Work Text:
Nile looked up from her phone when someone blocked the light and saw her oldest friend, who looked troubled.
Joe: "Hi, are you eating that?"
Joe pointed at the leftover French fries on the plate.
Nile: "Oh, hi. No, but I should inform you they are cold."
Joe scraped all the French fries together before shovelling them into his mouth.
Nile: "Okay, sit down and tell me what's wrong."
Joe: "Who says something is wrong? I need more deep-fried food."
Nile: "I'll buy you every single deep-fried food there is on the menu card if you just sit down and tell me what's wrong. So, sit down."
Joe sat down, and Nile ordered more French fries.
Joe: "I need to know. Who says something is wrong? Has Andy been talking again?"
Nile "No, she is busy with Quynh. And the reason why I know there is something wrong is because you're eating deep-fried food like I do whenever it's that time of the month."
Joe: "You might have a point. What I'm about to tell you stays between us. Understood?"
The waitress placed a plate of French fries on the table, and Joe blew on them.
Nile: "Fine, but if you ask me to help you bury a body in the woods, I'm not helping you. Try asking, Booker. He is willing to sell his soul these days for football tickets to the World Cup."
Joe: "Why? I thought he had a great plan for getting a ticket or two."
Joe shovelled more French fries into his mouth after dipping them in curry ketchup.
Nile: "That's gross."
Nile took a fork next to her.
Nile: "Could you please remember your table manners, or else I'll call your Mother."
Joe took the fork and began eating the French fries with it.
Joe: "So, Booker? What went wrong since he didn't get one of the tickets?"
Nile: "He stayed up all night to be first in line when they realised the tickets, but he dozed off for like five seconds, and when he woke, all the tickets were gone. And now, he is searching for tickets wherever he can, which makes me very nervous."
Joe placed his hand on Nile's hand and gave it a squeeze.
Joe: "Why don't you leave him to me? I know what to do about his problem."
Nile: "Thanks. Okay, back to you. Wanna tell me why you are eating deep-fried food?"
Joe stopped chewing for a moment.
Joe: "And it stays between us?"
Nile promised.
Joe: "It's Nicky."
Nile: "The undertaker, who didn't show up to the party?"
Joe nodded.
Joe: "I should have checked if he could come to the party first, before I told you I would bring him. Because if I had done that, I would have known he was on call that weekend."
Nile: "I'm not blaming you or him."
Joe: "Thanks, and I have checked this time that he has the weekend off, so he is coming to the Christmas party."
Nile: "Can't wait to meet him. So, is it bringing your boyfriend to a party where your friends will be that's worrying you?"
Joe shook his head.
Joe: "No, because I know you all will love him."
Joe took a moment before continuing.
Joe: "It's just that I'm struggling with telling him I love him."
Nile: "Oh, okay, glad that your problem isn't a dead body or you dying."
They both chuckled.
Nile: "Could you not write him a poem? You have always been good with words."
Joe: "Yeah, I know, but for reasons I can't explain, I can't find the right words."
Joe took one of the French fries and started to run it through the curry ketchup.
Joe: "And if I tell him I love him, will it scare him off because the last thing I want is to lose him?"
Nile placed her hand on Joe's arm.
Nile: "Joe, based on what you have told me about you two, I say you are heading towards something that could last for the rest of your life."
Joe smiled.
Joe: "Thanks, I hope you're right."
Nile: "Of course, I'm right. It's called female intuition."
Joe: "I have a Mother and five sisters, so I know not to argue with the female intuition, but how should I do it? I want it to be something he remembers for the rest of his life."
Joe sighed and looked around the room before he looked at Nile.
Nile: "You could stand under a mistletoe when you say it. That's surely something he will remember, and it's a very romantic thing to do."
Joe: "I do love the mistletoe idea, Nile."
Nile: "Thanks, but I sense a but coming."
Joe: "No buts, because I'm doing that. We can call it 'Operation Mistletoe'."
Nile: "That does sound very Christmassy and like one of those romantic Christmas movies we used to watch as teenagers."
Joe: "Yeah, that was fun times. Should we do it again? I'll bring the snacks."
Nile: "Deal. So, now that you want to kiss Nicky under the mistletoe, we'd better buy one because I don't know if there is anyone in the club."
Joe: "Great thinking, Nile. But I want to make the entire evening more memorable."
Nile: "How are you planning on doing that?"
Joe: "Well, that's the question."
Joe crossed his arms, and while he thought, he looked around the room and spotted something.
Joe: "I might have an idea."
Nile: "And that's?"
Joe: "Before I tell you, I need to know, do you still have that white feather boa of yours?"
Nile: "Somewhere, yes. What are you plotting, Joe?"
Joe: "I'll tell you as soon as we get home to you."
Joe left money on the table before standing up.
Joe: "Are you coming or staying?"
Nile: "Oh, I'm coming because I want to know where this is going."