Chapter 16
It was official. Gabriel was losing his mind and he honestly didn't know if he cared anymore at this point. Here he was with a ton of paperwork on his desk, and he kept getting distracted by Aisha.
Of all the things or people that should cause his mind to wander, he thought irritably.
She wasn't even doing anything remotely interesting, and yet, he found his eyes straying towards her. With a frustrated sigh, Gabriel ran a hand through his hair, before deciding to rest his head a bit on his desk. Maybe, if he didn't see her, he wouldn't get distracted by her?
But that thought only seemed to last a few seconds, before thoughts of Aisha's smile or laughter began to circle his mind.
He stopped the impulse to bang his head against the desk. His inability to focus in the office was something he had been dealing with for about a week and a half. He didn't know when or how it had even started, but the more he talked with Aisha, joked with her, and treated her nicely, the more she began to consume his mind.
"This is just fantastic," growled Gabriel in frustration.
"What is?" asked Aisha curiously as she came into his office. She had in her hand some papers that needed his signature. Her black flats not making any noise of warning.
Why couldn't she wear heels for once? He thought to himself.
Gabriel sat up straight the minute he heard her voice. Desperately trying to fight back a wide smile. He wasn't just losing his mind he thought, he was going crazy.
Because, Gabriel didn't smile. In fact, he had to force that particular facial expression on his face, and now, here he was fighting it.
"Ya, big bro, share the fantastic news," said the breezy voice of Sebastian. Gabriel didn't have to fight the smile any longer, his face naturally taking on it's bored/annoyed expression.
Maybe he should have his younger brother in his office so he can focus.
"Do you need my signature?" he asked Aisha, deciding it was best to ignore Sebastian.
"Ya, I need to fax these over to Yunus," she said, placing the papers on his desk.
He watched as her hands naturally tried to tidy up the messy papers on his desk. He had found out quite early on that she had a slight obsession with keeping things neat, not that he minded, he found her habit endearing and cute.
Gabriel froze.
Cute? Where did that come from? What was happening to him? And that hadn't been his original thought about her "neatness" habit. In fact, making things messy was one of the ways he used to annoy her.
"Gabriel? would you like another cup of coffee?" asked Aisha cautiously, her voice dripping with a bit of concern.
"Huh..no. Why?" he asked looking up to meet her eyes, which was a mistake because now he couldn't bring himself to look away.
"You look a little out of it..." Aisha said gently as if unsure of how he would react.
"Ya...I think I need some fresh air," replied Gabriel, closing his eyes and rubbing his face.
"Is that really what you need?" came the probing voice of Sebastian near his ear.
Gabriel opened his eyes to look at his younger brother. When had moved next to him?
"Is there something you need?" asked Gabriel with a frown, quickly signing the papers and then standing up to go.
"Oh no, not me. But, our beautiful Aisha had a request for the both of us," smirked Sebastian putting emphasis on the word beautiful, as if sensing what was making his brother act abnormally.
Gabriel took a steadying breath and looked at Aisha. Waiting for her to speak. Aisha threw a glare at Sebastian, before glancing at Gabriel hesitating a bit.
"I can wait if you need to go. It's not really important," she said waving her hand and forcing an awkward smile.
Gabriel raised an eyebrow.
"It's alright. I'm in no rush," he said gently waiting.
"Ya...we can all see that," muttered Sebastian under his breath.
"Do you have something to say?" asked Gabriel glancing at his brother with crossed arms.
Sebastian dramatically threw his arms in the air.
"I have already told you, she wants to ask you something, my goodness. Now come on Aisha, whats with the nerves? I'm sure Gabriel will be more than happy to fulfill your request. After all, you two have been such great buddies these past few days," said Sebastian walking across the gray carpeted floor and towards the door as he spoke, as if sensing danger.
Both Gabriel and Aisha were now glaring at him. He only smirked waiting for Aisha to speak.
"Just ignore him. It's the most effective way to shut him up. Now, what can I help you with?" asked Gabriel looking at Aisha sincerely.
Aisha sighed heavily as if dreading the very idea of asking. She fidgeted with her dark green hijab and white blouse for a few seconds. Gabriel watched with a smile enjoying her small discomfort.
"Um...so Ramadan is coming to an end and my families masjid is hosting an Eid party, open to all, and Misky asked me to ask you... " she broke off, her eyes peeking at him. But he just nodded for her to continue.
"if you and your family would like to come? I already asked Sebastian, but he said I had to make "these" kind of requests from you," said Aisha rolling her eyes and using air quotes.
