"I was going to meet Tanveer, but she is too busy pissing me off. She wants something more, so I got to stop by the jewelry store and pick her something up. I may f**k her before I give her the present."
"Cold, boss. Women like being wined and dined."
"Don't have the time. I don't give a f**k about a good meal. If I wanted that, I'd get takeout at a restaurant. The only thing I need is a good woman to make me happy for a couple of hours." He threw his smoke on the ground and stubbed it out with his foot. "Stop calling me boss."
"It's easier to call you that. I'm used to it now. We both know we've only gotten this far because of you. I don't know anything about numbers or business. I can fight. That's all I'm good for."
Asad didn't argue with him. Within the hour the cleaning crew arrived. He dealt with the money and stayed until the body was safely out of his warehouse.
Climbing into the car, he waited for Ayaan to drive away.
"Where we going?"
"Take me to the jewelry store you use." Asad rubbed at his temples feeling the need for some sleep. First, he needed to f**k someone. Tanveer he'd f**k and then dump. It would be far easier that way to get what he wanted.
"You go through a lot of women," Ayaan said.
"Last I checked you were f**king all the wh***s that work at the club." Within his many nightclubs Asad also supplied a lot of women for the men looking for some action. He didn't force them, and he made sure they got a good cut of their income. In the beginning he was running the club, doing drugs on the side, and then some women approached him. He couldn't believe a group of women actually came to him for protection so they could conduct their business.
"Hey, they give me what I need, and I give them what they need."
Shaking his head, Asad chuckled. "Can you believe we were just fighters over a decade ago?"
"No, I can't, but I sure as I feel it sometimes. My body knows it has been a punching bag to one too many mens," Ayaan complained, opening and closing his hand into a fist.
"I know what you mean."
Asad had many scars over his body from fighters who'd pulled a knife on him. Even though underground fighting had rules it didn't stop men from pulling out a knife.
"Still, I'd rather be living this life than working the circuit like a lot of young men. At least we've got a choice who we pummel," Ayaan said.
"Sure."
Ayaan pulled up outside of the jewelry store. Climbing out of the car, Asad headed inside. Glancing behind him, he saw Ayaan resting on the hood of the car, lighting up another smoke. "Are you coming in?"
"I don't need pretty gifts to get what I want. I'll wait here."
Not bothering to argue with the man, Asad entered the small store. He used the same place all the time to buy his gifts. Most of the time he sent one of the waitresses at the club to get him what he needed and rarely came out to buy. Tonight was important. After a quick roll in the sack, he didn't want to have to be dealing with the girl again.
Once inside, he saw there were only two women on staff. The brunette was talking to a young couple. From the look of them they were getting engaged.
The black hair girl he spotted long before the brunette. She was polishing the glass on the display case. Her long black hair caressed the top of her ass as it cascaded down her back. She wore the same blue uniform as the other woman, and the skirt ended at her knees. The view of her back showed her to be on the plump side. Both women were not overly slender, but the black hair girl was rounder than the brunette. He'd not seen her face yet, but if she repulsed him, he could always put a bag over her head.
Maybe the night wasn't going to be so bad after all.
****
Zoya farooqui tried not to chuckle as the man buying an engagement ring was trying to go for the cheapest option while also appearing to be more loving than anyone else. She'd been working in the jewelry store, Dreams, for the last year. Over that year she'd seen so many couples coming in and arguing over the kind of ring they deserved. The cost of the rings in Dreams was too expensive. She'd never be able to afford an item even though she worked here. The pay was okay, better than a lot of places, but not perfect.
She bent down and rubbed at the glass. The only problem with customers was they touched the glass. They didn't need to touch the glass to see items, yet they all did.
Someone cleared his throat right behind her. Standing up, she turned to see a male customer staring at her. His eyes were dark brown, almost black. Frowning, she glanced over his shoulder to see Lydia was busy.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
He kept staring at her. Keeping her gaze on his, she waited for him to start speaking. Holding the can of polish in one hand and a cloth in the other, she didn't have any other option other than to stare back at him. Still, he didn't say anything.
Frowning, she wondered what the hell to do.
"Can I help you?" She repeated the question in case he didn't hear her the first time.
"Yes, you can. I'm looking for a piece of jewelry for a woman."
"Okay." She stepped around him, placing the cleaning products on the nearest counter. Rubbing her hands down her uniform she turned back toward him, plastering a smile on her face. "The lady you're buying for, is she a fiance, sister, daughter?"
"None of the above."
"Erm, what are you hoping to get from the piece?" she asked. It was easier to know the intention of the gift so she could help him pick.
"I want a parting gift that's expensive enough that she won't cause me problems."
Wow, okay, she'd never heard anything like this.
"We've got necklaces, earrings, bracelets." She stepped forward toward the window. Putting on her professional face, she pointed out different designs. He kept nodded at her talk and stood far too close to her.
