Rest
A hoarse moaning sound could be heard from the girl, curled up under the thick blanket on Darian’s bed. Her half-open eyes caught sight of a familiar man staring silently at her. The man smiled and got up from his seat, approaching Fahira, who looked bewildered and embarrassed. Fahira just realized that she had fallen asleep on her boss’s bed without a care. She quickly uncovered the blanket and got up, but before her feet touched the floor, Darian squatted down, looking at her tenderly.
“Sorry, Mr. Darian, I overslept!” Fahira panicked, and her hands busied themselves tidying up her messy hair. Fahira glanced at her wristwatch and exclaimed, “Oh my God, why didn’t you wake me up? It’s already three in the afternoon. The office must be empty by now! Poor Ariel must be worried sick waiting for me. I’m so sorry for messing up your bed,” she rambled on without pause, like a train on its tracks, while adjusting her clothes, and Darian could only chuckle, finding her amusing.
“Calm down, Honey, I took care of everything!” Darian said, standing up and reaching for Fahira’s hands.
“What do you mean?” Fahira asked, still confused. She was trying to gather her thoughts, which were still lost in a pleasant dream. She blinked her eyes as she replayed her activities today and tried to understand how she ended up sleeping in her boss’s private room.
“You take a shower first, and then we’ll go to one of Mommy’s boutiques,” Darian said, leading the still-confused Fahira to the bathroom. He handed her a towel and closed the bathroom door with a chuckle.
Darian returned to his comfortable sofa and surfed through his social media accounts. Suddenly, he realized that he hadn’t followed his girlfriend on Instagram yet. He became curious about whether Fahira had as many followers as he did. “Not bad,” Darian murmured, smiling as he caressed his phone screen, which displayed a photo of his girlfriend.
Shortly after, Fahira came out of the bathroom, looking refreshed, and sat beside Darian. “Darian, I’m sorry, okay?” Fahira pleaded with a sincere smile. She truly regretted falling asleep for so long in Darian’s private room during office hours.
“There’s nothing to apologize for, Honey!” Darian pinched Fahira’s nose playfully. “That’s your bag!”
“Ah, my work isn’t done yet, and my computer is still on!” Fahira replied.
“David took care of everything. Let’s head to the boutique now!” Darian suggested, picking up Fahira’s bag and placing it on his lap.
As Fahira applied light makeup to her face, Darian gently combed her long and beautiful hair, allowing it to cascade down. Without taking his eyes off the girl beside him, Darian felt grateful in his heart for sending someone as good as Fahira to guide him to repent and improve himself. Ever since he stayed over at Fahira’s place in a drunken state some time ago, Darian had started to improve his religious practices, making time for his muslim obligations no matter how busy he was.”
***
Fahira remained still, her gaze fixed on the giant plaque that read YZ Boutique. Anxiousness gripped her heart. Honestly, she was still not ready to meet Yasmin as Darian’s girlfriend. Fahira was certain that tonight would determine the future of their relationship. Would it end or continue to the wedding? If she could choose and be selfish, Fahira could take advantage of the situation to extract as many benefits as possible from being Darian’s girlfriend without bothering to become his wife, like Helen, her fellow secretary colleague, did. The man would surely comply with all her wishes. But Fahira wasn’t like that; she genuinely loved Darian despite the fact that their relationship started from the biggest mistake of her life.
Darian smiled reassuringly and reached out his hand. Fahira took a deep breath to replenish the suddenly depleted oxygen in her lungs. Her heart was beating fast like the thumping of a beat filling her chest.
Fahira accepted Darian’s hand and entered the boutique. It was possible that they would meet the boutique’s owner, who happened to be Darian’s mother. But earlier, Darian had made sure that Yasmin was not at the central YZ boutique.
Seeing the boss’s son arrive, two boutique employees warmly welcomed Darian and Fahira. “Is my order ready?” Darian asked the boutique manager named Dinda, whom he had known for a long time.
“Already, Sir. Please come in!” Dinda replied, ushering Darian and Fahira into the dressing room.
