New Year.. (4)

'So.. he asked about you'
'Who?' I felt my heart fluttering, hoping it was Ahmed she was talking about, I tried to appear uninterested, it's been 4 days since we met and she hadn't mentioned him so I assumed he was wasn't interested, 'pass me the pop corn' I said, reaching out to the bowl next to my friend. We were both sitting in her bed, watching TV, it was a quiet Thursday night we decided we wanted to spend at home doing nothing.
'Ahmed, he asked about you' she repeated grinning,
'Yeah?'
'Yeah.. I gave him your number'
'What!' I screamed slapping her on the hand in the popcorn bowl
'Hahahahahha look at your face!'
'Of course look at my face! Are you serious? You're joking right?'
'La wallah I'm not, he asked about you after lunch immediately, I knew that if I told you you'd panic and stop me from doing anything, so, for the past 4 days I've been spending time with him to get to know him for you, you know, like a screening period and let me tell you, he's awesome'
'How and why did you give him my number?'
'He asked for it after lunch immediately, but I told him I have to think about it and see if he's worthy of you'
'You can't be serious'
'No I am, I'm surprised he still didn't call you, he was very keen'
'Well, maybe he changed his mind' I replied, fidgeting with the blanket on my lap,
'I doubt it, maybe he's nervous, he was nervous when he talked to me, he said he didn't want to offend anyone'
'Aww that's sweet, what did he say?'
'He said that it was nice meeting you, you seem very nice, I said yes, you're my best friend and he better not break your heart'
'You didn't!'
'I did, he laughed and he said he liked you, and would like to get to know you better and so I said I'll think about it'
'Hmm... well, let's see if he calls'
We spent the rest of the evening watching TV and gossiping, at 11:30 I got the call from the parents asking when I'll be home so I got into my car and headed home, just as I was driving through our gates my phone beeped with a new message,

+97455...: Hi, it was nice meeting you the other day :)

I smiled as I read his message,
Alia: Who's this?
+97455...: Oh I'm sorry, this is Ahmed, we met the other day, I'm sorry I thought Mariam told you..

I laughed saving his number, imagining him flustered and typing this message.

Alia: Oh yeah, she did mention it, I didn't realise it was you now
Ahmed: You have random people texting you at night saying it was nice to meet you?
Alia: Haha no I don't, I actually don't meet a lot of people here since I don't work
Ahmed: I know, Mariam told me she usually has to drag you out of the house
Alia: So what else did Mariam tell you? I typed smiling as I walked into my room and started getting ready for bed. I couldn't remember the last time I was genuinely smiling and looking forward to something, somehow he made me eager to get to know him. Again, it might be that smile, I smiled myself remembering it as I snuggled in bed,
Ahmed: I won't tell you, it's a secret between my colleague and me ;)
Alia: Really? You're both gonna gang up on me?
Ahmed: Hmm yeah, you could say that
Alia: So, tell me about yourself..
Ahmed: What do you want to know?
Alia: I don't know, if you were to write a short bio about yourself what would you say?
Ahmed: Haha bio as in for work?
Alia: Umm.. no, bio as in for a dating site
Ahmed: I never needed a dating site
I laughed, he was confident and charming, I liked that.
Alia: La wallah? I see..
Ahmed: Haha I'm kidding, well basic info, I'm 33, single, I studied in the US, moved back around 9 years ago, struggled a bit as I'm sure you did too, I worked in my previous job for about 8 and a half years and now I moved to this job with Mariam.
Ahmed: Can I ask you something?
Alia: Sure
Ahmed: Can I call you? I sense that we'll be talking for a while and my fingers are not as nimble as they used to be
Alia: Haha this is what happens with old age
Ahmed: Hey, I'm not that old.
Ahmed: So can I?
Alia: Of course :)

The phone rang almost immediately,
'Hello' he said as soon as I picked up the phone, his voice sent a shiver down my spine, the raspy voice of a smoker,
'Do you smoke?' I blurted immediately,
'Haha I do, why?'
'You have a smoker's voice'
'Is that good or bad?'
'Voice good, smell bad'
'I'll make sure I spray cologne before seeing you'
'Who said anything about seeing me?'
'Too soon?' he whispered, 'ok I'm sorry'
'It's ok'
'So, what were we saying?'
'That you were old?'
'Haha no, before that, I was giving you my dating profile'
'Yeah.. so, how come you're still single?'
'Umm.. I wasn't until recently, I mean I wasn't married or anything, but I was in a long term relationship with someone not from here, it was serious, well I was serious but it didn't work out'
'I'm sorry'
'It's ok.. some things are not meant to be, I believe it's for the best'
'I guess'
'You tell me about yourself'
'Oh I'm so bad with this'
'So you tricked me into revealing my dating profile and you won't give me yours?'
'Haha I'm just bad at talking about myself'
'Ok, so I'll ask and you answer'
'Sounds good'
'Your age?'
'24'
'You're a baby, I knew you were young but I didn't realise how young'
'Hey! I'm not a baby'
'You are. Single I hope?'
'Yes' I laughed,
'You were with Mariam in London?'
'Yes, we've been best friends since we were kids, I'm not good at meeting people, so what few friends I have I've had for ever'
'Well, I hope to be your friend'
'Inshallah'
'Well, I hope for more than a friend, but friend will do for now..' he whispered, I could feel the heat rising to my face and thanked god that this was a phone call and he wasn't actually here with me.
'Umm.. are you going to respond to that or you'll just keep me hanging?'
'Keep you hanging' I laughed.
'So, why literature?'
'I always loved reading, as I said I'm not good with people, I'm not good with confrontation so I didn't feel like I'd be good in a business environment. Also, I wanted to do something I'm passionate about, and a career in shoe business wasn't an option'
'Haha, fair enough. But teaching won't be easy for someone who's not comfortable with people'
'It's not that I'm not comfortable with people, I mean I'm not shy or anything, I just find it difficult to connect with people, create relationships, you know what I mean?'
'Yeah I get it'

The conversation was easy, light, he was nice and funny, we were actually on the phone for six hours without realising it.
'I'm so glad it's a Thursday, well it's Friday now, I don't know how I would've gone to work if it was a weekday'
'I'm sorry I kept you up'
'No, I loved it, can I call you again tomorrow? tomorrow as in when I wake up in 4 hours?'
'Haha no, I need my beauty sleep, you can call me in 8 hours'
'Ok, sleep well beautiful, I'll talk to you soon'
'Ok, you too'
I shut the phone and put it next to me, and for the first time in a long time, I fell asleep smiling.