Hijabi Not in Distress

Chapter 45

Continuation of Flashback(2 years ago):

Ahmed's POV:

"So, are you back in the game?" Yusuf asks wide-eyed.

I stay silent for a moment. 

"Come on man!" Marco whines. "The suspense is killing me."

"Yea I need to know if our investments are worth it or not." Yusuf adds seriously.

"Investments?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Yea." Yusuf scoffs matter-of-factly. "We give you advice and time to talk about Sairah. So let us know if it's worth it."

"Don't be a d***!" Marco slaps Yusuf's arm laughing.

"Okay well if you must know," I get up from the air mattress in Yusuf's room and look for a formal shirt in his closer, "she said yes." 

"Wha-" Yusuf jumps up and latches onto me. "That's my boy! I knew you could do it!"

"How'd you even manage to get her to say yes!" Marco laughs, "have you seen yourself lately man." 

"Quit being an a**!" I laugh hitting him playfully. "Well to be honest," I look at them sheepishly, "she didn't really say yes."

"Ok bud," Marco puts a hand on my shoulder, "I don't know how many times I have to say this, but when a girl says she's not interested it mean she's not inter-"

"SHH!" Yusuf hisses at Marco. He turns to me, "well did she say no?"

"No. She didn't disagree." I say thinking about my conversation with her and I felt my heart race again just thinking about Sairah. 

"Well see!" Yusuf gives me a look of approval. "She didn't turn you down. And trust me-- if Sairah disagrees with something she'll say it loud and clear." He says warily.

"Okay well that's progress!" Marco says smiling. "Now all that's left is you finding a decent shirt." He cocks his head to Yusuf's closet.

"Hey!" Yusuf yells annoyed. "What's wrong with the shirts I have?"

"They're lame." Marco states blankly.

"Wha-- They are not!" Yusuf yells with a hurt look on his face.

I turn around slowly to face Yusuf, "they- they kind of are." I say gently.

"Uh-- you know what as if you guys dress nice!" He points at Marco and I.

"Ahmed still dresses cool but I mean I don't really care to be honest." Marco says shrugging.

"Okayyyy," I look at them both seriously, "we need to focus on the crucial matter-- dinner with Sairah. What the hell do I do?" I ask panicking.

"Well this isn't the first time you've been out with her. Why are you getting so worked up about it?" Yusuf pulls out his phone.

"Well it kind of is." I clarify. "This is the first time I'm going out with her... alone." I repeat the word over and over in my head and it makes my anxiety go through the roof.

"Hey. HEY!" Marco whips me around to face him. "Listen right now, you're the man. You have the date with the girl. Well not really a date but you know what I mean," he brushes it off as I nod slowly at him. "And you know what. Tonight's the night you show her how much you love her. How much you're crazy for her. Okay. So shove those whiny a** thoughts up your a**hole and focus on how you're going to prove to her how much she means to you!"