Chapter 3: An Unexpected Message

Work was busy from the moment Jordy arrived.

The lunch rush had already started, and the line stretched almost to the door. Customers stood shoulder to shoulder, some scrolling through their phones, others staring up at the menu boards with impatient expressions.

Jordy pushed through the staff door, tying his apron as he walked.

“You’re late,” Dani said as she passed him with a tray.

“I’m not late,” Jordy replied.

“You’re right on time for chaos then,” she said. “Get in.”

He stepped behind the register, immediately hit by the heat and noise. Fryers hissed, drinks machines beeped, and voices overlapped.

“Order thirty-two ready!”

“Who has thirty-two?”

“I need fries!”

Jordy barely settled in before the next customer stepped forward.

“Hi, what can I get for you?” he asked.

“Double cheeseburger, fries, Coke,” the man said quickly, barely looking up.

“Anything else?”

“No.”

Jordy nodded and tapped the order in. “That’ll be—”

The man was already tapping his card.

Jordy handed him the receipt. “Order number’s on there.”

“Next!” Dani called.

The line kept moving.

“Hi, what can I get for you?”

“Give me a second.”

“Okay.”

“Actually—two chicken sandwiches, no pickles.”

“Anything else?”

“No.”

“Alright.”

Jordy worked through orders without stopping. At some point, he switched to packing food.

“Fries up!”

“I need fries for thirty-six!”

“Coming!”

Jordy grabbed a bag, filling it quickly. “Thirty-six!”

A guy stepped forward. “That me?”

“What’s your number?”

“Thirty-six.”

“Here.”

“Thanks.”

The pace didn’t slow.

Dani brushed past him again. “You good?”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t look good.”

“I’m fine.”

“You look tired.”

“I didn’t sleep much,” Jordy said.

“That explains it,” she replied. “Late night?”

“Something like that.”

She nodded. “Well, try not to pass out on shift.”

“I won’t.”

“Good.”

That was it—no teasing, no digging. She moved on to the next task.

Hours passed before things finally slowed down.

Jordy wiped the counter, exhaling.

His manager walked over. “Take your break.”

“Thanks,” Jordy said.

He headed to the back and dropped into a chair in the small break room.

“Finally,” he muttered.

He pulled out his phone and opened social media.

The first post made him pause.

“Leo…” he said under his breath.

He tapped it.

A picture from the club filled the screen. Leo stood in the center, smiling. Jordy stood next to him, eyes half-closed under bright lights.

Jordy groaned. “Why this one?”

He zoomed in. “I look terrible.”

The door opened, and Dani walked in, heading straight for the vending machine.

“What?” she asked when she noticed his expression.

“Look at this,” Jordy said, turning the phone toward her.

She glanced at it. “Oh. That’s rough.”

“Right?”

“Your eyes are closed.”

“I know.”

“Who posted it?”

“Leo.”

She nodded. “Makes sense.”

Jordy sighed and leaned back. “And he tagged me.”

“Of course he did,” Dani said, taking a sip of her drink. “That’s how it works.”

Jordy shook his head.

His phone buzzed.

He frowned slightly. “Hold on.”

He opened the notification.

“A message?” Dani said casually.

“Yeah… from someone I don’t know.”

“Spam?”

“I don’t think so.”

He opened it and read.

“‘Hi. This is Matt from last night.’”

Dani raised an eyebrow. “Oh. Someone you met?”

“Yeah.”

“From the club?”

“Yeah.”

She shrugged. “Okay.”

Another message came in.

“I got your account from Leo’s post.”

Jordy let out a small sigh. “The tag.”

“Yeah, that tracks,” Dani said.

He scrolled.

“‘Last night was fun.’”

Dani didn’t react much, just leaned against the wall.

“And—‘I’d like to get to know you more.’”

She nodded slowly. “Alright.”

Jordy locked his phone. “I’m not replying.”

“Okay,” Dani said simply.

Jordy glanced at her. “That’s it?”

“What do you want me to say?” she replied. “If you don’t want to reply, don’t.”

He hesitated. “It was just… last night.”

“Then leave it at that,” she said.

Jordy nodded slightly.

“My break’s almost over,” Dani added. “Don’t stay too long.”

“Yeah.”

She tossed her empty bottle and left without another word.

Jordy looked down at his phone again but didn’t open the message.

After a minute, he put it face down on the table.

“I’ll deal with it later,” he muttered.

When his break ended, he went back to work.

The rest of the shift passed quickly. Orders, customers, noise—it kept him distracted.

Still, the message lingered in the back of his mind.

By closing time, he was exhausted.

He wiped the counter and untied his apron.

“See you tomorrow,” Dani said, grabbing her bag.

“Yeah,” Jordy replied.

He stepped outside into the cooler air.

“Finally,” he said quietly.

He started walking home. When he passed a small grocery store, he slowed.

“I should eat something,” he muttered.

Inside, he grabbed apples, bananas, and strawberries.

At the register, the cashier glanced at him. “That all?”

“Yeah.”

After paying, he headed home.

The house was quiet when he walked in.

“Mom?” he called.

No answer.

“Right,” he said. “She’s out.”

He dropped his bag and rinsed the strawberries before heading to the living room.

Sitting on the couch, he picked up his phone.

The message was still there.

He opened the chat.

“Okay,” he muttered. “Just say something.”

He started typing.

“Hey.”

He stopped.

“No.”

He erased it and tried again.

“Hey. I didn’t want you to misunderstand something.”

He paused, then continued.

“Last night was just a one-night thing.”

He stared at the screen, then added:

“It wasn’t supposed to happen.”

He read it once more.

“Yeah. That’s fine.”

He pressed send.

The message appeared.

Jordy dropped his phone beside him and picked up a strawberry.

“Well,” he said quietly. “That’s done.”

He took a bite.

A few seconds passed.

Then a minute.

He glanced at his phone.

Nothing.

He looked away.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said.

But he still checked again a few moments later.