GROANING BY THE PERSISTENT SOUND, Khalifa buried his head in the plush pillow in an attempt to drown out the souud which seemed to get louder by the minute. Lifting his head from the pillow, Khalifa answered the call without checking the caller ID.

"Hello." Khalifa answered groggily placing his head back on the pillow. He was beyond tired after working late and arrived home at midnight.

"Now I know you're not sleeping this late." Her voice boomed through the speakers of his phone causing an unintentional smile make it's way to his lips before his red eyes popped open.

"Now you know why that happened." Khalifa shot back, humor in his tone sitting up rubbing his eyes. Yasmin rolled her eyes playfully on the other end looking down at her nails before letting out a laugh glancing at her mirror smiling, satisfied with her look.

Yasmin twited her lips to the side looking up in thought. "No I have no idea. But I do need someone to tell me about my look." She applied the lipstick on her lips pressing them together making a faint sound on the other side of Khalifa's phone.

"Oh really?" Khalifa raised a brow pressing on the facetime icon which popped on Yasmin's phone which she answered immediately, his face appearing on her screen, his eyes still red from the lack of sleep earning a laugh from her.

"You don't look so good. Last thing I wanted to see in the morning." She joked dabbing her face with the brush before putting it back in her makeup kit looking up to seeing Khalifa whose eyes were roaming all over her face.

"Okay, I'm going to show you my full look. And please be honest." She pouted standing up revealing her whole look which was a simple black fitted skirt and a plane white shirt tucked in under it. A black turban was skillfully wrapped around her head but was a bit pushed back showing her baby hairs that were gelled.

When she saw Khalifa's face she raised her finger. "But don't be blunt about it like you usually are but at the same time, remember I'm going to a meeting so don't make me go fool myself thinking I look good." She added before she smiled flattening her skirt flashing a pose.

Khalifa's eyes roamed over her outfit which was nice overall but the one thing he didn't like was the fact that the clothes were a bit tight on her which would normally bring unnecessary attention to her.

"Well damn. Are you there as the CEO or what?" Khalifa gassed her up which made her smile broaden before sitting on her dresser crossing her leg over the other looking off to the side.

"Marry me." He dramatically said which made her burst out laughing covering her mouth in the process. "Other than the fact that you look like you're trying to seduce the assistant director." Khalifa mumbled loud enough for her to hear and Yasmin only sucked her teeth waving him off. Khalifa laughed at her response leaning back on the headboard.

"Well if they like what they see, how's that my fault?" Yasmin shrugged her shoulders, spinning around for him slowly. "I'm going to let you soak this up. Don't get infatuated." Yasmin licked her lips leaning towards the camera.

She picked it up from the position she kept the phone switching to the back camera showing her shoes and bag which was a simple black bag which had glitters on it and black simple loubutins on her feet.

"And these are my shoes. They will know I'm not a joke when they see those red bottoms." Yasmin stuck her tongue out turning back the camera running a hand down her face.

"I'm nervous. The assistant director has been on my ass lately and I surely don't want to replace him. But he looks like he wants me to do that by the way he's been smothering me these past few weeks. I feel like he's a pervert. Gives me chills." Yasmin sucked her teeth at the thought of the annoying middle aged man causing Khalifa to let out a breath as a laugh.

"Oh word?" Khalifa nodded before raising up making Yasmin unintentionally bite her lip when she saw he was shirtless but pushed the thought out of her mind kissing her teeth.

It was no secret Khalifa was a good looking man, but they already put themselves in the same position they both thought was best for them. Yasmin's last relationship wasn't the best and Faisal had already tainted her view in men but she wasn't about to judge a whole gender over one man but that doesn't mean she wanted to go there with another man yet.

Khalifa also felt that way and he didn't mind having female friends but they weren't as close because they always ended up making the mistake of hooking up which made things complicated considering they started asking questions about making things official or just breaking off the friendship.

After hanging around Khalifa after sometime, she noticed she perceived him as something he wasn't and didn't even realise when they actually became close. It was actually nice for her to have someone to talk to except Namisha.

Yasmin stared down at her phone scoffing a laugh when she mistakenly viewed Sauda's story when she viewed Namisha's story. It was a video of her and Faisal's hands interlocked with goals captioning the video.

