PROVINCE OF APULIA.
BARI, ITALY.

THE NICOLAUS HOTEL.

"Man, I think I'm getting married." Salim declared, eyes fixated on a brunette lady that just walked past in front of them. She's got the body of a nymph but her face is another story entirely.

They are sitting in a park after jogging around the neighbourhood of the hotel that blessed morning. In a few hours, they are going for this tour they were there for to check out the best remarkable place for Salim's father to set out his business. Imad wasn't sure why he was brought there since he is dealing with the company's finance and not market. Maybe because he was there to learn more business strategies and to make his father proud.

"If you are going to get married, marry that grumpy Lateefa. Maybe that'd soften her grumpiness." Imad sucked his lower lip inside his mouth when Salim's eyes widened in galvanization.

Something definitely happened between the two, he is now hundred and two sure of it.

After schooling his expression, he then rolled his eyes, the guy is clearly pulling his legs. "That lady or should I say, hoyden will think I'm disparaging her when it is the other way around." He twisted his lips in distaste, surely remembering something horrendous Lateefa did then added, "Besides, marriage is not what I think about now." He stopped to shake his head off the idea, "Not after your failed one."

Imad terminate a sigh from coming out, that acerbic taste mingling in his mouth. The sudden feeling of betrayal that enveloped him is malignant but he forced himself to push it back and think about something else. Thinking about the past will lead to something he'd regret, he is not about to joke with his health anymore. His brother won't be so proud of him if that happens, he's been working his ass off to get him on his feet.

"Don't think about other people's marriage when you want your own to work out. If you are really into someone and know her well enough, don't hold back. I don't regret getting married to the one person I loved." He permitted a far away pensive look to envelope his eyes, glossing it over as he stared at geriatric woman walking her puppy. "Not knowing her enough is what I regretted though." He gave a shrug, composing himself back.

Salim gave a distinct prominent shake of his head, not believing anything Imad had just said.

He has been there right from the beginning of their love story, even played some parts in it. How does he expect him to just throw all that love he's once believed in and move on with his own life? They inculcate love in his head, made it grow so wide that he was envious of what they had for so long only for it to shatter into tiny fragments and smithereens. He does not believe love exists anymore, it does not matter what he thinks anyway.

The only way to induce and influx love in his head is when Amirah and Imad get back together and from the look of things and where it is going, that is never going to happen. The two already moved on way before they met again which further parted the silver lining between them. It is actually pensive, mere thought of their marriage being broken just like that. Their love story is the most unorthodox one he's ever seen.

"That is because you've experienced what love is. Maybe I have been in love but it wasn't strong enough for me to want to get tied with that person." Salim hit on a pooched stone on the floor then stood up to leave.

Imad chortled lowly, not getting why people are so against love when he'd want to go through what he did years ago again but just not the pain. That love he's shared with Amirah, he wants to live more into it. He just made a promiscuous choice taking Amirah without fully reading out who she is. She never gave him any reason to doubt her or what was between them. Her innocence helped succor all the histrionics.

He placed his arm around Salim's shoulder, giving him good two inches when years ago, Salim is much more taller than him. "Man, fall in love or die hopeless."

Salim shrug it off, keeping his ribald side aside and thinned his lips. "I don't want to marry please, not after your marriage gets perfected with Amirah. You might not want to talk about the past, it's fine. But don't think we don't know what you have been up to in Chicago and other countries all those years. We were quiet because we clearly don't want you to feel bad and we don't want to be too nosey. Maybe Jabir can hold it in, but I cannot." Salim burst out in recalcitrancy, the matter is actually eclectic but things have been forestalling it for a while now.

Imad use his forefinger and thumb to smoothen the lines between his brows. He knew this was coming with everyone around him but he was never ready to deal with it. He was buying more time in his account so that when the time comes, he can just find an escape root but sadly, he can do nothing about it this time around. No one can help him evade this talk with this bratty Salim. He always gets his way all the time, the pettifogger.

