"Let me do it." He tried to take the kettle from her but she dodged.
"No, I'll do it."
"You've not fully recovered yet. You have to rest."
"You know you can't lock me up in my room again."
"I wish I could." He muttered and she plugged the kettle to make his peppermint tea.
"Sit." She offered, pulling one of the stools for him.
He sighed and sat down. Can he really argue with her?
"We're having guests today." She mentioned, packing some potatoes to peel.
"Who?"
"Fauzee and the rest, I sent Lawrence to get Afeef a birthday gift."
"Hmm. And what are the potatoes for?"
"Our breakfast."
"Count me out."
She turned to him with a glare. "Come again."
"Count me out."
"Why exactly?"
"I don't wish to share."
She fluttered her lashes in disbelief. This man...
"You're a pain in the neck Allah."
He raised his eyes from his phone to give her a look. "I'm gyming."
"And you don't eat before then?"
"Why would I eat before gyming?" He asked incredulously and before she replied, the kettle switched off.
She got the mug with the teabag in it and took the kettle, turning the water in it.
"Just half the cup _" He said but rather got her startled making her splash the water on herself.
Ali hurriedly went to her and collected the kettle, dropped it aside and examined her hands.
"Why are you so fucking clumsy?" He chastised, frowning.
Amira also frowned, keeping the pain aside. "I got burnt and I'm still being scolded?"
"Did I burn you?"
"You freaking startled me!"
Ali scoffed. "You mean talked?"
"Get your hands off me." She snatched her hands from him but he held her again.
"Let's get that treated."
"No." She plucked herself from his grip.
"Amira,"
"Forget it I can take care of myself."
Ali watched her as she went to the sink and turned on the tap.
"You know I'm not fucking apologising."
"Did I ask you to?" She scorned. "Make your tea and we'll go to the gym together."
"You're not_"
"I am." She shushed him. "I am going gyming with you and there's nothing you can do about it."
Ali's jaw hung loose. "What sort of human are you?"
"Same as you." She glanced at him and turned off the tap, heading for the salt canister.
"What are you doing?" Ali sneered as he watched her apply salt on her arm.
"It works, don't know how or why though."
"Salt?" He crinkled his nose.
"No, sugar." She reparteed and closed the canister. "Let's go."
"You're not going." He declared and she made for the door.
"Meet me when you're done."
Ali gaped at the door even when she's out, this girl is utterly driving him crazy. He managed to shut his mouth and sigh, there's nothing much he can do. That he's trying to get used to.
He followed behind her after getting his water bottle and met her heading out of the hallway just as he reached the staircase.
"How do you get in?" She asked but he ignored her and furthered ahead while she shuffled behind him, ignoring her hurting ankle.
He used his biometrics to open the door and Amira's jaw dropped at the exquisite fitness machines that displayed. It's a state-of-the-art well-equipped gym with a power cage, treadmill, heavy bags, balance trainer, push up stands, rowing machine, ball set, dumbbells, kettlebells, exercise bikes and whatever. The walls were of full-length glass, giving an aesthetic view of the yard, the garden looking ever verdant and topiary and the swimming pool adding a touch of perfection.
It's definitely an iron paradise.
Why wouldn't he love working out?! "Wow this is marvellous!" She cooed.
"You act like a peasant sometimes." He went about turning on the appliances.
"Oya insult me because I wanna work out with you."
"Shut up."
"You use all of this?"
"Not all the time."
Amira noticed how easily he was answering her questions and wasn't about to play with that chance. She must commend, Ali is loosing up more. Perhaps being a pain in the neck was the answer after all. But thanking God was all she could do that her way was working just fine. "Then why do you have all of them?"
"Not. All. The. Time." He reiterated, glancing at her.
"Oh, and only you use them?"
"Umar and Khalil use them too, not so regularly though now that you're here." He kept his water bottle, took off the robe on him staying only in shorts and a vest then headed for a cabinet at an end.
"Eyya, I don't mind them coming."
"They mind you staying."
She shrugged and moved about, admiring the equipment. "Not even the Lamido's is this full."
"You've been to Dad's gym?" He glanced at her and she nodded.
"A lot, with Yusuf and Farida."
"And what do you do there?"
She grinned stupidly and swirled over. "Sing, chat with Farida and watch him workout."
"You're insane."
"But I do use the treadmill at times, for little minutes, I mostly use the jump rope."
"Well then," He threw her one and she grasped it before it hit her face while he locked the cabinet after putting on his workout bands. "Get to work."
