Be Mine

"Stay". He spoke quietly.

He spoke knowing it was useless, she wouldn't listen to him, at times she did, but the line was drawn, not this time.

"Please".

She said nothing still, just kept her gaze straight as she took determined strides towards the door.

Suddenly she seemed nothing like the woman he'd become so found of, the woman who smiled so easily, who blushed at his comments so shyly, who melted and fit into his arms so perfectly.

She suddenly seemed like the woman he first met, one who would crack a smile only for courtesy demands, one who he once considered as frigid and heartless, she suddenly seemed like the CEO she was, she seemed like the Sayya Bilal he had grown to forget.

He hurried after her, his fingers encircled her wrist at once to stop her from leaving, he was almost relieved when her steps halted and she inclined her head a bit so her gaze fell on his hand holding onto hers.

For a moment he dared to habour a flicker of hope, however it vanished when she raised her teary gaze to meet his......her teary and very much decisive gaze.

Their gazes lingered and she smiled faintly, a smile that said a thousand words, they needed space, a lot of it.

He felt his heart shatter to bits as she gently tugged her hand free, he did nothing, truth is he could only do that much......nothing.

Nothing could ease the pain that engulfed him at that moment, nothing at all, it felt like he had last her, he felt that way though she was his.....

What the heck? Who was he kidding?

Once he could say she was his with no doubt at all, now however, he wasn't sure at all, now...it sound so unreal, so unnatural.

She turned around and resumed walking away.

Sayya, Sayya please.

His voice failed to come out, it seemed to be locked away ,locked far, far away, he wished against all odds that it'd break free and she'd hear him, maybe, just maybe she's stop.

He watched her walk away, she walked out of the house they had made their home, she walked out on him, walked away from everything they ever held dear.

She lay lazily on the bed, sunlight streamed into the room through the parted curtains casting a beautiful golden hue around the room, once again she found herself staring at the all too familiar ceilings, her steady and relaxed breathing slowly changing as her mind traveled back to times before now, times in which all was fine, when all was peaceful.

19 YEARS AGO

She straightened up once her aunts gaze fell on her, she smiled softly at her, the slowly song playing softly was calming as was the soft scent of the rose fragrant that lingered in the air, she could complain about nothing except the fact that her hair was pulled back into a tight bun which caused her head to throb painfully, of course she had complained to her attendant but the fussy woman had disregarded her complaint saying a mild headache was a small price to pay for a sleek bun.

She almost shuddered as she recalled the scorching heat from the stretching comb as it combed through her hair straightening the frizzly strands painfully, she had complained about that too but her attendant had once again disregarded her complaint saying "no pain, no gain".

"Now dear, show me how you hold your teacup". Her aunt Zarah said, her warm gazing finding comfort from resting on her beautiful niece who bore great resemblance to her.

In Nigeria, their bronzy complexion was one which was considered to be the flawless complexion of a 'butter', a complexion which was untainted by the harsh rays of the sun nor the sharp bites of the cold, their wide almond shaped eyes were always lined flawless as were their naturally pink lips which was never....ever caught chapped.

Sayya's smile softened as she focused on the teacup in front of her, carefully she reached out and picked it up by the delicate handle making sure that her pinky stuck out, she raised the rim to her lips slowly and to a small sip before she set the cup down on the saucer.

She raised her gaze to meet aunt Zarah's which held pride and admiration.

"I did well didn't I?". She said, her eyes twinkling with delight.

Aunt Sarah smiled and nodded.

"Yes my sweet, you did great". She said. "Tell you what, you were as graceful as the queen of England".

Sayya's smile grew into a grin at once.

"Does that mean I stand a chance to marry a prince then?". She said, she giggled childishly, her five years of existence had had fantasies of princes and noble knights with regal horses.

Aunt Sarah chuckled.

"Why not?". She said. "You're gonna make a great queen,one fit for kings, you know why?".

Sayya shook her head.

"'Cause my sweet, you're already a princess, a graceful one at that".

She watched her niece smile brightly, deep dimples flashed themselves just as bright.

Sighing she thought "Layla dear, if only you were here to see how much of a beauty your Sayya's turning out to be".