A sigh filled with hefty trouble eluded his lips. "I fucked up-"

Salim cut him off midway, bursting out like a pompous kid, he pontificated. "You more than fucked up, man. Heartbreak could cause so many things but becoming a womanizer? Alcoholic too? Damn right, that was more than fucking the hell up!"

Imad bit his lip hard to stop his own wrath and fury from taking over, it's so myriad that filled up his whole body in hot lava. He has made mistakes, repented. Then why are they bringing back the darkest part of him out to the world? That is between him and his Lord right? Where were they when he was depressed? And now they suddenly are back and will only point out the wrongs he's done? He was the one who suffered the guilt of missing the way and not them.

A rush of hot breathe sauntered out from his mouth then he answered. "I have repented and mended my ways, haven't I? We don't need to talk about that and ruin the new found friendship again. I don't need to spiel and screed everything, now do I? I am a changed person, I don't like talking about how obsidian my life was. So please, let's move the fuck on from there." He walked away after that, his walk with more purpose on abandoning Salim if he keeps being sentient about his past.

He only needed a friend and not a hypercritical, cavil and a nitpicking friend.

"Hey, wait up!" Salim called out, his voice now light and no presence of the fury traced there like there was minutes or seconds ago. "Sorry about that, man. I just had to take it all out or keep staring at you with it. We are as cool as cucumber now." Salim grinned widely, hitting his back really hard.

Imad fought back a smile then said, "Better that you cut it off now!"

***

Some might think she is an expert when it comes to fulminating and deflagrating but that is totally wrong. Because if that were legitimate and genuine, she would've used that into use at that moment and escape the roots of bad awkward and maladroit situation. This vendetta between her and Imad is now so strong, she can feel it in her mouth too. Her stomach is unsettled and pigsty, totally unwell.

They are currently sitting in the restaurant situation at the last floor in the hotel they are staying at, Nicolaus Hotel. He didn't ask whether she wants to eat something -which she does- and he is also not eating anything but she is hungry. He called her down an hour ago and they started working on some project that is not needed till the next month which is two weeks away.

"Ms. Adam, check out the power point from 2012 and list them out beside the one this year. Make sure they are different and can be differentiated when sent to the CEO." He ordered, eyes and fingers flapping around the keyboard expertly.

"Yes, Sir." Her stomach grumbled, the onomatopoeia unheard and low, she is sure he didn't hear a sound and it irritated her. She was having her breakfast, room service, in their suite when he called her.

As soon as she answered the call, he didn't bother answering her good morning and dive right through what he wants to talk about like a mutinous kid. "Come down and meet me at the restaurant with your laptop in ten." And then he hung up the phone like one stupid badass boss she always loved in books but loathe in reality.

She had stared at the phone like an alien just visited her from Mars before jerking away from the plate of food and straight to their room in a hurry. How is she going to take bath and get dressed in just freaking ten minutes? Because there is no way she will go see him without taking a bath, impossible.

With that thought in mind, she had made her way to the bathroom and slipped into the walk in shower and turn on the water-saving mist shower head to make it all quicker. That was the quickest bath in record because she finished in less than three minutes and ferried out in her towel. She browsed through the luggage packed by Lateefa seeing countless of clothes she does not own but kept quite for the time being. She does not want to fight with that Yoruba girl now.

Hiking into her underwear, she removed another sets of hands downs. A straight leather skirt encased her lower half, rice white shirt exhibiting Victorian neckline and kimono sleeves enshrouded the upper body down her mid-thigh. Before she could browse through her luggage again, Lateefa barged in, stared at her up and down then removed the chiffon black veil around her head and gave Amirah.

Amirah made no move to accept it, Lateefa flattened her lips. "Take this and wear before you get late. There is nothing in your luggage that could match up your outfit. Your boss won't be very pleased if you go there late." She placed the veil across Amirah's shoulder and strolled to the bathroom.

With a sigh bagged with despair, she took the veil and made a quick Sudanese style, wore the bathroom flip-flops and ran out of the suite with her laptop yelling out a goodbye to still eating Kamilah. Her morning was ruined just because he wants her to work on days she thought would serve as vacation. Who was she kidding? She is there to work some more and not enjoy her time touring like honeymooners.

