BORNO EMIRATE COUNCIL.
"No welcome back kiss?" Sa'eed asked, keeping his briefcase on the sofa then move forward to where she is standing just a little before the dining room. He has been eager to come back home ever since he left, he can't remember the last time he felt the need to come back home leaving work pending.
His hands instantly envelope her in his arms, a wide smile stretching miles upon his face and his tired face visibly relax. She gave an uneasy smile because she is still trying to get used to this new Sa'eed and what happened earlier in the morning just started playing out in front of her again. The mere mention of his name sent her mind into the memory lane of their time together that morning, seeing him again and him asking about a welcome back kiss is taking her heart haywire. She gulped, the man will be the death of her and if he kisses her then, she sure will lie unconscious.
"We have a guest over, Mister." She tried, keyword, tried shrugging off his hands around her while looking at Shaheed from her peripheral vision as he let out a naughty confused smile his eyes shrinking with amusement at the change of show. She don't blame him, she herself is confused of her position in Sa'eed's life.
"Who is it?" He didn't turn around to see because he thought she was just making excuses to slip away from him again like always, he won't let her succeed this time around.
"Your brother. His chamber flooded and there are so many bugs there that he couldn't sleep yesterday. He will be here for a day or two." She made the gesture with her hand to where Shaheed is sitting on one of the white sofas and Sa'eed followed her line of vision then he palpably tensed in her arms. This is it, the time she has been waiting for since earlier.
"I'll be down soon after freshening up." And he took his briefcase then he is out of sight making Suhayr wonder if it will be easy to reunite them. He looks like he don't want to be in his brother's presence, like that is the last place he wants to be. If he keeps acting like this, she will go for the plan b, he won't like it at all.
"You see." Shaheed let out an uneasy breath knowing their plan and little lies might not take them anywhere and he is losing faith already in Suhayr's plans. Even though he desperately want to explain to his brother, he is also thinking about his little pride.
"He will come around, my plans never fail." She rolled her eyes and started reversing the lines she's made for Sa'eed to make him stay with them for the time being. If everything goes as she planned today, then everything will be perfect between the brothers before they know it. And she will have to add this to her small list of good deeds.
Shortly after that, Sa'eed walked down the stairs looking exceptionally handsome in a snow white woolen knitted sweater that looks an inch or two bigger than him but that is what makes him look more hot and cute at the same time. He is wearing onyx sweatpants, his hands tucked inside then another pair of new flip-flops since she is wearing the one he kept in their room, he probably noticed that she stole it now. When he reached where she is, he gave her sexy grin which his brother can't see but it stopped her heart for a second there.
He definitely visited that magician stroke sorceress.
"Take a picture, it lasts longer." And she removed her phone to take the photo only for him to laugh and shake his head. His wife never fail to amaze him, he was merely joking but she did it anyways.
"Perfect, I can use this as the cover for my next YouTube video." She beamed, showing him the perfect portrait of himself and he won't lie, he looks good cause she took a very nice view of their staircase behind and the chandeliers shown on his face. He won't mind being her cover, that will definitely help gain more subscribers, not in a narcissistic way.
"My face? No please, I'm more expensive than that." He commented while pulling a look of grimace, a ghost smile tilting the sides of his lips which she didn't miss.
"Oh, that is not what you should be worried about. So, Tasneem gave me an advice and I'm going to use it. You and my brother in-law there are going to cook for me since I clearly won't be able to and I'm famished. The caption will be, An Evening with my Husband and Brother In-law. What do you think? It'll get so many views for me right?" She beamed and he started suspecting that she knows something about their relationship and is hellbent on organizing it. He could easily tell her to back off and think not of orchestrating their relationship but he don't want her to be more curious.
"I also can't cook as I'm starving." He excused while making his way to the dining room behind her not knowing that she's asked the maids to go to their quarters and she'd call them if she needs anything, no one made dinner.
"Well, I'm sorry to say because the maids were looking so tired and I gave them another day off. You are going to have to cook for yourself and I heard that Shaheed is also a great cook so he can help us. C'mon, don't you want me to win the challenge again?" She pull up her puppy dog eyes, her bubblegum lips yawing into a pout he can't resist.
"Just pasta!" He scowled not liking how weak he is becoming for the wee woman in front of him. She is never one to act all cute and when she does, it always gets to him in ways she can't imagine. He didn't know face expressions could get him to his knees, really.
