ABOVE & BEYOND : IF WE ARE MEANT TO BE

CHAPTER 12

DUAA

"Yea well, since you're here and it's break time...let's eat. Cause I'm starving and your food is smelling delicious."

He was about to touch my food. "Don't you dare touch my food with those nasty hands of yours without washing them." "if you forget to notice earlier I'm respectfully repeating again. Before I could take this any further you cockblocked me with your favour. But still...for your happiness I'm going to wash my hands." I gave him a fake smile and sat on the couch near his desk.

"God, it smells heavenly. What you got, brownie?" "see for yourself." His eyes were shining like a baby when he goes to the toy store. Who would think about the unholy deed he was doing minutes ago? "What is it called? Chicken wrap?" I looked at him unbelievably. "Oh my god don't tell me you never had this." "I mean..I wouldn't say never but I used to wrap tortillas with chicken and eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

I was judging him hard but didn't say anything because I knew anything I said right now would sound racist so I zipped my mouth and cut the chicken shawarma in half with the plastic knife.

He sat beside me as I gave him the other half. Saying bismillah I took my first bite of that heavenly food. Eryx was looking at me. "What did you just say? "Bismillah." "what's that? You always whisper these unknown words when we are together. Are you cursing at me in your language?" I almost burst into laughter.

"You say Bismillah before you are about to start something. It means in the name of Allah or God." "Bismala?" "Bismillah." "Bisamalah?" "God, no. Repeat after me. Bis.." "bis" "mil" "mil" "lah" "lah" "now all together. Bismillah." "Bismillah" I smiled brightly at him. "There you go, dumbo."

I was staring at him as he took the first bite. Boy..the expression he made! If I had just seen him now I wouldn't think he was tasting food. His head fell back slightly, eyes closed for a brief second, adam's apple bobbing. He made a sound that came from the deepest part of his throat and almost gave me goosebumps.

That's it..I was being too observant today!

"Brownie, that's awesome! That is the most delicious bite I've ever taken I guess." I just smiled at him while eating my own food. "You made it?" I shook my head. "Nah..my mom made it. She makes it at least once a week." "your mom still packs lunch for you?" "oh boy, if I said yes she would pack me a three course meal every single day because according to her I don't eat much." He didn't say anything for several seconds.

Oh oh..someone has got mommy issues I see. Observing his reaction I didn't push it further.

"Well..tell her your future boss said her hands created absolute magic." okay....he is back. Those five seconds felt like five minutes. I can hardly picture him being depressed or deep about something. No matter how much I said I hated his behaviour, I got used to it. Like in the process I've accepted his recklessness, careless, immature self.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yea sure, tell her that yourself." I spilled those words faster than flash.

Why Duaa? Just why?

"Did you just invite me to your home, brownie?" "You know, I didn't." "ah ah...don't you change the word that just came out of your mouth."  Gosh..I wanted to slap the playful smirk off his face. "I'm not changing anything." "come on now, brownie. Be a woman of your word." "k fine!" I replied, being annoyed, hoping he would forget this conversation within hours.

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Since I came this morning, Eryx is giving me...looks. As if he knows a secret about me. I was drinking my coffee happily while he was doing...basically nothing. He was playing with a rubix cube. So, I decided to ignore him. "By the way, after you finished drinking, grandpa called you in his office." "for what?" "that, you gotta ask for yourself, brownie." His answer almost annoyed me.

Knocking on the door I waited till I had the permission to enter Mr. Ainsworth's office. Somehow I have got the idea what he's gonna talk about. It was about the construction of the new headquarters, the one Mr. Green was presenting yesterday. Last time when there was something like that, me and my few other colleagues had to stay near the construction site for about a week, making sure everything was being done properly. That was the first time I have stayed away from my family after university.

"Eryx said you asked for me, sir?" "Yea I did. Come on, have a seat." I sat in front of him. "So you may know why I called you here" I nodded. "About the construction..?" He smiled at me like he was proud of me. "Yes. As you know this is gonna be one of our headquarters so your presence is needed for more than a week or two."

More than a week or two?

"For how long then?" "about 20 days." damnn. "But as you also know, last month we didn't get the contract from the foreign company as we were supposed to. So if there are more than a couple employees missing from the company for 20 days, it's gonna affect our annual profit."

God no..I can already sense where this is going.

"So you just want me and Eryx to go for this project?" "yes." I wanted to protest but I couldn't. I'm not just an employee here, I'm the manager. I can't view this situation from Duaa's perspective but from a manager's perspective.

But still thoooo...

"But I've good news." "what?" "This time you don't have to stay at a hotel. I have a penthouse near the construction site. So you and Eryx will stay there."

Under one roof? Just with Eryx? For 20 days? Oh..you gotta be shitting me!

"You can leave now. The details will be sent to you via email."

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Later that day I got an email with details. The address, photos, contracts ...everything. I could choose the transportation. A car or a private jet. And we had to leave on Sunday. I have four days in my hand.

ERYX

"When is your birthday?"

Brownie texted me at 11 pm on a Friday night. I was never much of a texter but whenever she texts I have this weird urge to keep texting.

"Why? You tryna buy me present, brownie?"

I answered with a flirtatious emoji. I can already picture her rolling my eyes.

"To book tickets u dumbo!"

Tickets? Ah..for Sunday.

"Since when do we need to book tickets for a private jet?"

Instead of answering she answered with a sticker.

"Anyway...you are forgetting something brownie.

"?"

"Your address. Remember I gotta have lunch at yours tomorrow."

I am 100% sure she thought I forgot but I didn't. Even I was shocked at myself. She didn't reply for two whole minutes and then her text popped up. It was her address.

"If I was you I wouldn't trust the address."

I laughed at the text.

"Guess I gotta figure that out myself. See u tomorrow brownie,"

"U better behave yourself tomorrow Eryx Ainsworth."

She replied back with an annoying sticker which made me laugh.

"What so funny, Ery?" I looked beside me. Sky was already done putting her clothes back on. "Nothing, just work..stuff."

It was..wasn't it?

"Stuff...stuff makes you happy now?" I pulled her wrist, making her fall back onto my lap. "You know what makes me happy, don't you?" I whispered against her lips. She smiled and pushed me. "See you tomorrow, Ery. Or maybe not." And she walked away.