Honeymoon, ha!

She orchestrated the PowerPoint, leaving her day behind and concentrate. Maybe, just maybe after she finishes this, she will be allowed to leave or at least order something to eat. The man is starting to change from her original boss, he is sounding more like the Imad she knew now. She can't jump into conclusion, the guy is like water and fire. His moods changes more than a pregnant woman's.

Her heart wants something different and her mind is telling her another story.

She badly wants to believe that Imad was jealous after seeing her with Nazir yesterday and that is why he wants her to start working immediately to close any other opportunity of her seeing Nazir again if she is preoccupied. That is the side of her heart that is clichéd by the countless of romantic boss and personal assistant books she's read. The bad ass CEO hiding their jealousy by filling their assistants with work, it made no sense in reality though. The huge difference between books and reality.

As if Imad will care about her after what she's done. She is being mindlessly stupid. Her mind is already judging her with a quelling glare knowing she does not have the jurisdiction to ever feel that but who is she to stop her heart from doing what it wants? It works by itself, excluding her from it's activities like it is not beating inside of her not the other way round.

Thirty more minutes into her work, she stopped midway and rounded her eyes hoping she didn't just feel what she felt. She stood still, hoping, coveting and praying that her period didn't just decided to visit her. She clenched her fists tightly, crossing her legs together with a pained expression taking over her features. How could she forget about mother nature because she is leaving Nigeria and all it's baggage of trouble?

'Maybe because you thought even the menstruation was borne in Nigeria and shall stay there.' Her stupid sarcastic mind chirped, her voice hyper than ever.

"Ms. Adam, why are you not working?" Imad rose his head just in time to see her closing her eyes for a few seconds and opened it. He had a hunch what is happening, he's been with her for long after all.

Amirah schooled her expression, not wanting to look like a weakling because of mere dysmenorrhea. It's not like she is the first woman to ever go through that and Imad is the last person she wants sympathy from. She is being extra abstinent when it comes to this Imad, you never know when he will strike like a darn snake. He has moved on after all, does not care about her anymore.

Lips pressed together in light grimace to tune down the pain, she swallowed rapidly for good five seconds then answered, "Can I take the whole afternoon after this, Sir?" She answered his question with a request.

Imad scrunched his brows looking conflicted before shooting his eyes to the date sprawled across his laptop. It clicked, it is her time of the month. It hasn't changed since the last time they were together three years ago? He thought it changes rapidly but seems like Amirah's didn't. There is no way that look she is picturing isn't from the pain she suffers whenever it visited.

Instead of acting like that concerned fiancée he was, he is that aloof boss that does not care about anyone but the work done. "Why?"

She gulped, finding the words hard to utter even though they are at the tip of her tongue. She weighed the pros and cons before deciding on being truthful. "I don't feel too well, Sir."

Imad tried, he really did try to stop himself from being all concerned but he couldn't. He sighed dejectedly, shaking his head slowly and clasping his hands together in front of him. He purposefully closed his eyes to stop himself from agreeing, anyway he could to not fall for that Amirah he fell for years ago but he couldn't.

That innocent face is still looking right back at him, eyes filled with pain and fear of him rejecting her offer. With more reluctance, he replied, "You can finish the work when you get better, Ms. Adam. Have a nice day." He stood up, cleared the table off his laptop and other papers then made it to the elevator in no time leaving a galvanised Amirah behind.

He didn't want to do it, he didn't want to fucking do it but did anyway! That girl won't ever stop getting her way with him, even if she is going to kill him and meet him again in after life. It is malignant how much he still cares, how much he wants to shower her with massages to keep that pain away. He knows the pain she goes through whenever it happens, he keeps buying medicines for her then.

He did it again too, surprised by that. He called one of the bellboys before entering his suite.

"Ask one of the female workers here for something that lessen the pain of mestrual cramps and also some sanitary pads. Get them and ask for Ms. Adam amongst the ladies we came with..." He explained to the bellboy how to do it and gave him the money to buy everything and surfeit tip. The boy left to happily do his work mimicking 'Love Story by Taylor Swift.'