She couldn't hell but remember her sister in-law whom she missed so much, t'was sad she had to be gone so soon, she was a faithful wife to the end, she had said she couldn't leave without her husband, Sayya's father, and true to her words she accompanied him till the very end, they both lost their lives in an accident leaving Sayya in the care of her aunt.

".......and we'd live happily ever after". Sayya's voice brought her out of her reverie.

She nodded quickly and said "Happily ever after, yes, happily ever after indeed".

"You'll be there too you know". Sayya said. "We'll live in the castle together"

She smiled. A castle?

Maybe their great old Powers Empire would be the castle for her princess, she'd grow up to be the Queen of their empire.

16 years later.

How quickly time had passed, how easily everything she loved had faded, how painful it was to remember times lived, memories of priceless moments hurt, moments shared with Aunt Zarah, she still remembered how melodious her voice sounded, how warm and comforting her smile was, how her beautiful brown eyes would gaze at her lovingly .

Her chest tightened as emotions Began swirling within, she took dragged in a deep breath to calm herself.

''Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened'

She'd repeat those words like a mantra until she was calm, or at least till she wasn't at the brink of tears.

She walked to her vanity table and stared into the dressing mirror , she had a business dinner and she had to get ready, she couldn't afford to be late, aunt Sarah would be disappointed if she was.

A small smiled curved her lips as she recalled memories of how Aunt Sarah had fussed over her during her prom, how she had told her she looked like an angel.

"Wish you didn't leave me". She breath quietly. "Wish you were here".

Her reflection stared back at her, a slim lady with high cheekbones, almond shaped eyes, long pointed nose and lush pink lips.

"You're gonna be a real beauty my sweet, just wait and see". Aunt Sarah had said lovingly.

And indeed she had, life had changed a lot since Aunt Sarah passed away, dreams of princes and castles had been replaced by power and empires, were once held Aunt Sarah's warmth now held emptiness and cold.

Again she inhaled deeply and applied the final touches to her make-up, she wrapped a deep blue veil around her head loosely before she stood up, she grabbed her purse and keys and then headed out.

Her heels clacked against the marble floors as she made her way downstairs, the hemming of her light ash colored dress brushed the floor ever so slightly, the deep blue stilettos she had on added to her 5'4 by 3inches , she embodied grace as she descended the stairs, every step controlled and deliberate.

At the bottom of the stairs stood Ima whose smile was bright as always.

"You look beautiful miss". She said once Sayya reached the bottom of the stairs.

"As always".

Sayya smiled warmly before she said

"I'll be out for about 2hours, if I get late just go to bed and don't worry about me".

She said.

Ima was a house help but was considered as more than just that, she was considered family, at times though, for Sayya it was hard to express how much she cared about people, that soft emotional part of her died along with aunt Zarah, her tough exterior was all that was known to most of the people she met, Ima and the other house helps however, knew what she really was like, or what she used to be.

After a small talk with Ima she concluded by saying

"I'll be on my way now".

Ima nodded.

"Take care miss". She said.

Sayya nodded and walked away. On stepping outside the cool night's breeze blew against her, caressing her face ever say softly, the moon glowed brightly illuminating the sleek jet black Mercedes waiting for her to unlock it and get in, it's headlights flashed as she pressed the button of her key to unlock her beloved Raven, she closed the distance between them soon enough and got in, the ignition started with a soft hum, she pulled out of the parking space and made her way onto drive whilst the security man hurried and opened the gates.

"Take care miss". He said as she drove passed him.

