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The Ugly

7

One year later
...

"May I come in, sir?"

Hamza smiled without looking up from his laptop and said, "Only if you're prepared for what might follow."

Silence greeted his statement and when he looked up, he froze. Zoya and Jasmine were both standing in his office doorway staring at him. Beads of sweat appeared on his upper lip and he let out a breath, thinking fast. "Come on in, you two," he said firmly and shuffled some papers. "Um...sorry, Jasmine but I marked your latest assignment and I'm happy to say that you got an A plus. I know it was quite difficult but you did great."

Zoya had taken a seat but Jasmine was still standing there, moistening her lips. "Um...that's...really surprising," she said quietly. "I expected a B plus or just an A," she confessed.

He smiled. "So you were not prepared for the A plus, after all. I guessed right."

She nodded. "Yes. Yes, you did."

Zoya let out a dramatic sigh. "Excuse me for the interruption, sir, but Abbu wants to see me at the mansion now. I'm done for the day so can I go?"

"Of course. But don't stay the night. Your finals are coming up and I need to supervise your studies," he told her.

"Okay. I'll ask uncle Ali to drop me home after dinner. You should come too. Abbu wouldn't mind. I know he's asked you."

Hamza did not reply but went back to his work. Zoya sighed again. "Khuda hafiz, then. You can get back to your boring discussion about Jasmine's brains now." She winked and disappeared out the door, humming to herself. Jasmine started to move towards the desk.

"Close the door."

"Oh, right." She turned and did as he asked, locked it and grinned when she turned back to him. "We're so lame at making excuses."

"Don't joke. I was scared," he admitted.

She walked around to him and settled on his lap. "I was too."

"Hmm." He inhaled deeply and she felt his smile against the back of her neck. "You smell like you," he told her of her jasmine fragrance as she pressed languidly against him.

His hands came up to cup her breasts and she twisted in his lap to kiss him hard on the mouth.

Hamza drew back to look at her. "Somebody's feeling affectionate today," he teased.

She smoothed some of the dark strands of hair back from his forehead. "I'm always affectionate, baby." Then her expression grew sad as she remembered what she had come here to talk to him about. "Hamza, I'll be graduating in a month."

"I know," he quipped. "So will hundreds of other students."

She punched his shoulder. "Please don't mock me. I'm worried."

He sighed. "You have to go out there in the world, Jas. You have to make your mark."

"Suddenly, it doesn't seem all that important," she whispered and buried her head in his chest. "I just want to be with you."

"No tears, please."

She lifted her head and scowled at him. "I'm leaving."

She began to scramble off his lap but he laughed and pulled her back. "You look very sexy this afternoon by the way," he growled.

She folded her arms and looked away. "Not sexy enough, though."

"Come, on, baby," he groaned. "Be happy we're together now. Don't worry about the future. Tell me...what colour are your panties right now?"