A/n: Welcome to another Asad-Zoya filled happy world. Yeah, QH sucks big time right now, so here is my personal doze of AsYa.
This story is AU, FYI!
Let's march!
I groan as my alarm clock goes off and I feel the piercing rays of the morning sun hit my face. No, no, no! I do not want to leave my sweet haven. I cuddle further into my covers when I feel the love of my life jump on me. He starts sniffing and moving all around me.
"Hey there bud, what's up?" I rasp out, my voice thick with sleep and eyes still closed. I open my eyes and find his face staring at me.
"Hey, love. Okay, I am getting up." I watch him scurry away as he sees me getting up from the bed. He turns to face me as he reaches the doorway and makes sure that I am fully out of the bed. I shake my head at his silliness. He really acts like he is my master and not vise-versa. That's my love, my cat, Mr. Twiddles. Well, he was named just Twiddles when I first brought him home but after seeing him and his personality, he right fully earned the title of being a Mister.
I hop out of the bed and walk straight to the bathroom. I look at the girl in the mirror. Brown eyes, black hair, freckles. Average. Sigh.
"Cheer up, Zoya! Get a grip. Today will be a good day" I give a self-prepping speech and hop in the shower.
**
I hum along the song on the radio as I drive towards work. I am twenty-six and work at a publishing firm in Seattle. I work as the editor for the health column of a weekly magazine. Not the most exciting job in the world, but it pays the bills. I dream big, though. I don't want to edit other people's work. I want others to do that for me. I want to write. I want to travel. Happy dreams, Zoya. One day!
I park my car and walk towards the entrance of the building. I can see the clouds starting to get darker and I hurry inside. I am so not in the mood to ruin my hair today. The rain Gods fawn a little too much on Seattle. I see people on the streets, meticulously dressed, rushing around and cursing the weather. I chuckle and hum the tune of the Walker song,
Seattle, I don't know why You stand under the clouds expecting to stay dry
So fitting. Isn't it?
I enter the building and give Claire a nod. She is the receptionist and good friend.
"Morning, Zoe. Boss is expecting you in the office." She gives me a pointed look.
"Thanks, Claire."
I step into the elevator and ride to Mr. Jones's office. I knock at his glass door and he waves me in. He is on the phone so I take a seat. He turns to me as he hangs up.
"Farooqui, I have a piece on health that I want you to cover. Not just edit it, but go down to the place and get the whole shebang. Sound good?"
"You want me to actually do some field work, Boss?" I say, totally taken aback. I have never been able to get a story down like that.
"Yes. Are you taking it or not?"
"YES! Yes. I'll do it. What is it and where exactly?"
"You'll find the details on your desk. The package has your name on it."
"Thank you, Boss." I smile at him.
"Yeah, yeah. Now get out of here." I can see the faintest smiles on his face.
I skip over to my desk and find a big manila envelope sitting on the table with Zoya Farooqui written on it in bold letters. I sift through the documents and find the story and location. It's about a caf down the street from where this building is. I gasp as I read the name of the place. Maples'.
Humaira Siddiqui, you are so dead. I get up from my seat and march over to my supposedly best friend's cubicle.
"Siddiqui, what is wrong with you?!"
"A very good morning to you too, Zoe. Judging by the fact that you are calling me by my last name, I take it you had a good conversation with the Boss?" Humaira smiles up to me.
"Humi! Why do you always have to interfere in my life? I told you already that I don't have the courage to do it!" I whine.
"Come on, Zoe! Look, Boss wanted someone to go down to Maples' to get the report done. I suggested your name and considering how easily you can charm people and how much of a peoples' person you are, he decided to give you the job. It's a good thing! Smile." Humaira tried to pacify me.
I look at her Humaira accusingly, "Don't try to be over smart. I very well know why you suggested' my name. I appreciate your concern but I just can't go down there and talk to him!"
"Of course you can!"
