33. Yasmeena
Chapter 33
Yasmeena
“ H ow do you want to be touched in public?” I ask Enrique after he’s satisfied with the amount of food he’s shoved down my throat. Well, okay, not shoved.
“I want to be touched like I’m loved,” He says while looking at something on the phone.
I scratch my head not understanding what he means by that.
“I don’t understand.”
He looks up from the phone. “Hmm?” He snaps when his brain catches up. “That’s right.” He puts down his phone to give me his full attention,
“Tell me in terms of how or rather where you want my hands. Any terms of endearments?”
He grabs my hand since we’re still sitting next to each other. “When I’m in a relationship we hold hands,” he slips his fingers through mine then raises our joined hands and kisses the back of mine. “Touch my arm when you’re talking to me.” His hand grazes my bicep as an example. He leans in more. “Don’t be scared to be close.” He pecks my lips. “And kisses. I like kisses.”
“Hold hands? Like everywhere or just some places?” I look at him as he hasn’t moved back from sitting closer to me. I remove our joined hands and touch his thigh, “like this? To get your attention?”
He looks at my hand on his thigh and covers it with his hand. “That works. You can follow my lead and if unsure, just touch me how you see fit.”
“Okay, and you like kisses, so you feel like this will have people believing we’re a real couple rather than what is being said in the media?”
“It doesn’t help if we don’t show any kind of warmth or chemistry, it’ll definitely look fake and forced.”
“That’s true. Okay, I’ll practice initiating.” I lean in and peck his lips. I do it again as I practice touching him without hesitation then I break the kiss. “How’s that?”
Enrique cups my cheek and pulls me into another kiss. It’s something different about how his lips linger like they want to be connected to mine before he slowly releases me.
“Feel the difference?”
“Yeah, I’m sure others will see the difference as well. How about at the office? Are we keeping things… professional?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t mean that you forget that I exist until work is over either.”
“It’s not like I do it on purpose. In my head, at work you’re my COO, not my husband.”
“Understandable. I don’t expect for you to take meetings from my lap or anything. How do you want to enter work now? We may as well at least ride together.”
“That would be something… and we can ride together. You want to hold hands as well?”
“On the way into the office? That’s up to you. You can probably hold my arm if you think hand holding at work will be overselling it.”
“I don’t mind hand holding, I do know people will talk. All they do is talk at work. They think I don’t know but they just all seem to forget I’m in the same server chat. Anyways, not important, hand holding is fine. We’re not doing office sex as a regular, right?”
He chuckles like I made a joke. “It doesn’t need to be regular, besides,” He waves his hand to bring my attention to the space we’re in. “If we want to fuck that badly, you have a penthouse.” His face is serious again. “I’ll pay more attention to the chatter and shut it down.”
“You don’t have to. Let them just talk, they always do. I’m not bothered by them. If you shut it down they’ll make it a bigger deal or it’ll look like I can’t separate work and home life.”
His frown is still in place. “I'll send out a reminder that company communication should remain professional on company channels.”
He pulls out his phone but the elevator dings then opens to reveal our assistants.
“I have your overnight bag, boss,” Jeeves announces as he passes Enrique his clothes. He looks at the kitchen. “Smells good.”
Enrique drops his things on the bed then goes into the kitchen and wash his hands.
“Sit and I'll serve you some. Matthew, you can take some to Bailey.” Enrique points at Jeeves. “Tomorrow, write up a memo about the proper use of company communication and send it to me for review.”
As much as I want to leave the penthouse, I know I can’t so I watch as Matthew and Jeeves sit at the dinner table to get served, I grab my laptop again, focusing on everything else. I hope they don’t expect me to sit with them and do small talk.
My phone pings from a text.
Drew: Yasmi, your sister in law is downstairs wanting to see you.
Me: Is she alone?
Drew: here with two little boys.
Me: Okay, bring her to the fourth floor cafe, it’s closed right now, I’ll meet her there.
Drew: Okay, got it.
I stand and go towards the elevator.
“Where are you going?” Enrique asks, already on his feet eating up the space between us.
“Lena’s here. She wants to talk, probably because I didn’t respond and I’ve been M.I.A. I’m going to the 4th floor cafe since it’s closed and I’m meeting her there, you don’t have to come.”
