23/24.
REPLACEMENT GIRL 👧
CHAPTER 23
*AHMAD’S POV*
“Goddammit!” I cursed un-der my breath as I hit the steering wheel of my car. I was furious, you know, and that was because the engine had refused to reignite. “Damn!” I stormed out of the car and kicked one of the front tyres with my foot. Why today of all days? I wondered.
Today was Sunday and I had just finished shopping for dinner in Kure Ultramodern Market, Minna. When I c@m£ with my car it was fine but now I didn’t know what happened to it.
I pu-ll-ed out my phone from my pocket about calling my mechanic when a man in dark blue caftan appeared with a Salam. He was very fair, just like me but was more taller in height.
“as-salama Alaykum (peace be upon you)” He greeted me.
“Wa’alaykas Salam (peace be upon you too)” I responded.
“Your car, what is wrong with it?” He asked.
“It doesn’t want to revive” I complained.
“Can I help?” He rose a brow.
“Are you a mechanic?” I asked because he didn’t look like one. He looked pampered.
“No, but I studied Mechanical Engineering in Federal University of Technology, Minna” He proudly said while wearing a broad smile on his face.
“Okay then” I said as I handed him the car key.
“Bismillah (in the name of Allah)” He said as he stormed into the car. And after having tried severally to ignite the engine into action but to no avail, he alighted from the car and opened the bonnet. “Something is wrong with the coil” He said as he began tou-ching things. I only kept looking at him, and as soon as he was done he returned back into the car and like miracle the engine revived after two consecutive attempts. He turned it off and turned it on again, it was fine. Thus, he turned it off and stormed out of the car. “You are good to go” He said handing the key back to me.
“Wow, thank you!” I gladly collected the key with a smile. “How much is your settlement?” I asked as I gently pu-ll-ed out my wallet from one of my jeans pockets. “Tell me plea-se, you deserve to be rewarded”
“You think I did this for money?” He sm-irked and extended his hand for a shake. “My name is Kamal Suleiman, but you can call me Ka7”
“Ka7?” I puzzled as we shook hands.
“Yes, the ‘Ka’ stands for my name while the ‘7’ stands for 7th born. I am the 7th born in my family” He said and continued. “And you?”
“Ahmad Jaafar Zaki, the sole heir of Zaki Company” I proudly introduced myself.
“Wow!” He dropped his jaw. “Hmm, I know your products. They are allover our house”
“Really?” I beamed.
“Yes!” He responded. “Nice to meet you, sir”
“You are welcome” I said as I swiped throu-gh my phone to the dialer. “Say your number plea-se”
“Okay” He said and then gave me his contact.
I flashed him and asked him to save my contact. He looked younger than me and appeared to be from a wealthy family too. We talked for some minutes before we finally bade each other goodbye.
Hence I drove back home and hopefully, Rania wasn’t angry with me for my lateness. I helped her cooked the dinner and after that we ate and observed our magrib and isha prayers before retiring for the night. It was a great day, actually!
…
The following day after taking my breakfast, I bade Rania goodbye and drove to work. I didn’t normally go to work at such early hours but I had a meeting to attend to in Zaki Headquarters which my father was the person in charge. It was about the expansion of Zaki Group to other continents. Many shareholders would be there as well.
I took some valuable files from my table and summoned my secretary throu-gh the intercom. “Jemima, I am re-ady” I said and in less than a minute she appeared before me.
“Help me with these files, the meeting is about to start” I said extending the bulky files to her.
“Okay, but…” She hesitated.
“But what?” I rose a brow.
“I am kind of, I don’t know, feeling feverish” She said as she gently took the files from me.
“Feverish?” I said as I placed my ha-rd el on her n£¢k. Her temperature was somehow high. “Sorry” I heaved a sigh and collected the files from her. “You should go home, Jemima”
“Okay sir, but who will esc-rt you there? Should I call Sophia, Shuaibat, or Humairah?” She said.
“Call Humairah” I said without a second thought.
“Okay sir” She said and left.
…
After nearly two minutes later, Humairah c@m£ into my office with anger written allover her face. “I am here sir, what do you want?” She queried.
Actually, she looked so beautiful even with the angry face. Wait, did I just admired her? Like seriously? “I want you to help me with these files” I said.
“That’s Jemima’s work!” She snapped at me.
“Yes but Jemima isn’t feeling fine” I said.
“Oh, okay, should I call…” She was saying when I cut in.
“Silence!” I exclaimed and that made her to jo-lt. Thus, I huffed and took the files to her. “Follow me with them and if you try anything selfish I swear to God I will… I am going to…” I couldn’t even find the right words to use so I left her there and walked out of the factory to my car outside. I knew she would definitely follow me so I patiently waited for her in the car. It was quarter to 9am and the meeting would hold by 9am dot. One thing I still didn’t un-derstand was my feelings for Humairah, was it love or what? I didn’t just un-derstand!
“Open the door, sir!” She said as soon as she arrived, she was standing by the back door.
“Come to the front, I nee-d you here” I said.
“Huh?!” She squealed. “But I… I thought I was only going to convey the files to your car that’s all”
“No, you are also following me to our headquarters!” I said.
“But why me of all people, sir?” She asked.
“I also don’t know” I uttered as I unlocked the door for her by pressing a bu-tton. “Drop the files in the back and come sit in the front with me” I added like the boss I used to be.
“Okay then” She said, and guess what? She dropped the files in the back seat and sat close to them. “Let’s go, sir!” She rudely uttered.
“Hey, Humairah!” I turned to her. “Are you not supposed to be in the front with me?” I asked.
“Sir, I didn’t heard you well” She rolled her eyes at me and began operating her phone.
“Fine!” I angrily said as I turned and started the car. “Make sure you fasten your seatbelt”
“Don’t even pretend as if you care” She said in what seemed like a whisper.