"Oh, really? What will I say? I don't even know his name?"
"Well, you can always say one of the various nicknames that you have given him. My favorite being Mr. SIX PACS!"
"Humi! Quiet!" I hiss at her. Allah Miyan! I really shouldn't have told Humaira anything about him. She can never keep anything quiet. Especially if it pertains to men and me!
"Oh come on, Zoya! Instead of giving the poor guy lists of names, why don't you go up to him and ask for his real name. That way, you'll have a real name to moan when you have wet dreams about him. And also his number! Be bold, babe!" she grinned at me.
"HUMI! Think before speaking, you wild woman! We are at work!" I scold her. Honestly, I think Allah Miyan forgot to build a brain-to-mouth filter in her; blurts out the first thing that comes to her mind. Crazy girl.
"And thanks to you and your big mouth, I have to actually go there and finish the darn thing! I can't even refuse the project; it's such a break for me!" I pout at her. Humaira in return, grins victoriously. She knows that I wouldn't step down if a field project was handed over to me.
***
I finally gather some courage and look through the details of the project. Finding the contact information I, quickly before losing my nerve, ring the provided number. I have a conversation with the owner of the caf, a kind sounding lady named Dilshad Khan. She readily agrees to meet up with me and provide me with the details about their caf for the column. Promising to email her the details, we fix a meeting appointment for the next day at noon.
I take a deep breath as I get off the phone. Immediately, I email her the draft of the agreement and other specifics that she will need to look over. I take moment to understand who I talked to. She sounds so warm and motherly. Can she be his mother?
The butterflies in my stomach can't help but flutter at the mere thought of him. I think back to when I had first seen him, almost two months ago.
*flashback*
I was walking down the street during my lunch hour. Humaira was sick and it was just me today for lunch. As I neared my regular lunch haunt, I saw the enormous waiting line in the deli. I groaned at the thought of spending the better part of my break waiting in line, just to have to quickly gobble down the food later.
Instead, I chose to walk further down the street where I knew was a quaint little caf. I had never been to the caf but had seen the board plenty of times. Maples'. I was soon standing inside and ordering a sandwich and iced tea.
As I waited for my order, I looked around the caf. It was a cozy place and decorated warmly. There were a couple of paintings hung on each wall some twinkling lights scattered in a nice manner. My name was soon hollered by the cashier and I went to pay for my food. I took my order and sat down at one of the tables. I was in the middle of my meal when I first saw him.
A man, well built, wearing a casual jeans and shirt entered the caf and made a beeline for the staff only' door. He came out of the room after a few minutes, dragging a cart behind him. He went outside from I assumed was the back door. This time, he returned with a loaded cart and took that inside. He opened the door and left the cart by the door, using it as a door stopper.
From my sitting area, I could see him lifting the stuff from the cart into what I guessed was the storage room. My eyes were fixed on how his muscles rippled and his shirt stretched over his back when did the heavy lifting. I realized that I had stopped mid bite to ogle him. Checking for any drool on my face or for any witness of my staring, I resumed eating.
I soon had to leave; my break was almost over.
*end of flashback*
So, here I was, two months later, still drooling over the man. I was bordering on being a stalker with all my intentional walks around the caf and peeking in and about. He was so handsome, all chiseled feature and flippin' hot body. My fantasies have gotten bad after that one time when I happened to see him shirtless. It was a rare really sunny and hot day and he was lifting things out of a delivery van. Thank you, Allah Miyan! And hence, Mr. Six Packs. I made the mistake of telling that little bit to Humi. I have a feeling that he has been noticing me too, but it can easily be a delusion of my eager mind and other body parts.
***
After a lot of self-pep talk, I go down to the caf the next day on the scheduled time. As I enter the caf, I am once again engulfed in a homey feeling. A lady in her forties approaches me and smiles at me, "You must be Zoya Farooqui. I am Dilshad Khan, owner of Maples'. You talked to me over the phone."
