Trackside Romance

FOURTEEN: Love's Grand Prix

"Alright enough, let's finish getting ready," I suggested.

My plan was a comfy kimono over classic blue straight leg jeans and a shirt. But now with this upgrade, I decided to pair it with the varsity jacket, and wore it over the outfit. 

My face free of any makeup, adorned only with kohl in my eyes and lip gloss. I elegantly rolled a black turban cap and slung my matching Burberry handbag over my shoulder before strolling out with the girls, each of us dressed almost identically.

As we entered the living room, Fareed, Khalil, and Ameer were engrossed in a conversation with Aunty Hafsa, and it seems they were having a great time. Azrah exclaimed and asked curiously, "What are we missing out on?" drawing everyone's attention toward us. Our eyes met, and I could sense Fareed ogling me appreciatively from head to toe. A satisfied smile played on his lips, and our gazes locked. He then cheekily winked at me with a grin. Trying to hide the blush, I pursed my lips, especially since Aunty Hafsa had her eyes on me. "Fareed, please don't embarrass me," I silently prayed.

Aunty Hafsa then called for me to join her on her sofa. "Come here, my baby Meenah. Fareed was just sharing the story of how his passion for racing began, and I must say your man right here is quite stubborn. The things he told me he did before his parents finally agreed for him to join the Riders Academy are no joke," she explained, and we all laughed, Fareed included.

"But Ummi, at least it was worth it, and now he keeps on making them and all of us proud," Maimoon chimed in.

"Yes, my dear. You know something? Nothing brings more joy to parents than witnessing their children soar to greater heights and achieve wonderful successes in life. May Allah continue to shower blessings on all of you," she prayed warmly. Then turning to me, she added, "Meenah, may your love with Fareed continue to bloom and may you both grow old together," she added and we all chorused an Ameen, with smiles on our faces

After few more minutes of conversation, we decided it was time to leave. Aunty Hafsa insisted that Fareed and I capture a photo with her before we leave, and we all agreed. As we stood up from the couch, Ameer graciously took the role of our photographer.

The three of us initially took our positions, with Aunty Hafsa in the middle and Fareed and me on either side as we posed for the photo. After that, Maimoon and Azrah insisted on joining, resulting in a group snapshot of all five of us. Azrah true to her nature, grabbed me and yanked me towards Fareed, practically shoving me into his side. Just as Ameer was about to capture the moment, Fareed leaned in, whispering very close to my ear, "You look very tempting."

My eyes widened in shock, and I couldn't help but turn slightly, giving him a playful glare, my cheeks resembling a ripe tomato.

"Meenah, focus and stop staring at Fareed; we know he's your man so don't worry in some few weeks you'll have him all to yourself," Azrah teased, making me glare at her. To my surprise, I realized that all eyes were on us, causing another wave of embarrassment. Gosh! Fareed is going to be the end of me.

I playfully rolled my eyes, and Fareed couldn't help but chuckle, though he suppressed it when I shot him another glare. After the photo session concluded, we finally exited the house and made our way to the parking lots where the guys' cars were parked.

*

"Fareed, let it go" I complained, trying persistently to connect my phone to his car stereo using the aux cord. However, he continued to disconnect it, preventing me from plugging it in.

"Meenah, I've told you no Hausa songs in my car. Since when did you even start listening to Hausa songs for goodness' sake?" he asked, rolling his eyes at me. One hand remained firmly on the steering wheel while the other hovered over the stereo, ready to intercept any attempts to connect my phone.