"Whoa, are you trying to get rid of me?"
"I'm getting you to workout, get some abs, you'll look attractive."
"What does that mean?"
"You're too fat." He put on his wireless earpods and went on the treadmill.
She hung the rope on the bike next to her and went to him, pulled out an earpod.
"What?" He scowled, reducing the speed of the machine.
"I'm not fat. And you can't be the only one with music." She put the piece on and froze instantly, her jaws falling slack.
"I wasn't listening to music."
"Oh, sorry." She slipped it off and gave it back to him. "You listen to recitaton during workout?"
"I didn't recite yesterday, couldn't pony up for it today." He put the piece back on.
"You recite everyday?" Her voice delightened.
"Every morning Allah gives me the will to."
"That's pretty nice." She raised a brow, avoiding his eyes.
"There's another earpiece in the drawer, use it." He went back to his exercise.
She strolled to the drawer and found the piece lying between two sets of gloves. After connecting it with her phone, she went to stand by the full-length mirror in the room and took for skipping.
The first jump sent an unbearable pain from her ankle up to her heart and she groaned, holding on to it and moving to sit on the workout bench reclining on the glass wall.
How could I forget I had a sprain?
She glanced at Ali but he's jogging on the machine, his eyes closed.
How rude. She scoffed and went on her feet.
When will he ever begin to notice me? Am I that nugatory to him? Why is he so shady? I've never been so blackballed my whole life. At least if he doesn't want me here, he should just still be nice and make me feel welcomed but not giving me the cold shoulder. Always rude, forever rude.
"Hah," She scoffed and went through her playlist, clicked on 'Kontrol' by Maleek Berey and continued doing minor exercises like trunk rotation, squats, bends and dancing to the beat while looking at herself in the mirror, glancing at Ali from time to time. He wasn't even acting like another soul was in there with him.
If he wasn't reciting, she'd have stopped his little exercise and demanded they do something un-hurting-ankle-ish. But y'know, civilian type, reverence for religion, she wants to do it nice and upright.
They went on like that and it got more and more unbearable by every passing minute. How can a person exercise with his eyes closed? Everything about him is just barmy.
She fought back going to 'wake' him up and make them do something together and tried getting his attention rather. She kept perambulating the room, not wanting to make much noise so as not to confuse his recitation but to at least get him to remember that she's there.
She saw a couple of fitness magazines and took one to pastime with, she got bored of it quickly and dumped it again, going on her fallacious and slightly blasé stroll.
"Why're you going on and about like that?" He asked an eternity later, pausing his activity.
"Phew, thought you'd not wake up. You've been doing that for about an hour."
"And what does waking up mean?" He crinkled his perfect nose.
"Well, you're in some sort of reverie when you're doing that y'know, like too immersed in it. I got bored along the way and it's your job to keep me entertained." She gestured.
"And that's why you're disturbing?"
"I didn't disturb you." She refuted. "I was only trying to get your attention, on the QT."
"And what do you call that?"
"Getting attention on the QT?" She raised her brows, putting on an innocent look.
"I call it disturbing." He got down from the mill and went to the cupboard, drank some water, grabbed two dumbbells then went to the bench.
"No no no." She stopped him from using them and he goggled at her. "I said you entertain me, that doesn't mean I watch you workout, it means we do something mutual."
"I never called you here."
"Don't be so cold, you're the only one with me here."
"Have you ever heard of using technology for entertainment?"
"For the past seven months I've been doing that, I think I've watched every movie on YouTube in that period of time."
"Try Netflix."
"So you watch movies huh? But forget that for now, nothing beats human-human conversation."
"I ain't having no conversation." He stared up at her, his damp hair falling on his forehead, fleecy and adorable, giving his blue eyes a more captivating tone. Seems he hasn't had a haircut in a while and his hair sure grows fast.
"C'mon, please." She blagged before she gets entranced by his eminent features.
"No." He tried continuing his pumps but she wouldn't let him and after a few minutes, he's setting up the rowing machine for her.
"My ankle still hurts."
He looked up at her from fastening her foot on the foot pedal. "You knew that when you came to workout."
"I forgot I had a strain."
"Which means it doesn't hurt." He hooked the straps tight on the top of her foot and squeezed her ankle making her groan as a throe emerged from it.
"How can you be so wicked?!" She flouted.
"Why are you so intrusive?" He went to the other side and hooked the strap, set the resistance at 2 and asked her to hold the handle.