The gesture and mannerism were so natural that Gabriel found himself chuckling at her clear annoyance at his brother. He leaned back on his mahogany desk and smiled.
"My family would be honored to come and join you all," said Gabriel.
"Oh, ok... Sounds good In sha Allah....um... the event is this coming weekend, I'll send you the address," said Aisha with a bemused smile.
"You sound surprised that I agreed," said Gabriel crossing his arms a corner of his mouth twitching with a smirk.
"No..no, not surprised...um..I just wasn't expecting it...you know with your schedule being full and all," explained Aisha, looking anywhere but him.
"Sure..." drawled Gabriel with a grin, causing Aisha to look at him and grin as well.
"Ok fine, yes, I'm surprised, you know this being a Muslim event and all," replied Aisha with a shrug and an emphasis on the word Muslim.
"Oh, I see...but, you and I know that I have no issues with the religion...it's," said Gabriel breaking off and giving her a knowing look.
"The women," they said in unison, laughter spilling from their lips.
"Funny how about two weeks ago you both wanted to kill each other," said Sebastian reminding them he was still there, he had such an innocent look on his face, the other two abruptly stopped laughing.
"Did something happen that I don't know about?" he asked his eyes sparkling with interest.
"You know the gossip isn't for just me...mom, grandma and Lulu are also interested...so don't hold back," he winked taking a cautious step closer to them.
Gabriel shook his head and grabbed his jacket.
"I'll be off... if either of you needs me just give me a call, " he said a small smile on his face still as he nodded at Aisha and walked out of the office.
Aisha had a smile of her own as she grabbed the papers and walked back to her desk.
"Sooooooooo," began Sebastian taking a seat in front of Aisha's desk.
Aisha glanced at him, as she began to fax the papers.
"What is it Seb?" she asked, one sharp eyebrow raised in question.
"So, you and Gabriel...you guys are...friends," he said leaning back in his seat with a smile.
"You're incorrigible," sighed Aisha heavily.
Sebastian just smirked and waited for her to say something.
"I guess you can say he and I put our differences aside...I wouldn't call us friends, but we are getting along," replied Aisha glancing at Sebastian and then turning to the computer to send a few emails.
"You're getting along alright...see... I told you my brother isn't all bad," said Sebastian.
"Which doesn't excuse what he was doing before. But, I think he is trying to mend his ways, and I for one, will not stand in the way of someone reforming himself," replied Aisha with a shrug.
"Maybe, but my brother always has a reason for doing things...even if he himself doesn't realize it," smiled Sebastian as if he knew a deep secret.
"Are you going to elaborate?" asked Aisha with a huff.
"Nope. I'll sit back and watch," chuckled Sebastian.
Aisha shook her head and went back to her email.
"How is your friend Jasmine," asked Sebastian fixing his shirt and trying to appear uninterested.
"Good, why do you ask?" asked Aisha a smile on her face as she leaned back in her chair this time to observe Sebastian.
"I was just wondering...she seems to not like me much," said Sebastian in a small voice tugging on one of his blond locks.
"No, she doesn't," replied Aisha honestly, the smile dropping from her face.
"I figured. Which is weird...I'm usually good with the ladies," he sighed, leaning his head back on the seat.
"A specific type..." replied Aisha, with a raised eyebrow.
"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Sebastian in a defensive tone.
"You do know I'm the one that talks to hotel management when they want to report on your nightly activities to your brother, right?" asked Aisha making her voice a bit gentle.
"So I like to have fun...big deal," replied Sebastian in a grumpy voice.
"Look, I'm not trying to judge you...I'm just being honest with you. There is nothing wrong with having fun...as long as it doesn't hurt others," replied Aisha.
"Hurt? how am I hurting others? These are consenting women, forgive me Aisha, but everyone should take care of themselves, love and relationships are not fairy tales," he replied in a hard tone, his voice sounding like Gabriel.
Aisha sighed holding up her hands as if to say she wasn't trying to start a fight. She wasn't someone that liked to instigate fights. She really wanted to help Sebastian understand a few things if he ever wanted to be in the lives of his "future" children. Because even though Jasmine was not planning on involving Sebastian. Aisha still felt it was important that he knew about their existence. It wasn't fair to make a choice for someone, not when it involved young children.
"Believe me, I know that relationships are not fairytales. I'm not a naive little girl, I know what relationships are, believe it or not," replied Aisha in a calm tone trying to cool his anger.
