Architect and Mrs Dantata (Preview Only)

06: ZAYD

I don't think there's a word in the English dictionary that'll do justice to the woman in front of me.

Pretty? It doesn't seem enough. Beautiful? I think it can be more. Ethereal? Maybe. That should be the best. When I'm out of this hall, hopefully in one piece, I'll try to find the right word. She can't be real. Someone this beautiful shouldn't be real.

I can't help but wonder if I'm the only one who feels like the world has stopped. I know for a fact that mine has. She holds my gaze, her smile gone and it's unfair how even with some sort of stunned expression, she still looks so good.

Does she know me? Has she heard of me? She does look familiar but I don't think I can pinpoint where I've seen her before. Did I run into her once? Abuja is a small place. Does she even live here? Why is she still looking at me like that? Is it because I'm not smiling? She doesn't think I'm haughty, right?

I smile slowly as the world comes back into focus. The music reaches my ears again, mixed with the laughter and chatter of the guests surrounding us. Halima is talking and I have to make an effort to focus. I realize then that she's introducing us.

"Amal, this is Idris's fourth cousin, Zayd Sa'ed Dantata."

Amal. Her name is Amal. I don't know what I was expecting but Amal takes me by surprise. It fits her perfectly. I can't picture her with any other name. If I have indeed met her before, why doesn't her name ring a bell? Is she one of those I've come across without actually getting to know who she was?

"Zayd, this is my family friend turned cousin, Amal Muhammad."

Amal Muhammad. It still doesn't ring a bell. I watch as she takes in everything that has been said and I know she realizes who I am when her eyes widen and she snaps her head in my direction, surprise and another emotion I can't decipher etched on her face. It's really not fair. Someone can't look this good no matter the expression on her face.

Idris chuckles beside me. "Halima, I told you Amal can be really dramatic when she wants to be. This beats the video calls we had with her."

Halima laughs. "Tell me about it." She pats Amal's arm. "Amal, snap out of the –"

Amal lets out a loud gasp. "Zayd Dantata?" Her eyes are even wider. "The Zayd Dantata?!"

I let out a nervous chuckle, unable to stop myself. Why am I tongue tied? This hasn't happened before.

She looks between Idris and Halima. "Zayd Sa'ed Dantata, as in the founder and president of Architected by Zayd Dantata?!"

So much for thinking she didn't know who I was. When both Idris and Halima nod, she turns back to me and I have never seen someone blink so much in one minute. She quickly regains composure and the smile she offers is like a soft blow to my chest. It's hard to breathe freely with that smile. This is crazy.

"Hi." She says it breathlessly. Her laugh is light as she waves a hand. "Please ignore what just happened. I'm not usually like that. I was just taken by surprise."

I finally find my voice. "I can understand. I felt the same way, trust me."

She narrows her eyes, sceptical. "I am not a popular person though. How did I take you by surprise?"

I have no response for her and it's scary. When was the last time I was left speechless by a woman that isn't my mother, an aunt, a cousin or my sisters? Idris steps in, thankfully.

"He wasn't expecting me to really introduce him to anyone." He pats my back. "And well, he isn't used to the attention. Yet."

Amal is surprised. "Are you serious? You've had the company for about two years now. I hear about you all the way in Stanford. Surely you should have gotten used to it a little bit."