Chapter 1: Clap and Slap.
*
"I have been blessed,
I thank the lord each day,
For entwining your fate with mine,
For I could have never
Asked for a better best friend"
-2am-
*
"The rain is pretty nice, huh?"
Yazdan turned to his bestfriend with a frown. They were at a small cafe, at the middle of the town, ironically known as Middleton. The rain was pelting down on the large glass windows and the plants were shivering from it. The smell of fresh donuts and coffee wafted in the air, causing a small stir in his stomach. He was hungry.
"Where is my food?"
Yahyah Rashad eyed him with astonishment.
"We were talking about the rain!" he said and his best friend rolled his eyes, pushing a few strays of hair out of his gray eyes.
"Correction. You were"
"Right"
"I am hungry, Yaha. I am not joking" said Yazdan with a serious face. His features were much like the other brothers of the Zaeef clan, tanned, smooth jaw and a perfect set of lips. Their eyes were all the same, gray.
"It will be here soon"
"Your order, sirs" Yahyah nodded at the teen waiter and gave him the bills before pushing the donuts and lime juice tray to his best friend. Yazdan eyed it and looked up to Yahyah who was already munching down chocolate donuts.
"You know I can't take sweets, right?" he asked and Yahyah nodded, slowing chewing his food.
"Then why does my donut have chocolate, oreo and strawberry topping? On each? At once?" asked Yazdan, eyeing the donuts with dismay. Who would mix the three things on one donut?!
"I am so sorry sir. I think I gave you the wrong order" said the boy waiter, walking over towards them. He smiled sheepishly. Yazdan rolled his eyes and held up his plate of donuts.
"Take this, he has already eaten half the donuts. May I have glazed donuts please?" said Yazdan and the waiter nodded before walking away.
Yahyah rolled his eyes, stuffing his mouth with a piece of donut.
"So why did you move here again?" asked Yazdan, leaning onto the table.
"Mom got transferred. You know her job is important to her. And after abba, I guess it was for the best" he replied, sipping on his lemonade. "Also, my business here needed my attention so it was not much of a big deal"
Yazdan nodded at him, sipping on his orange juice. It was refreshing. The waiter returned with his plain glazed donuts and apologized furiously again. Yazdan did not show any expressions at all causing Yahyah to tell the waiter that it was fine.
"Can we stop by at the office? I need to check up on the design team before we head home" said Yahyah, sipping on his lemonade. Yazdan shrugged again, chewing on his food. Before Yahyah could sassily reply back, his phone rang. He pulled his phone out of his slacks pocket before answering it.
Yazdan looked out of the large window, seeing the life outside the small cafe. The rain had gone down a few notche, it was only drizzling now. A few people walked around the place with an umbrella and shopping bags and small children played in the water puddles. He let out a small smile when he saw a little child of age no more than 3, jumping into a large puddle of water causing it to splash all around him. He sheepishly smiled up at the woman with him and she shook her head at him. Yazdan was reminded of his childhood. His brothers used to do that to him, splash water all over him during rainy seasons.
"Earth to Yazdan!" he tilted his head to Yahyah who was already standing up. "Let's leave. I have work and mom just called. Our neighbors have invited us for dinner"
Yazdan nodded and stood up, taking his lime juice with him. He followed Yahyah out of the cafe and walked towards where he had parked his Mercedes. Yazdan's converse hit the pavement with a squeak and Yahyah's dressing shoes hit with a tap. The two looked very different. While one was dressed in Armani and finest of Paul Evans, the other was dressed in Jeans, a cardigan and a pair of All Stars. Yahyah unlocked his car and Yazdan got in the passenger seat, dusting off a few coats of water on him.
"You want me to drop you home before I go to the office?" asked Yahyah, pulling on his seat belt and starting the ignition. Yazdan shook his head.
"Office. Let's see what you do" he replied and Yahyah rolled his eyes.
"You know what I do, Yaz"
"You work under trucks, not in offices, Yaha." replied Yazdan and Yahyah shrugged.
"It is time to step up I guess. Anyway, did you call Qaidah Aunty?" he changed the topic.
*
The Y&Co. Engineering building was a 9 storey building of glass and steel. Mostly glass. Y&Co. Engineering, stood out at the top in cursive. Rain was pelting down on the floor to ceiling windows and people rushed all around the place. A few whispers of 'The CEO is in country' and 'Did you hear? The CEO will be here anytime soon' rotated around the office. Yahyah parked his car at the basement garage and the two friends got off, before walking to the elevators. Yahyah locked his car behind him.
The lobby was warm, in contrast to the basement and Yazdan found himself taking off his cardigan. Yahyah walked towards the reception and knocked on it. The lady at the reception held up a finger to him, asking him to wait. Yazdan raised an eyebrow at Yahyah who shrugged with a hint of smirk.
"They don't know?" Yazdan asked him, taking a seat at one of the chairs at the lobby. Yahyah took a seat beside him, pulling out his phone from his pocket.
"I didn't find it necessary to tell them. I told my CAO and asked him to arrange a meeting with the design team today. We have a deal with the Ibrahim Corp., so this is a big deal" said Yahyah and Yazdan nodded, looking around the place.
The reception lady walked over to them and smiled.
"I am so sorry gentlemen, that was an important call. How may I help you?" she said and the boys stood up, bowing slightly to her.
"It is alright. I wish to speak with Jacob Cosmo" said Yahyah giving the lady a small smile. She returned it back with an apology.
"We have an important meeting today, sir. Mr. Cosmo is busy right now"
"Do tell him, his 2:05pm meeting is here" he told him and Yazdan rolled his eyes. He did not understand why his best friend was adamant to not tell them who he was.