While she knew Gabriel's anger and had the ability to deal with it. She didn't know what kind of a person Sebastian became when angry. He was always in such a good mood, that seeing the coldness sitting stiffly on his limbs was a little intimidating.
"Really?" asked Sebastian, the anger ebbing away a bit.
Aisha shrugged her shoulders.
"You may not have my views when it comes to relationships. But, I'm not some bright-eyed idiot that thinks marriage or relationships are all rainbows and unicorns," replied Aisah dryly.
That statement seemed to draw a small smile from Sebastian.
"Relationships take time and work, its all about giving and taking. It's about keeping a balance and always communicating with your partner. My parents loved each other. It was clear in how they talked, laughed, joked and even fought. Some of their fights were intense, but they always resolved their differences. I can't remember a night my parents went to bed angry at each other. They used to make sure my siblings and I talked out our frustrations," here a small smirk formed on Aisha's lips.
"We weren't allowed to go to sleep angry. One time I was furious at Shamsa, my older sister, she had borrowed one of my dresses and accidentally spilled nail polish on the sleeve. Both my parents stayed up with us the whole night, even though we had school the next day. It wasn't until early in the morning that I decided to forgive my sister, by then, I was too tired to hang onto my anger," chuckled Aisha her eyes taking on a distant look.
"Your quite the grudge holder," chuckled Sebastian his shoulders finally relaxing.
"A small flaw in my character," smirked Aisha.
Sebastian finally sighed letting out a deep heavy breath and ran a hand over his face.
"I'm not like you Aisha, or even like my brother. My mom tried her best to give us a loving home...Gabriel's grandparents took us in and took care of us like their own. They showered more love on me and Lulu then even Gabriel who was theirs by blood. We share the same mom, but I don't know if you know, Lulu and I have a different dad than Gabriel," said Sebastian giving Aisha a glance.
Aisha nodded her head, Lucy had mentioned her and Sebastian having a different dad than Gabriel.
"And I'm sure you might have guessed from my mom's heart-wrenching episode a week ago that he hadn't been a great man," said Sebastian his eyes fixed on a spot on the wall above Aisha's head.
Aisha didn't say anything. Though she had guessed as much, why else had Justine tried to gain sole custody of her children? But she didn't say anything and instead waited for Sebastian to go on.
"A lot of women say Gabriel is cold, and I'm warm and friendly. But I can't help but think it might actually be the opposite. Gabriel is cold to others and keeps them at a distance, but he has a heart, he feels and cares and takes care of people. But for me on the other hand, I sometimes wonder if I even have a heart that feels?" he said quietly.
Aisha's heart squeezed for Sebastian, her face softened.
"But, you do care Seb," she said gently, forcing his eyes to seek hers. The pain in his green orbs making Aisha determined to give him hope.
"Allah gave all of us hearts, and he placed in them feelings. In the Quran, Allah says that he never burdens a soul with more than it can handle, it's only the doubts within our hearts and whispers from others that make us believe otherwise," said Aisha gently.
Sebastian stared at her as if soaking her words.
"You do care Seb, maybe you care a lot more than even you realize. And because you have been hurt and felt pain from someone who was supposed to give you comfort and love, you guard your heart more. You and Gabriel both. But, you guard your hearts differently, and that's ok. Change comes when we understand our shortcomings," said Aisha gently.
Sebastian shook his head to argue. But Aisha held up her hand to indicate she wasn't done.
"You are warm and friendly, but you also can be a bit unkind. Have I ever told you the first time I saw you?" asked Aisha gently.
"Wasn't it in my mother's office?" he asked, his voice a bit hollow as if knowing that wasn't the answer.
Aisha shook her head.
"The first time I saw you, was in the hotel lobby by the elevators. You were in the small inclosing by the elevator, and you had been talking to a woman. She had looked hurt and scared but I don't think you noticed. You had been too busy convincing her that what had happened between you two wasn't anything serious...that it was just casual," said Aisha gently watching the look of horror crossing Sebastian's face.
"And then, a few months later, I met your smiling face in your mom's office, and do you know what one of my first thoughts were after that interaction?" asked Aisha again.
Sebastian shook his head, his blond hair gently swaying with the movement.
"I couldn't help comparing you to my older brother. I remember thinking how much you two would have gotten along if you had ever met, now why would I think that... even though I had witnessed how harshly you treated that woman that day?" asked Aisha with a small smile.
"I don't know..." replied Sebastian, voice cracking.
