Twice Upon Qadr - A Shot At Love **EDITING**

Chapter 51

SIX MONTHS LATER

She stared at her computer screen, her eyes glued to Houssam as he dashed up the court, the ball in his hands. She was watching the ending of the championship game, and suddenly she felt like she was back in her car all those months ago, gripping the steering wheel and praying that he would make the shot. As he got closer to the basket, she began to murmur 'Bismillah' under her breath in a steady rhythm, and just as his feet left the floor and he released the ball, she held her breath letting it out with a large smile as it sunk into the basket, causing the fans to go wild, and Housasm's teammates to all rush at him and jump on him. She watched for a few more seconds, taking in his beaming face, until suddenly he made eye contact with the camera, and all at once it felt like he was looking at her, and she quickly turned off the monitor as a tap on her office door startled her already racing heart.

"Come in."

Eileen's face peered around the corner, and as she pushed a clump of her long blonde hair out of her face, she gave Hana a smile.

"Hannah? Can you come check out these pictures I printed?"

Hana pushed away from her desk, stepped into her heels that she only wore when she needed to, she usually went barefoot around the office, but today the boss was in, and followed Eileen back towards her desk.

"Mark? Mark where are those articles I asked you to proof on – oh Eileen those pictures came out wonderfully! Can I see this one with a darker undertone? Mark, where are those articles!? Excuse me Eileen I'll be right back."

As Hana strode up the hallway towards where her junior editor, Mark Phillips's office was, he rolled away from his desk and gave her a sheepish grin.

"I'm almost done. Give me until five and they will be on your desk!"

She gave him a severe look, the corners of her lips twitching in amusement.

"Three o'clock!"

"Four forty five!"

"Four fifteen and I don't fire you?"

"Deal!" Mark exclaimed, and Hana grinned.

"What are you doing anyways?"

His eyes lit up.

"I was watching the championship game between the Knicks and the Rockets! Man was it intense to have Shaykh and Freddy playing against each other!"

"Who won?" she asked despite knowing the answer because she didn't want to bring focus to the fact that she used to be Houssam's...well whatever she was to him. Not many people had found out about what had been printed about them before, and she was hoping they never did.

"Shaykh of course! He's like a firecracker! I'm telling you that man is amazing! I wonder if he is as cool off the court as he is on!"

"He is." Hana answered without thinking, and Mark's eyes got huge.

"YOU know Houssam Shaykh!? Seriously?! Han we've been working together six months and you never said anything!?"

"Get to work." She said severely before going back over to Eileen's desk.

"Sorry I got distracted, but these photos are unbelievable! How did you get such a great angle!?" she exclaimed arranging the pictures so they were spread out over the desk, and Eileen beamed.

"I used your telephoto lens!"

Hana managed a smile though all of her insides were constricting. It had been six months since she had last heard from Houssam and it still hurt her deeply. She had been following his career on the Knicks, he was doing amazing, no surprise there. Yet every time she saw his face, it was like she was reopening her wounds, so she simply didn't think about him.