Chapter 5 – Unanswered Questions, Only Time Would Tell ...

Syed's POV:

The Unit – Monday 23rd November 2009 – 2.31pm

And so our affair continued. To be fair, neither of us did much to stop it. I'd made a conscious decision that once I got married and became a respectable husband, the affair would stop. I think Christian knows that as well. Everything we done will become distant memories and I will move on with Amira. Christian and I can stay friends. It'll all work out. I know it will. It has to...

Although maybe I should have stopped it a few weeks ago when I had ended up at Christian's after getting caught in the rain. But as Christian took everything that I threw at him, as he'd explained everything I asked him to explain, I realized that I just couldn't do it. I couldn't walk out of that door tonight without getting back with him. Why? Well, when I figure it out, I'll tell you, but all that I knew was nearly losing him ... I couldn't let him slip through my fingers again. And the physical relief that I had felt when I heard that he actually wasn't with James, well ... I couldn't understand it.

"Syed, hurry up". I turned to Amira. She was standing by the door impatiently tapping her foot.

"What"?

"We're meant to be going shopping, for Denise and Lucas's wedding"?

I groaned. "Amira. I forgot. You'll have to go by yourself. I've got too much work to do here"

Her face fell. "Sy-eed". She drew my name out.

"But you know that I really wanted to go with you. I wanted to show you the shoes I wanted for Eid as well".

I felt a slight twinge of guilt. If I hadn't been so preoccupied in reminiscing over what Christian and I had got up to 2 days ago, well I would have been able to concentrate and finish faster. I walked over to the office and went straight to my locker. Amira followed me in

"So we can go then"? I pulled out my wallet and shook my head at her hopeful face.

"No, I'm too busy. I'm sorry".

I pulled out some notes and handed them to her.

"For the shoes". She looked at the money and looked up back at me.

"Think of it as an early Eid present. I'm rubbish with shoes anyways. Buy yourself the shoes and consider them from me". Amira clapped her hands.

"Thank you Syed, you're the best". She rested her arms around my neck and kissed my lips. As I pulled back, I heard his smooth voice.

"Don't mind me". My stomach flipped. He was wearing faded jeans with a white shirt. I could see some of his chest hairs poking out and I tried hard not to stare at him for longer than necessary. I cleared my throat.

"Not interrupting anything am I"? I felt his gaze at me and felt uncomfortable.

"Nah. Amira was just off shopping". She smiled at me and spun around.

"Speaking of which, I'd better get going. I need to get back because I'm closing up for Tanya today". Amira waved at us before walking out.

Christian turned to me. We listened as Amira's footsteps got further and further into the distance. Eventually we heard the door upstairs close. I felt tension seep out of me simultaneously. I gazed into Christian's eyes.

"No hi then" He smiled that beautiful smile, stepped forward and took me into his arms ...

Christian's POV:

The Unit – Monday 23rd November 2009 – 2.31pm

"Strawberries or blueberries"? I smiled to myself, well that was easy.

"Strawberries. Definitely" Syed smiled at me. I could read his mind and I knew that he was thinking the same thing as me.

"Oh yeah, how comes strawberries? That's actually quite insulting to the blueberries" I laughed out loud.

"So what is this? Let's all stick up for the blueberries day or something"? it was Syed's turn to laugh out loud. I put the knife down on the chopping board and stepped towards him.

"Well, maybe that's because strawberries have their ... uses". He smiled through his eyes, causing his whole face to illuminate. Syed also stepped towards me.

"Like what"?

"Wouldn't you like to know"? We were now both facing the same way but we weren't standing together.

"Strawberries and cream? Or Strawberries with melted chocolate"? His voice was low and husky. The normally stressed Syed was gone and the relaxed and fun Syed that I loved was standing here.

"How about a bit of both"?

"I'll hold you to that". We stopped in front of each other. Each of us gazing at the other, smiling. We were together but apart in the same sense. I kissed his lips slowly, while ensuring that my eyes never actually left his. He responded immediately and I slipped my arms around his waist. We pulled apart.

"You're lucky I still fancy you with that uniform on". I chuckled making sure that my breath washed over his face. He closed his eyes for a moment as he breathed me in. I loved it when he did that. The serene look on his face in those moments, made my heart physically jump for joy.

"Oh yeah, whys that"? I was curious for his answer. Syed tilted his head back slightly and just smiled at me. "It just doesn't do you justice" he answered simply. I could feel my heartbeat speeding up. Was that a notion for what he felt for me? I could only hope so.

"I agree it really doesn't" I was joking with him. I didn't want him to think that I took it to heart, even though I did. It would make everything easier. Syed playfully hit my arm.

"Very funny, so, what? It does me justice"? I could hear an underlying tone. I smiled to myself. Syed was taking my joking manner as vanity. If I only I could explain to him just how I really felt. I had to be careful, but right now, I was happy with having him this way, rather than no way.

