x
He showed up.
I was already at my desk when I heard the firm click of his shoes in the hallway.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSt0FwBGSEI
7:58 AM. Two minutes early.
Of course he was.
Ayub Selimović was too stubborn to back down and too proud to arrive late.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0oLj0DXR4
After the way I pushed him yesterday—in front of Emir, in front of the whole team—I expected frost.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5aJbElDwWW
Maybe clipped words.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6hDFvlthY
Maybe a little fire.
But when he stepped through the door, all I got was calm.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWogwuC6bX
Polished.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hWTwWAumv
Composed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtpwuDKCXT
Too composed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gFXA4Ailj
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGV3eXakuh
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTWPjPl101
And maybe, just a little, I liked it too.
I didn't look up right away.
Let the moment breathe.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYrwYOGyqn
Let him wait.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eI3gNka6M
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIF5lfLpUV
Not even like a man who'd been humiliated the day before.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWAEWQw89Y
He was studying me.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vODs55kOa
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbXntdPbeH
"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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzttMhgCsL
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1uI19JmTp
The kind of man you could dress in anything and make look dangerous.
If he were mine, I’d start with the tailoring.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytuwVeBwXG
Nothing drastic—just sharp enough to cut.
He wouldn’t fight me on it.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LJifNzMaY
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡborq7exiYl
He cracked, maybe. But he didn't fall.
And now he was here.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1507UsXsJI
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQ7RuC7T32
"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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFYfjmMIvC
Not just eye contact—held it.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oEGwsWkMW
Steady. Sharp. Like he was reading the spaces between my words.
“You think I can’t handle it.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpN5UBx2zFf
He paused. “Insha’Allah, I can.”
I tilted my head. Didn't blink.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJDweb71qa
"I think you haven't had to handle this before."
"That's not an answer."
I smiled. Slow. Deliberate.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWlY4EVw6I
Not flirtatious. But not harmless, either.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Tdm34MgO4
I wanted him to feel it. Just a little.
"It wasn't meant to be."
That earned me something.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuXjOJlH4x
A flicker behind his eyes—not quite irritation, not quite challenge.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYAkUAmCzd
Something hotter.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMieGZOrryB
And just like that, I wasn’t sure who was holding the line anymore.
He covered it well, but it was there.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvziTdLflO
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SmFIZ22z2
Didn’t flinch. Didn’t smile.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4XgLsrorB
But I didn’t correct him either.
There was a rhythm to the way he moved.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bkHy7Sxyt
Precise. Economical. Like a man who knew Allah was watching, even when no one else was.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgetfjW6oUS
No wasted energy. No distraction.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1i1Pp2aY3
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFmSgH6IT8
Broad palms. Calloused fingers.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnD0295UA8
The kind of hands that didn’t belong in boardrooms—but somehow fit the suit anyway.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgl4S9EBh2D
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVm3i5BCmbB
The roughness under the polish.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ366FDhCjR3
The fight under the control.
I liked watching him recalibrate.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPZv2gg7pL
Liked that he never pushed back out of ego—only when it made sense.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ERzQcrNTu
Liked that he listened. Really listened.
"Your tone's a mess," I added, leaning back slightly.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEQ8hQUuiE
"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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NFgtg6Hge
Met my gaze head-on.
No flinching. No ego.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxeJiAnfmd
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkN8MoBsbj
"You have to sell it."
His jaw tensed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuifAL79lX
"So I should be more like you."
I let my lips curve.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aAvOmanZs
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
He didn't smile.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqbzlBxzQd
But he didn't look away, either.
That was the thing about Ayub.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErFWfN8sAf
He never blinked first.
"Again," I said, lifting my hand toward the screen.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yNGwdqPn7
"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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsXHS7KD7w
He still stumbled on the third section. Still rushed the close.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXnlMIFDQF
But something had shifted.
Less distance.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdIVqWJm99
More presence.
Like he'd stopped trying to impress me and started trying to lead.
"Again," I said when he finished.
He blinked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSpdJJEr8i
"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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWwdN9CluV
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KBKGrtkT1
Not for men like him.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4GJKx1KMn
And I didn't want him easy.
I leaned forward. Cut him off mid-sentence.
"What does that figure mean?"
He barely paused.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsR64aOJyvH
"It reflects—"
"No. Not what it reflects."16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCrM113C56
I tilted my head.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiiKJ5kkTB
"What does it mean?"
His brow twitched.
"To them," I clarified.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9WB3ZMTOT
"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,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnl17GQYSQ
"Because if they don't, they'll cut the next quarter's budget."
"Better."16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcsmbUDOvE
I sat back. Let it land.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmc7nZpVIZA
"Now say it like you mean it."
He did.
This time, he meant it.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0jLYbhvDb
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xWGwjBwg7
Just... changed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXDoNtptu7
Warmer.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YDw8Fz4z8
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlH5LywPO9
Not by the words.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsGz57jGJh
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fIdKb0RhR
The way his eyes narrowed—not in anger, but thought.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzpB3Hltp3
Like something had just clicked into place.
"I need you sharp," I continued.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2AlurFrtK
"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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NrJdcs6KL
"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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPuhrhkKOm
Not quite admiration.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgM33A9AJm
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUu3zZN0EaS
"You sure?"
"No," I replied, handing it back.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpklNRzCKw
"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,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4AJZvogwAS
I let myself smile.
May Allah protect him, I thought.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UDrOW19WB
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKeHeaFReK
Meanwhile, the rest of us are just trying to survive the tension in that office.
No one blinked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrPhGsLSn9
No one smiled.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76nQMoCxu6
And yet somehow, everyone’s a little flustered.
Thanks for reading.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zAh6o3sMP
Next time: will someone finally crack? (Spoiler: probably not.)16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCh7PRB20R
They’ve got five more meetings, six more power struggles, and at least one coordinated outfit to get through first.
Pray for them.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpT5BJrS4q
And maybe for me.