More often than not she bumped into him and had to apologize. The couple who were inside had long gone. Lydia kept glancing her way. They were getting close to packing away for the night. The night shift was always the hardest. There was a higher chance of being robbed at night than during the day. Zoya always carried her pepper spray just in case someone decided to attack her.
"Can I see that one in the back?" he asked.
"Sure." Moving away from him, she went to Lydia for an excuse to be away from his closeness.
"What are you doing?" Lydia asked.
"Can I have your keys? I don't want to be too close to him." He unnerved her with his lack of talking and closeness.
"You've got a set attached to your hip."
"I know, but I needed to come away."
"Do you want me to finish serving him?" Lydia asked.
Zoya nodded. "If you wouldn't mind?"
"I don't mind."
Lydia went to the man while Zoya finished signing up the till. She went through the charts, and seconds later Lydia walked back. "You've got to go and serve him. He doesn't want any other woman but you to serve him. Unless you don't want the sale then you're out of luck."
Gritting her teeth, she walked back toward him. She grabbed the keys from her hip and opened up the door. Retrieving the case with the gold bracelet on, she showed it to him.
"Do you have a problem with me?" he asked.
"No."
"Then why did you send her over?"
"Lydia is better when it comes to the discussion of the pieces. I'm not particularly good." She didn't look into his eyes. "This is a really good piece. Delicate but intricate." She placed the case on the far counter and offered him up the jewelry.
He glanced over it. His large hands turned the item this way and that. She noticed his knuckles looked a little bruised.
With the business suit she didn't imagine him having anything wrong or out of place. The bruised knuckles were out of place.
"Yes, I like this one. I'll take it."
Taking the piece from his hands she touched his skin and glanced up. His gaze was on hers. He seemed to see more than what was there.
"Do you have a boyfriend or husband?" he asked.
"That's none of your business." Putting the case away, she stepped away from him, shocked by his penetrating gaze. She wasn't a beauty, not by a long stretch. When men came into the shop they were all over Lydia, not her.
Moving behind the desk, she glanced back at him. "Do you want it gift wrapped?" she asked.
"Yes." He placed his hand on the counter, and she couldn't help but look at his hands. The bruises looked painful.
"Do you want to go out with me?" he asked.
Jerking her gaze back up to his, she saw he hadn't taken his eyes off her.
"No," she said, shaking her head.
"What?"
"No, I don't want to go out with you."
She finished packing up his bracelet and ran the amount into the till. He shocked her by paying with cash. The man counted every single note onto the counter.
Watching the money pile up, she took it from the shelf and placed it in the till, handing him a receipt.
"Do you work here often?" he asked.
"Yes. Do you want to know when my manager gets in?"
Was he going to complain about her? He was acting way too creepy to be nice to.
"No. I was wondering when you were here. I'll be seeing you, Zoya."
His gaze caressed over her name tag over her breast. There was something strange about him. The bell went letting her know he was gone.
"Was it me, or was he a little strange?" Lydia asked, coming up behind her.
"Yeah, he was creepy. Scary, creepy guy. We should nickname him that from now on." Zoya's hands were shaking from the interaction. What was his problem?
She worked with Lydia, and they both locked up the store, securing the safety guards in place on their way out.
"Do you want a lift to your apartment?" Lydia asked.
"Nah, I'll walk. It's out of your way anyway."
"I'd hate to be walking the city streets this late at night."
"It's no problem for me. I'll see you tomorrow."
"You certainly will. The bills are not going to pay themselves." Lydia waved to her, and she watched the other woman leave before going into her bag to grab her pepper spray. Wrapping her jacket around her body she started the short walk to her apartment block. The walk wasn't the problem. What she hated the most was the dark alleys she had to pass that hid men from her sight.
Her thoughts returned to the strange customer. What had he been hoping to achieve? She never got personal with a customer. Lydia a few months back had gotten a lot of stick from a customer, a married man who thought there was more between them than a simple customer relationship.
Zoya had no intention of being hurt by a guy she didn't know.
The moment she was outside of her apartment block, she ran up the stairs. The block wasn't too bad, but she didn't trust the shadows. Women could be attacked anywhere from not being cautious. Taking her keys out of her bag, she slid the key into the lock and entered her apartment. Flicking the light on, she was greeted by Pearl, her cat. She'd found Pearl as a kitten wandering around outside. She couldn't allow anything bad to happen to the poor kitten, and she'd taken her inside. It was a female kitten.
"Hey, Pearl, did you miss me?" She bent down to stroke her back. "Yeah, I missed you, too."
Picking up her cat, she dropped her bag to the floor then walked into the kitchen. Her cat purred as she started to buzz around the kitchen.
"I met a strange man today. Yes, I did."
She always talked to her cat even when she had nothing to talk about. Making herself a cup of tea, she put more milk into the cat bowl then took a seat.
Putting her head in her hands, she watched her pet and thought about the mystery man. He freaked her out, and yet she couldn't deny the sudden jolt through her body their touches had created...
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
Bindi
46