All For Us || Oscar Diaz

65: Daddy Issues

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

"You're entitled to an hour break you know?" Brian said pulling out Nina from under the car.

"Geez, B! Do not do that again," Nina sneered grabbing on to her rolling board seeing her friend slash boss laughing at her. She sat up to look at the clock not far from where she worked.

"Oh my God is that the time?" her eyes widened seeing that she had already skipped her lunch window.

"It's fine as long as it's an hour. And... you could slow down right? This is like your eighth car since you started working here... yesterday," he pointed out leaning onto the blue convertible she was working on. "Nina I get that you're new but you gotta slow down. Your sister's gonna kill me."

Nina laughed. "Sorry boss, I was on a roll," she admitted with a smile. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have gotten ahead of myself like that. Now I feel like you think I'm just showing off-"

"Oh don't apologize for that you're doing great, Nina," Brian nodded. "You move faster than most of the guys who work here and it surprises me that your work isn't half assed. Just keep up the good work but slow it down a little, alright?"

Nina nodded. "Okay Mr. Lockwood and I'm sor-"

"Yea, okay I think I prefer just being called Brian," he cut her off with a laugh. "But calling me B is just as good. And Nina, don't apologize if it isn't your fault," he pointed at her standing up straight again.

Nina was still getting used to how laid back he was. He was already pulling some strings as she was only supposed to be handling the register and doing more of the clerical work. She had to talk him down to persuade him of being more hands on.

"You know you can be more stricter with me. I understand that I sort of just forced you to give me this job," Nina reminded him to be a little bit more fair with how he treated her. This was a favor no matter how much Nina hated to admit it but it was. She was in desperate need of the money, which reminded her that she was supposed to call Stacey during her lunch break.

Brian nodded and smiled. "Go on your lunch break, kid. Your clock is ticking," he said lightly tapping her knee and walked away. Nina's eyebrows furrowed as she watched him walk away.

"You know you're only five years older than me," Nina pointed out.

"I said what I said, kid!"

Nina laughed at him as she shook her head before standing up. She checks her phone and not one message from Oscar. She sends him a quick text to say that she just wanted to check up on him considering that she was now on her break. Victoria, however, sent her a text to remind her to call up Stacey. Nina was supposed to do this yesterday but she ended up going overboard with her work.

She pulls out the number from the hospital records she noted down the day of her discharge. As she began to dial the number she felt herself getting nervous. Her heart was starting to beat so fast in her chest and her palms were starting to get sweaty too. After taking a deep breath she presses the call button and the phone starts ringing.

"Hello?" the voice on the other line said after three rings.

"Hi uhm, is this Stacey G. Ramos?" Nina asked trying to mask her nervousness.

"May I know who's calling?" the lady on the other end asked smoothly.

"Uhm, my name is Nina Garcia. You're a friend of my mom-"

"Nina! I was wondering when you were going to call me. But yes, this is your tía Stacey," Nina could hear her smiling from the other line. The way she talked so smoothly and calmly irked her a little and she had to admit that a part of her was scared as some things weren't seem to be adding up. But that's why they needed to talk.