x
He showed up.
I was already at my desk when I heard the firm click of his shoes in the hallway.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEG9P3bSGv
7:58 AM. Two minutes early.
Of course he was.
Ayub Selimović was too stubborn to back down and too proud to arrive late.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJ6UyZNGO3
After the way I pushed him yesterday—in front of Emir, in front of the whole team—I expected frost.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHqXTKCo82
Maybe clipped words.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEyu1f639U
Maybe a little fire.
But when he stepped through the door, all I got was calm.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqiQR4WIwX
Polished.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTO0fP3wOGb
Composed.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSUtsu85ax
Too composed.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAPXn2Clq9
Like a man who’d spent the morning rebuilding the walls I cracked yesterday—only thicker.
He closed the door behind him with one clean motion.
The air in my office was always still—deliberately so.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6HU9WfjfO
No clutter. No noise. No framed degrees or trophies on the walls, just a single photograph near the bookshelf: my grandfather standing outside the original Begović textile mill, sleeves rolled, arms folded. The reminder wasn’t for visitors. It was for me.
The desk was matte walnut—clean lines, no shine. A single glass of water sat to the left of my laptop, untouched. I never kept coffee cups on my desk. Never left files out overnight. No one should be able to read me by the mess I left behind.
The windows were tall but tinted, facing the east side of the city. Morning light filtered through soft linen blinds, enough to see each other clearly—but never enough to feel fully lit. The walls were a deep slate gray, interrupted only by a quiet black-and-gold clock and a row of clean shelving behind me. Everything had a place. Everything stayed where I put it.
Except him.
Ayub stepped inside like he belonged in the space. Like he’d already mapped the geometry of it—how far he could lean back without touching the wall, how much silence he could stretch before I’d speak first.
I hated how well he fit into the quiet.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVA1Ej3XYEA
And maybe, just a little, I liked it too.
I didn't look up right away.
Let the moment breathe.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47sc2N9Y43
Let him wait.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjY1JzUsmW
Let him wonder if I was doing it on purpose.
Because I was.
When I finally lifted my gaze, he was already watching me.
Not like a subordinate.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxQEj9viZS
Not even like a man who'd been humiliated the day before.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpLw0PZjjE
He was studying me.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ062EtzyVHs
Like he was trying to solve a problem he was getting too close to enjoying.
"Asalaam Aleykum," he said, voice even.
"Aleykum Selaam."
Just that.
No smile.
But something in the air shifted.
I gestured toward the chair across from me.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOaXZX3VJ4
"Sit. Let's get started."
No small talk. No apologies. No mention of yesterday.
Let it hang.
He sat, tugging his sleeve just enough to reveal the edge of his watch.
His suit was charcoal—slim fit, sharp lapels, clean lines. The shirt was crisp white, top button open, no tie. Everything about him looked intentional. Efficient. Like he dressed the way he moved: precise, focused, with just enough edge to keep you guessing.
He dressed well. Better than most.
But not well enough for me.
The cut was clean, but off by a breath—jacket half an inch too long, sleeves not quite breaking where they should. His shoes were solid. Safe. The watch was understated, but didn’t match the belt buckle. Little things. Easily fixed.
It wasn’t wrong. It just wasn’t perfect.
Still, there was something about the way he wore it all—like he didn’t care how he looked, but knew he had to carry it right. And he did.
That, I respected.
The man had presence. Stillness. Heat he didn’t waste.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxllITzxUaO
He didn’t fidget. Didn’t posture. Just took up space like it was owed to him.
And—God help me—he was beautiful.
Rough around the edges, quiet in all the right ways.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPHFxXBe9U
The kind of man you could dress in anything and make look dangerous.
If he were mine, I’d start with the tailoring.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXmvc1IrID
Nothing drastic—just sharp enough to cut.
He wouldn’t fight me on it.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAfdd4efef
I could see it. A cleaner cut, sharper detail. A tie in slate or navy. Not for him—he didn’t need it. But because I wouldn’t be able to help myself.
He was always the picture of quiet discipline.
Even when I tore him open in front of his peers, he didn't crumble.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquyC5ESgod
He cracked, maybe. But he didn't fall.