“I swear, if your brother is using her to get to you…”
“He’s not, he’d just contact me himself plus Drew is going to be there with me.”
He still doesn't look convinced but looks back at our assistants and nods. “Let me know if anyone else shows up.”
“Okay, I will.” I lean in, whispering. “Do we need to kiss and behave like a real couple right now or since they both know it’s transactional, it’s fine?”
“What do you want to do?”
My eyes go to both Matthew and Jeeves who are pretending like they’re not watching us with every move but I guess I have to start somewhere. Lifting on my toes, I kiss Enrique like he wanted me to earlier, less of a peck and more lingering there. Enrique seems to approve as he kisses me back, his hand comes around my waist but he doesn’t stop there as he reaches down grabbing my ass.
After a moment, I pull away before it gets too heavy.
“I need to go.” I say with my eyes still shut then I clear my throat.
Enrique doesn’t say anything but the look in his eyes says that there’s more that he wants to do but it won’t be happening at the moment.
“I’ll be back.” I say as I finally get on the elevator letting it shut without looking at Enrique.
Once I get to the cafe, Drew is standing there with Lena as she tells the boys to sit still.
“Lena,” I say to her and she stands.
“Hey, I” one of the boys, Rami runs up to me and looks me in my eyes.
“ Am’maty Yasmi, you’re not wearing a dress today?” he looks at my outfit; the high-waisted sweat shorts and loose t-shirt combo is something no one sees me in.
“No, Rami, not today.”
Nasir runs towards me as well and nods.
“Rami is right, Am’maty Yasmi, you’re not even wearing heels. Is it because of what Baba said to you?”
Lena grabs both boys and gives me a small smile.
“I’m sorry, boys go sit down right now.”
They say sorry and go sit down where they were before.
Lena follows my lead as we walk to a secluded area. We sit and she gives me a sad smile.
“Amir knows I told you, by the way.” She begins and I shrug.
“It was bound to come out, right?”
“Yeah but that would’ve been your choice. Your parents aren’t happy with him and he knows it. The house has been a cold front ever since the news broke. Look, Yasmeena, I’ve never had an issue with you and you’ve never had one with me. You’ve always been the best aunt you could be to my boys and I appreciate that. Telling you wasn’t me trying to get something from you or a favor for a favor. I just felt like for once, I didn’t want to be associated with the schemes to hurt you that my husband was part of.”
“That’s what you came to say? You could’ve texted.”
“Yes, I could have but I wanted to apologize in person. I wanted to look you in the eyes so you can know I’m being sincere. I don’t ever speak when it comes to things with your family because I know how it is with Babas, especially ones set in their old ways but Yasmi, they don’t deserve you or your help. Stop helping Amir in anything.”
“I haven’t helped him lately.”
“Good, I’m taking Nasir and Rami for a vacation to Kuwait to visit my parents. Amir knows this and so do your parents. We need some time away from this. Amir isn’t a bad father but he’s not a good brother or son. He needs to figure things out and after what your husband did to him…” Lena looks away and then back to me with a smile. “He deserved it. I wish I could’ve seen it myself. You don’t need them, they need you, Yasmi. I need you to know that.”
“It’s something I’ll consider. Do you need money?” I ask her not because she’s asking me but because I know how stingy Amir is.
“No, my parents are paying. We leave, first thing tomorrow. When I called my Baba, he didn’t think twice about my vacation idea and you know Amir can’t say no to my Baba.” She’s right, he’s Amir’s father in law that would’ve been too disrespectful. “Just know this,” she reaches out and grabs my hands in hers. “If you ever need a vacation, my parents would accommodate you. Even if it’s to hide from your family. They wouldn’t alienate you, not you, Yasmi.”
“Thank you,” I tell her. “I won’t hide from them but thank you, I appreciate it, take good care of my nephews, will you?”
There’s nothing else for me to say to Lena but we both stand and she reaches out giving me a tight hug. My eyes widen because she’s never done this before and I pat her on the back. After that, the boys run up to me and both hug me. I caress both their heads like the books say to comfort a child and let go.
After that, they’re gone. There’s still a lingering effect from the hugs that the boys gave me as I take the elevator back up to the penthouse.
The guys stop talking as soon as the elevator doors open.
“What?”