"I could just give you a smacking kiss but that'd be inappropriate." She made a pft face but he acutely draw her to his chest in this strong powerful way that weakened her knees, her phone almost fell off her hands.
"Not inappropriate at all." And with that, he smacked their lips together in a sounding kiss which revolt and swerve into a passionate one. Her phone fell on the island with a simple clack, her hands hastily grab onto his soft woolen sweater to stand on her knees. She didn't know Sa'eed could make her this weak with just a kiss, she don't want to find out what he can do if it's taken further. This is enough to put her mind in a whirlwind, no more.
She smelled his musk cologne that is mixed with her sandalwood soap which he no doubt use to take his baths now. The smell of his expensive cologne merged together giving this highly stimulating smell that left her wanting more. Her fisted hands on his shoulder buckled more of the clothing there, her body gave this corresponding exchange by aligning her body into his. She don't know what is wrong with her with wanting Sa'eed like oxygen all of a sudden. She just wants to be around him, with him, by him, she wants him all. He is making her feel so many things that should be forbidden from existing.
"Your brother might come in." She whispered against his lips after a few minutes into their kiss with her not granting him entrance. If she does that, she won't promise not to drag him to their room and do naughty things she started thinking about only when she is with her naughty husband.
"His problem, not mine." He nipped on her neck where he gave her a hickey earlier in the morning and she whined. She don't even know whether it is due to the pain his teeth caused of the pleasure his hot tongue gave.
"Start cooking, I'm hungry." She moved away from him with shaky hands, she wants to grab him back to her and kiss him senseless but she can't, won't. She needs to make sure her stupid female hormones are in check before she does something in the presence of her brother in-law. She understand why newly married couples like being alone during those first stages of honeymoon, they get carried away.
"As you wish!" His voice was husky, hoarse and harsh rasped out like bunch of velvet relishing onto it's uniqueness.
"Shaheed, come in and show me your magic!" She called out to the living room after rearranging her crinkled veil, shirt and pants. She even went as far to clear her throat knowing her voice might also be throaty unlike Sa'eed's, it sounds sexy.
"Yes, Ma'am." Shaheed showed up at the door and since he don't look bad, she turn on her camera and face it at herself so she could talk first before keeping the phone for them.
"Have you read the caption yet? Yes, an evening with my husband and brother in-law, but do you know what they will be doing for me? Hmm, they are going to cook for poor me as I'm starving and I only want to eat what they cook. So let's watch how my handsome men rock over aprons and chef's hat, fun huh?" She then off the camera to see what the men are doing and she wasn't disappointed in the least.
Shaheed is trying to communicate with Sa'eed while the latter is trying to act all tough by giving monotone answers but Shaheed didn't give up. He kept asking which seasoning they will need and after a while, Sa'eed gave up and relax his shoulders to work with his brother. Her camera is now on and from what she has planned, Sa'eed is getting more and more comfortable with his little brother and sometimes even slip up to talk about their past or hit Shaheed at the back of his head for a mistake then he will refrain at the last minute. It is actually fun looking at him like that, she giggled a few times.
She turn off the camera of her phone again and glare like a mother at Sa'eed whose back is facing her but she called out to him, "Why do you look so tensed? I don't want people to think I'm holding you guys at a gun point to work together. Now, don't ruin my work and do everything simultaneously. You are brothers for God's sake." Both the brothers are now looking at her with different emotions marring their faces and eyes.
Sa'eed's eyes are filled with suspiciousness but she won't let him win while Shaheed's held gratefulness.
"What is my reward?" Sa'eed questioned, taking the chilly pepper from one of the spices sets and if a knife would be placed across her neck, she won't know what that red thing is. She can guess it is pepper from the colour, not knowledge.
"I will call you Tater Tot from today henceforth." She bargained and then turn on her camera after warning him so he won't say anything pervert-y to the camera cause she won't ask Tasneem to cut it. If they cut it, it shall be shorter than all the other videos.
"No, I want something more." The guy is shamelessly flirting with her in front of his younger brother who is trying to keep his questions down his throat and not ruin the couple's moment together when it just started blooming. She could see the question in his eyes and gestures.
"He wants me to give him something or he won't cook for me, isn't that unjust?" She speak to the camera then angled it back to the two brothers, Sa'eed didn't say anything afterwards and she did all the talking.
