Royalty Gone Bad novel Chapter 23

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Saïda’s POV:

I unlocked the apartment’s door, still so pleased with myself. I stepped in and found Asahd sitting on the couch and watching TV.

“Hellooo. Finally up, huh?” I said, closing the door behind me.

“As you can see.”

“You saw the note I left?” I asked, dropping my purse and going to over to sit too.

“Yes, I did. Thanks for the breakfast,” he replied lazily, looking very bored.

“You washed your plates, I hope.” I raised a brow.

“Yes, mommy. Your threats didn’t leave me any choice,” he mused.

“Eew don’t call me that. You’re too ugly to be my kid,” I teased and as expected, the drama Queen turned to me, wide eyed.

“Me?? Ugly?? Should I lend you some money so you get yourself glasses? Tsk! I’m a jewel. A rare specimen,” he scoffed and rolled his eyes, making me laugh a little.

“Keep lying to yourself,” I mused and stood to go change.

“You sure are in a good mood. Where are you from?”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you!” I exclaimed happily. “I went looking for a job because I’m tired of always staying at home and doing nothing.”

“I wish I was you. Yet, here you are. Intentionally and purposefully going in search of a job, because you are bored? You’re an alien. Who does that?”

“Every conscious, mature, hardworking and normal person,” I replied in my proud, playful manner.

“Oh, that’s funny. You’re none of the above. You’re simply strange. Ha!” he mocked and I couldn’t resist picking a cushion and throwing it at him.

“You’re so annoying.”

“Aaaw, thanks. So, did you find a job?”

“Yeah. At the Moroccan store, where I buy the ingredients and foodstuff to cook our meals. The couple and their sons were actually happy to take me. I start tomorrow. Can’t wait.”

“You’ll be cleaning the floor right?” he mocked.

“Nope. The couple is not there everyday. It’s mostly their sons and the older one’s wife, that assists them, that take care of the store. The older one is behind the counter, his wife at the corner helps to wrap the items bought while the second son arranges the rows.”

“So, all this to eventually tell me, that you’ll be cleaning the toilets, instead,” he laughed. Asahd was so annoying! He could make you want to scream for nothing.

“You didn’t let me finish!” I literally squealed, hitting him with a cushion.

“Finish then. So I can laugh.”

“You’re a case. The rows are too many for the second son to handle alone, all the while showing the different food isles to the customers. That’s were my help is needed. I’ll be helping him.”

Asahd’s smile was quickly replaced by an empty and kind of bored expression.

“You killed the fun. Just bored the hell out of me,” he stated lazily, grabbed the remote and continued watching TV. I laughed out.

He was maybe annoying, proud and very self-centered, but he also was funny. Sometimes without even trying or knowing. A natural drama Queen and overly excessive person. He made me laugh just as much as he got on my nerves. Even when in Zagreh, though we couldn’t stand each other then.

“You are just jealous that I found a job way faster than you had. Plus, it’s the perfect job because it feels like home, working there. Jelly, jelly, jelly.”

“Pff! You were just lucky.”

“Jealous. Ha!” I teased. “One more thing, it’s around the block. I just have to walk a short distance to get there, every morning. And oh, they open at ten. So I can sleep well and even have breakfast. Did I tell you that they close at seven? I didn’t? My bad,” I laughed, having a good time.

Asahd ignored me, staring blankly ahead at the TV, as if undisturbed. I had started believing he was until I saw his hand slowly slide towards the cushion close to him. I knew that was going to hit my face if I didn’t react.

Laughing, I grabbed it before him.

“You were gonna hit me?” I laughed and he finally looked at me, amusement lingering in his eyes, though he tried hard to keep his face straight.

“Saïda,” he called rather calmly.

“Yes?” I smiled, proudly.