"Not too tight." He said, hand on hers and eyes on the monitor.
She loosened her grip a bit and he instructed her to move back so her shoulders and back were straight.
"Don't be too lax, tighten your cores."
"Okay." She breathed and took her stance.
"Comfortable?"
"Yeah. And nervous."
"I didn't ask you that." He bent down again and held her right hand, the other on her back. "Now you push yourself with your legs, slowly, and pull the handle as you glide back. Your upper body should be neutral."
She did just that and he moved with her, correcting her where she was wrong.
"Stop when your feet are flat on the footplate and your legs fully extended." She abided and he moved his hand to the small of her back, pushed her so that her body was leaned back slightly then used the other to guide her arm until the handle touched her ribcage.
"You aren't trying to touch my boobs right?"
He swiped his eyes to hers. "Aren't you one shameless being?"
"I won't know if you're trying to molest me y'know, you've got me confined." She spoke on his cheek.
"Don't talk shit." He sneered and moved away from her.
"I didn't mean for you to go away, you smell really nice."
"Can you quit the flirt?"
"I wasn't flirting, I was only kidding."
"Well then, stop."
"Okay, I'm sorry. This position's really uncomfy."
"Extend your arms, don't move the body, just the arms."
"I don't think I'll be able to do that, come guide me. Please." She pleaded as an afterthought.
"You're really slick." He moved to her.
"This is the second time you're calling me that."
He froze for a beat. "Do you always keep count of things?"
"Mostly those I don't want to."
His throat worked and he brought back his attention to the task at hand. He held her hand as she extended it then directed her to move her body until she's slightly angled forward.
"Now bend your knees, slide back so you'll reach the starting position, knees upward, back straight and arms extended." And she did just that.
"End of stroke one, take another." He slid away from her, hiding his hands behind him.
"What?! I can't." She interjected.
"Don't let go of the handle." He ordered and she stayed put. "Were you expecting me to do it for you all through?"
"Something like that."
"Then that ain't exercise. I taught you how to do it, now do it."
She sighed in meekness and did as he said, repeating twice.
"I see you're a fast learner. Good job." He set a 10 minutes row goal for her.
"I don't think I can do that much."
"You're doing it for forty minutes, you'll take a minute's rest intervally."
"That's punishment." She cried.
"It's to get abs and be attractive, maybe then I'll think of molesting you."
Her eyes popped out and jaw hung low. "Aren't you one shameless being?"
"Until you row for forty minutes, we aren't leaving this place."
"I'm gonna cry for help."
"Who'll help you?" He asked sarcastically.
"You're very mean." She pouted.
"I know." He bobbed his head and went to the bench to begin lifting his weights. "I'll be counting, so you better start now."
An hour or so later, they're walking out with his towel on his shoulder, using it to wipe his face and she gulping down some water.
"That's strenuous." She exclaimed, breathing heavily.
"You'll be doing that often."
"Nah," She passed him the bottle which he kindly declined. "I'm not doing that ever again."
"Next time you want me to entertain you, you will." He engaged the stairs with her beside him.
"That's reason enough." She agreed.
"Did you take your tablets today?"
She scrunched up her face at his question, turning her face away from him and he stopped, inspecting her.
"You didn't."
"I'm fine already, it's just a little fall."
"A little fall?"
"Yeah."
"And you're crying like a little baby, it hurts, a lot." He imitated her voice, not so correctly though.
Her eyes bulged out. "I don't talk like that."
"Yea, you cry like that."
"Stop that." She hit him with the water bottle.
"Hey, you don't do that." He glared at her, rubbing his arm.
"And you don't mimic me like that." She booped his head.
"Don't be so brassy little girl." He hit her hand away.
"What'd you just call me?" Her eyes zeroed on him.
"Brassy little girl."
"I think I'd have to use my boxing skills now." She mused and began punching his arm while he tried to dodge her.
"Will you stop it." He ordered but she went on, turning it into a play but he seized her hands and clasped them together behind her, pushing her to the railing so her back was pinned to it and he's towering over her.
"Ouch let me go." She tried wriggling out of his grip but stopped noticing they're literally rubbing on each other.
"What?" She raised a brow at him, keeping their gazes fixed. "You tryna molest me now?"
He tilted his head, his eyes narrowing a little at the balls of her. "You got some liver don't you?"
"I see you really like it when you pin me like this don't you?" She lowered her voice to a whisper.
"You cause it." He squeezed her hands in his, pinning her more. "Always."
