'm sorry and you look so beautiful in it, wear it often.”
Wear them often. Jalilah didn’t know when she sat upright and squealed before she palmed her lips and laughed, “I’m sorry, thank you for the compliment.” Her eyes wandered back at his abandoned plate, she wanted to get a distraction away from his eyes, they were so fiery.
“You should eat before it gets cold, I think I'll bring my microwave here so we can be warming the food, what do you think?”
“I have one I don't use, I'll bring it.” She nodded her head with a smile and went back to her phone. “Won’t you eat? Or do you want me to apologize to you for not taking the elevator with you?”
She grinned like a teenager and nodded her head shamelessly, “Yes, please.”
He chuckled and shook his head, “Okay, I'm sorry. Will you please eat your food?”
“I think I should have recorded this whole conversation!” She giggled and he chuckled at how excited she seemed.
But it looks like the girl likes you. He was beginning to see Sulaiman’s word every action of hers. But he didn't want it to extend to something, he had to stop it, stop them. She brought out another plate from the basket but he shook his head and positioned his plate in the centre.
“This is too much for me, let’s eat.” By Allah, he didn’t know he had said that until he did and when he saw the expression on her face, he knew that he was only making it worse.
She took her spoon and reluctantly scooped the food, “Are you sure about this? I mean, we eat together?”
“Serve yourself if you’re in doubt,” he said and tried pulling the plate back to himself when she quickly shook her head.
“No, come on! I'd love to. But make sure you aren’t someone in the body of my boss because my boss isn’t this nice.” When she looked into his eyes and saw the look he was flashing her she giggled and apologized, “I’m sorry, Boss. I think you’re the nicest person I've ever met.” They both tasted the sarcasm dripping from her words.