"It's because I could see how kind you are. Maybe, your brother holds his care and love in his heart, but you display it clearly in your eyes. And maybe that's why women, despite knowing who you are, still give you a chance...because they see it so clearly. And maybe Jasmine keeps up her guard and gives you the cold shoulder; because she has dealt with someone just like you. Someone whose goodness she saw and then brushed her off because... maybe he hadn't been ready to trust," said Aisha gently.
Sebastian nodded his head after a little bit of time.
"Thank you, Ash, thank you for not judging me too harshly," he said, looking at the floor.
"None of us are perfect Seb, but we can all improve and better ourselves, your brother is a great example of that," smirked Aisha, trying to lighten the mood.
Sebastian chuckled.
"I think his betterment is only directed towards you and your family," he said, looking up at Aisha with a smile.
"I would look at my own actions first, you aren't all that innocent when it comes to the both of you," sighed Aisha, deciding it was time to change the subject.
Aisha shook her head and glanced at the clock, it was time to leave for the day.
"Oh, its time to go, I need to meet with Musa's teacher tonight for conferences," she said, quickly grabbing her purse and sweater, it was starting to get cold out, winter would be around them soon.
"Have a nice afternoon, Sebastian," she said closing her computer and turning to go.
"You too...and Ash," he said getting up and causing her to pause and look back at him.
"Thank you...really thank you, for your kind words, and for thinking that I am anything like your brother...I hope you can think of me as a brother. I already think of you as my own sister. Whether you like it or not, my family has adopted you in one way or another," said Sebastian with a wide smile.
Aisha giggled, fighting back the tears that wanted to leak from her eyes.
"Except Gabriel," she said with a smirk.
Sebastian looked at her, a Cheshire smile appearing on his lips.
"No, I can't say he would want you to get adopted into the family...but he would want you part of the family in a different way," he smirked, then threw his head back laughing loudly.
Aisha looked at him in shock, feeling her cheeks warm up a bit.
"Don't joke about things like that...I wouldn't want Jessica thinking I'm competing with her for Gabriel, Which I'm not," said Aisha worriedly glancing around. Jessica had a habit of popping up randomly.
"Trust me, Ash, it's not a competition," said Sebastian with a knowing smile.
Aisha shook her head and turned to go.
"I'll see you tomorrow Seb," she laughed and left.
****************
~A few hours later~
Aisha was parked in front of her apartment building unable to stop herself from crying. Her meeting with her brother's teachers hadn't gone well.
Musa was having a hard time. It was so bad, even his grades were beginning to suffer.
She had asked for him to be moved to a different classroom. But, that would mean that her brother would be placed in the low performing students class. Why there was even such class she had no idea. Then she asked if he can be grouped with the fifth graders, but that wasn't an option either.
She wiped her tears in frustration. She had thought the teachers and the administration would be on her side, but they kept wanting to brush it off. His math teacher had the audacity to say that the "bullies" weren't harming Musa, they were just playing. "They were just being boys," was how he had put it.
But the worst of them was his science teacher, who said that Musa had to show more effort. It was his lack of engagement with the other kids that made him a target. And when Aisha pointed out that they had lost their parents, and that things were a little hard for Musa, she was sure the teacher had rolled her eyes.
Aisha wasn't one to jump to race or even religion. But she felt they might be a factor in why Musa was being treated this way. And the feeling left a sour taste in her mouth.
How was she going to prove that she was the right fit for her siblings? How? When one of them was slowly eroding away in front of her.
Her tears continued to fall, by now she was sobbing. In the distance, she began to hear her phone ringing. Wiping her eyes and trying to control her breathing, Aisha picked up thinking it was her siblings asking her where she was.
"Hello?" said Aisha when she didn't hear their urgent voices.
"Hi," came the deep voice of Gabriel, causing Aisha to glance at the caller id.
"Oh, yes...hi sir," she managed to say, her voice sounding strange even to her own ears.
"Aisha...? Are you ok?" he asked with concern.
And the concern in his voice was so foreign to her, she didn't know how to react, it caught her off guard. She had never heard his voice sound so soft or gentle. Aisha choked back a sob. She wasn't going to cry again in front of this man, even if he couldn't see her.
"hmm," was the only sound Aisah could manage, fearing she might cry if she tried to speak.
There was a prolonged silence from Gabriels end of the phone. Finally, he let out a deep breath and spoke in a gentle and soothing voice.
"Is your uncle giving you a hard time? Did something happen?" he asked the concern in his voice seeming to increase.