His eyes roamed over the place and he had to admit, it was designed well. A little changes here and there would have bought about better space management but it was lavish, nonetheless.
"Lets go" Yahyah pulled Yazdan's tees and the boys walked over to the elevators. That was until just before the elevators when a petite figure rushed towards the boys and bumped right into Yahyah, causing coffee to spill over his Armani.
Yahyah let out a groan when he felt the heat of the liquid soaking onto his skin, past so many layers of clothes. Just how much was this girl's momentum. He looked over to her with a glare and she stood there with wide eyes and an open mouth. Yazdan, who had a few drops of coffee on him too, took a few steps back. If this was going to cause drama, he'd rather stay out of it.
"Can you not see where you happen to be going?!" the girl asked him, pushing back the hair that fell to her face. Yahyah frowned at her.
"I am pretty sure you ran into me" he replied and she heave a deep sigh.
"I am late and hungry. Great!" she muttered, throwing the cup in the nearest dustbin by the elevators.
"No sorry?" Yahyah asked her and she rolled her eyes at him.
"You were in my way. Do you know that this is a busy place?! Who walks like they own this place?!" she snapped at him and Yazdan sniffled a small laugh. If only she knew. Yahyah's eyes widened and he glared at her.
"You ruined my suit. You ran into me. You don't bother saying sorry. What are you anyway?" he snapped back and Yazdan heaved a small sigh. Pissed of Yahyah was not a nice person. He tuned the two fighting humans out and looked around the place. Some stopped to stare, others rushed on with their work. That was until he heard a slap and he turned around to the fighting duo.
Yahyah did not understand why she was so pissed. What he said was right, she really was a girl with no manners, whatsoever. And she slapped him. He didn't even question her character and earned a slap. What would happen if he did that? Not that he was planning to.
"Next time you talk to a woman like that, remember this slap. Never look down upon a woman again!" she snapped at him before storming into the elevators and watching Yahyah as it closed with slit eyes. Yahyah stood in front of the elevators with a red cheek and an bruised ego. He did not understand women.
"You alright, sir?" the receptionist walked over to them and Yahyah nodded, turning to her.
"Call Cosmo and tell him to get to the lobby now" he told her, his eyes blazing.
Yazdan simply stared at his best friend. He didn't know what exactly happened but he knew that Yahyah was hurt. Not physically but spiritually. He never had someone tell him to never look down on women. If anything, he was always praised for his respect. What happened with her then?
Yahyah turned to Yazdan and frowned.
"I think I might cancel today's meeting" he said, looking down at his, now spoiled, Armani.
"And have your employees think that you are unreliable? Just change into another shirt and go to that meeting" said Yazdan and Yahyah heaved a deep sigh.
"I guess so. I think I have a pair in the car"
"Want me to grab it?" asked Yazdan and Yahyah shook his head.
"Sirs!" the two boys turned to a short, lean man running towards them with a smile.
"Good Morning, Mr. Yahyah and Mr. Yazdan" he said and the two boys smiled slightly. Cosmo's eyes fell on the ruined shirt and he raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Some girl spoiled it." explained Yahyah, leaving out the slapping bits.
"Ah. Would you like me to send it to laundry?" he asked and Yahyah nodded, taking off his suit jacket and waist coat and handing it over. Cosmo called out a young boy who took the clothes and asked the boys to follow him to his office. He sent another one to the car to get new ones. Yahyah always had a pair of formal and informal wear in his car. Always.
"The meeting with the design team is at 3:00pm, sharp. We can shift it if you want-" said Cosmo but Yahyah shook his head.
"It is alright. I can work with this" Yazdan heaved another sigh and looked out of the large glass windows to the city. It was beautiful in the rain.
A boy knocked on the door and entered with Yahyah's new clothes and Cosmo left with him to let Yahyah change.
"I do not know what happened out there, you know" said Yazdan, still looking outside. Yahyah shrugged off his shirt and vest before wiping his chest with wipes to get rid of coffee.
"I also don't know. She was being rude for someone who was on the wrong" he replied.
"You always see the best in people, Yaha. What made this any different?" questioned Yazdan turning to his best friend, who was now throwing on another white shirt and buttoning up. His fingers halted at the button upon the question. Yazdan smiled slightly.
"Hurry up, your meeting is about to begin" this snapped Yahyah out of his trance and he hurriedly buttoned up and tucked his shirt in before pulling on a navy blue suit jacket. He did not have a tie so he would have to do without it. He did a 360 twirl in front of Yazdan.
"How do I look?" he grinned and Yazdan rolled his eyes.
"Adequate. Now go"
Yahyah sighed and walked out of the room, calling Cosmo in the process. The said man stood beside him at the front of the conference hall door.
"Alright sir. The meeting starts in 5 minutes, you wish to go in now or at sharp 3pm?"
"Now so that they get over my presence and we can begin the meeting proper on time. In case if you didn't notice, I have an impatient best friend with me who is not afraid to crash a conference meeting to get me out" was Yahyah's reply.
Cosmo opened the door and silence fell in the large room. Yahyah entered behind him, forcing a tight smile. He was never the office person. It was always his father. Oh how he missed his father right now.
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen" he said, walking towards the head of the table. A few year experience in this field had told him that he should always remain calm and silent. He would learn a lot that way.
People stood up replied with a chorus of good morning in different tones. Yahyah looked over to each person, giving them his best tight lipped smile. There were over 10 people in the room but less than 20, he noticed. More women than men. His eyes scanned all of them until he came to a halt at a particular face. The same one trying to hide herself behind her folder. He smirked.
This was going to be fun.
**
Chapter 1.
Tell me how it was, guys. I feel anxious about this book. haha.
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-aalihha-