She simply smiled and nodded. Of course she'd take care, she always did.

~~~

The drive to Shifu Restaurant was smooth and steady, the night was alive and active as people went about doing their businesses regardless of the hour, it was one of the reasons she loved Kaduna, time could never dampen the active vibes of the people.

During the drive she had enough time to plan and strategize her game, she would be meeting Mr Raysham Muhammad, one of Nigeria's most influential business men, they would be meeting for the first time to discuss a business proposal made prior to their meeting, she had done thorough researches on the Dominion Empire and had found no trace of shady activities, though deep down she had her doubts, Mr Raysham Muhammad had Miraculously raised the Dominion Empire so high in the ranks of successful business empires in the country surpassing many who had been at the top, truth is even her beloved Powers Empire was being threatened my the Dominion Empire, what better way to put an end to rivalry and secure her place at the top than to secure a partnership with the top rival?

For the first time in five years of rivalry she'd be meeting Mr Raysham Muhammad, and she intended to leave the impression she always left on her business associates, strong and independent.

The present

The ringing of her phone brought her out of her reverie, she reached out reluctantly and picked the phone from the bedside table, she stared at the screen for a while, stared at the caller ID which read 'Raysham💜', few seconds till the ringing stopped she answered the call and raised the phone to her ear.

"Did I wake you". Came his calm and controlled voice.

Her heart mourned, after a quiet inhalation of a deep breath she answered

"No,I was already awake".

"How are you?".

How was she?, how was she??

"Good, as always".

"Mind if I stop by later?".

She rubbed her temple wearily and pulled herself up to a sitting position suppressing a groan as the pain in her head hit mercilessly.

"That'd be nice". She began. "But I won't be free today, I have a meeting and several other appointments". She said.

Silence.

She bit her lower lip as she waited for him to speak, finally he said

"Take care of yourself then".

She simply nodded though he couldn't see her.

"I'll call you back later". He said.

"Alright". Was her simple reply.

They both remained quiet after that, both remained on the line, both listened to each others breathing patterns, the quiet inhalations and exhalations, it may have been over the phone but both if them could feel the uneasiness, the presence of a thick and intense tension, unsaid words lingered in the air, words that would probably solve everything.

After a full minute of saying nothing she decided to hang up, she tossed the phone aside and blinked back the tears that threatened to spill, she had made this decision and she would leave with it, with that thought at the back of her mind she climbed out of bed and headed to the adjoining bathroom, it was time to freshen up, time to take the cruel world head on.

***

He sat alone staring into space, staring at nothing in particular, the loneliness was consuming, the emptiness was overbearing and the silence was painful, his mind drifted to the first time he had set his eyes on her, how different she had seemed from every other woman he'd met, how much she had stood out,how she had proved all of his suspicions wrong, how she had surpassed all of his expectations, and how he couldn't understand how things got so messy, so complicated.

3 years ago

Several waitresses had come to take his order and had flirted with him in the process, he had politely refused to order saying he awaited someone.

He glanced at his wristwatch again, he had set the meeting to 9.pm, he had been here thirty minutes early, he expected her to be here by 9:15pm, women and tardiness and all.

The hush hums of posh people talking quietly hung lightly in the atmosphere as did the soft music playing, he sighed and pulled out his phone, hence he was bound to wait for the Tardy Ms. Bilaal he might as well get some work done while he waited.

On tapping the screen of his phone he recalled an overdue phone he had to make, it had slipped his mind completely, his mind had been occupied with strategizing and planning how the meeting would go, no doubts that Ms. Bilaal was a smart woman,one which excelled in a game of manipulation and calculation, one who was his top rival, to get to the top he needed to get close to her, learn how she worked, her strategies, strengths and weaknesses, he needed to know where to strike in other to get to the top, what better way to do all that than to propose a terminal partnership?

He'd learn her game and soon enough he'd play better than her.

He dialed his secretary's line and raised the phone to his ear, it wasn't long before she answered the call.

"Evening Sir". She greeted warmly.

"Evening Safa, I'd like those files transfered to my resident, I want them to be there when I get back". He said.

"Yes sir, on it".

He hung up and looked up when he heard the approaching footsteps of another waitress, he mentally rolled his eyes, did they not get tired of trying?, weren't there other young men they could flirt with??

"Sir". She said softly, she almost purred. "Ms. Bilaal is here".

He arched a brow questioningly,she was here already?, that was quite unexpected.

"Show her to this table please". He said.

She smiled and nodded before she turner around and began walking away swaying her hips wantonly, now he did roll his eyes, that could have been done so much more gracefully he thought.