“You said what?” I asked to be sure of what I heard.
“Nothing” She muttered.
***************
CHAPTER 24
*HUMAIRAH POV*
Against my will, I esc-rted Ahmad to their headquarters. It was a 15 sto-rey building and the meeting was going to take place in the t©p floor thus, we both had to use the elevator.
“Are you still angry with me?” Ahmad broke the silence that had crept upon us. “plea-se don’t be angry with me, okay?” He beamed.
I didn’t say anything to him because I didn’t have his time. The bulky files I was holding had alre-ady began taking their toll on me, I was so eager for us to reach our destination.
“Here we are, my angel” He said leading the way out of the elevator as soon as we reached the appropriate floor, it was so very crowded.
I should just pretend he didn’t call me his angel. If I was the naive girl I was in the past three years then I would’ve been happy he called me his angel but now, now that I knew a lot about him, now that I knew men could call you sweet names and even escalate to the point of spending lot of money on you just to get what they want, I didn’t think I could ever fall for his tricks. If he loved me he should just say it out, what’s the big deal?
…
“Good day Mr. Khan” Ahmad greeted an Asian man in a Pakistani attire.
“Ahmad, my boy, how are you?” The man said as they both shook hands with each other.
“I am fine sir, how about you and Kashaf?” Ahmad said as they began walking together.
“I am fine, Kashaf too. She had been asking about you, she wanted to come but I told her to stay because she has exam tomorrow” The man said and continued. “How is your wife?”
“She’s fine…” Ahmad replied.
They kept talking while walking until we reached a very big room. There was a round table for discussion inside and there were lot of people seated in their seats, some of whom were foreigners from different counties.
“Keep the files here Humairah, let me go and greet my father and his business as-sociates” He said as he walked away as fast as he could.
I dropped the files on the table close to a tag which had “Ahmad Jaafar” written on it. Every t©p official could locate his seat throu-gh the tags, that means people like me would not have a place to sit. Like seriously? Hmmm!
I watched Ahmad as he walked over to a very old man and greeted him. It was his father, I hadn’t seen the man in real life until today. I had only seen his portrays in Ahmad’s house and also in the factory. He was more fair in real life and Ahmad was just like him.
“Attention everyone, this is my son… Ahmad” The man said throu-gh the mini microphone in front of him.
They all cl@pped their hands as Ahmad waved at them before returning back to where I was. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting?” He said as he sat in his seat and opened the files.
“You just don’t know what is bothering me, where do you expect me to sit?” I frowned.
“Can’t you see how other people are standing too? Just stand there!” He said in a command tone. “After all, I am practically your boss”
“Like seriously?” I puzzled.
“No, like affirmatively!” He snapped.
“Hmm!” I muttered and remained silent.
The meeting began with an open prayer from a Saudi Arabian, introduction by Ahmad’s father’s personal as-sistant, and then the main discussion by the people that mattered. They kept talking and talking until they were done.
“Thanks for backing me up, dad” Ahmad said as soon as we walked to his father after the meeting. “I just hope that they’re fully with us”
“You don’t nee-d to bother, I have everything un-der control” His father as-sured him smiling.
“Alright dad, I should be going back to the factory. I have some unfinished business to take care of” Ahmad apprised him amicably.
“Okay son, take care of yourself” His father said with a broad smile on his face. “May Allah bless you”
“Ameen, dad” Ahmad took his bow, hence we left the building to his car. I was so exhausted holding his fv¢king files so I threw them in the back seat and just as I was about hopping into the car he held my hand firmly.
“Huh?” I glared at him.
“plea-se, just stay in the front with me” He said.
“But why? Why are you doing this as if you love me?” I abs£ntmindedly uttered.
“Hmm” He gulped staring at me. “I am so sorry for the past and for everything, I know I really fv¢ked up!”
That moment, something told me he was trying to confess his feelings for me. I was eagerly waiting for him to do that for I had been waiting for this day to come. He should just say it out. “St©p hurting yourself” I said.
“Yes, I think I am hurting myself and I think it’s high time I st©p” He said as he gently drew me more closer to him. “Humairah, I… I… I lov…”
“Wow, seems like my friend’s got a side chick!” A tall guy appeared from nowhere and interrupted such a rare occasion. He snatched away my chance of hearing what was de-ep inside Ahmad’s heart. I was so annoyed!
“Ka7!” Ahmad said as he quic-kly re-leased my hand and walked to the guy. “What are you doing here? I didn’t expect you here, man!”
They shook hands with each other.
“Well, I was also in the meeting chamber. Didn’t I told you yesterday that your products are allover our house? That’s because my father is a shareholder too…” The idiot guy explained.
“Oh, Alhaji Suleiman Wushishi??” Ahmad dropped his jaw while wi-dening his eyes.
“Yes, he’s my father!” The guy pouted.
“Sorry I told him to shut up in the meeting” Ahmad implored him in a guilty manner.
“Oh no, you guys alre-ady resolved it” The guy said as he win-ked at me. “I hope your wife doesn’t know about this?”
“About what?” Ahmad pretended ignorance.
“About this your side chick” The guy said and win-ked at me again. I had to give him a glare.
“She’s working with me so don’t think too much” Ahmad said gesturing to me to enter the car, he was wearing that BOSS face again!
“Really?” The guy uttered and continued. “Ahmad, if that is the case then I love her. Hook me with her since she’s not your side chick!”
I was surprised on hearing that. Love or lvst? I asked myself as I stormed into the car as ordered by Ahmad. People like that Ka7 guy are evil, the way he was wi-nking at me told me all he wanted was my b©dy. Well, who had his time? He should look for someone else not me!
Or I should give him a trial?
Tbc