Keyra and Alex were sitting gracefully, observing Kimberly as she organized the papers on her desk. This morning, the two of them intentionally paid a visit to Kimberly, who had just finished work.
“Well, has your health improved?” Alex initiated the conversation.
“I’m perfectly fine; I was just exhausted yesterday. That’s why I took a day off,” Kimberly replied without looking at her friend.
Keyra leaned closer to Kimberly. “Did Mr. Cool contact you yesterday?”
Kimberly nodded.
“Yes, he called shortly after you contacted me,” Kimberly replied honestly.
Alex and Keyra both seemed surprised to hear Kimberly’s words. They both showed expressions of curiosity.
“So, what did that guy talk about?”
“Just asked why I didn’t come to work.”
“Just that?” Alex squinted as if in disbelief.
Kimberly nodded.
“Just that. What do you guys expect?”
“Well, who knows, maybe Mr. Cool wants to follow up or visit you. I’m just curious why he asked for your address if not to see you,” Keyra said.
Kimberly chuckled. Actually, what Keyra said was partly true. But she intentionally didn’t want her two friends to know that Nicholas did indeed visit her last night.
Choosing a different topic, the three of them engaged in various conversations. They laughed and chatted, not realizing the presence of a man who was observing their activities.
“Ahem.”
A clearing of the throat interrupted their conversation.
“Mr. Nicholas.”
Keyra and Alex immediately stood up when they noticed Nicholas standing in front of Kimberly’s desk.
“It’s time to work. Go back to your rooms!”
Keyra and Alex lowered their heads and hurriedly left Kimberly’s workspace.
Meanwhile, Nicholas entered his office, and Kimberly prepared some documents to hand over to her boss. After knocking on the door once, she walked into the room and placed several files on his desk.
“These are some documents you need to sign today. For the meeting agenda, there’s a meeting with the advertising team this afternoon.”
Nicholas nodded, then opened the documents in front of him. “I’ll sign them all later. You can continue with your work now.”
“Of course, sir,” Kimberly replied.
“Oh, Kimmy.”
“Yes, sir. Is there something else I need to do?”
Nicholas paused for a moment, then reached into the drawer of his desk and took out a silver-colored invitation.
“Next weekend, accompany me to Mrs. Maximilian’s grand birthday party.”
Kimberly was taken aback by Nicholas’s invitation. “Are you sure you want me to accompany you to that party?” Doubt showed on Kimberly’s face.
Nicholas raised one eyebrow. “Isn’t it your job to accompany me to every gathering or party?”
“That’s true, but those are events with business partners or colleagues. This is more like a family event.”
“What’s the difference? In case you’ve forgotten, this is the birthday party of the company owner’s mother. So, I think it’s not wrong for me to invite you, is it?”
Kimberly nodded resignedly and reached for the invitation Nicholas was holding. “Alright, I’ll accompany you to the event next weekend.”
As Kimberly left the room, Nicholas couldn’t help but smile. He wasn’t sure what his smile meant this time.
***
Kimberly sank onto her bed. Fatigue was now enveloping her. She chose to lie down for a while instead of taking a shower, even though she felt sticky.
She remembered the invitation Nicholas had given her earlier in the afternoon. Kimberly opened her work bag and took out the silver-colored invitation.
I should be happy that Mr. Ice invited me to accompany him to Mrs. Maximilian’s grand birthday party.
But why do I feel so awkward like this?
Kimberly kept flipping the invitation in her hand. Until a message notification diverted her attention.
Keyra: [You called me earlier? What’s up?]
Kimberly: [Just wanted to ask for your opinion, what should I wear to a birthday party?]
One minute, two minutes, three minutes, five minutes passed. Kimberly waited for Keyra to reply. Seeing no sign of a response, she decided to take a quick shower.
When she finished her shower, she glanced back at her phone, which was lying on the bed. There were two message notifications. Kimberly’s eyebrows raised when she saw Nicholas’s name in one of the messages. Why would the ice-cold man send a message? She quickly opened both messages.
Mr. Nicholas: [Please come down early tomorrow. We have an impromptu meeting with the audit and advertising teams from Singapore.]
Keyra: [Sorry, I was taking a shower earlier. It depends on the party. If it’s formal, just wear a gown like usual. But don’t wear a gown you’ve worn multiple times, Kimmy. Embarrassing!]
Kimberly was taken aback by Keyra’s response. She thought for a moment. If she had to wear a gown to Mrs. Maximilian’s birthday party, it meant she had to buy a new one. However, it was the end of the month, and she didn’t have any extra money for that.
Ahh, such a hassle. Why do I have to spend extra money to attend an event like this? But what can I do? Should I borrow money from Keyra to buy a new gown?
Kimberly sighed in frustration, contemplating whether she should really ask Keyra for money to buy a new gown. Was there any other option? It was highly unlikely that she could request an advance from the office for such a trivial matter. Mrs. Gladis would probably not approve of her request.
Alright, I’ll ask Keyra for help. After all, I’ll get my salary next week.
Kimberly stared at her phone and began typing her message.
Kimberly: [Key, can I ask for a favor? I have to accompany Mr. Nicholas to a birthday party next Saturday. Can you lend me some money? I need to buy a new gown as you suggested. I promise to replace it right after I receive my salary.]
After typing the message at length, Kimberly pressed the send button. She hoped that Keyra would agree to her request.
Not long after, Kimberly’s phone rang again. She was surprised because it wasn’t a response from Keyra but rather a call from Nicholas. With curiosity, Kimberly answered the call.
“Yes, hello?”
“Kimmy, did you send the message by mistake?”
Kimberly furrowed her brow. “What do you mean, sir?”
“Yes, the message you just sent, was it intended for me?”
Realizing her mistake, Kimberly slapped her forehead and quickly checked the outgoing message that she had just sent. It turned out that she had indeed sent the message meant for Keyra to Nicholas’s number. It was her fault for not being focused, and they both sent messages at the same time.
“Sorry, sir, I sent the message to the wrong recipient. I apologize once again.”
“Very well, then.”
After Nicholas ended the call, Kimberly buried her face in her pillow. She screamed as loudly as she could out of embarrassment.
“Aarrgghhhhhh. Where should I hide my face, Kimmy! Such a blunder.”