### Chapter 90: More Trouble
After finishing his drink, Leo Larkin savored it with a serious expression for a moment before giving Nina Wainwright his feedback. "The spiciness is definitely a bit too prominent. It would be better if the texture were smoother and gentler."
The Playboy is a popular cocktail among young people, so it can’t be too strong.
Leo Larkin, however, was more inclined to have the drink live up to its "Playboy" name.
Instead of immediately trying to remake it, Nina Wainwright frowned, picked up the glass, and took a small sip herself.
"I’ll have to think about how to improve this. I think the whiskey is too strong," Nina Wainwright said. She could have used gin, but the modified Playboy recipe called for whiskey.
Besides, the modified Playboy was very popular, so Nina Wainwright couldn’t just say that using whiskey was a bad idea.
"It’s fine, no rush. You can take your time to figure it out." After speaking, Leo Larkin downed the rest of the drink. "It’s a little strong, but the finish is definitely there."
Nina Wainwright knew that this was, in its own way, a compliment.
A faint smile touched her lips. "Thank you. I’ll do my best."
Leo Larkin nodded. "Alright."
After he left, Catherine Grant leaned in close to Nina Wainwright and said in a soft voice, "Let me tell you, he’s never complimented those other two bartenders. They’re good at making drinks, and their skills are considered top-tier in the industry, but... they lack a certain something. Not that most people would care about that sort of thing, of course. For them, a drink is just a drink."
Nina Wainwright replied, "That’s how you think as a customer. But as a bartender, I can’t think that way."
Hearing this, Catherine Grant raised her eyebrows in slight surprise. "No wonder Leo Larkin took a liking to you. You really don’t think like most people. That’s great!"
The moment she finished speaking, Nina Wainwright’s phone rang.
"Who is it? It’s not Zachary Hawthorne, is it?" Catherine Grant asked, leaning closer.
Nina Wainwright pulled her phone out from the cabinet below. Seeing it was a call from Mrs. Wainwright, she frowned. "It’s my mom. I’m going to take this call."
"Okay," Catherine Grant said, immediately taking over to help a customer.
Nina Wainwright took her phone to the restroom and pressed the answer button. She lowered her voice and asked, "What’s wrong?"
"Nina... something’s happened! Your father went to sign a contract with someone yesterday, and he still hasn’t come back. I just got a text message saying we took out a thirty-million-dollar loan... What do we do? The money isn’t in my account!" Mrs. Wainwright’s voice was verging on tears from panic. "You have to tell Zachary Hawthorne! Ask him to find out what’s going on!"
Nina Wainwright was getting annoyed. "What is wrong with you two? He just goes and signs a contract with whoever asks? Are you telling me the truth, or are you lying to me?"
"Why would I lie to you? Your dad’s phone won’t connect. I’ve been calling since this morning, and it hasn’t gone through once... Please, call Zachary Hawthorne and beg him to help us find him," Mrs. Wainwright pleaded tearfully.
Nina Wainwright took a deep breath, suppressing her anger. "Before he left, did he say who he was signing with?"
"He didn’t say. I asked, but he told me not to worry about it..." Mrs. Wainwright said between sobs.
"I’m at work right now, I can’t deal with this. Besides... Zachary Hawthorne is very busy. He doesn’t have time to deal with our family’s problems," Nina Wainwright said.
"Then what are we supposed to do..."
"Can’t you just call the police? Do you two not know how to function without Zachary Hawthorne?" Nina Wainwright snapped, her frustration growing.
"But the police might not look for him! When an adult goes missing, they won’t—"
"Could you please just call the police first?" Nina Wainwright cut her off. "What happens when Zachary Hawthorne and I get divorced? If something happens to the family, are you just going to ignore it? If you need to go to the hospital, will you not know how without him?"
Mrs. Wainwright could only reply reluctantly, "Fine, I’ll call the police first."
"And please, next time something happens, don’t just tell me to go beg Zachary Hawthorne. Do I have no dignity? Am I just supposed to go begging every time there’s a problem?" Nina Wainwright said before hanging up the phone abruptly.
She stood in the restroom for a moment to calm herself down before walking out.
When she returned to the bar, Catherine Grant saw her foul mood and asked, "Did your family ask you for money again?"
"My dad got into trouble again," Nina Wainwright said, her head bowed as she gathered the glasses she had used on the counter, intending to wash them.
"What did he do this time?" Catherine Grant asked worriedly.
"I’m not sure. I’ll go back and find out after my shift," Nina Wainwright said with a frown.
’My parents are adults,’ she thought. ’There’s no reason for me to manage every single thing for them. Even if they’ve made a huge mess, I can just choose not to get involved.’
’Whoever made the mistake should be the one to bear the consequences.’
"Nina, I have to give you some advice on this," Catherine Grant said, following her and speaking in a hushed, persuasive tone. "No matter what your parents have done, you can’t help them this time. Otherwise, you’ll be cleaning up their messes for the rest of your life. Zachary Hawthorne is already sick of it... Even a normal family couldn’t handle them causing this much drama."
As she spoke, she watched Nina Wainwright’s reaction.
Nina Wainwright hummed in agreement. "That’s what I was thinking too. I can’t be tied to the two of them for my whole life."
"In any case, I don’t support you getting so involved," Catherine Grant emphasized again.
"I know, I know. I won’t get involved this time. They made their own mistake, so they can deal with it themselves. Happy now?" Nina Wainwright said, looking at her with a helpless expression.
Catherine Grant immediately threw an arm around her shoulder, pressing her cheek against hers. "I just want you to be happy and live your own life. Once you and Zachary Hawthorne are separated, you’ll still have the little one in your belly to keep you company. And you’ll have me. You won’t be alone."
"Mm, thank you, Cathy." At the mention of the child in her belly, an indescribable warmth filled Nina Wainwright’s heart.
She reached out to touch her own stomach and said with a smile to Catherine Grant, "It’s not even showing yet, and Zachary Hawthorne still doesn’t know. I wonder what the baby will be like after it’s born."
"If it’s a boy, I hope he’s just like you. If it’s a girl, she should still be like you. Anything but that bastard," Catherine Grant said, reaching out to touch her hand.
A gentle look filled Nina Wainwright’s eyes. "Looking like me would be for the best. That way, no one will find out."
The two chatted for a little while longer before Nina Wainwright’s phone rang again.
When Nina Wainwright saw it was Mrs. Wainwright calling, she frowned. "Here we go again..."
"I’ll get it." Catherine Grant took her phone, pressed the answer button, and said directly, "Ma’am, Nina is very busy with work. You have no idea how hard she fought for this job. If you keep bothering her with problems and making her drop everything, how is she supposed to make a living?"
Mrs. Wainwright was startled for a moment, but she quickly said, "Let me talk to her..."
"She’s busy with work, which is why she couldn’t answer and had me pick up. What is it that you need, exactly?" Catherine Grant asked, trying her best to sound patient.
"Her father is missing! I called the police, but they said that since he’s an adult and it hasn’t been forty-eight hours, they can’t open a case... and I don’t even know where he went..."
"Even if Nina came back right now and went to the station with you, the police would just tell you the same thing. Her relationship with Zachary Hawthorne is already strained; he isn’t going to help her," Catherine Grant said softly.
*****