She chuckled. "You're wild, but you won't do what I'm thinking you could."
"And what makes you so sure?" He inched his face closer to her so his warm breath was caressing her face.
"Because you're shy, you're a big, fierce, shy man."
"Then you definitely don't know me."
"I know I've not gained abs to be attractive."
"That could be why I won't do what I could."
"It still wouldn't change nothing, I'm stuck with you."
He moved his lips to her ears. "As you said, we'll keep it ace." And just then, the front door clicked and it whooshed open with Fatima piggybacked by her father.
Umar's and Ali's eyes locked and he stopped dead on his stride, the smile on his lips vanishing then a smirk formed.
"Ya Salaam!" Fauziyya exclaimed and turned a hundred and eighty degrees with Zayn in her arms while Umar laughed at her - or at them.
"Hey," She said to his ears and his attention swiped to her. "They might get the wrong idea, maybe you should let me go now."
He sighed. "This is all because of you."
"You shouldn't blame me cos you're the one hitching us together. It's almost rape."
I won't hear the end of it with Farouq. He let her go and drew away from her while she adjusted her scarf.
"I guess you're done?" Umar needled with a teasing smile. "You should go put on something now, Zee and Abee are quite edgy seeing you like that."
Ali eyeballed himself and wheezed a sigh of frustration while Amira laughed at him.
"Go on, they already have the wrong idea."
"I'm so having you for dinner." He gritted and went up the stairs.
With a smile on her lips, she strolled down to where they were while they advanced into the house.
"I guess we'll knock next time." Khalil teased and Amira flushed.
"Good morning." She changed the topic and hugged Hamida who wrapped her little hands around her knees.
"Morning, how've you been?"
"Alhamdulillah." And they moved to the sitting room.
She got them refreshments and as she gave Umar a can of malt, he smilingly refused.
"He's fasting, help me ask him why." Fauziyya said.
"Farouq fasting?" Khalil's eyes bugged out. "Are you running out of good deeds?"
"Shut your mouth Khalil." Umar chided.
"Omo, your own ginger me o."
"Don't forget us in your prayers Ya Umar." Amira said.
"And what is it that you want?"
"A better life." She smiled at him as she distributed juices and snacks among the kids.
"You got it."
"Is she the only one you're praying for?" Abeedah pouted.
"How can I forget you Abeedah?" He laughed at her.
"See your head," Amira booped her as she gave her a drink. "I thought you weren't speaking for the day."
"Amira you no dey fear face ni? How can you hit my wife in my presence?" Khalil pulled her unto him, dandling her arm.
"Omo, na this your own ginger me o." Amira laughed and went to keep the tray with her in the kitchen.
Ali joined them in about half an hour while they're busy having a dance contest between the kids.
Fatima was the first to run to him and he scooped her up to his shoulder.
The other kids went after her and he hugged them both, still having Fatima in his arms.
"Ah." She passed him her lollipop but he refused it with a 'Go give it to daddy'.
"But Daddy is fasting."
Amira didn't miss the look that went through Ali to Umar and the wily smile he gave him.
"Farouq's fasting?" He asked Fauziyya.
She bobbed her head. "Yeah."
"So I'm not the only one surprised after all." Khalil bantered.
Umar rose up from his seat, stretching his shirt. "I have somewhere to be_"
"You're going nowhere." Ali put the girl down. "I think we need to talk, in private."
"Is something wrong?" Fauziyya asked, sweeping her gaze between them.
"No, I think we're good. Very good actually." Umar smiled at her.
"Well," Ali swung his hand to the direction of the kitchen and Umar acceded.
He closed the door the moment Umar was in and went to the fridge, got a bottle of water and uncapped it.
"Take it."
Umar laughed out.
"It ain't funny, you're fucking breaking that fast."
Umar clamped his hands on the kitchen island behind him. "Well there isn't much of a reason to fast again after what I saw earlier but I made you and your wife a promise."
Ali scowled. "Which is?"
"A better life, in her words."
"Don't tell me she asked you to do this."
"No no no, she has no idea. She just said to put her in prayer, didn't know it's for her actually."
"You're fucking drinking this." He launched at him but Umar held the bottle.
"I'm gonna multiply the intended fasts if you do this."
Ali's jaw fell lax.
"So let me do it for a week, as intended. I don't wanna lose too much weight."
"You shitting me?"
"Chill out." He collected the bottle from him and put it aside. "It's for your own good and Amira is a very good lady, that I'm sure of. Moreover, we're already advancing." He winked at him and turned around with a smile which he swallowed immediately he stepped out of the kitchen.