Aisha tried to get her breathing under control and he must have sensed it because he remained quiet. Giving her time to gather her thoughts and emotions. All she could hear was his gentle deep breaths, and she tried to match her breathing to his, to try and calm herself. After what seemed like an hour, she let out a deep ragged breath, her breathing slowing down.
"Better?" came his voice.
"Ya, thank you," she replied her voice a bit hoarse.
"If there is anything..." he began but Aisha interrupted him.
"No...no...I'm alright. It was just...I'm fine," she said, as firmly as she could manage her shaking voice to sound.
There was a small pause as if he was debating with himself. Finally, he let out a deep sigh.
"Alright, get some rest...drink some water and hydrate yourself. I'll see you tomorrow," he said reluctantly ending their call.
"But...why did you call?" asked Aisha a bit bewildered, her tears forgotten.
"Nevermind. I was going to ask you about a few documents, but they can wait until tomorrow. I just need you to take care of yourself," he said soothingly.
She listened to him eyes wide. Would this man ever stop surprising her?
"um...ok," she said quietly her heart pounding. She couldn't figure out why the phone conversation seemed more intimate now.
"Good night Aisha," he said, his deep voice seeming to make her heart pound a little louder.
Shaking her head she bid him good night.
"Good night Ga...sir," she said, catching herself from saying his name.
Aisha sat in her car for a few more minutes after the phone call ended. Ever being the cautious one, Aisha felt that some very distinct lines were beginning to blur. She didn't want her personal and work life mixing.
But... she shook her head in frustration, she wasn't being honest with herself.
She was open and friendly with Justine, and Lucy and even Sebastian. She even called Sebastian by his nickname Seb. She had shared her ideal man and what qualities she looked for in a man, with Meredith, her employer's grandma. Who was also her lawyer!
She didn't have a problem with the blurring of those lines, she was only concerned where it involved Gabriel. Why was that? What were her brain and heart trying to tell her? What about Gabriel made her so uneasy?
She knew it couldn't be because he was mean to her, that might have been the case before...but he was nothing but a gentleman to her now.
He had stayed on the line until she had stopped crying. He had seemed genuinely concerned about her. And what was that bizarre request asking her to take care of herself? Who made requests like that? Caring employers?
Aisha took in a ragged breath and tried to smooth her face into calmness. Her siblings were very perceptive. She would have to dash to the bathroom before she greeted them properly. With a small plan forming in her brain, Aisah exited the car and headed to her apartment. Thoughts of Gabriel being put on hold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Why can't I come?" whined Misky in the back seat her face scrunched up in annoyance.
Aisha sighed for the hundredth time. Their morning had been really hectic. Her great aunt had an appointment with her doctor, so she couldn't stay home with Musa. Musa didn't have school because Aisha had informed his teachers he would have the rest of the week off. She wanted him to get a small break from school. And she wanted to come up with a plan before she sent him back.
She had a half a mind to switch his school.
She had stayed up all night searching for other schools that would accept students mid-term. But his free day meant he would be going with her to work since there was no one to watch him.
But, Misky wasn't very happy about this arrangement. She felt she should visit Aisha's office because she wanted to see Gabriel.
"You have school, love," said Aisha patiently, though the whining was beginning to give her a headache, she didn't know how long she could keep her calm.
"But, Musa has school too, and you let him stay," she said voice wobbling, a clear sign she was about to cry.
"It's for a project..." interjected Musa drawing Misky's accusing eyes to himself.
She sniffled a few times and looked at Musa.
"Project?" she asked.
"Ya...I'm supposed to go to an adults workplace and write about what I see. It's a long paper and it's going to take a while...that's why I'm going with Aisha. It won't be fun. I won't play with my friends or have lunch in the lunchroom. I'll just be sitting and writing," he sighed giving his little sister a sad look.
Misky looked at him with doubt.
"My grades aren't doing so well...And Aisah talked with my teachers yesterday, during conferences, and this is the project they came up with to help me get my grades up," he said mixing truth and lies effortlessly.
"Is that true Aisha?" asked Misky needing a confirmation.
Aisah glanced back at her sister as she parked in front of the school. Her small body was sitting rigidly in her car seat, arms crossed in front of her. With a smile, she turned around and exited the car and moved around to get Misky. Reluctantly she got out but still gave her older sister a reproachful look.
"Come on, I'll tell you as we walk," she said placing her small hand in hers.
"Tell me what?" questioned Misky.
"Musa is having a hard time at school. Some kids are being mean to him. I wanted him to get a small break from them, I guess, he thinks this is because of his grades. But I'm trying to keep him safe," said Aisha crouching down to look at Misky.