"And the smoked chicken pasta is ready!" Both Shaheed and Sa'eed turn around simultaneously to tell her that and she yelped in happiness because she would've cried, literally if she hasn't captured that moment in her phone. They are too cute in that apron and chef's hat, they took her heart away.
"It looks amazing, doesn't it?" She positioned her camera to the huge casserole filled with roasted chicken past, she don't even know where the roasted chicken came from but she can clearly see it swimming inside the pasta. She gulped, Shaheed is really doing it well and with her hungry stomach, she could give him a hug.
They all served themselves and sat down to eat on the dining table while Suhayr kept her phone aside to fill her empty tummy. She moaned with each spoon and later on decided to move to her plan b after signaling Shaheed to be ready with her foot. There is a code language they made for each other when they should talk or when they should abort the mission. All they want Sa'eed to hear is his side of story and everything will be up to him to decide if he still wants to give his little brother a chance or not. Suhayr will make sure he does though, she hates when families fall apart for no reason. She also don't want to give Najaah the satisfaction of ruining perfect lives.
"Shaheed, can you remember that movie we watched earlier? The one where a wife betrayed her husband with his uh-" She trailed off because she wanted to say brother but with the way her brother in-law widened his eyed, she knew her words were going the wrong way so she trailed off and put a forkful of past a in her mouth so as to not look suspicious.
"His best friend." He corrected, giving her a small smile that says, we can't mess this up after coming this long so she nodded discretely and talk again.
"Yes, his best friend. I feel like he should've listened to their sides of story. The guy was clearly the victim but with the lack of trust from his best friend, it shattered him whole. I can be pretty judgemental but when it comes to such matters, I use my senses." She reviewed, her fork twirling some more pasta around so Sa'eed won't see right through their game. He is intelligent, he is going to understand where they are going.
She turn her head to look around but she only wants to see Sa'eed's reaction, he is now tensed and his fork is getting throttled, poor thing. This is the only way she can come up with the plan to get him to think straight, the guy is too dumb for a business man. When she met him, she thought there is nothing he doesn't know about life but after hearing Shaheed's story about their past, she is not sure anymore. The brilliance and intelligence just flew out the window when emotions got meddled.
"I know someone who does not listen to explanations too and judge into it right away. I learn to live with my truth inside of me." Shaheed shrugged, saying the exact line they rehearsed before Sa'eed's arrival earlier into the evening.
"Really? That's really sad for that person won't ever find the closure he or she is looking for and sometimes, we need that closure to move on. Or we'd keep thinking about it for the rest of our lives while thinning for not reason." She made a sad face, feeling that Sa'eed is close to snapping at both her and Shaheed and damn did he.
"What are you both implying? Is there something I should know going on between you two?" He questioned, his hands folded underneath his chiselled jaw encased in well trimmed hair.
There is accusation, impeachment and censure enclosing his eyes and that hurt her more than it should. It's not like they have any perfect relationship between them but the way his eyes are impeaching hers with shelved distrust made her heart jolt. There is nothing she has ever done that could rule over his trust but that doesn't mean it hurts any less, it hurts a lot. And there is also no reason for him to trust her like that, she is not with him for his love or who he is, she is there for his money so they shouldn't be any trust between them. With that thought, she plastered a smile and say.
"I feel like your brother here has something to say to you." She pointed at Shaheed while looking at Sa'eed dead in the eyes. She only hope her eyes are not conveying the message of her once absent heart. How much his lack of trust in her hurts.
"I don't want to listen to any rubbish and you should not ever bring me into your conversations." He made a move to stand up after saying that but Suhayr won't give up after wasting her whole afternoon coming up with such not so great plan. He can't just ruin her mission like that, she never loses and this shan't start it.
"You will have to listen to him." Her words were silent as she stand in front of him after forcing him back to the chair. There was this control and dictation that is making him succumb to her words. His limbs lagged on the chair while his eyes snared hers and the emotions inside hers could rule over anyone. He can't pinpoint them but there is just something inside that won't let him leave.
"Why do you think I will?" He asked after awhile, he can't help when his voice drop down an octave.
"Because you need the closure to move on and further in your life. You know I don't do things like this but I am doing it for you guys which says a lot. I will leave you two now, sort this out before I come back." Her eyes are venturesome and audacious, daring him to say otherwise and when he didn't, she made her way to the kitchen to make fruit salad, something she knows how to do.
They should solve their problem.