I smile back at her, "Yes, of course, Mrs. Khan. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for taking out some time to do this. I really appreciate it."
She waves me off, "It was no problem, dear. We are proud of our little caf! So, I thought that it'll do us some good to get the word out in the media, you know?"
"'We'? I ask her, a little confused.
"Oh, yes. My son and I, we run this caf together. It is a family business. My husband used to do all the major work around here, but he passed away two years ago."
"I am sorry, Mrs. Khan" I cannot help but feel for this lady in front of me.
"Thank you, dear. Now, let's not delve into that. I'll introduce you to my son. ASAD?!" she called out in the general direction of what I assumed was the staff only' area. "Come out, beta. Ms. Farooqui from the magazine is here."
We just move to settle into chairs, when I hear a deep and sexy voice, preceding an even sexier man.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Farooqui. I am Asad Ahmed Khan" the sexy beast flashes his dimple at me and puts his hand forward for me to shake it. I have the strongest urge to kiss his dimples.
It was HIM. Ohmygod. OHMYGOD! He is even hotter up close.
Close your mouth, wipe the drool and shake his hand, Zoya, you idiot!
"H-Hi! Nice to meet you, Mr. Khan." I finally managed to get out.
He smiled at me in that smirking way that told me that he knew I was internally undressing him and totally drooling over him. Eh, can't be bothered.
Mrs. Khan interrupted my wet day dream and I forced myself to be professional again.
"So, Ms. Farooqui, shall we get started? I can lead you towards our kitchen first?
***
I finally get my things together and make my move to walk out of the caf a few hours later after collecting all the data and information I need for my work. It was a good experience, actually. I surprisingly only managed to embarrass myself once. We were taking about American Pies, of all the things and Mr. Hotness McDreamy was standing right behind me! Can anyone spell saucy and awkward? You could cut the sexual tension by a knife!
Other than that, I was professional and so was Mrs. Khan. The same, however, cannot be said about her son. He was flirting. Plain and simple. And I was only seconds away from jumping his bones with his not-so-subtle touches and winks. I have to admit that I am disappointed that he did not say anything. Mindless flirting, it was.
I sigh as I walk out of the caf. I only manage to take a step outside when I am yanked by my arm and pulled into the alley on the side of the caf. Before I can utter a word or ask anything, I feel a pair of soft but firm lips pressing themselves against mine. I recognize the musky scent. I give myself a moment to do a high school worthy internal squeal before jumping into the kiss with an embarrassing amount of enthusiasm. McDreamy pulls my lower lip between his and leaves his upper for me to ravish.
After some heated minutes of lips smacking, groans and some fumbling, our totally inappropriate first kiss comes to a sweet end.
He rests his forehead against mine, slips a piece of paper into my pocket and murmurs, "I have been waiting to do that for two months, Zoya. You are such a vixen. Do you have any idea how much you have been tempting me - walking past the caf every day and peeking inside? I could hardly wait for my mother to leave us alone toady."
"Uh-huh, wow" comes out my extremely articulate response. And you want to be a writer, Zoya? I blame my incoherence on his kissing expertise.
He clears his throat and says, "I can see that I have gone about this the wrong way. But, now that my inner beast is somewhat sated, Ms. Zoya Farooqui, will you go out with me? I can be a charming gentleman too."
I think my smile clear out the clouds, it was that bright! Okay, maybe that's not possible, but you get the idea. I squeal, this time for real, and yell out a loud yes. High school Zoya would be so proud of my actions today. I slither my arms around his neck, gathering my wits and reply, "Charm away, Jahanpanah Khan. Knock my socks off. Although I wouldn't mind the return of Mr. Cave Man. It's really sexy and hot. That'll charm my pants off!"
I grin at his stumped expression.
I can be bold, take that, Humi!
A/n: Reviews are like Asad in a suit and stubble - stunning, breathtaking and make me a very happy camper! Leave me lots!
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