"What?" Carmen asked and Mia raises an eyebrow.
"Fine, I….I think he's really handsome and I don't know, he piques my interest" Carmen shrugged with a slight blush on her cheeks.
"But you don't even know him" Mia added.
"I know, but since he was brought in unconscious last night, I could only pray he wouldn't die" Carmen murmured raising her eyes to meet Mia's.
"Are you for real" Mia laughed.
"Ye….yeah" Carmen replied nervously resuming sipping her coffee.
"Carmen, I'll love to talk more but I have a job I need to get to" Mia said smiling at the nurse.
"Well aren't you the owner of the bar or something?" Carmen asked. She had though Mia was joking earlier when she said she was a bartender and assumed she probably owned the bar.
"I'll talk to you later, okay?" Mia smiled before leaving the room.
*—CHAPTER 4—*
Mia hopped into her car and drove off, she noticed her fuel level was low, and quickly turned into a gas station before driving home. Not the Martinez mansion, her home.
An hour later she arrived at her apartment, kicking off her shoes she rushed into the kitchen.
Yesterday had been hectic and she knew she wouldn't have made it in time for she and Angelo's chat.
She made a quick sandwich and began stuffing it into her mouth. A forced breakfast.
She set her alarm for seven a.m, it was currently a few minutes past six.
She fell on the couch and shut her eyes hoping to get a few minutes of sleep.
●●●
The alarm blared loudly as if it hated Mia and despised that she was asleep.
Mia groaned and reaches her hand out for the alarm to snooze it but couldn't seem to find it.
She turned and turned searching for the annoying thing, she finally sat up her eyelids begging not to open.
She defiled them and turned off the alarm.
She shoved her face into her palm and groaned loudly. Why did she have to work today?
She was so damn tired and was already feeling cranky.
She forced herself up and into the shower, sluggishly entering her room, she didn't care what to wear and just picker whatever before throwing it on.
She forced her hair into a bun and stood infront of the mirror.
She groaned at her look before going to find something else to wear.
After she found a more decent fit, she did her make up and left the house locking the door behind her.
She started the car and drove slowly still sleepy until she arrived at the Bar.
She entered through the back door only to find an angry Larry waiting.
Of all days for him to show up.
"You're late" he gritted.
What a polite way to greet good morning.
"I'm sorry sir I had an urgent…
"No excuses" he waved up his thick Italian accent evident.
"Now, you go do shift till night, I give you a day off and you disspoint me" he ticked his tongue while shaking his head.
"Sorry sir" she replied, she wasn't ready to argue with him, he always won an argument.
She made her way to the counter tired and cranky.
She didn't bother smiling at the customers and after a while no more customers came so she laid her head on the counter and slept off.
Someone tapped her shoulder and she turned to find Lisa staring at her.
"Larry's around today, don't let him find you sleeping on the Job" She warned.
"I'm just so tired" Mia wailed.
"Just managed till the end if the day, I would have loved to cover for you, but Larry needs me in his office" Lisa sighed.
"No problem, Larry's the boss, but thanks for caring" Mia replied returning to her sleeping position.
She was mostly undisturbed except for the few bell rings.
●●●
While she was still napping at the counter, there was another bell ring.
"You have ti be kidding me" she seethed and looked up to curse at the customer only to find Angelo.
"I'm sorry I _____what can I do for you?" She asked.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you" he apologized
"What can I get you?" She asked.
"Well you can get home" he smiled.
"Home, what do you mean?" She asked confused.
"Look around" he said and she obeyed and looked around the bar it was empty and the sky had turned dark.
"What's the time!" She exclaimed and Angelo glanced at his watch.
"9:00 p.m, your shift ended an hour ago didn't it?" He asked.
"Yeah, I think" she stood up, grabbing a bottle of soda and cracked it open and began to gulp it down
"How long have you been here?" She turned to Angelo.
"I just got here hoping to still catch up to you and I did" he replied.
"Speaking of which, where did you run off to yesterday?" He asked.
"I had_____" she hesitated.
"Never mind" she waved off leaving the counter.
"Come on, you can tell me anything" he pouted facing her.
"I don't actually think I can" she replied.
"Why not?" He seemed offended.
"I'm sorry, I just don't trust anyone!" she raised her voice a little.
"I trusted you and told you about my problems, I was hoping you could do the same" he said his smile fading and he began to walk towards the door.
"Wait Angelo, don't leave like this" she sighed dropping her soda bottle and walking over to him.
"Alright, I'll tell you what happened" she said making him stop and he turned around to face her.
She began to narrate everything that happened yesterday but she had twisted the story a bit.
"Hold on, you're Mia Martinez?" He asked.
"Yeah____
"Miranda Martinez?" He asked again.
"Yes" she narrowed her eyes raising her hand to her head ready to pull out her hair pin and stab him if he tried anything.
"Daughter of late Edward Martinez?" He asked.
"Yes, do you have a problem with that?" She asked.
"No____it's just wow, I'm not sure you remember, but we attended the same middle school, I left after second year?" He asked trying to spark her memory.
"Angelo Velázquez?" He asked and she stared at him, murmuring his name over and over.
"Oh my God, youre Angelo Velazquez!" She exclaimed as she suddenly recalled the scrawny boy in her grade 8 class.
"What happened, you suddenly disappeared" she asked curious.
"My dad lost his job, so I had to change schools and he died not long after that and my mum raised me alone" he smiled, a sad one.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked" Mia muttered.
"I don't mind, I'm actually glad you did" he smiled.
"I can't believe I've been talking to a Martinez all this time" He said but not with the usual excitement everyone did when they found out.
"Is there a problem?" Mia asked.
"No, don't bother" he smiled brightly.
"But I guess we can't be friends" he shrugged.
"Why?" Mia asked confused.
"Your family is known only to have friends with high class people and I particularly have no class" he chuckled.
"If I hear that statement again, I swear I'm going to snap. Why do people always think all Martinez are arrogant, I'm not like my dad" she groaned, everyone always changed once they found out who she was.
"But there have been rumors you and your siblings are fighting for the property" He stated. He wasn't wrong.
"It's true, but I'm not involved. I'm living on my own and making my own money" she smiled proudly.
"Wow you really moved out of that large mansion to live alone?" He asked.
"You have no respect" he smiled and she chuckled.
"Thanks, now let's leave" she smiled pulling him by the arm out of the bar and locked it.
They slid into her car.
"It seems I'm following you home today" he smiled fastening his seat belt.
"Why?" She asked.
"I want to know where you live, any problem with that?" He asked using her words.
"No, I guess not" she replied starting the engine.
"Are you sure you're safe?" He asked recalling what she had told him earlier.
"Yeah, I'm sure" she smiled as they drove down the street of her house.
"I'll see you to the front door" he said once she parked making her chuckle.
They both came down from the car and he fulfilled his word walking her to the front door.
"Be careful okay" he held her shoulder, squeezing gently.
"I will" she replied and opened the door and walked in while he began to walk back.
She turned on the light and screamed.
Everything in the living room was scattered, broken pieces of glass laid on the floor. The whole place was trashed.
"What's wrong!" Angelo called as he rushed into the house and took in his environment.
"Mia?" He called walking further into the house and found her on the couch a paper in her hand which she read.
He rushed over to her side.
"What happened?" He asked and she handed him the note.
"We know your every move,
Where you work,
Where you live
We're coming for you and your siblings
And the property