Zoey invited Nickel for a dinner at her unit to thank him for keeping an eye to her Happy last whole week. Month ends and quarter ends closing gives her a huge toll for a week. She cannot go home after five in the afternoon because all her reports needs to be sent and reviewed in the one week.Friday. Three hours earlier.
Zoey was almost done with her final financial statement when Nickel entered the room after an outdoor meeting with some investors. He looked tired and stressed from a whole day of meetings. Nickel sat on his chair then blankly stared at the ceiling.
Zoey looked at him and decided that today is the day she will thank him for a week of taking care of Happy. "Ah? Director Fuentes? May I ask you something?" She said.
Despite being tired, Nickel managed to remind her of one thing he always say. "No one is here! Call me by my name, Zoey." With his closed eyes, his ears were all for Zoey. Waiting to her inquiry.
"Are you busy tonight?" Nickel"s eyebrows meet together with what she said. He opened his eyes and looked directly to Zoey, who at the moment was pinching her other hand.
"No, why?" "I would like to invite you for a dinner? To thank you for all the things you"ve helped me, especially feeding My dog when I"m not around."
"Are you sure you"re inviting me?" "Yes! I am! Why?" "Because you sound unsure when you said it."
This is the first time Zoey invited someone in her own crib. Never in her entire independent life she invites someone over dinner in her house.
"Where?" "In my house? Are you okay if I"ll cook dinner or you prefer eating outside?"
Nickel isn"t a good cook so all his life he usually buys takeout"s or anything easy to prepare such as fried food, cup noodles, can goods and more. It was in Alcantara residence that he experience to eat home cook food after a long time.
"You"re not going to poison me, right?" Nickel will never going to miss a chance to tease Zoey as much a possible. "Of course not!"
Nickel chuckled with Zoey"s defensive reply. "Aren"t you busy today? Aren"t going to take overtime again? Maybe your pay for this month will be higher than mine because you always do overtimes here. HAHAHAHA!"
"This is my last report to send. So I"m all free tonight."
The two continued with their left task after the invitation. Nickel, on the other hand, used the remaining time to calm himself and relax from Zoey"s invitation. Perhaps it is true that if the one you like suddenly invite you into something your heart will pump like crazy as if it wants to go out of your body. Zoey is going to cook for dinner. Should he consider this as a dinner date? And with that thought his heart wants again gone mad pumping hard in his chest.
When the time reach five in the afternoon, Zoey started cleaning and closing her laptop and desktop. And because it is a Friday it will be a I-don"t-care-what-time-I"m-going-to-sleep-tonight. She brought her laptop home to binge watch her pending list of series.
Nickel did the same thing. Although he usually does"t bring his laptop at home he decided to do it same with Zoey.
The two left the office one after the other. It is not unusual to everyone seeing them going in or put the office together. They thought that maybe they will have a meeting or official event to attend with, or just a coincidence that they decided to go home on the same time. Anyway only a few knew that they live on the same building.
Before they left the room, Nickel already called the security guard on first floor to pick his car and drive it in front of the building.
Then the two stepped out the elevator, Zoey asked him what dish do he prefers for dinner. She isn"t as good as his dad but Zoey can prepare some of his delicacies on her own. "Anything. I can eat anything." He said. "Beef broccoli? Does it sound good?"
"Uhm! Can we have any Filipino dish? I missed eating native dish." With his request Zoey thought maybe Sinigang or Nilaga would be okay but those dishes can be bought in their cafeteria.
"Okay then, I"ll cook Kare-kare." Anyway it is a Friday so no need to rush. The two hop in the company car where Nickel most use because Zoey doesn"t know how to drive. They used their route and arrived at Serenity Condominium.
Nickel informed her that he will go home first and change into his home clothes. "It"s okay. I"ll leave the door open."
Zoey wanted to joke around and say "Wear something comfortable but not as comfortable as boxer shorts and loose sando." It was actually Nickel"s usual look when his at home. There was a time that he forgot to close his door and when Zoey pa.s.sed by, she accidentally saw him with that attire.
But she dismissed the idea because she always knew that Nickel will say something more embarra.s.sing to her.