"Ah Alamgeer, thank you for inviting us." Her father hugged the man.

"Of course we would invite you! You have done a lot for my family Suleman." He waved it off.

"This is your daughter?" Alamgeer's wife, Lyana a famous designer motioned towards her, continuing with a gentle softness, "you look amazing beta. Come on eat something. Let's leave the talking to the men."

"Of course! I'll see you later dad."

Placing a soft kiss on her father's cheek she followed the woman. Her eyes had been trained on the long, curving tables. Plentiful desserts and finger foods were laid out in thick glass dishes, the aroma of spices and the scent of vanilla had her stomach rumbling. The weather that was a big part of the British way of life, had forced them to fly out last minute and as soon as they landed in Rome they were rushed to the birthday celebrations.

"I need to go check on something, you enjoy alright?"

"Of course," Alayna replied.

Power walking through the large crowds, she fought her way to the head of the table. Her bony shoulders hit more than one people and a string of whispered apologizes were thrown around the air. Glares fell in her directions, the lips turned into dead straight lines or frowns at the sight of her. She scratched the back of her head, confused about her own feelings. The birthday girl, Lilah, was being doted on by her mother as she led her towards the tables direction. Her heart sunk to her stomach, a tightness gripped her throat — tears pinched her eyes. Why did her mother not love her enough to stay? Why that was the reality of her life. The questions were all based on her mere existence.

"Hi Lilah!" Alayna walked towards her, waving in her direction.

"Urm—hi?" She shrugged nervously.

"I'm Alayna Suleman, my father is a close partner of your father's," she forwarded her hand.

"Uh." Lilah nervously breathed.

Alayna sensed the awkwardness from the woman in front of her. The way she fiddled with her hands and looked at anyone but her made it plenty obvious. Shaking her head, she took a step behind — her entire purpose was to let the woman know how much she admired her and not to make her feel afraid.

"Um ok—ay, anyways Lilah I love your work and I decided I should come praise you for it, not to mention the power you have as an autistic person to stand in front of a crowd is awe inspiring. You're an inspiration for neuro-typical people like myself." Alayna grinned.

"Oh— thank you so much." Lilah replied, moved to tears.

"I'll see you around then, for now my dad and those pretty looking donuts are calling my name. Don't forget to invite me to the wedding," she winked and ran off to the side of her father.

Alayna broke off from her father's arm soon after. The conversation about a security program that would be sold to one of the governments allowing to manipulate decisions, manipulate co-ordinates and locations without anyone else finding out. Turning around she found her way back to the table with food. Her eyes shone with a wild brightness as she caught sight of something that looked like long, cylindrical donuts. Gasping she whisper yelled — her voice catching the attention of another man.

"Oooo lambay donuts!"
[Oh long donuts!]

She held a delicate èclair, unknown to the fact that the creator of them stood beside her, with a very offended frown on his face.

"This is not a donut."He cleared his throat.

Looking away from the decadent not a donut she had bit into, she looked at him expectantly.

"And then what is it sir Isaac Newton?"

She raised her eyebrow, all the while biting into the pastry.

The man was handsome, no doubt. His frame, broad and built towered over hers despite the fact that she was sure there was barely any large height difference between the two of them. His hair curved under the lobe of his ear. Dressed a plain black suit he was a heavenly sight — the tanned skin from underneath peaked out from the buttons left undone. With a high nose and sharply arched brows, a jawline to match the sharpness of his words, God had definitely taken time crafting him. She blushed at her thoughts, averting her gaze away from his cold eyes. He was frowning, clearly she had offended him — although it seemed funny to see a man as hunky as him be offended as something small as a labelling of a kind of food.

"An èclair. It is nowhere near a donut. In fact the very base of them is different."

"Elaborate Einstein," she grinned.

Emir sighed, rubbing his hand across his face. He had not planned on giving a free lecture to someone at the celebration of a close friend. However, he was offended and it was beyond important to clear the air. Emir was passionate of only one thing.

"Èclairs are made using choux pastry, the one used for profiteroles — you could in an alternate realm call them cousins. A donut however is made using leavened fried dough."

"Listen mr whatever your name is, I'm Alayna. Mein duniya par khanay keh liye utri hun, uski chemistry, biology, physics karnay nahi. Waisay bhi yeh lecture ki photi kori nahi milay gi ap ko. Èclair or donut doesn't matter because it's going to end up in my stomach one way or another. So how about you go do your job and serve the people, and not just stand and look pretty. Although you'd make a good trophy husband I must say,"
She wiped the lint off of his suit.
[I came to Earth simply for eating and not understand the physics, chemistry and biology of food. Plus you aren't getting a singe penny for this lecture.]

"I think there has been a mis—" Emir tried to explain.