"Nah.. Well then again I always did have a thing for men in uniform" The sexual tension fizzed around us as I embraced him deeply. He pulled back reluctantly. "We shouldn't Christian".

"Why not"?

"Anyone could walk in"

"Well, that's the fun of it. Plus you know what they say, when's the cats away..."

I trailed off and kissed him again.

"How about .. all work.. and no.. play..". I kissed him between every couple of words. Syed groaned.

"You're testing me". Syed tensed and I could feel him trying to control himself. I moved the kisses down his neck until I was at the base of his neck. Syed weakened. I kissed him more suggestively. "Christian!" I didn't stop., Lets go to the office". I smiled. "Gets you every time". I'd half turned when we heard the door slam above us.

"Syed? Christian" Oh great! It was Zainab. As she came down the stairs, we pulled apart and scarpered back to our workstations.. I fixed my hat. "Err, yeah. We're down here". I saw Syed throwing me a reproachful glance from the corner or my eye before he continued cutting the tomatoes. What horrid timing. If only we hadn't been interrupted ..

"You took your time replying" She entered the kitchen holding shopping bags. "Have you finished"?

"Nearly. The Dahl is cooking and I'm nearly done with the salad". Syed answered his mum. Zainab looked at me.

"Well you need to hurry up and go set up. I would have helped but I had to get some adjustments made to my shalwar kameez. I can't fit into it anymore".

Syed and I stared at his mum "Um, sorry, what"? I spoke. What on earth was she talking about?

"You know, for the wedding? Denise and Lucas's wedding. I swear I'm getting bigger and bigger each day. Why she couldn't decide earlier is beyond me. It really is. Personally, I think she wants me to look fat on her big day" I laughed quietly. The wedding had slipped my mind but Zainab was quite amazing, she really was.

"She's your friend, mum, so she wouldn't want you to look fat. Plus, you're pregnant so nobody can really say anything". Syed tried to reassure her but she wasn't listening. That boy, he really didn't know when he was fighting a lost battle.

"Oh Syed, just leave it". Zainab turned to me.

"Are you bringing anyone to the wedding then?

My smile vanished and I slowed the cutting of the cucumber. I could feel his eyes boring into me. I felt awkward under the scrutiny of their gazes. I didn't know how to answer it because I hadn't really thought about it. I looked from the corner of my eye at Syed. His shoulders were tensed slightly and I made eye contact for all of a mili-second when I had seen all that I wanted to see. The question had got to him. He'd felt jealousy.

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see wont you"?

I continued chopping the cucumber and started humming to myself. Zainab took her cue and walked off to the office shouting about 'overdue paperwork'. I turned to Syed as soon as Zee was out of sight but he didn't look up...

Syed's POV:

The Unit – Monday 23rd November 2009 – 6.01pm

""Are you bringing anyone to the wedding then?" The words had cut straight through me and pierced my heart. As I thought of Christian laughing it up with another guy, I felt a hard pain in my gut which nearly took my breath away. As I'd stared at him for all of a second, the mood from earlier was well and truly gone. Looking into his eyes, I couldn't be sure if he saw this because he looked away too quickly.

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see wont you"?

Was that a dig aimed at me? Or for keeping my mum off his back? I was grateful that my mum had gone to the office then. She'd be doing paperwork so wouldn't be out for at least a couple of hours. That was good because I really couldn't face speaking to her.

We'd spent the afternoon just working and chatting casually. We'd asked each other questions and talked away while the food cooked. We'd been speaking about favourite stuff. So one would say two items and the other person would say which one they prefer. I'd mentioned strawberries and blueberries earlier. It was because I'd been thinking about what we'd got up to with strawberries last week ... As our eyes had met and were in their own private conversation, I could tell he knew exactly why. We didn't need words at that moment.

The conversation then changed as I started teasing him. He responded straight away and soon enough the table turned and I was trying not to give in to him. It hadn't worked and as I had mentioned going to a more private place, well my mum had turned up.

My cheeks burned as I thought of how different things would be now if she turned up 5 minutes later, and walked into the office...

Christian was humming away and I stole a look at him. His face was relaxed but his face was thoughtful. He was thinking about something. I looked away before he caught me peeking. My mind was in turmoil because I didn't know what to do. I couldn't explain the jealousy that I had felt earlier. What was actually going to happen at the wedding? Questions ran through my mind, one after another. I didn't have any answers, only questions. Time would tell...

Was Christian going to turn up with a date? Would he go off with someone? Would he leave me? Would I leave him? Would anybody catch onto why he didn't have a date? Or did he? ...

(Next chapter is pretty significant and is regarding Denise and Lucas's wedding. Sorry that this chapter and the previous chapter haven't really been much of cliff-hangers and haven't been that exciting. But there is PLENTY of drama and action coming up. So please stay tuned and I hope you enjoyed it and please leave me a review. Thank you x)