Brian is probably staring at the clock about 10 minutes before 5 p.m. It's as if he celebrated New Year's Eve when the clock strikes five. He quickly grabs his bag and walks over to my desk.
"Nards, I want chicken wings!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.
"I'm not a chicken wings vendor," I said as I grabbed my bag.
"I'm saying you should treat me," he said as I said goodbye to our coworkers and walked towards the elevator.
"And why would I treat you?" I ask as he follows me to the elevator.
"Because we're close friends, and good friends take care of each other," he explained.
"Think of me as a bad friend," I said, pushing the button as I fished my phone from my pocket to see if I had any messages.
"Just tell me if you no longer want me to be your friend," he said dramatically, putting so much distance between us that he's already standing on the elevator's corner.
"I don't want to be your friend anymore," I said as I waited for the elevator door to open.
"You don't mean that!" he exclaimed like a five-year-old.
"You instructed me to say it," I explained. The elevator door then opens, and we proceed through the lobby.
"Do married women change that much?" he wonders.
"Probably if they have a friend like you," I said as I walked out of the building. Then I noticed a familiar van outside. Ali then exited the vehicle. "What are you doing here?" I ask.
"Ali wants to treat me instead... I knew I'd make a new good friend," Brian asserts.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Ali says, adding, "Reg told me to pick you up because you didn't bring your car to work."
"I'll just go see Lola Berta because I know she always has food for me," Brian says.
"Would you like to ride along? We'll be picking up Nathan anyway," I asked Brian.
"No, I have my car with me, and I don't want you two to ask me for a gas payment just because I sat inside the car," the overly dramatic Brian said.
"All right.. drive safely," I said, shrugging off his dramatic antics. Ali and I walk towards the van as he drives us back to Lola's house.
"Do you mind if we pick up Regina on the way back? She was still in a meeting when I left, and she's pretty much finished by now," Ali asks as he drives.
"Am I even allowed in the company?" I ask.
"Why wouldn't you be? Just tell people who you are and you won't need any employee ID," he joked.
"I'm still not an employee there, no?"
"Your Nathan's other mother, as well as the CEO's wife"
"Not officially," I replied, and Ali laughed, causing my brows to furrow in confusion.
"When I told Regina that you agreed to settle down, she spent her entire lunch break researching countries that have same sex marriage. Please don't tell her I told you about this, she might kill me," he laughed.
"Isn't it possible to arrange for papers to be signed just to make things easier?"
"You don't want to have a wedding?" he asks.
"I'd like to, but isn't Regina busy with the company? It seems like too much trouble," I admitted honestly.
"Listen, Regina don't give a fuck about how busy she is," he chuckled again. "She'll literally drop everything for this. Plus, a wedding ceremony is a requirement for marriage; they won't recognize your marriage legit if there's no ceremony. Also, Narda, let down your guard a little bit. Don't feel like you're bothering Regina because she'll feel sad about that. You're literally talking about marrying each other. Feel more at ease and look at her as your wife, not a friend you used to like or a CEO of a massive company."
"Thank you for clearing my mind," I said to Ali. He knows Regina well, and I'm glad he told me that.
We were about to exit the car when we arrived at Lola's house, but Lola and Ding came out with Nathan and his bag. Ding assisted me in putting Nathan in his car seat as I opened the car door.
"We were about to go in," I explained.
"Don't bother... you're tired from work; just go home and rest, and I'll come over on weekends," Lola says.
"Ate, will ate Regina be upset if I ate the majority of Nathan's biscuits?" Ding asks.
"No, I'll be angry instead," I said.
"It's fine then," he said, as if nothing had happened.
"Ding, my patience for you is wearing thin," I said, making him laugh.
"Ali, drive safely," Lola says, prompting Ali to nod and thank her. Nathan is just very talkative on the way to Regina's company, as if he can form words. I put Nathan's shoes on once we're in the company so he can walk instead. I hold his hand as Ali leads the way. Nathan is also doing his little jumps, which make me smile because he is so cute.
I am genuinely surprised by how large and luxurious her company appears just by looking at the lobby. There are also many employees evident. I've read on the internet that Regina's company recently underwent a major renovation as a result of the success and reputation of their products. I mean, I remember Regina being wealthy in high school, but that was because she was still living with her father. But now I can see how hard she worked to establish herself and achieve all of these goals.
"Good afternoon, Sir Ali," a couple of employees said.
"I didn't realize we should call you Sir Ali," I teased.
"Please, you and Regina are the only people who have little to no respect for me," he said as we walked inside the elevator, making me laugh. He pressed the button and waited for the elevator door to open. When I look down at Nathan, he's already smiling and looking up at me.
"You really look like a smaller version of your mother," I remarked.
"Right? And a version who smiles more," Ali added, lightly pinching Nathan's cheek. When the elevator door opens, we walk down the hall, passing more employees who continue to greet Ali. Ali knocks and peeks inside the double doors at the end. I can already hear Regina talking to someone as soon as he opens the door. Ali shuts the door and turns to face us. "There's a storm brewing inside."
"What storm?" Before he can respond, two employees walk out and greet Ali and me before leaving. Ali opened the door again, allowing Nathan to enter first. When we walked in, Regina's face softened from frown to smile as she saw Nathan running in.
