Flashbacks

'' The company is mine? All mine? '' I look confused at my grey hairy dad.

'' Yes my son, all yours... '' He says looking up at me.

'' Why so sudden? You love this company, you live for this company? '' I tell him.

'' But why should I continue working with the company when I'm dying soon? '' He fake smiles.

'' Dad, what are you saying? You're still too young to die, It's not like you have leukemia. '' I chuckle.

'' Well, I do. '' He says smiling. I freeze, I look at him confused. '' My son, I only have two years left. ''

'' He only has two years to live Nawal, what should I do? '' I feel tears dropping from my eyes, Nawal wipes them away with her thumb. '' He's my only family, I don't have anyone else. My mother left me when I was a kid. '' I explain. '' What should I do? I can't continue working. '' She takes a deep breath before she talks.

'' Boss, don't be negative and don't think about it. This won't solve anything. Right now you need to think about how to make your father proud of you, so when It's time he could rest in peace. '' She says smiling. '' What do you mean? '' I ask her confused. '' You need to make him proud of you even if he already is, you have to make him the happiest and luckiest man alive before he leaves this world. ''

'' How? '' I ask her cluelessly. She smiles, '' By making '' Bayaroads Company '' the most famous and known company in the whole America '' She explains.

Damn, she's right. I have to make my father proud of me. '' Then promise me that you'll always be on my side. '' I say. '' I promise, jerky! '' She chuckles and winks at me, I laugh. For the first time, I feel that I could trust and talk to a person, and for the first time, I feel someone by my side. '' Can I hug you? '' I ask her. She looks at me,

'' I'll give you 6 seconds. '' She says and I smile,

I feel his hand running down to my waist and how he slowly pulls me to him, I feel him placing his other hand in my back, then he gently hugs me. Our body's touching, including my breast touching his chest. Ya Allah, what am I doing? I feel butterflies going crazy in my stomach and how my heartbeats. He rests his head on my shoulder, I smell his cologne and oh my gosh, his future wife is so lucky.

I am pretty sure I gave him 6 seconds but It feels like a few minutes. He finally pulls away but his hands are still in my back, our heads are 1 centimeter from each other and our lips, our lips is a half-centimeter from each other. We look deeply into each other eyes and oh my goodness-

'' Boss- '' We hear Loren come in and we immediately let get of each other, but I'm pretty sure she saw much. I look at her and she looks pretty shocked and confused. '' Uhh, yeah Loren? Do you want something? '' Matthew asks Loren. '' The file you asked for... '' I hear her voice trembling, freak! I screwed up! '' Thank you, Loren. '' He thanks her, Loren looks at me and then Matthew. She nods and walks out.

'' I'm sorry, I'll meet you later. '' I tell Matthew and run after Loren. I see her walking into the bathroom and I walk in after her. I see her looking at herself in the mirror. She looks at me, '' Loren, I can explain! '' I say.

'' What do you want to explain? '' She says frustrated. '' I hugged him, yes. But nothing more! I had a reason for it too! '' I explain, '' What was more important than your religion's rules? '' Ouch, that hit me. '' Listen Nawal, if you keep playing these games then why are you wearing that scarf around your head? '' She says.

'' It frustrates me how Muslim women go around and drag about how clean they are but at the end of the day, they do things no one expects them to do. '' She says. '' His father has cancer! ''

She looks confused at me, '' What? '' She panics. '' Tha- Yo- I'm sorry I should- ''

'' No, you're right. I disrespected my religion. '' I say. '' Shut up Nawal! I was angry, I didn't mean it at all! '' She explains, '' Nothing happened. '' I tell her and she smiles. '' I know, I'm sorry. '' She says and hugs me and I hug her back.

Fuck! What was I thinking? I almost kissed a Muslim woman, a woman who has probably never touched a guy before and probably won't until she gets married. What's happening to me? I need to apologize to her as fastest I can. What I did could get her in big trouble, thank god no one saw us expect Loren.

But that feeling, that feeling. It made me go crazy, It made me wanna hug her for a few hours more. That feeling told me Kiss Her Right Here, Right Now. Damn that feeling. Wait what I'm I thinking?! Ugh, shut your mind. How can I kiss a Muslim woman? Pfft, all these women and I want to kiss a Muslim woman, that's bullshit.

'' '' I smile, Ryan has been my best friend since we were born. Our fathers are best friends so in that way we grew up with each other. But then Ryan had to move to London because he wanted to study there.

'' '' He chuckles.

'' '' I ask him.

'' '' I hear him chuckle again.

'' '' I yell.

'' '' He laughs and hangs up.

I sit with Ryan in the living room eating some pizza and talking about everything that happened over the past years. '' Bro she was screaming his name and throwing up, I swear these Uk people are crazy. '' He says and we laugh. '' I can't believe you went through all that '' I chuckle, '' Bro I told you, they're crazy. '' We laugh.

'' So are you still dating Melissa? '' He asks, the only name I didn't want to hear. '' No, I broke up with her already. '' I tell him. '' Why bro? '' He asks and I take a deep breath. '' She wanted to get married but you know already I don't want to get married, and I will never get married so she cheated on me.''

'' Bro, that's fucked up. '' He says and I nod. '' She already left for Canada, It's better this way. ''

'' But I remember she would anything for you? '' He says looking at me. '' That was an act. '' I laugh. It became a little silent between us and all I could think about Nawal, I don't know why? It's not like that was my first hug from a girl, I've fucked over a thousand girls. But that hug, ugh I can't stop thinking about it.

'' What are you thinking about? '' Ryan asks me, I look at him. '' Nothing. '' I lie. '' You think you could lie to your best friend? '' He says smiling. '' It's nothing, trust me. ''

'' Why won't you tell me, bro? I can see that there's something on your mind. '' He says seriously. I take a deep breath. '' Have you fallen for someone? '' He asks. I take a deep breath again, '' I don't know, I don't think so. But I can't stop thinking about her... ''

'' Bro, you're in love. I knew it, I fucking knew it congratulations, when can I meet her? '' He says excitedly.

'' Ryan, she's Muslim, a Muslim who wears a scarf. A Muslim who will never be mine. ''

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