Khalifa walked into the elevator without caring to look who was inside the elelavor. Yasmin looked up rolling her eyes instantly when she noticed who walked in.

Khalifa stuffed his hands in his pockets glancing behind him finding Yasmin staring down at her phone tapping furiously. He cleared his throat licking his lips.

"Which floor you hearing to?" Khalifa asked making Yasmin scrunch her face, confused as to why he was asking her which floor she was going but answered either way.

"The fifth floor." She replied twisting her lips to the side glancing at Khalifa who seemed rather down today. Any other time, it was like her being angry amused but now he looked opposite of the way he looked before.

The last time they met, he was dressed casually in a hoodie and sweatpants and he seemed to be in a better mood. He was looking good today dressed in a simple white kaftan and Gucci slides.

Yasmin started rocking on her heels awkwardly. Not being able to resist the urge to glance at his direction, she glaces at him to see his hands were casually resting in his pockets.

"You need to say something?" Khalifa glanced over his shoulder with a lazy smile. "Girls can also take lead too." He added whivh caught Yasmin off guard by how her eyes widened but the humor in his voice refrained her from acting up as she let out a laugh.

"You're right about that. But women also like men taking lead." Yasmin retorted with a smirk causing Khalifa to raise both brows bobbing his head.

"You're right about that too. But tell me Yasmin, what would you do?" Khalifa asked directing the question to her. Yasmin stood stuck to the floor when she heard how he emphasized on her name. The small time she spoke to him she noticed he usually put emphasis on a specific word in a sentence.

Yasmin twisted her lips to the side in thought. "I prefer men to take lead, thank you." Yasmin smiled switching her bag to her left hand when her right started to hurt from holding the bag for so long.

"I agree with that." Khalifa nodded just as the elevator's doors opened. He motioned for her to walk first and she offered a genuine smile thanking him after.

She continued walking to her designated place but was stopped by Khalifa when he appeared beside her. "I was thinking if it was okay to get your number?" Khalifa asked slowing his steps waiting for her answer.

"I need to get by somehow and if using the fine or light skinned privilege is the way to get it, what's wrong with a little..." Yasmin smiled to herself playing with her earring. "Persuasion." She finished glancing back at the screen where Khalifa was just staring at her blankly making her laugh.

"I can also be embarassing." Khalifa squinted his eyes making Yasmin wave him off with her hand picking up her keys walking down the long hallway of their house as her heels clicked against the clean floors.

"I'll retaliate. You don't want to try that." Yasmin smiled innocently glancing at the screen before chuckling when she saw he had a competitive look on his face.

"I might." Khalifa shrugged licking his lips before switching back to the phone putting it on speaker as he got ready for the gym. He slipped on a grey shirt with black sweatpants with Jordan 11s on his feet.

He picked his phone up walking out of the complex still having a conversation with Yasmin before she told him she had to go.

**

"And here you were talking about not letting yourself go." Khalifa stated looking over to Waheed who could barely hold up the weight he normally would with no problem. Waheed sucked his teeth going to sit on the bench taking a smaller one in his hands.

"Aye don't blame me. Wifey not letting me go, why push." Waheed leaned his head back with a dreamy smile on his face at the thought of her. Khalifa chuckled shaking his head at his friend who was far gone.

"Let's see how she would let you go when you let yourself go."  Khalifa replied leaning back in the seat picking up the weights. Waheed waved him off picking the bottle of water he brought with him taking a big gulp.

"What brought you back to working out?" Waheed wondered closing back the lid of the bottle standing to his feet stretching his arms out making a sound.

"I noticed I was starting to get bent." Khalifa frowned, placing the weight back in it's place sitting up grabbing his protein shake gulping it down.

Khalifa wasn't slim but wasn't muscled either. He had broad shoulders and was built from the workouts he did time to time. He preferred to stay the way he is, not to get too muscular.

Waheed bobbed his head in response slinging his bag over his shoulder glancing at Khalifa. "See you bruh." He smiled throwing the deuces sign walking out the gym excitedly not being able to stay long without his wife.  Khalifa shook his head before laying back down hoping working out could get the thought of him being single out of his mind.