"Hey..." she said softly as she walked and kneeled in front of Nathan to hug him.
"Was she mad earlier?" I ask Ali quietly.
"She's always mad, I guess that's her hobby," Ali said as he walked over to the couch to take a seat. I approach Regina and Nathan, and she gives me the same warm smile. Nathan breaks free from the hug and begins running towards Ali.
"How are you?" I consult as she dusts her pants while standing up.
"Well... a little tired," she admitted.
"Do you need anything?" I ask.
"Would you give me whatever I asked for?"
"If it's money, I'm sorry but no," I told her, making her laugh.
"Can I please have a hug?" she says.
"I'll think about it," I jokingly said, making her smile. I open my arms, and she immediately closes the gap between us, wrapping her arms around my waist and resting her head on my shoulder. How does a person always smell so good? She smells just as good as she did when we left the house earlier, despite having worked all day.
We held each other for who knows how long. I don't like pulling away from a hug, especially when I know how badly someone needs it. I just keep stroking her back lightly.
"Didn't know you are working with Brian?" she asks, staying in the hug.
"Yeah, bad karma," she laughs, "but how did you know I work with Brian?"
"Mara told me, she was even stuttering when it slipped out of her mouth."
"Why?"
"She was explaining that Brian no longer likes you."
"It doesn't matter if he still does; I don't like him like that," I explained.
"I know... people just seem to like you a lot," she said, pulling away from the hug but keeping her arms wrapped around my neck.
"Who else does?" I inquire, my gaze fixed on hers.
"I don't know, I just know that there are tons of people in high school that you have no idea about, and it might be the same in your workplace right now," she said, not really starting an argument about it, more like just stating it out loud.
"I don't think I'm very much available right now, right?" I asked, making her nod with a smile.
"I like being single," Ali said while playing with Nathan.
"Are you finished with work? The little guy might throw a tantrum," I said.
"Nathan?" she asks.
"No, Ali," I laughed as she decided to rest her hand on her side. She then turned around to get her belongings. Nathan approached me and drew me to the door, which I opened, and he walks out. I follow him outside while we wait for her mom.
"Nathan," I call out because he's moving too quickly. When he arrived at this lounge area with vending machines, couches, and other amenities, I assumed it was for the employees.
"Hi Nathan, I didn't realize you were here," a woman in her mid-50s says. I approach Nathan, and she looks at me, confused. "Hello.." she says.
"Hello," I greeted her politely, smiling.
"Oh Regina.. I saw Nathan running and didn't expect him to be around," she said, and I turned around to see Regina and Ali approaching us.
"Narda, this is Mrs. Cruz, one of our company's board members; Mrs. Cruz, this is my wife Narda," she said calmly but intimidatingly.
"Wife? I didn't know you married," she uttered.
"Technically not yet... but we're planning the wedding," she said, grabbing Nathan's hand to keep him from fleeing.
"Regina, you are such a private person that I had no idea you were dating and engaged," she said with a smile.
"I don't feel the need to share my private life at work," she said, she talks to her in a way that is both formal and casual, unlike how she talks to her employees.
"I understand dear, and by the way, if you need assistance with the wedding... I know someone in Australia who can arrange everything," she insists.
"I'll talk to you about it tomorrow, is that okay?" Regina asks, struggling to keep Nathan from slipping out of her grasp, so I crouch down to carry Nathan.
"Of course, it's nice to meet you Narda, and Regina will finally escape the businessmen who are trying to get to her," she laughed, making Ali laugh as well.
"It's nice to meet you as well," I said politely, making her smile.
"You guys look great together," she said, waving at Nathan. "I won't be holding you for long then, bye bye Nathan." We started walking towards the elevator after she left.
"She's nice," I said.
"She is," Ali concurs. Nathan rests his head on my shoulder as we enter the elevator; he's probably tired. There were a couple of employees outside when the elevator door opened, but when they saw Regina, they all greeted her respectfully and stayed outside.
"Aren't they getting in?" I ask, but the employees must have heard me as well. "Do you not like to share your elevator space?" I consult quietly of Regina, who is standing right beside me.
"Let them in," Regina says, and Ali motions for the employees to enter. I guess she doesn't like sharing the elevator with the employees. I scoot closer to Regina as they rush in, making sure she has enough space around her. Regina, Ali, and I were all greeted by the employees. The space is getting tighter, so Regina grabs my arm and holds on tight. When we arrived at the lobby, they let Regina, Ali, and I go first. Regina didn't bother taking her hand off my arm, so we just walked through the entire lobby full of employees like that. People will probably put two and two together even if Mara won't gossip about us.
"I'll go get the car; please wait here," Ali says. I turn to look at Regina, and she turns to look at me as well.
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah, why did you ask?"
"Because you've been holding on to me since we stepped out of the elevator," I explained, causing her to look down at her hand clinging to my arm.
"I forgot about it," she admitted.
"Do you want me to carry you like Nathan? I still have one more arm and shoulder," I teased, because Nathan's head was still resting on my other shoulder.
"Shut up, Custodio," she said with a smile on her face.