"It's time to bring the cake," a waiter interrupted their banter.

Alayna grinned at him with a smugness on her face as if telling him 'told you so', just using her eyes. It was pretty obvious that the Italian people were blessed with great genes, every other waiter looked like a professional model but this man, he was simply out of this world. Come to think of it, he might just make the perfect contract husband — an eye candy with brains. All she needed to overpower her father's board members that lived in the 1800's and wanted her married already.

"It's okay, I'm still impressed by your knowledge on food. Who knows I might find you to make you into my trophy husband,"she shrugged.

"Excuse me?"

"It's alright mister handsome caveman. I know you never expected to meet someone like me," she winked before strolling off.

📜

Alayna's mind had become preoccupied with the thoughts of the man she had met at the birthday party. Emir, as he had told her was her name, had as if gotten lost within a second. Like her own, personal cinderella that vanished into thin air as soon as the clock struck twelve. Her dreams were plagued with the sight of him. Revolving around like the centre of her universe. Although, she reminded herself to not give in, the disastrous marriage of her own parents had caused her mouth to turn sour at the thought of it. Still though she could not resist searching his name up on Google, only to be met with nothing.

Mindlessly, she stepped into the pale peach dress that cinched at the waist and flowed out on to the ground. The puffed up sleeves were her favorite part as she toyed with the band at the end of her wrist. Sliding her tan bag over her shoulder she walked out, her father already waiting for her in the car. They were heading out to have a dinner before they flew out to the South of Italy for a weekend getaway. They deserved one, and with the quarterly audits just around the corner this was the best time they realized.

The inside of the restaurant was like stepping into a palace. The tall walls covered in gold trims and motifs spoke of opulence and grandeur. Dull claret red carpets covered the sandy marble floors and led to the dinning room on the first floor. The location enjoyed views of the Vatican and it's extraordinary lighting. The eighteen square windows covered the walls, res curtains hung from their sides pulled back to add to the theatrical effect. With their orders placed, the father daughter duo fell into a small conversation, talking about work before moving on to the topic of the handsome man she had met.

"Don't you think they're taking a bit too long with out dinner?" Her father sighed.

In the excitement of the dinner he had barely eaten a morsel all morning. He was starving and ready to ask for the waiters to call their managers. The prep time was forty minutes, and the clock had just struck the fiftieth one.

"Dad they'll serve us soon, don't worry." She replied.

The word server triggered the memories of the man she had met a week ago. Not only was the food he served decadent, his looks were a feast for her eyes — which she did realize were thoughts she should not be having just at this moment, as the silhouette of the man filled her vision.

"Lost in the thoughts of that mysterious waiter?" Her father grinned.

"Not really, lost I mean, I think I" she paused as Emir dresses in a chef's attire greeted them, "oh hi — you're the man I was just talking about" Alayna awkwardly grinned.

"But my love he isn't a waiter," her father patted her hand.

The man carried a bewildered expression as he saw the waiter turn out to be a chef. His daughter had been so wrong about the man she was heavily crushing on he thought to himself, smiling inwardly at her reaction.

"Clearly he's a man of many talents. Oh please have a seat," she motioned for the chair beside her, playing her father's words off.

"Okay, actually I'm busy," he declined.

"Nonsense my son. Sit sit. Alayna has been going on about her potential trophy husband." Suleman teased.

Alayna's cheeks turned a bright red. Holding on to a handkerchief she masked the embarrassment she felt. Coughing lightly as the man stared at her with a weird glint inside his eye.

"I don't want to intrude."

"Beth jaiye shaadi keh baad bhi tou mil beth kar hi khain gai na!" Alayna blurted the first thought that came to her mind.
[Sit down after we get married we'll sit together and eat wouldn't we!]

Flushed, Emir sat down by her, motioning for the manager to return who had thankfully been standing out of earshot distance.

"I don't know why your daughter wants me to be her trophy husband sir." Emir replied truthfully.

"She — I'm sorry if that's offended you in any way," Suleman sighed.

"That's not it. If my mother finds out she'll be pissed at me." He sighed.

Alayna stared at him silently. Mother — a relation she had grown up without. Whose fault was that,? She would never know. Her father had loved that woman and so had she. Still, they had fallen short in comparison to her career. Masking her sadness, she cheered up the suddenly dull atmosphere.

"Listen goldilocks, your mum would be happy you married me. I'm running my father's business for him, I'll keep you well fed. I have the money," Alayna defended.

"I don't know why you think I'm broke. My name is Emir Yusuf Khan. I own fifty percent of the Khan's restauranteur empire. I have plenty of money." Emir added, his fingers crossed under the table that he would get his self respect back.

"That makes you even more suitable! So Mr Emir, let me pursue you?"