Lo Recuerdo Todo (Oscar Diaz/ OMB)

11.

I waited outside the restaurant seeing Jamal walk out and wave. I smiled widely, feeling a weight being lifted off my chest. He came to the car and plopped down into the passengers seat.
I eagerly engulfed him in a hug, holding him tightly to me as he hesitantly held me too.
"You good, Mi?"
"Yeah, just happy we're all safe." I clarify.
"Mi, this happens like- all the time, girl." He pointed out, watering down my reaction.
"Don't act like it's not a big deal, J." I press and he kissed his teeth in drama. "I'm thinking dinner? On me, of course." I changed the subject quickly.
"Of course." He agreed, with slight attitude.
"Where should we go?" I asked seeing a bike pull up next to us as Ruby waved through the passenger window.
I rolled the window down, leaning over the middle console as he walked closer pulling his bike along.
"What are you guys up to?" He asked, squinting from the sunlight.
"Mi's taking me to dinner, wanna come?" Jamal invited Ruby...
"Yeah!" He walked to the back of my SUV and opened the trunk. "Oh wait, is this gonna fit my bike?" He shouted from the back of the vehicle.
"Not with you in the back seat." I explain and he nods, with pursed lips.
"Oh true, true." He shook his head as if to say: 'silly me', pulling the front end of his bike out of back and setting it down. "Can I put this by the gated dumpsters out back?" He asked and I gesture, shoeing Jamal out of the car to show him the way.
I sat back, rolling the windows down slightly to get some air in the car.
I closed my eyes, letting myself relax for a moment before-
"Naomi?" Marcus knocked on the window and I sat forward with a jolt. "I'm sorry, for waking you?"
"No, I'm just waiting for Jamal and Ruby..." I explain, rolling my window fully down and leaning towards him. "How's it going?" I continued, starting conversation to kill time before Jamal and Ruby come back.
"One of the kids asked if I could cover two hours of their shift, so I'm coming in." He pointed to the restaurant.
"You're the best, thanks for helping out." I praise, getting all heart eyes at how giving he is.
"Just trying to do what I can." He shrugged and I nodded, kind of hoping we wouldn't get the chance to continue conversation because the only other thing we could talk about at this point is-
"Oscar, that was Oscar on the phone today, right?" He blurted and I felt my body physically tense.
No more time to stall, I have to just fess up and be an adult about this...
"Yeah, that was him." I shrugged, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible, looking into my lap anywhere but his direct eye contact. 
"What was that all about?" He pressed, his arms resting in my open window, as I shifted farther right in my chair putting space between us.
"He came to talk and just as I was going to make him leave the lockdown started, I couldn't just leave him on the street." I sugar coated, leaving out convenient details for myself.
"But the stuff about 'little busy' and calling you his hyna?" He continued, not dropping it as much as I hoped, making me squirm.
"Yeah, Oscar was just putting up a front." I lie, but he believes me, and kisses his teeth.
"He seems like the type." He rolls his eyes and I looked again, praying Jamal and Ruby would be coming out soon. "Well I should probably get in there-"
"Yeah, probably." I agreed almost too eagerly.
"Mi, you good?" He put his large hand on my shoulder and I could almost feel my body folding into itself, full of shame.
"Yeah, just a little spooked from the lockdown." I quickly covered my actions with yet another lie, seeing him pout slightly in empathy.
"Nothing to be worried about, babe." He rubbed my cheek with his thumb as the passenger door opened and Jamal hopped inside.
"Hey Marcus." Jamal squeaked as if he wasn't supposed to see something.
"What's up big man?" Marcus reached over, a big smile on his pretty face as his and Jamal exchanged a handshake.
"Nothing but a thing."
"I heard that." They bantered as Ruby popped into sight via middle console.
"Hey Marcus."
"Ruby!" He greeted and Ruby cleared his throat.
"It's Ruben now." He stuck his hand out and the exchanged a handshake this time.
"Since when?" I scoffed turning to him seeing his expression shift to annoyance quickly.
"Since forever." He spoke between clenched teeth.
"Forever as in just now when that was the first time you said it?" Jamal clarified and I laughed.
"Shut up." He sat back in a huff as I finally turned back to Marcus, feeling more relieved with Jamal and Ruby here.
"Well I better get to work." He started his good bye again, nodding at the boys and then looked at me. "I'll see you later." He kissed my forehead, standing up straight and walking out before my car turning around once more and smiling at me, making me regret every life decision I've made up till this point.
He's too good...
"So, we discussed-"
"And?"
"Olive Garden."
"Olive Garden?"
"Yeah, you told us Olive Garden is hella good and we've never been."
"Still? Damn, y'all are missing out... but the nearest one is like 45 minutes, and traffic here is-"
"But we've never been there." Jamal stated dramatically with a pout.
"I hate you." I shifted the car in reverse rolling up the windows and waiting for the car to pass behind me.
I sniffed quickly, the smell hitting the back of my throat violently and I dramatically rolled the windows back down.
"Fuck!" I cursed, inhaling deeply leaning out the window. "You've gotta shower before we go." I shiver out of pure disgust.
"That's the smell of man!" Jamal tried to defend his heinous body odor.
"No thats rank!" Ruby- Ruben agreed.
"Homeward bound." I rolled my eyes, turning the wheel the opposite way to head back home.

***

"Ay dios mio..." Ruby- Ruben- whatever... sat back, one hand on his stomach.
"I second that." Jamal did the same, turning his face away from his clean plate.
"Endless salad, breadsticks and that big bowl of pasta- this is heaven..." Ruby continued and I smiled, leaning forward with my arms on the table.
"You don't have to indulge in it all so carelessly." I explain as they both look at me with arched eyebrows. I smirked, putting my hands up in defense and they both put their heads back in sync with a sigh.
"How was it?" The waiter came back with a smile, looking at the boys who gave lazy thumbs up non- moving from their positions. He laughed, turning to me now, a pretty smile on his mouth. "And you?"
"It was delicious, I'll take the rest to go." I push my plate forward, showing I was done.
"I'll grab you a box, separate?" He pointed between us and I shook my head.
"It's all mine." I raise my hand with a small smile, he nods reaching to the ledge behind the boys booth seats, he pulls the to go box and begins to box it up on the tray he has set up before giving it back to me.
I finished paying, pushing the kiosk away and sitting back.
"So how was your first lock down?" Ruby quizzed.
"It was fine, I just watched Netflix till it was done."
"Interesting because this morning I was with Cesar, going to talk to Oscar and convince him to let Cesar out of the gang, but he said he was seeing you this morning..."
Why would he say that?
"Oh- what?" I tried to brush off the nerves as Jamal looked at me now, his interest peaked.
"Oscar was over?" Jamal squeaked, shocked.
"No- he must not've made it by the time the lockdown happened." I lied, seeing Ruby sit forward.
"Interesting..." he smirked.
I ignored them, buying time for myself, I gathered my things before me, putting my strap to my purse across my body.
"You're being awfully short about it..." Jamal sat forward now.
"What?" I shook my head, trying to deny it.
"You sound like you're hiding something." Ruby chimes in, apparently tag teaming this interrogation.
"I'm a 24 year old woman, if I'm gonna hide something from 16 year olds, I will do just that."
"So you are hiding something." Jamal jumped excitedly, pointing a finger at me from across he table.
My eyes widened and he quickly pulled his hand back to his body.
"Sorry."
"What I did today was none of your business."
"Your secret business- was the nasty business though, right?" Ruby wiggles his brows mischievously.
"I'll leave that up to you."