Umaima attempted to slap away the napkin I threw at her, but the key word was attempted as the tissue fell flat on the table exactly at the same time Umaima did some overexaggerated kung-fu slap.
Hand mid-air.
Eyes wide.
A slow blush crept on her cheeks.
“I was going to ask how you two became friends, but it allmakes sense now.” Despite there being chairs all around, Osama perched his bottom on the tiny ledge of the window.
Umaima sneered right at him. “And what makes you think we would have told you that story?”
“They bonded over a campus cat,” Hasan interrupted without looking up from his phone.
An odd look passed by Osama’s face before contorting it back to its original expression.
Umaima whipped her head. “Seriously, Hasan bhai?”
He shrugged. “I was getting tired of watching two people with one brain cell communicate.”
“Ouch,” Osama rubbed over his heart.
A smile tickled the back of my pressed lips.
“Actually,” Umaima rolled her eyes before crossing her arm over the other. “Addie and I met through a little deal.”
“You diddrugs?” Hasan glared at his sister, but she simply batted her hand like it was nothing.
“No, how did you hear drugs fromthat? Adelaide sold handmade jewellery back in college. It was lowkey and she did these custom designs for everyone,” she extended her hand so she could show the bracelet I made for her years ago. The chain supplemented her elegant wrists with green gemstones. Back then, I thought I’d be making jewellery as a career. I’d own multiple stores, be the boss of it, but I’d spend time making each unique piece for every customer that wanted it for themselves.
But Eda had other plans for me.
“Holy shit,” Osama let out breathlessly. “That’s amazing.”
A blush spread across my cheeks.
Without realising it, I twirled the ring aroundmy finger.
“Holy mother freaking shit,” Umaima pulled my hand towards her, making me half-stand and fall over the table. “This had to cost like a million dollars.”
The incandescent blue shone brighter under the sunrays, who also wanted a peek at the new ring. The blue was magical and unlike any rock I’d ever seen. Oddly, it seemed familiar. Like I’d seen it somewhere before. Considering it wasn’t unique, I might have passed by it once.But I wonder where?
Hasan grabbed Umaima’s hand and dragged both of us towards him. I sprawled over the table, while Umaima was half-off her chair. His brows knitted together in confusion while carefully touching the stone. His mouth widened a fraction. “It’s beautiful,” is all he said before he fixed his attention to the very man who put the ring on my finger.
Dashing, smouldering, and…
“If you’re done chit chatting,” Christian’s arm brushed against my shoulder as he placed my order in front of me. “Can we talk business?”
So demanding.
His hair sat perfectly, parted in the middle, and one side more flattened down than the other. Some inner strands naturally waved against the straight ones, making him appeal ruggish.
Not wanting to torture myself, I looked away.
“Are you always like this?” Umaima placed her arms on the table, in hopes of intimidating him.
Through my peripheral vision—Christian’s jaw tightened—he wasn’t the least bit bothered by her domineering actions.
Which was rare, because even Hasan occasionally got intimidated.
