LUCENT

16

NADIRA

I twirled in front of the mirror, admiring my outfit. Today was Friday and Tayyib's last day here, so we were going out for dinner. The last time I saw him was last weekend as he was busy with work and I with school.

He informed me he would pick me up at seven after closing the deal he's been working on. I had joked that the contract must be worth a million dollars, considering the amount of stress he had been under, to which he responded that it was worth 700 times more than the aforementioned amount.

I ran my hands down the Mach & Mach bow-crystal embellished black dress that stopped mid-thigh. I paired it with the Mach & Mach double bow-crystal embellished heels. The two items were meant to be worn together.

For jewellery, I opted for simple diamond studs, two Cartier bracelets on my right wrist and the rings I wore daily. My hair was pulled into a low, sleek bun, and my makeup was light and clean.

I threw my trench coat on and grabbed my phone and silver clutch before running downstairs.

"Where are you going like that in mid-December?" Mrs Miller asks, putting her knitting aside and walking over.

I laugh and spin around to show off the outfit. "On a date," I respond.

"Be happy he has a car. You'd get frostbite before reaching the restaurant if you were walking," she says, shaking her head.

I giggle at her comment.

"So? Do I look good?"

She rolls her eyes and smiles. "Stunning," she answers.

I give her a brief hug just as the bell rings. I squeal and rush towards the door. "I'll see you later, Mrs Miller," I call out as I unlock the door.

"I'm going down to the laundry room," she replies.

I catch her response as I pull the door open to reveal Tayyib. My breath hitched as I took in his appearance. He was dressed in a navy suit that most likely cost thousands, a long coat and loafers. He was turning my legs to goo.

God, I loved a good-looking man in a well-fitting suit.

"You look like someone who just closed a multimillion-dollar deal," I say with a cheesy grin.

He did not smile or compliment me; he just narrowed his eyes. I followed his eyes as they raked over my top half and then my bare legs. His expression turned sour as he did so.

Did I not look good? Does he hate the outfit? Why was he looking at me like that?

"What?" I ask innocently, looking down at my dress. "Is there some dress code at the restaurant? If so, you should have told me earlier."

He stares for a few seconds more before finally speaking. "You're not going anywhere like that," he says, and my mouth hangs open.

"Why? I thought I looked good. Do you not think so?" I ask.

He sucks in a breath. "You look beautiful. But you're not leaving the house like that," he responds. He climbs the stairs, pushes the door open and pulls me into the house.