**

"I was expecting a fancy place but this is okay." Sauda muttered acting like she was disappointed letting out a sigh. Faisal let out a laugh reaching over the table placing his hand on her lap which she was quick to push his hand off.

"We're in public." Sauda gritted out glaring over to Faisal who raised his hands up in defense with a chuckle. They were getting married in two weeks and it has been hectic for Sauda ever since, so he thought about taking her out to ease her nerves.

"So?" Faisal let out a sarcastic chuckle picking uo the menu reading through it to decide what he was supposed to order. Sauda let out an inaudible sigh reaching her hand across the table grasping his hands in hers making him look up.

"You know I'm all about it behind closed doors but not really in public." She tried explaining, her eyes drifting to the man behind him before looking back at Faisal who had a devious smirk on his face.

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life." Faisal let out a laugh shaking his head looking around to see flag down a waiter to give their order but failed to spot one making him furrow his eyebrows. "All this talk about this restaurant and they can't keep at least one waiter?" He rolled his eyes slightly throwing the menu on the table, irritated.

A woman wearing a brown abaya emerged from the back looking around before her eyes landed on the couple who sat there unattended. Sauda's eyes were on her the whole time as she sauntered towards them with a straight face.

Faisal followed her eyes glancing behind him to the young woman who sauntered towards them, probably their manager. She arrived shortly opening her mouth to speak but Sauda beat her to it.

"Is there something wrong for you to leave us sitting here for five minutes unattended?" Sauda tilted her head to the side, her menu still in hand before glancing at Faisal whose eyes were on her the whole time, giving him a brief smile before setting her eyes on the woman who placed her hands on her chest, the other clutching her phone.

"I'm sorry for leaving you unattended. Let me take your order." She apologized raising her phone which was a purple IPhone 11 Pro going to her notes before looking back at the couple waiting for their reply.

"I'm going to have a Cesar salad with onions please." Sauda said without looking down at her menu, giving her a tight lipped smile which the woman returned before turning to Faisal.

Faisal's eyes scanned the woman's face who seemed familiar which seemed to be spotless, and her lips only had colorless lip balm on it. "I'll have the same." He cleared his throat glancing at Sauda whose eye twitched but looked back at the manager.

"I hope this never happens again." She forced a smile before picking her phone up messaging Halima who was also preparing to get married.

"My apologies for our unprofessional behaviour." She apologised once again turning to walk away but stopped midway turning back to him making Sauda look up from her phone stopping mid sentence on what she was writing to Halima.

"Are you Rauda's brother perhaps? Sorry it's just that you seemed familiar." She added letting out a nervous chuckle. Faisal furrowed his eyebrows confused as to how she knew his face, and even his sister's name.

"Yeah. Do I know you?" Faisal asked after nodding his head slowly. Her eyes lit up before clicking on her phone before looking back at him clearing her throat awkwardly.

"No I don't think so." She chuckled shaking her head. "If you don't mind, can you give me her number please?" She asked cautiously causing Sauda to raise her eyebrow. Now what was she doing asking about his sister's number when he didn't even know her?

Faisal nodded his head pulling his phone out going to his contacts pressing on Raudah's contact before giving her the number. "Thank you." She smiled walking away after offering Sauda one who failed to return the gesture.

"Now who was that and what the hell was she doing right in front of me?" Sauda scoffed crossing her arms over her chect looking over to Faisal who shrugged his shoulders as if saying he had no idea. The girl asked for his sister's number and he provided her with no problem as long as it wasn't his.

A waiter arrived shortly after placing their food in front of them. They jumped from conversation to another until it was time for them to go. Faisal flagged down a waiter who was available to pay for their meal.

"Can I get our bill?" Faisal asked pulling his card out leaning back in his chair, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"There's no need for that Sir. Our boss extends her apologies and paid for your meal." The waiter said catching both Sauda and Faisal off guard. Faisal nodded waving him off standing up offering Sauda a hand who accepted it picking her bag with her free hand.

"The next time I see that woman, it won't be so friendly." She muttered earning a hearty laugh from Faisal before he placed his hand on her lower back escorting themselves out of the restaurant.

Song : Swae Lee Ft Drake - Won't Be Late