Misky gave her sister a serious look. And then she glanced back at the silver avalon. Looking at Musa who had poked his head out of the car window to catch what they were saying. Then she glanced back at Aisha.
"There are boys that yell at Musa when the bus drops him off at school...he says they are friends...but they don't seem nice," she said in a small voice.
"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Aisha in an equally small voice, feeling lost and defeated. Even Misky was keeping things from her.
Misky chewed on her small lip before her obsidian eyes found her sister.
"Because you're tired...I asked Musa and he said not to tell you. He said he would fix it," she explained simply her small head tilting to the side as her long eyelashes seemed to flutter like a hummingbird.
Aisha drew in a deep breath trying to control her anger and hurt. Misky was just a small kid, getting angry wouldn't solve anything. Instead, she lifted her hand and smoothed her sister's soft curls, tucking a strand behind her left ear.
"I understand...but I'm your older sister... it's my job to protect you and help you. If you don't tell me the things you see that are wrong...how will they get solved?" she asked gently.
"But Musa said..." began Misky but stopped when she noticed the serious look her sister was giving her.
"It doesn't matter what Musa said. When you notice things that are wrong; like those boys that weren't being nice. It's always good to tell an adult. Because something worse can happen if we don't tell. Musa is trying to be brave, but sometimes you are braver if you tell adults, that love you, the things that are hurting you," said Aisha drawing her sister's body closer to her, until they were nose to nose.
"Do you understand, pumpkin?" she asked with a small smile showing Misky that she wasn't in trouble.
Misky nodded and gave her older sister's nose a kiss.
"I understand," she said with a bright smile.
"Good," said Aisha giving her kiss and walking her into the school. Misky turned once and waved at Musa.
Aisha slowly got out of the school parking lot and got on the road to work glancing at her clock. She still had twenty minutes. She could feel Musa's eyes boring into the back of her head. Self consciously she smoothed out the burgundy fabric of her hijab.
Musa was too stubborn to voice his thought or opinions. He had no problem when it came to Hamza. But he had always been in a different world around the rest of them. She knew he wanted to ask her what Misky said, yet he didn't want to appear weak.
Instead, Aisha turned on the Quran in her car and tried to ignore his searing stare. She didn't comment on his little huffs and puffs of air that was coming from the back of the car.
She parked neatly into the hotel parking lot and got out fixing her beige skirt and brown sweater. She slung her black canvas bag over her shoulder and glanced at Musa to see if he was coming. He was already standing next to her a perfect frown etched into his forehead. He glanced at the building before recognition seemed to dawn on him.
"This is dad's building," he said before he glanced at her.
"Ya, did I forget to mention that dad designed the hotel?" she asked with a smile.
"Ya, you might have," he grumbled, but his eyes were lost on the building.
"Come on, the inside is even more lovely," she said placing a gentle arm around his shoulder, he didn't shake her off, which was a good sign in her book.
Aisha walked beside him silently as he looked around in every direction, his head turning left to right like a restless squirrel. Aisha almost laughed at the comparison but held herself back.
They made it to her floor without a word. Musa silently followed after her as she went about setting up the offices and checking and making the small calls she needs to make that day. All this he observed without a word. She herself was a little nervous about what Gabriel would say about Musa, but she hoped it would be ok.
They had been in the office for about a half hour when the elevators opened to announce the arrival of Gabriel and Sebastian.
"I can't believe you kicked Puca out," came the grumbling voice of Sebastian
"I told you not to bring it to my house," was his older brothers cold reply.
"It? how dare you call my princess...it," whined Sebastian
"That dog slobbers over everything," said Jessica in a dismissive tone.
Aisha let out a deep breath and received a questioning look from Musa. She shook her head trying to calm her nerves before she had to interact with Jessica. Her temper was ready to explode today, she didn't want to the woman to be on the receiving end...even if she didn't like her.
"Who asked for your opinion, you witch? And shouldn't you be answering calls and taking messages for my mom?" he asked in an annoyed voice.
Finally, the three adults came into view around the corner near Aisha's desk. And all three pairs of eyes zeroed in on Musa, who was a small replica of Aisha.
"Oh? we have a guest?" said Sebastian a friendly smile on his face.
Musa glanced at him and then at the other two. Gabriel looked at him and then glanced at Aisha with a raised eyebrow as if to ask what was going on. Aisha tilted her head to the side as if to say she will tell him later. This small interaction wasn't missed by either Musa or Sebastian's keen eyes.