"You still leaving?" Khalil asked him when he reached the living room.
"Maybe not."
* * *
She walked into him in front of his laptop, he's seated on the floor with papers scattered everywhere, from the sofa to the rug to the console.
She couldn't understand how a person survives always in front of systems and files, how fun is that? He's never involved in gay activities, he barely even sat when the men were around and they stayed till late evening, he'd left home for some hours and has been in his room ever since, rather work the whole day than do something else. Always working. Maybe he's also addicted to it.
And about his 'coffee dependence', she'll lift the no-coffee ban. She didn't throw away all his coffee actually, she hates wasting food. She only stacked them away in the pantry and she'd take them out later or maybe early tomorrow morning, addictions don't just get cured by cutting off intake at a go.
Umar had talked to her before they left that evening and she must say, his words had an effect on her.
"I can see you're trying to make him loosen up to you and it's a very good move if you ask me. Ali's quite abstruse and lonesome, very very headstrong too. He'd use a lot of company but won't let it so he has to be played hard at times but... can you take it easy on him? Not totally easy, just moderately. If you play him too hard he might close off and we won't want that at all. I trust you Amira and I know you can do it."
"Did Ali talk to you about it?" She'd asked.
"Don't you think I have every reason to believe that?"
Well she doesn't think she's playing him too hard cos Ali is opening up and that's what she wants.
"Have you forgotten the way to your room?"
Okay, the grumpy guy's back. Not the cool one she had workout with or the cheeky one she hit by the staircase. Another thing with him is his mood swings, it could happen within seconds.
"I can never mistake my room, it's my little paradise."
"Then what are you doing here?" He glared at her.
She smiled and proceeded to sit across him, kept the books with her on the empty side of the console. "I was watching a real spooky movie just now and I started hallucinating that the ghosts were in my room, I couldn't even watch the end of it."
"I never asked you to watch a horror movie."
"Have you heard about using technology for entertainment? I remember hearing that from you. Well, I went on Netflix and that's where I collided with that movie. Maybe if we'd watch together, I won't be so scared. Nevertheless, I left the movie and I've been trying to concentrate but I just feel like someone's in my room."
He went on with what he's doing, designing a blue print. She could tell that, she offered technical drawing in secondary school.
"That's awesome. What is it?"
"I'm not even comfortable with you here so if you must stay, do that quietly."
"Okay." She replied in acquiescence.
He continued on his Corel draw and she flipped open her notebook then took two bars of chocolate from the one he'd bought for her the day before and handed it to him.
"Chocolate?"
"No."
She shrugged and unwrapped one, took a nibble.
"Do you need help?"
"I thought you had something to do." He gritted.
"Just have to copy this note."
He sent her a scowl. "Then you do that, quietly."
"C'mon you_"
"And I mean you shut the fuck up!"
Her heart missed a beat, flooding cold sensations over her. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. "So much anger."
"Amira get out."
"Now what?" She whined.
"For fuck's sake_"
"Okay, I'll be quiet, chill. I'm sorry."
He faced his laptop again and she took her pen, started writing. But she couldn't help her stubborn self and she opened to the end of the notebook, scribbled something down and cut the page and passed it to him.
His eyes moved to the paper behind his system and he shot her a base look.
She pointed at the paper with her eyes and he stared at it then slipped it off and crumbled it in a flash.
She quickly held his hand as he made to throw it. "Please, don't."
"I said you shut the fuck up." He clipped, flinging the paper away.
She slumped her shoulders. "I know, I'm sorry if I'm troubling you or distracting but I'm really scared of being alone, lemme stay and I promise I'll try to be quiet, please."
He sized her up. "You aren't sleeping here so do what you have to and go away."
"Don't worry, I have no intention of sleeping here, I'll just copy this and I'm out."
"And you'd better stick to that."
She took to her writing and he also carried on. Some moments later and she got tired so she leaned over the couch to rest her back.
It wasn't intentional, she would never have thought in her wildest imaginations that she'd do that that night, it just happened, you can never refuse nature and in the most uncomfortable situation, she dozed off.
* * *
Hello guys, a late update yeah but I just had to update.
Eid Mubarak to y'all beautiful peeps, where's my sallah meat?🍗🍖
And it's your girl's birthday today, so this is a small gift to y'all 🎁
Spoil me like you always do😁🎀🥰
Xoxo ❣