And now he was here.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVNRmuAkIU
Two hours before the client briefing that could make or break this quarter’s regional numbers. And he was here—because I told him to be.
I slid the printed deck toward him.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUzRK1jftJ
"Your pacing is off by five minutes. You're overloaded in the second section, and the numbers on slide eleven contradict the Q2 client brief. Fix them. We'll run through it twice before 8:45."
He didn't reach for the deck right away.
Instead, he looked at me.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBgMzruBbA
Not just eye contact—held it.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWSZmHGF27
Steady. Sharp. Like he was reading the spaces between my words.
“You think I can’t handle it.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NMVKt0uKm
He paused. “Insha’Allah, I can.”
I tilted my head. Didn't blink.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8arjSfNiz
"I think you haven't had to handle this before."
"That's not an answer."
I smiled. Slow. Deliberate.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZeNPPjqRd
Not flirtatious. But not harmless, either.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWiu4VL6zG
I wanted him to feel it. Just a little.
"It wasn't meant to be."
That earned me something.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkWGKa6hwX
A flicker behind his eyes—not quite irritation, not quite challenge.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZ5OSSwqI3
Something hotter.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZje8h68dpo
And just like that, I wasn’t sure who was holding the line anymore.
He covered it well, but it was there.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJcgzFyaWJ
And it made my spine straighten. My pulse tick upward.
"Slide eleven," I said again, quieter now.
“You always talk softer when you’re about to rip something apart.”
He took the deck.
I let that sit between us. Let him have it.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPBEzkwwfd
Didn’t flinch. Didn’t smile.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhT3ODwG9uc
But I didn’t correct him either.
There was a rhythm to the way he moved.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9c2fLP8jy
Precise. Economical. Like a man who knew Allah was watching, even when no one else was.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3ZW1JIXD2
No wasted energy. No distraction.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfoTk9ccVB
Except maybe me.
I watched the furrow form between his brows as he scanned the numbers.
"The Q2 brief used forecasted figures," he said, voice low. Thoughtful.
"And your slide uses reported. Pick one. Don't confuse the client. They hate feeling stupid."
He nodded once.
Didn't write anything down.
Because he already remembered it.
And for a reason I didn't care to name, I liked that more than I should have.
I watched his hands.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPikLabbR66
Broad palms. Calloused fingers.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm10MsklGro
The kind of hands that didn’t belong in boardrooms—but somehow fit the suit anyway.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ164enpFDfy
Hands that could hold you in place without ever raising their voice.
It always struck me how much of Ayub didn't match the rest.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzLblANI8I
The roughness under the polish.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavH3gxeW8k
The fight under the control.
I liked watching him recalibrate.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPuv1xPXzn
Liked that he never pushed back out of ego—only when it made sense.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXB3m1tMb28
Liked that he listened. Really listened.
"Your tone's a mess," I added, leaning back slightly.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsvPVUaeUb
"You sound like a man reporting findings, not leading a client team. If you don't believe what you're saying, why should they?"
He looked up.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dnVjrxP89
Met my gaze head-on.
No flinching. No ego.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YTrhxBs5D
Just that same stillness that reminded me he prayed Fajr before most of this city even opened its eyes.
"Maybe because I earned the data."
"Earning it isn't enough," I said.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0SbfJ7LG0
"You have to sell it."
His jaw tensed.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBzfjyWBG7
"So I should be more like you."
I let my lips curve.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNpchUdz9v
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
He didn't smile.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4kuKc5tfQ
But he didn't look away, either.
That was the thing about Ayub.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq13YjzoGI6
He never blinked first.
"Again," I said, lifting my hand toward the screen.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPIysVGf7E
"Start from the top. Don't read the script. Speak."
He exhaled through his nose. Sat up straighter.
And then he did.
I listened—not just to his words, but the way he formed them.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3l5uQi646
He still stumbled on the third section. Still rushed the close.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOKcGe7Mp9
But something had shifted.
Less distance.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6qgxCOmOS
More presence.
Like he'd stopped trying to impress me and started trying to lead.
"Again," I said when he finished.
He blinked.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9J3CFUJRBg
"Already?"
"You think the client only listens once?"
He didn't argue.
He just went again.
