After sharing his specifications regarding their partitions and blinds, Nickel proceeds to attend a meeting to a nearby restaurant. He informed Zoey about it and asked her to wait for him before going home.
Zoey is already used to Nickel attending meetings after meetings and that he sometimes never stay in ASC for more than three hours at least.
"Yeah, yeah! Go ahead before you run late from your meeting. I will wait! Yes! I will wait for you." He wanted to send her a goodbye kiss but then he remembered that their room is still visible to the outside. He just brushed off his idea and silently went to his pending affair.
In a hot April afternoon, three important persons are waiting for Nickel inside a fancy restaurant savoring the taste of the wine in their respective glasses. "This is an emergency meeting but he is still late. God! The audacity of this man." Complained by one of the VIPs that Nickel is meeting that day.
"Shut it! He's just two minutes late and stops whining." The other response.
The last out of the three VIPs was quite on the edge of the couch and silently examining the flavor of the wine she is drinking.
Nickel arrived after his ten minutes drive from ASC to this fancy restaurant. He instantly scans the room and tried to find the VIPs he is meeting. Aside from Zoey's parents, these three brought back the nervousness he had during the night he meets her parents.
To be able to accomplish gathering them, he even asked the help of his best pal, Leo, to contact the other two VIPs.
"Hi!" he shyly greeted them.
VIPs welcomed him with their bitchy stare and said, "You're five minutes late. How could you made us wait for five minutes?" Nickel, on the other hand, was a shock that these three ladies in front of him valued time the most. It was the opposite of what Leo mentioned before. And because they were not that comfortable with his presence, he couldn't tease them like the way he talks to Leo nor to Zoey.
Saying sorry is his only option that is why he abundantly asked for their forgiveness in that part.
"Never mind! What can we do? It already happened."
Nickel sat down in front of these three VIPs as if he is applying for a new job. He nervously greeted everyone and embarrassingly introduced himself.
"Hi! Sorry for being late. I asked Leo to gather you three today, because ummm… how should I say it? I wanted to throw a surprise birthday party for Zoey this next Monday."
Shane, Sweet, and Lisa simultaneously gave him a questioning look because Zoey hasn't shared the news that she already got a new love last weekend. "And why did you like to give her a party? As far as I know, you're just Zoey's boss, right?" asked by Shane as the guardian of the group. Even Leo knew this big chunk of the news; he still wanted Nickel to tell them about it. Leo thought that Nickel should also feel the hardship in getting the other three's trust and approval.
"Zoey hasn't told that were together now?"
The three looked at him with their bulging eyes, a shock of what he has shared.
"You, what?" they chorally replied.
Zoey indeed hasn't shared her newest milestone because it was just their freaking second day. She wanted to tell it to them when they meet together probably on her birthday as they traditionally dine together during one's birthday.
"I'm promoted as her official boyfriend from being her mere boss. Please accept me." Nickel never begged for someone in his entire life but as he wanted to impress his girl he is now begging from her pals for their approval towards him.
"Did my husband know about it?" Shane asked; she feels hurt that she got the news from him rather than hearing it from her friend. She suddenly questioned the years that they went through.
"Yes, that bastard luckily guess it when I am asked him to help me gather you three together. Please don't get mad at Zoey. I'm sure she is planning it but I just so happen want to ask for your help to organize her birthday that is why I am here busting her plans. I am sorry."
"Yeah we know, this is very Zoey Alcantara thing. So guys, stop getting mad at her. Aren't we used it to this kind of attitude of hers?" Sweet helped Nickel explain or comfort her friends that Zoey had probably her reasons for not telling it to them beforehand.
He also started praying that they will help him because his plan is a very exclusive idea that he formed way back their college days.