ALIYA

Chapter 27 - Aliya

"Hello, Good Afternoon sir" I said upon entering the Media Director's office, he looked busy with his laptop.

"Afternoon Aliya" He said as he glanced at me. "Is that your report for the month?"

"Yes sir" I said about handing over the paperwork in my hand to him when he rejected it with a gesture.

"Take it to the CEO please" He said making me to puzzle.

"To the CEO?" I confusingly asked because he was the one I normally used to submit my reports to.

"Yes, to the CEO" He said and continued. "I already took others' to him yesterday"

"Subhanallah, I thought today is the last day?" I kvetched.

"No Aliya," He stopped what he was doing and looked at me. "Yesterday was the last day not today"

"But today is Saturday sir, and you normally submit our reports every last day of the month which happens to be today" I muttered.

"Oh, well," He cleared his throat as he continued with his work. "Things have changed now"

"Things have what?" I glared at him. "You should have told me this beforehand, sir!"

"Yes, but I forgot to" He said making me to feel like slapping him.

"You broke my heart sir" I said to him and then left without waiting for him to say whatever he had to say. He had indeed broke my heart the fact that he left me no choice but to submit my report to Bilal myself, but would I even be able to do that?

Maybe I should just give it to someone, probably Cassandra because Bilal and I had been minding our own business ever since we communicated last, which was a week ago. He had asked us not to come into each other's way, hence going to his office now was a bad idea.

If he saw me he might shun me or do something I might not like, he was a bad mam after all. Don't say I hate him too much but if he wasn't a bad guy then who was he? Gosh, I can't believe he had everything I needed in a man but unfortunately there was no way I could ever marry him.

Firstly, he didn't have respect for women. If you could recall the first day we met he had called me a bitch 😭. It was my fault though because I bumped into him but wait a minute, didn't he saw me coming or was he also carried away by thoughts just like I was? I mulled over as I headed into the elevator.

Secondly, he used to look at me weirdly. Even Fawad that was good at dirty talks barely look at me the way Bilal used to. Bilal would stare at my body as if he hid something in it, and he wouldn't take off his eyes in time. Trust me, something tells me he was only after my body!

Thirdly, he had a beautiful wife that obviously loved him with her whole heart. So why should I even marry him? Lest I forget, he was also stubborn and... and... I don't even know what to say anymore but Bilal isn't just the type of man I could marry even though he had everything I needed in a man.

I stepped out of the elevator and began walking towards Cassandra, I was already at Bilal's floor and it was quiet as always. The only thing you could hear was the sound of Cassandra typing her keyboard, a receptionist cum secretary. She was one of the nicest people in our Head Office.

"Hey miss, don't break that keyboard" I teased walking over to her.

"Oh, is my typing that noisy? Good Afternoon Aliya" She said.

"Afternoon, miss. How have you been?" I said standing before her.

"Good o!" She huffed, probably tired. "How about you?" She asked.

"Alhamdulillah, I am fine" I said handing over the paperwork in my hand to her. "Please keep this for Bilal, it's my report for the month"

"Your report?" She rejected it. "I am sorry, I thought all reports have been submitted since yesterday? And do you even know what? Board meeting is in few minutes time!" She said obviously feeling sorry for me. Actually, reports were usually addressed every last board meeting of the month hence all reports ought to be submitted before then.

"Gosh, I didn't actually know things have changed Cassandra. I wasn't really notified by the head of my department wallahi" I heaved a sigh and continued. "But now that I know, I think you need to help me. Just drop the report in Bilal's table for me and come back, I will be waiting for you here please"

"No Aliyah, it's better if you do that by yourself. Just take it to him, he will accept it with one heart. After all you are beautiful, and I believe you know him very well" She winked at me.

"Know him very well?" I wrinkled a brow at her, I didn't really get what she said. The statement has many meanings.

"Yes, or don't you know the kind of person he..." She couldn't complete her words when he stormed out of his office, he was in a bodyhug caftan and trust me it fits him. "Sir?" Cassandra stood to her feet.

"Yes Cassandra," He said pretending as if he didn't notice me. He had only glanced at me, that's all.

"Do you need anything sir?" She politely asked.

"Yes, can you help me with the staff reports on my table? I need you to follow me to the conference room with them" He said.

"Okay sir!" She said as she quickly left her desk and ran past him into his office.

"Take the selected ones only, the ones I placed a stapler on them" He said.

"Okay sir!" I heard responded from inside the office.

"Yes, they are the most important ones for now" He added and then sighed. All that while, I kept staring at him without knowing I was until he turned and our eyes met. I quickly turned my face away. "Is that your report, stranger?" He asked making me to look at him again, did he just called me a stranger? I gulped.

"Yes, it's my report sir!"

"May I have it?" He stretched his hand.

"Sure!" I said walking over to him, only for me to eventually lose my balance. It was strange, and I really thought I would see myself on the floor but somehow he quickly get hold of me and gently brought me back to my feet.

"Here are the..." I heard Cassandra said and then paused, probably looking at us by now. She had got the reports he asked her to help him with. "Sorry, I think I should go ahead of you sir" She said as she politely excused us.

One funny thing was that I was so speechless, I couldn't even thank Bilal for preventing me from falling nor tell him to take his hands off my waist now that I was finally back on my feet. I just stood there, inhaling his scent with my head by his chest. I could even hear his heart beating fast even though his breath was normal. "I should be going, or what do you think?" He said in what seemed like a whisper.

"Oh, yes... yes!" I nodded vigorously as I gently pulled away from him. "You should sir"

"Okay then" He collected my report and then left.

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Hmm, Hello!

I updated fast this time around right?

Well, it all depends on inspiration.

Thanks for reading💖

Also, Happy Birthday to one of our sisters here; Wunizaligu. She's also a writer, you can check her books. Thank you in advance.