Never Judge

Back at the office, the rest of the orientation went on peacefully. The new employees were taken on a tour of R Tower. As they walked around Cedric made a mental note to ask Veronica to redesign the whole building. It wasn't that the design was bad, it was just that a company like the Reyes Group needed to update it's look once in a while.

"I would have designed this place better." Jason said as they walked around one of the floors.

"Then why don't you go up to Emilio Reyes and tell him." Adolfo said.

"Maybe I will. My older sister was on the 30 under 30 with his daughter. I'm from an influential family, you know." Jason boasted.

"If the Reyes Group would have this place re-designed it would be by the designer Veronica, not you." Cedric suddenly said.

"Hmph. I'm much better than that wanna be." Jason said, crossing his arms.

While they were taking a tour of Nouveau, Miguel gave Cedric a call.

"Hey Ced. Do you think we could do a double date tonight, you know to help ease things with me and Veronica?" Miguel asked.

"Okay, Nouveau, 7pm. Invite Ray and Ayanna too." Cedric said as he dropped the call.

It just so happened that the manager of Nouveau was passing by Cedric and was shocked to see the Reyes Heir with the new hires being toured.

Cedric quickly pulled him aside and gave instructions to reserve the private room.

Later that night instead of leaving Cedric went straight up to Nouveau to wait for everyone else. When he arrived he was surprised to see Jason and his older sister Carmen Evangelista at one of the tables. 

With them there Cedric already knew that this was going to be an interesting dinner. 

By the time Miguel, Veronica, Adrianna, Ray, and Ayanna arrived Cedric was focused on the work he was doing on his laptop that he almost pushed Adrianna away when she hugged him.

"You all came together?" Cedric asked as he placed his laptop away.

"Nah. We just happened to bump into each other in the parking lot." Ray said.

The manager quickly came in to take their orders. Before they could order anything, Cedric gave some instructions that shocked everyone.

"Have the customers in table 10 ordered yet?" Cedric asked.

"No sir." The manager replied remembering the brother and sister pair that said they were waiting for their parents before they ordered. The young man had been part of the new employee tour earlier and the manager thought he might be friends with Cedric.

"Good. Make sure that all our specialties that they order are out of stock to them. Also move them to the worst table. Make up whatever excuse you can think of." Cedric ordered.

"Woah, who got you pissed?" Miguel asked.

"Jason Evangelista." Cedric plainly answered.

"That asshole is here?" A furious Veronica asked.

"I saw him with Carmen outside. Plus he just got hired to work for Elisia Malls." Cedric explained.

"I'll have him fired immediately." Ayanna said.

"Don't. Let him be. Set up a partnership with Veronica to showcase her work and make him work for her. He'll try to sabotage things so make sure his boss is there too." Cedric instructed his sister.

"And they say I'm the violent one." Ray said with a laugh.

"How is that violent?" Cedric asked.

"It's not, it's petty." Ray teased Cedric.

"Don't worry Veronica. I won't let him off so easily." Miguel said, holding Veronica's hand.

"You're a doctor. What could you do to a designer? You can't break your oath Miguel. More people need you as a doctor rather than as a crazy man trying to get revenge for his wife." Veronica said. 

"I'd be willing to lose my license for you." Miguel said kissing her.

"Ugh. Newly weds." Ayanna said, rolling her eyes.

"You're so stupid Miguel." Veronica said as she blushed.

"Don't worry I won't lose my license for a roach like him." Miguel said with a laugh.

"Do you guys want to hear them complain?" Ray said with a grin.

Veronica stood up and walked to the door. Miguel chased after her and held her hand.

"He'll be jealous knowing you've done better than him." Miguel whispered into Veronica's ear. 

"Will we watch?" Adrianna asked Cedric.

"Let's watch from a distance. Let them leave first. They all attract too much attention." Cedric explained as the two other couples left ahead of them.

Cedric waited five minutes before heading out with Adrianna. True to what Cedric had said, all attention was now turned towards the two famous couples that had made waves on the internet recently.

Ayanna had made it look like she wanted to boast about the view from R Tower to her friends. They were standing near the window to where Jason and Carmen were sitting.

As if by fate, Jason's and Carmen's parents arrived. They were chatting happily when the manager came up to them and informed them of the mistake in their table, that in fact thor reserved table was not by the window.

"Do you not know who we are?" Jason suddenly said in a burst of anger.

The manager proceeded to explain how at Nouveau, regardless of who you are, they treat everyone fairly with the first reservation being the priority.

"I reserved this table two weeks ago!" Jason claimed angrily.

"Is there a problem here?" Ayanna asked as she approached with Ray, Miguel, and Veronica.

"Miss Reyes, we made a mistake in sitting them on the wrong table and now that we are asking them to move they refuse." The manager explained.

"Ayanna, maybe you can make an exception for us. We have worked together in the past." Carmen asked Ayana. To be honest Ayanna actually liked Carmen, she was a sweet girl that had also managed to make a name for herself outside of the family business.

"Carmen, don't you agree that we should be fair? This wasn't your reserved table and still your brother insists on staying because of who you are." Ayanna asked.

"Oh. You're right Ayanna." Carmen suddenly said. "Jason this isn't our table, we should move."

"What! What are you saying sister?" Jason said in shock, his sister was never one to back down so easily. That was when he suddenly realized Anna Abad was with Ayanna Reyes.

"It's because of her isn't it!" Jason shouted as he pointed at Veronica. "She told you to do this to us. Still not over the past Anna, or should I call you by your stage name, Veronica." 

"Are you really saying that to my wife?" Miguel asked.

"So you really did manage to snag the famous miracle doctor, but at the end of the day Anna he is really still just a doctor." Jason said. "Come on sister let's move to the other table. This person disgusts me." Jason said as he turned to move to another empty table.

"Sir, that isn't your table." The manager said, chasing after him.

"Then where?" Jason said in a calmer tone. He still worked in this building and had no intention of embarrassing himself any further.

The manager led Jason and his family to a table near the kitchen where people kept passing that it began to irritate him. 

Cedric laughed at Jason's frustrated look and called over the manager.

"That will do." Cedric told the manager. "Don't push through with saying everything he orders is unavailable, but make the staff so loud when they pass by him that he gets irritated. Also give everyone a month's bonus for doing that." Cedric instructed before going back to their private room with Adrianna.

"That was actually fun. What did that guy do to Veronica?" Adrianna asked her husband.

Cedric told her how Jason had been Veronica's best friend that betrayed her.

"Why did you change your instructions?" Adrianna asked her husband.

"I just thought it would be more fun." Cedric said with a laugh as they entered the room.

"Thanks Cedric!" Veronica said, hugging Cedric.

"Hey! Don't hug some other guy." Miguel said, pulling his wife off Cedric.

"Stop it! Cedric is like my older brother. Stop being like a jealous child Miguel." Veronica scolded.

The rest of the night was less eventful, with the couples peacefully eating their dinner and all going home to Mountain View. 

Cedric had arranged for a guest room on the ground floor for Ray. Despite being engaged to Ayanna they were still unmarried and the Reyes parents were quite conservative on that matter.