With the help of another employee, Dinda showed Darian several beautiful dresses. “Honey, try these on, okay?” Darian said gently to Fahira. Fahira nodded and followed the employee into the fitting room, carrying the dresses Darian had chosen.
Darian sat on the sofa in front of Fahira’s dressing room, eagerly waiting to see his girlfriend in a different look tonight. Darian’s restlessness didn’t escape Dinda’s attention. The middle-aged woman, who was around the same age as Darian’s mother, smiled gently. This was the first time Darian had brought a girl to Yasmin’s boutique. Dinda often heard Yasmin complain about Darian’s reserved nature. According to information she got from Yasmin, Darian had never been close to any woman before.
“Darian, how about this?” Fahira asked excitedly. She liked the black dress with open shoulders that now clung to her body. Darian seemed to think for a moment before giving an answer.
“No, Honey, it’s too revealing!” Darian protested, noticing Fahira’s beautiful and smooth shoulders exposed. The girl in front of him looked very sexy, but Darian didn’t want other men to see his girlfriend. Even though it was just dinner with his mother, there would be some male employees at home, and they would naturally see his girlfriend’s body. With annoyance, Fahira returned to the dressing room. Dinda, who was observing their interaction, could only smile. In her opinion, Darian and Fahira looked very compatible. Fahira was a simple girl, but with a little makeup, she would transform into a celestial being.
“This is the last one!” Fahira pouted, wearing a peach-colored sleeveless mini dress. Some accents from the chest down to the bottom of the dress gave it an elegant touch. It was simple, but the dress perfectly complemented Fahira’s slender figure.
Darian didn’t say anything. He stood up and approached Fahira, smiling meaningfully. Dinda gave a signal to the employee who stood beside Fahira to leave with her. She gave the young couple a moment of privacy, immersed in their romance.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.
“Beautiful!” Darian praised without blinking. He traced Fahira’s body from her toes to the tips of her hair. Instantly, a blush spread across Fahira’s face and neck. Darian could only hold his breath as other feelings disturbed his mind and body. Two intertwined elements that usually hit adult men seemed to stir within him.
Darian’s hand extended to caress Fahira’s cheek for a moment before calling Dinda. “Mrs. Dinda!”
Soon, Dinda entered with the employee who had helped Fahira change clothes earlier. “Yes, Mr. Darian, is there anything else I can help with?” Dinda asked politely.
“Find some shoes that suit Fahira!” Darian replied, still captivated by Fahira’s presence. “Okay, sir!”
“Let Miss Fahira!” the employee said.
Now, they were on the second floor of the boutique, where the collection of branded shoes and handbags was displayed. After finding what Darian wanted, they returned to the dressing room. A makeup artist was already waiting to beautify Fahira for the evening. Three days ago, Darian had asked Dinda to prepare everything for tonight without Yasmin, his mother’s, knowledge.
While waiting for Fahira, Darian wandered around the boutique, looking at his mother’s collection that had never interested him before. Unbeknownst to Darian, he had become the center of attention for the customers who came in. Coincidentally, the boutique was crowded that afternoon, and Darian was the only man there. With his attractive physique and handsome face, Darian seemed to be a magnet for women.
“Sir, Miss Fahira is ready!” the employee who had accompanied Fahira earlier informed.
“Okay, thank you. Oh, wrap these dresses!” Darian pointed to several pastel-colored dresses for Fahira, according to her taste. As far as Darian could remember, she had never worn clothes with bright colors or patterns before.
Darian didn’t care about the admiring glances from all the women around him. He was used to it, except for Fahira. She was the only woman who looked at him plainly. To him, she was different from most women who approached him only for money. The cold and aloof expression that usually marked her face seemed to vanish this evening. Cupid’s arrow had hit the depths of his heart, and a faint smile had been gracing his serious face since then.
