Hot Sauce 2

Nyla

I glanced at the time on my phone as I rushed out of the lecture hall, and my stomach twisted. I was late again. I hate my life! My shift at Subway started ten minutes ago, and I could already feel the anxiety crawling up my throat. I hated this—always rushing, always feeling like I was failing at something.

I started half-jogging across campus, my heart pounding from more than just the run.

“Wait for me, Nyla!”

I turned to see Susie waving as she hurried after me.

“Sorry, Susie, I can’t wait,” I said breathlessly, barely slowing down. “I’m already late for my shift.”

She caught up anyway, matching my pace. “It’s okay, I’ll go with you. I need to grab some food anyway.”

We practically ran the rest of the way. The moment we burst through the doors of Subway, I mumbled a quick “see you later” to her and dashed to the back room. My hands shook as I tied my apron, my cheeks already burning with embarrassment. I stepped behind the counter, trying to look composed.

Gina shot me a glare. “Fifteen minutes late, Nyla.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, my voice small. “Class ran longer than usual.”

She rolled her eyes and turned away without another word. The dismissal stung more than I wanted to admit. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a smile as customers approached.

I was busy counting some cash behind the counter when a deep, familiar voice floated over the counter like warm honey.

“Can I get a footlong Italian sub with everything and a Diet Coke?”

My heart slammed violently against my ribs. I froze for half a second, breath caught in my throat. No. No way. I knew that voice too well. Slowly and nervously, I rose and looked up.

Ezekiel.

He stood there looking unfairly perfect in a fitted black t-shirt, his arms looking strong, his presence filling the entire restaurant. My face flushed hot. My crush… the guy I couldn’t stop thinking about, the one whose photos I stared at like a fool, was standing right in front of me while I smelled like baked bread and wore this ugly uniform. I wanted the earth to open up and swallow me whole.

His eyes lit up with recognition. “Oh, today’s your shift?” he asked, sounding genuinely happy to see me.

I could only nod at first, my throat tight, heart racing so fast I felt dizzy. My hands trembled as I reached for the bread. Speak, Nyla. Say something. I was dying to thank him for the gift too. 

“Hey? Nyla?” he called, drawing me back to reality.

I blinked twice, realizing that I was so zoned out. 

“My apologies. What would you like?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, even though he had already told me. Realizing my mistake, I quickly added, “I mean… footlong Italian with everything and a Coke, right?”

“Yeah,” he said with a soft chuckle that sent butterflies exploding in my stomach.

I moved as quickly as my shaky hands would allow, assembling his sandwich while painfully aware of his eyes on me. When I handed him the bag and drink, my voice came out small and nervous. “Your total is $11.47.”

He paid, our fingers brushing for the briefest second. Electricity shot through me.

Before he turned to leave, he paused and looked at me again, his gaze dropping softly to my neck. “By the way… the necklace looks great on you.”

My hand flew up to touch the delicate chain, warmth flooding my chest. A shy, uncontrollable smile broke across my face despite how hard I tried to play it cool.

“Thank you,” I whispered, barely able to meet his eyes.

He gave me a slow nod, that intense look lingering on me for one heartbeat longer, then walked out.

I stood there frozen, feeling like my legs had turned to jelly. My whole body was tingling, warm, and completely overwhelmed. When I finally glanced over, Susie was sitting at a corner table, grinning like an idiot. She winked at me dramatically.

I mouthed “Shh!” at her, mortified but unable to stop the giddy smile spreading across my face.

Hours later, the restaurant was finally closed. My feet ached and my shoulders were heavy with exhaustion as I wiped down the counters. Then the manager’s voice cut through the quiet like ice.

“Nyla. My office. Now.”

My stomach dropped. I walked in with my head slightly lowered, already knowing what was coming.

“You were late again,” he said coldly, not even looking up from his papers at first. “Fifteen minutes.”

“I’m really sorry, sir,” I said quietly, my voice shaking. “My class ran over and—”

“That’s not my problem.” He finally looked at me, eyes hard. “I don’t care about your school. If you can’t show up on time, it means you don’t want this job. There are dozens of people who would kill for your hours. This is your last warning. Don’t make me regret hiring you.”

Tears stung the back of my eyes, but I blinked them away furiously. “I understand,” I whispered. “I won’t be late again. I promise.”

He waved me off. “Go home.”

I grabbed my bag and stepped out into the cool night air, feeling small and defeated. Susie was still waiting for me by the entrance, scrolling on her phone. The moment she saw my face, her expression softened with worry.

“Hey… what happened?” she asked gently, stepping closer. “Are you okay? You look like you’re about to cry.”

I let out a shaky sigh, shoulders slumping. “Manager gave me a final warning. Said if I’m late one more time, I’m fired.”

Susie pulled me into a tight hug. “I’m sorry, babe. That’s so unfair.” She pulled back and gave me a small, teasing smile. “But… at least your favorite person in the world came to see you today, right?”

Despite everything, a tiny, warm flutter returned to my chest. I bit my lip and nodded, still touching the necklace around my neck.

“Yeah… he did.”