CHAPTER 2:A SMILE THAT LINGERS
454 Words
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‎The next morning, Aisha found herself behind the counter of her mother’s little shop, arranging jars of spices and neatly folding fabric. The shop had been in her family for years, tucked on a quiet street where neighbors always stopped by for one thing or another.
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‎She told herself she was busy, that her thoughts were on the customers, the prices, the endless chores. But every so often, her mind drifted back to the night before. To Daniel. To the way he had looked at her when he said, “Tonight, I see you.”
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‎It shouldn’t have mattered. He was just someone she happened to meet by the lake. And yet… the memory made her heart flutter in ways she couldn’t explain.
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‎“Aisha!” Her mother’s voice jolted her back. “Stop daydreaming. The jars won’t stack themselves.”
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‎Flustered, Aisha quickly busied her hands again. She was smoothing out a cloth when the small bell above the door jingled. She looked up—and froze.
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‎Daniel.
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‎He walked in casually, as though he belonged there, his smile easy and unhurried. “Good morning,” he greeted, his eyes locking on hers almost immediately.
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‎“Daniel?” Aisha’s voice betrayed her surprise. “What are you doing here?”
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‎“Buying something, of course,” he said with a grin, glancing around the shop though it was clear he wasn’t looking at the shelves. “Maybe tea. Or maybe I just got curious where you disappear to during the day.”
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‎Aisha’s cheeks warmed again, and she quickly turned to fetch a tin of tea. “This isn’t a place for curiosity. It’s a shop. People come here to buy, not—”
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‎“Not to see you?” Daniel interrupted smoothly.
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‎She shot him a look, but he only laughed, leaning against the counter with that infuriating ease of his. For a moment, Aisha thought of telling him to leave. But deep down, she didn’t want him to.
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‎After paying for a single box of tea he probably didn’t need, Daniel leaned closer and whispered, “I’ll see you tonight?”
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‎Her heart skipped. She tried to sound unaffected as she replied, “That depends if the stars are out.”
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‎He winked. “Then I’ll ask the sky to save a few just for you.”
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‎And with that, he left, leaving Aisha standing behind the counter, clutching the tea tin and realizing with a sinking feeling… his smile was going to stay with her all day.
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- Writer