***
Right after the prayer, Darian and Fahira headed to Putra’s residence. It’s needless to ask about Fahira’s heartbeat. Of course, it wasn’t in a good condition now. She couldn’t stop sending blessings to the Prophet in her heart while her cold hands trembled, trying to calm the anxiety that overwhelmed her.
On the other hand, Darian seemed elated. His brown eyes couldn’t stop adoring the girl by his side since they left the boutique. Dinda had succeeded in transforming Fahira’s appearance completely. The simple Fahira had turned into an angelic beauty.
Darian’s car stopped in front of the tall white gate. Fahira became more nervous as the giant gate slowly opened, revealing the grand mansion with its two-story giant pillars. The car entered the spacious courtyard, passing through a fountain with Greek god statues in the middle. Don’t even ask about the beauty of this house. Fahira was already amazed just by looking at the beautiful garden accompanying their drive. It felt like she was in a fairytale land. The beauty of the house was already evident in the front yard, let alone during the daytime.
Possessively, Darian wrapped his arm around Fahira’s slender waist as they entered the magnificent house. As soon as Darian’s car stopped, a bodyguard welcomed them, holding the door open. Darian immediately walked towards the dining room.
“Sir Darian has arrived; I will call the Madam!” greeted a friendly household staff, a woman around 57 years old.
“Yes, please, we’ll wait here!” Darian replied amiably, then pulled out a chair for Fahira.
“You’re such a beautiful young lady! Sir has excellent taste!” praised Bi Aminah kindly, gazing gently at Fahira. Darian chuckled and held Fahira’s cold fingers in his.
“Don’t worry, Honey, you’ve known Mommy for a long time. Why are you so nervous?” Darian tried to calm his girlfriend.
Fahira could only respond to Darian with a smile as the woman they were waiting for descended the stairs gracefully. Yasmin always looked stunning. Age didn’t diminish her charm. Right now, the woman in her fifties walked gracefully in a navy-colored long dress with her beautiful brown hair cascading down. Yasmin even looked more like Darian’s older sister than his mother.
Darian and Fahira immediately stood up to welcome Yasmin. They shook hands and kissed Yasmin’s hand in turn.
“Please, Fahira, have a seat,” Yasmin said warmly.
Yasmin took her seat after Darian pulled out the chair for her. Now they were facing each other. Darian, who was looking at Fahira’s downcast face, held her hand on his lap. Yasmin smiled faintly with an inscrutable expression as she observed how Darian gazed at Fahira.
“Ahem…” Yasmin cleared her throat to divert Darian’s attention and said, “Let’s eat first!” She invited them, and two waiters served their dinner.
“Mom…” Darian called out after finishing his dinner quickly. Yasmin raised her hand, gesturing for Darian to be quiet. She then picked up her drink and took a sip.
Yasmin didn’t expect that the girl chosen by her son would be Fahira, his secretary. There were dozens of beautiful girls she introduced to Darian, so why did her son choose an ordinary and simple girl like Fahira? Moreover, Yasmin knew that Fahira was an orphan. Yasmin restrained herself from expressing her feelings directly. She still had a heart and deeply respected her late husband’s will.
“I love Fahira, so I hope you’ll approve of our relationship, Mommy!” Darian expressed, pleadingly. He knew his mother well. Her first love didn’t agree with Darian’s decision to choose Fahira as his wife.
“Can I have a moment to talk with you? Can Fahira join us?” Yasmin said, looking at Darian seriously and then shifting her gentle gaze to Fahira.
“Of course, Mrs. Yasmin!” Fahira replied briefly.
Yasmin immediately got up from her seat, and Darian followed. “Just a moment, Honey,” Darian excused himself, then kissed the top of Fahira’s head.
“What is it that makes Mommy not like Fahira? She’s the girl I’ve chosen!” Darian asserted when they were in the library, which also served as her late husband Rusdi’s workspace. Darian held both of Yasmin’s hands and kissed them in turn.
Yasmin looked into Darian’s eyes. The two pairs of brown irises were now locked in a gaze. “Now, make your choice. Me or that girl?” she asked firmly.