"Today isn't a holiday," came the voice of Jessica as she glanced between Musa and Aisha.
Aisha was about to respond but instead choose not to, acting like she hadn't heard Jessica at all. That seemed to make Jessica annoyed and so she glanced at Musa.
"Why are you here kid?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
Musa stared at her for a second, waiting to make her a bit uncomfortable. A trait he was rather a pro at.
"My name isn't kid," was his only response.
Jessica sputtered for a second or two and flipped her blond hair.
"Obviously...I'm asking why you aren't in school?" she explained in annoyance.
"Ya, I understood your question...I just didn't like the way you asked it," he explained his voice carrying a hint of superiority.
Aisha almost wanted to laugh at how fast the colors of anger were changing on Jessica's face. But she stopped herself and instead cleared her throat, feeling it was time to defuse the situation.
"Musa isn't going to school today, he is keeping me company," said Aisha looking at Gabriel and Sebastian.
"That's cool...I have some board games in my office if you want?" said Sebastian with a smile.
"No, thanks," said Musa with a shake of his head.
"Hello, I'm Sebastian," he said stretching out his arm for a handshake.
Musa glanced at it and opened his mouth to say something, but closed it after glancing at Aisha's stern face.
"I'm Musa," he said begrudgingly and shook his hand.
"Go on," said Aisha probing her brother toward Gabriel who hadn't said a word yet.
Reluctantly Musa moved toward Gabriel and raised his hand for a shake.
"Hi...I'm Musa," he said finding the floor to be more interesting than looking at Gabriel.
Gabriel stopped the chuckle that was building up and instead shook the young boy's hand and held it for a second, forcing his eyes to meet his.
"It's nice to see you again, Musa," he said, letting a small smile graze his lips.
Musa gave him a hard look and only nodded.
"Again? when did you meet?" asked Jessica looking between the bot and the man.
"Jessica I think it's time you went back to your desk. Thank you for bringing these documents to me," said Gabriel dismissing her.
Jessica opened her mouth to say something, but closed it instead and turned giving Aisha a glare and marched back to the elevator.
"Well then...I think its time we all got back to work. Aisha, don't worry about coffee today," said Gabriel holding up his Starbucks cup.
Aisha gave him a smile and a nod. Slowly the two men went back to their offices.
"You get them coffee?" asked Musa looking at his sister.
"Its part of being their secretary," she explained as she typed.
"But, why can't they get it? They are adults. Even I make my own hot chocolate when I want some," he said giving his sister a confused look.
Aisha stopped typing and gave her brother her attention.
"Yes, they are adults and can get their own coffee...but as someone takes on more work and has to fix harder problems... it's nice to have someone that can do the small things...you know to make things easier. For example, I make you lunch every morning...not because you can't do it, but it makes our morning easier that way," explained Aisha.
"But, you're my sister...it makes sense in that context...but they aren't related to you," he rationalized with a frown.
"True, but remember Mom and Dad, they both had secretaries, remember?" asked Aisha.
"But they didn't make them get coffee for them," he huffed arms crossed now.
"Ya, but that was only because mom and dad didn't require them too. But when I used to visit mom and she had a hard case, her secretary would bring her a coffee or tea to make things easy," said Aisha finding his frustration amusing.
"Oh...so their not making you?" he asked opening up his novel again.
"No they aren't," she said in a reassuring voice.
"Hey, Aisha can you email me the documents you had about that transaction and those business plans my brother and Yunus drew up?" Asked Sebastian as he typed away on his phone and walked toward the elevator.
"Sure," called Aisha and quickly sent him the email.
"Thanks," was the last thing they heard as the elevators closed.
"That was fast," peeped Musa moving closer to Aisha's computer.
"I knew he wanted them, I had already prepared the email in advance," explained Aisha with a shrug.
"How did you know before he asked?" was his next question, the novel forgotten yet again.
"I don't know...I guess I can read minds...is that book so boring?" she asked glancing at the cover to see what he was reading.
"It's The Giver," he said noticing her glance.
"And it's not boring...its just taking me a bit of time to get into the story," he explained with a shrug.
"The Giver? Is that a required text?" she asked turning toward her brother.
"No...I wanted to read it, it sounded interesting," he said leaning back in his seat.
"I love that story, let me know if you want to discuss anything?" said Aisha
There was a small pause.
"Sure," he said and Aisha caught a small smile on his face.
Discussing random topics, Islam, books, movies, and things, had been his and Hamza's thing. She wanted him to see her as someone he could come and talk too. Not someone he had to hide things from.