He dragged in a deep breath to ready himself to meet Ms. Bilaal, it wasn't long before the waitress returned with a lady gracefully trailing behind her, their gazes met and he found it hard to look away, not that he hasn't seen countless pictures of her, just that she looked different, she didn't have the dark and bold make-up plastered on her face, she looked a lot younger than she did in the pictures, she was dressed casually yet she appeared elegant and graceful, he blinked quickly and stood up, it was unprofessional to harbor such thoughts, she was aware of her good looks and she would most definitely use them to her advantage.

He walked around the table and pulled back the chair opposite his for her to sit.

"Please". He said gesturing to the chair.

She smiled courteously and gracefully sat down with a quite

"Thank you".

He returned to his seat, once he was settled and ready to begin he said

"Good evening Ms. Bilaal" .

"Good Evening Mr Muhammad". She said .

"Did you have a pleasant drive here?". He asked out of decorum and courtesy , he was a gentleman after all.

"I did". She said with her softly smile. "Thank you for asking".

Her voice sounded soft and sophisticated, it was laced with a slight English accent which was appealing.

"My pleasure". He said simply, the thick English accent in his tone also ringing out. "Would you like to order now?, I've been here for a while".

He slid the menu across the table gently.

"Oh I see, I believe I'm not quite late". She said glancing at her wristwatch. "In fact I am on time Mr Muhammad".

She cast a smile his way, he saw right through it, he tried not to scoff, he had meant no disrespect when he said he had been here for a while, she was obviously in her professional character, or perhaps that was her default setting.

He smiled subtly.

"That you are". He said, darkness edging his voice.

He watched her slender fingers pick up the menu and open it, she scanned through it before she picked up a pencil and marked something, she closed it, set it down on the table and slid it over to him like he had done.

"Done". She said.

He signalled for a waiter and one of the ladies he'd so never wanted to see again came to take their order.

"I'll have what the lady's having". He said handing her the menu.

She smiled Sleazily and collected it. He cringed mentally.

"Your order will be here soon". She informed before she turned around and walked away .

They waited quietly for their order to arrive, he took in her composed features, an air of nonchalance lingered around her, she appeared as though she was on a casual date with some dude with loads of cheesy pick up lines, her small smile never for once faltering.

Irritation set in as the waitress returned and set down their 'order', his eyes scanned the plates of vegetable salad quickly, he raised his gaze to meet the waitress's at once.

"Your order, sir". She said softly.

She carefully set the plates before them and filler their glasses with water.

"Will that be all?". She asked.

"I'll like a bottle of your rischest wine". He said.

He needed more than just a plate of chopped vegetables to get through the evening.

The waitress nodded and walked away.

It hadn't been part of his plan to have a plate of salad for dinner, but he had no right to complain, after all it was he who said he'd have what the lady ordered, he picked up a fork from the set of arranged cutleries and dug into the salad.

"Vegetarian?". He asked her after he'd forced the awful salad down his throat.

She shook her head.

"No, why?".,she asked as if she really didn't know why he was asking.

He shook his head.

"Never mind". He said.

Was was more than glad when the waitress finally returned with the wine, she set it down along with two glasses and expertly filled them up before she walked away.

He picked up his glass, raised the rim to his lips and took a sip of the wine, the taste was rich and delectable, just as he liked it.

He was about to pour himself another glass when he realized she hasn't touched here's.

"You don't drink wine?". He asked.

She took a small sio from her glass of water before she dabbed at her like softly with a napkin.

"I do, but not on business meetings". She said. "I prefer to do business with a straight head".

He resisted the urge to snicker, so she got tipsy after a few glasses?

"Of course, that's very smart of you Ms. Bilaal". He said. Even a deaf man could hear the sarcasm in his tone. "Its no wonder you're at the level you are today".

She nodded once.

"You don't like the salad?". She said as she cast a glance at his barely touched plate.

He shook his head.

"Its great, but I'd rather not have it right now"". He said.

He could swear he saw a smirk flash on her lips but it was gone almost immediately.

They both remained quiet after that, they finished eating quietly and the table was cleared and ready for business.

After an hour of discussion he was not only impressed by her intelligence but was also swayed by the soft melody of her voice, it was indeed no wonder she was at the level she was, she was a woman, a smart and attractive one at that, she was beauty and brains personified, she stood out, he was determined to see more of her, how great it would be to watch her loosen up, to watch her drop her professional demeanor, how great it would be to actuqly get to know her.

"So Ms. Bilaal, do we have ourselves a deal?". He said.

His eyes never left hers, it felt as though he was staring into a sea of melted brown marbles.

She nodded and said. "Yes, we do have ourselves a deal Mr Muhammad".

With that they both stood up so that they could seal the deal with a handshake.

"I look forward to working with you Ms. Bilaal". He said as their hands locked in a handshake.

"Likewise". Was her simple reply.