Hey, it's Nurse Cali! [COMPLETED]

Chapter 9

With flu season in full swing, many staff members were getting sick, and wearing masks had become necessary in the office. As a result, I've been busy with work lately. There's been no time to slack off — it feels like I'm getting new patients every minute. Despite my advice to take time off work to recover, many insist on pushing through to meet deadlines. It's concerning to see staff risking their health for the sake of their jobs.

I'm so exhausted from work that I haven't had the energy to watch TV at home or even check my social media. I only check my email when absolutely necessary—it's been that hectic. It's also a relief that Mino also appears to be busy lately, so I haven't had to worry about making time for him in case he wants to meet up.

During lunch break, I went downstairs for food 'cause the pantry stuff wasn't cutting it. Besides, people up there are so nosy. There's a rumor circulating that the CEO's daughter is working in the office. No one knows who she is, but they say she is observing employees. There's also gossip about a coworker being a mistress and, of course, the rumor about me and Mino. Right now, I just wanted some alone time, some peace and quiet away from all the noise.

As I took off my mask while waiting for the elevator door to open, bam! I bumped into this guy. Pink top, denim shorts, heart-shaped shades—total fashion statement. I swear, he looked more fabulous than me. And everyone was staring at him like, "Who's this?" He's definitely a head turner.

He seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite place him. As he glanced at me over his glasses, it felt like he was sizing me up, assessing me with his judging eye. "C-Cali?!" he called out. Wait, do I know him?

"Y-yes?" I stammered, puzzled by him.

He motioned for me to inspect him closer, twirling around for added flair. And then it hit, "pride_Chicken?!" I blurted out, utterly shocked. Seeing him in person, I finally understood why "pride" was in his username. He truly embodied it.

"Yesss, girl!!" he exclaimed. We both screamed in excitement, jumping up and down, holding hands. I was surprised to see him like this as he sounded very masculine online.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, still in disbelief at seeing him in front of me. I hadn't been online lately, so I had no idea that pride_Chicken had returned home from abroad.

"I was waiting for a friend," he said. "By the way, you're not seeing my messages! I've been messaging to meet up. Anyway, do you work here?" he added, sounding curious.

"Yeah, I'm the company nurse. Sorry, I've been busy lately," I replied.

"What a small world. My friend works here too, but she's from the marketing department," he mentioned. "Oh, wait, she's here." I turned around and spotted her—my first ever patient at the office.

"Hey, girl!" Dessa exclaimed happily when she saw pride_Chicken.

"I missed you!" He replied. "By the way, I want you to meet my other friend. I assumed you already know each other since you both work here together," he said, smiling at us.

"Yeah, it's Nurse Cali!" Dessa confirmed, indicating that she knew me.

After a quick chat, we headed to a nearby unli chicken wings restaurant for lunch. It turned out that pride_Chicken had always loved chicken, hence the username.

During our meal, we quickly caught up. I was still in disbelief by the fact that pride_Chicken knew Dessa. As we settled in, pride_Chicken revealed that his real name is Izzy Romero and that Dessa is the mutual friend of Dom he had mentioned before.

"You knew Dom?" I asked, still surprised.

"Yep, by Dom you mean Nick? I knew him. In fact, I'm friends with both Mino and Nick as my family is business partners with the Vasquezes," she explained.