Aisha's phone rang drawing her from her internal musing.
"Hello?" she said, answering the call as she typed.
"I know it's your lunchtime...can we meet up?" came the voice of Jasmine.
"Oh..um...actually today..." but Jasmine cut her off.
"I really need someone to talk too...I cant...I can't take it anymore," came her small voice.
"Sure...where?" asked Aisha glancing at her brother and chewing her bottom lip.
"At Linda's...I don't want to eat anything heavy," she said crestfallen.
"Alright...I'll meet you there," said Aisha and after a quick goodbye, she hung up the phone.
She brushed her brother's curls and walked toward Gabriel's office. She knocked once before she entered.
"I hope I'm not bothering you," she said moving toward his desk.
"No...not at all, what can I help you with?" he asked with a smile and indicated for her to take a seat.
Aisha paused for a second remembering a different time when he had forced her to walk out of his office because she hadn't knocked. And now here he was calm about her entering abruptly...not just calm but friendly. Shaking her head she took a seat and looked into his waiting golden eyes.
"I have to step out for a bit...a friend is in need, but I can't take Musa...and Sebastian left. Will it be alright if you kept an eye on him while I'm gone?" asked Aisha pleadingly her face scrunched up a little as she twisted her fingers.
"Aisha...I would love too...but I'm not that great with your brother. He doesn't like me very much," replied Gabriel gently.
"He can be a bit hard to interact with...but he won't need much. He already has his lunch, he isn't fasting today, and a book to read. Plus he has some homework he can work on as well. It'll only be my lunch break," she said looking at him
"I don't know..." began Gabriel but froze when he looked at her earnest face.
"Please...just do this small favor for me," she said giving him a small smile.
And if only she knew how effective her words were...she could have asked him for a million dollars and he would have willingly given it.
"Ok...but you owe me," said Gabriel with a small smile.
"Oh thank you...Thank you...whatever you want," she replied innocently, and smiled, almost causing him to have a small heart attack.
"How about you just make me some more Somali tea," he coughed finding that the room had increased in temperature.
"Consider it done, I'll let Musa know," she laughed and glided out of the room.
Gabriel rested his head on the desk, she had almost killed him and she didn't even know it.
"Anything I want," he repeated and smiled to himself feeling like a high school boy with a crush.
Crush? Is that what this was? Because that changed things a bit, he thought, as he watched Aisha tell her little brother she had to go.
He watched Musa argue with her and throw him a few glares. But Aisha cupped his face and placed a kiss on his head. She said something and finally, the boy nodded his head. Aisha glanced at his office and gave him a thumbs up before she said one more thing to the boy and left.
Gabriel waited ten minutes before he approached the little boy. He should at least take the boy out for lunch since he needed some food as well.
"Musa?" he called as he stepped out of his office to look at the young boy slumped in his chair.
He sat up a bit and looked at him.
"Ya?" he asked.
"Your sister said you have lunch...but I need food as well, would you like to come?" he asked putting his jacket on and fishing his keys out of his pocket.
Musa gave him a hard look.
"Why can't you get something from one of the restaurants here?" he questioned.
"Because it won't be comfortable for me or my employees. I won't be able to eat in peace, and they will feel like I'm critiquing them," Shrugged Gabriel.
Musa thought for a moment before he stood up with his lunch.
"I can get you something," said Gabriel with a smile.
"No thank you...I like my sister's food," shrugged Musa as he moved toward the elevator. With a chuckle, Gabriel walked behind the small framed boy.
Despite being small and a bit lanky, with too much hair, he was quick on his feet and can stand his ground. Thought Gabriel to himself. The kind of kid, that others felt they needed to put in his or her place. Gabriel remembered Aisha had once said her brother was getting bullied, maybe he could ask him about it, he thought.
Musa quietly walked beside Gabriel as they made their way to the car.
Gabriel moved toward his black Tesla and opened the passenger side for Musa.
"Aisha doesn't let me sit in the front," Musa explained wide-eyed. As he took in the nice car in front of him.
"Do you see your sister around?" asked Gabriel with a toothy smile.
"No," he replied eyeing the door.
"So hop in...unless you would rather sit in the back," he said giving the little boy a lifted eyebrow.
"Ok..." said Musa a bit unsure as he sat in the front.
Gabriel smirked, maybe getting on his good side might not be too hard, he thought, as he smoothly slid into the driver seat.
He had just reversed and was backing up when Musa opened his mouth and almost caused a car crash.
"So...what are your intentions towards my sister?" he asked