I watched the line of tension in his shoulders stretch thinner with each round.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEB6iTeQOuX
Watched his jaw tighten. Watched him fight the part of himself that didn't like being molded.
Good.
He shouldn't like it.
Growth never came easy.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWt4s5TqrQ
Not for men like him.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8XoO7gIsh
And I didn't want him easy.
I leaned forward. Cut him off mid-sentence.
"What does that figure mean?"
He barely paused.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Z39irhQ78
"It reflects—"
"No. Not what it reflects."13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUAXLsVgS6
I tilted my head.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4r0zQb9Pkl
"What does it mean?"
His brow twitched.
"To them," I clarified.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiWiH3QQtM
"The clients. The men in suits. The ones who measure success in margin and control. Why should they care?"
The silence stretched.
I didn't fill it.
Finally, he said,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHxBhJWrLq
"Because if they don't, they'll cut the next quarter's budget."
"Better."13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwuP5xPEc5
I sat back. Let it land.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBKsNWhOFU
"Now say it like you mean it."
He did.
This time, he meant it.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILNEj5wakC
You could hear it.
I caught myself nodding.
"How much sleep did you get?" I asked, voice lighter now.
“Enough.”
“Uh-huh. Qiyam or anxiety?”
He smirked. Just barely. But it was there. "Bit of both."
The tension wasn't gone.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhL3PPrpJ8
Just... changed.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkyBV2wRQ7
Warmer.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6op2SJ3AIY
Thicker.
Like we'd stopped circling and started facing each other.
I let my tone soften.
“Wallahi, you’re sharper than most of them already. You just don’t see it yet.”
He looked up—genuinely surprised.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFk8rNVxipa
Not by the words.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjy4niRUYA
But that I meant them.
"Could've fooled me yesterday."
"Yesterday," I said, steady, "was necessary."
"For who?"
"Both of us."
That stopped him.
I saw it in the way his hands stilled on the deck.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdnE9FGuMk
The way his eyes narrowed—not in anger, but thought.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWMAroXMSD
Like something had just clicked into place.
"I need you sharp," I continued.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDbNJO1EpX
"If I push you hard, it's because I know you can take it. Rise above it. That's more than I can say for most of the men around here."
His lips parted.
The first real crack in his armor.
"I'm not here to break you," I said.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQcK3Dxz9C
"I'm here to build you. If you can survive me, you can survive anyone."
His gaze dropped to the deck for a beat.
Then returned to me.
Not gratitude.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdchFQixXec
Not quite admiration.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2DHcldTEH
Something quieter—respect, maybe. Or the start of it.
“You're dangerous,” he said quietly.
“Alhamdulillah,” I said. “You’re finally catching on.”
His mouth twitched.
He didn't smile.
But he wanted to.
Good.
Let him.
The clock on the wall ticked over to 8:42.
I stood. Walked around the desk. Took the deck from his hand without asking.
"You're ready," I said.
He blinked.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXH9cNUdGSK
"You sure?"
"No," I replied, handing it back.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjadFkdwlB
"But you're as close as you're going to get. Go get a coffee. Come back at 9 sharp. And drink water before you speak."
He stood slowly. Rolled his shoulders once—casual, but I could see the tension still living in the line of his back.
He looked like he wanted to say something else.
But he didn't.
He just nodded.
And walked out.
The door clicked shut behind him.
And the second it did,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3l2kb2a6r8
I let myself smile.
May Allah protect him, I thought.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Cp2l8TYhr
I wasn’t sure from what. Me, maybe.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Look, I didn’t mean for this chapter to feel like a corporate hostage negotiation with bonus eye contact—but here we are.
Lamija is terrifying. Ayub is unbothered. They’re both in denial.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6Mr8KB0GO
Meanwhile, the rest of us are just trying to survive the tension in that office.
No one blinked.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNxoHjXAYI
No one smiled.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9QIrHP9u0
And yet somehow, everyone’s a little flustered.
Thanks for reading.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxB84R42S0j
Next time: will someone finally crack? (Spoiler: probably not.)13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwKArFMBg2
They’ve got five more meetings, six more power struggles, and at least one coordinated outfit to get through first.
Pray for them.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFW5GnkLYLI
And maybe for me.
