A gentleman's dignity

Chapter 4 - Dinner Invitation

In a luxurious room sound of water running through the shower could be heard. The walls of the room could be seen painted in elegance and the floor carpeted with utter magnificence. Heavy embroidered curtains covering the huge wall slider caused a blackout in the colossal room. Meanwhile, the door knocked softly followed by a young little voice:

"Xiao ge! What do you want for dinner? I'm thinking to order something."

No reply came.

"...."

Is he still sleeping or something? She was thinking when she heard:

"Ding-Dong" The doorbell rang making her check at the door.

"Mr. Amer!... Please come... How may I help you?" She said while opening the door half wide.

"Hello, Miss Lu! Is Mr. Xiao Cheng inside?" Mr. Amer, a well-dressed man in his 40's probably, head administrator of the "SS estate" asked in a professional tone while standing outside the wicket gate of the minimalist luxury villa. Mimi asked him to come inside, but the man's reaction was simply... Illegible, at least for her it was.

"That's fine with me Miss. I can come again if he is engaged somewhere." He was just going to turn away when Mimi said:

"But... Wait! Mr. Amer. Let me see him first and.... please have a seat inside." The man was still giving the same reaction as if unwilling to go inside. A slight frown visible between his brows, he sighed and replied:

"I'm sitting there in the community garden. Please let me know if your Boss can see me or if he is willing to meet me at some other time." Again, in a professional tone, he stated and walked away towards the garden. 

She tilted her head in confusion and closed the wicket gate but did not lock it. She rushed towards her boss's bedroom and started knocking in a bashful manner to which the door got opened in an instant standing there was a man with a face of "what on earth has happened" written all over.

"Gege! How long were you thinking to be in bed?" Mimi said while panting heavily.

His left brow arched at this statement, silver-rimmed spectacles pushed back by the slender finger behind which a pair of Phoenix eyes blinked with a pause depicting that he was doing nothing closer to what his assistant was thinking.

"Aaa... Mr. Amer is waiting for you in the community garden."

"What for?"

"He said he wanted to check on our adjustment here."

"Hmm... Hey! You.... didn't invite him inside?"

"I swear boss he was too convinced to be outside that he rejected my offer twice and walked away in the garden. He told me to inform him about your availability or he will come some other time." She was stating her response defensively and couldn't see a reflection of novelty that appeared in his eyes for an instant before turning to normal.

"Mimi! Prepare some snacks. I'll be taking him inside. He is an industrious official of this community, Yet he is here taking care of us." Saying this he grabbed his black mask and left the house.

Entering the garden area which was almost opposite to the villa in which they were staying, he looked around and spotted that man sitting on a stone bench talking on his phone. The garden area was lit with pretty twinkie lights hanging over neatly shaped shrubs while the grass felt so lush and smooth to walk on. It was getting dark which made the garden look extraordinarily beautiful. He strode towards the man and stopped right in front of him. Seeing a shadow before him, the man looked over and found a tall young man in grey sweats undoing his dark mask. A pair of black, rare phoenix eyes with a full lower eyelid and rounded upper eyelid gave off a sense of innocence when looking up. The shape of eyes slanting downwards but the outer ends hooking up and just as he looked down at the man, with the shadows of thick lashes and eyes following the S line completely changed his look into sharp and aggressive. His unkempt black hair touched his forehead, brows expanding outwards proportionately, nose perfectly shaped below which thin red lips parted to speak which revealed a pair of rabbit teeth.

Seeing the young man standing before him the man smiled and his lips mumbled something which Xiao Cheng could not hear. He had ended his call already. Before he could stand to greet the young man, Xiao Cheng bowed his head paying respect to the elder, and made him be seated at the very place.

"May I sit here?" The young man politely asked while scratching his earlobe, revealing a black dot-shaped mole looking like an ear stud. He was "an oriental beauty." The man smiled politely and made Xiao Cheng sit beside him by grabbing his forearm lightly. Then he put both of his hands before him for the handshake to which Xiao Cheng responded by putting his hand in that man's hand.

"Assalamo - Alaikum Mr. Xiao Cheng."

Xiao Cheng bowed his head in response to that greeting unknowing how to respond in words. Mr. Amer smiled and explained:

"It's our tradition to greet by a handshake and saying salaam. It means peace be upon you."

"ow... that's great. Really."

"Well. Getting down to business, are you doing well in this place?"

"Yeah. It's going good."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah. Well. I was not expecting our accommodation to be a whole luxury villa. As it's pretty ordinary for us celebrities to stay in hotel "rooms" during our trips and I was expecting the same this time. But anyway..."

"Well yeah, your case is an exception. Because of the political reason as well as keeping your trip confidential, we had to change your accommodation here."

"This means it was not your plan initially?"

"Yeah. Your company was quite worried about your stay in that place because that is frequented by international tourists including famous media persons from your country. So, your manager and our administration thought of this solution and officially arranged your accommodation here.

"Wow. I think my coming here has become a headache for your people." He chuckled a little.

"Not really. This community is the largest hybrid project between government and private sectors established for elite expatriates. As your trip is of great significance for the government so we had to be responsible for such arrangements. It is no doubt one of the most talented neighborhoods you would see in Dubai."

"I see... Mr. Amer..." He addressed him in reluctance as to ask him or not.

"Take it easy young man and say whatever you want." Indeed Mr. Amer was a professional administrator with keen eyes.

"My assistant told me that she invited you inside the house but you rejected her offer and came into the garden to wait for me... I am really curious to know why?" Mr. Amer looked at the young man for a moment and then turned his face in front and said:

"I am a Muslim Mr. Xiao Cheng... Your assistant was not confirmed whether you could be able to attend to the guest or not. So, in that case, it would be inappropriate for me to stay inside that house where that young lady was alone until you would be there." Xiao Cheng had guessed the very reason beforehand but still, it was a decorous gesture by that senior man.

"That's so thoughtful of you Mr. Amer."

Mr. Amer just nodded in response and asked something else:

"Did you go out to eat something?"

"Not yet but we will tomorrow."

"In Sha ALLAH... But there is no such restriction that you can't go tonight. Right? Tell your assistant that I'm taking you both to dinner where my team is waiting for you anxiously. They have already called me multiple times."

"Why didn't my manager inform me?" He sighed in disappointment and called Mimi who was waiting for them to get inside the villa. After a few minutes, Mimi came outside the house where Mr. Amer and Xiao Cheng were waiting for her. Then they left with Mr. Amer in his car.

To be continued.....