worst first day

Kyrie groaned, rolling over and stretching lazily until her eyes snapped open.

Something felt off.

She sat up, blinking at the silence. No Mandy humming in the kitchen, no rustling sounds from the living room. Why was the house so quiet?

Her eyes darted to the clock on the bedside table. 8:00 AM.

Her stomach plummeted.

"Shit!"

She flung the blanket aside and bolted to the bathroom, heart racing. How had she overslept? Was Mandy not home why hadn’t she woken her up?

After what had to be the fastest shower of her life, she sprinted back into the room, dripping water onto the floor as she yanked open her suitcase.

Her hands hovered over the red dress Mandy had picked out for her. But her gaze drifted to the vintage outfit from her suitcase the one she’d really wanted to wear.

Was it really wrong to be herself?

The café staff and the manager hadn’t cared what she wore when she showed up yesterday, and besides why hide who she was?

With a deep breath, she pulled on the high-waisted trousers, crisp blouse, and fitted blazer, tucking her curls beneath her beloved beret. She grabbed her round glasses, securing them in place before throwing on a pair of simple black loafers.

One last glance in the mirror.

It’s fine. You look fine. You look great, actually.

Then she bolted out the door.

By the time she arrived at the café, her lungs burned from sprinting. She flung the doors open and froze.

The place was packed.

Every table was occupied, the scent of freshly brewed coffee thick in the air. The sound of quiet chatter and clinking cups filled the room… until she stepped inside.

Silence.

Every single pair of eyes turned to her. Her skin prickled at the sight of their stares.

A few customers exchanged confused glances. One whispered, "Is she filming a period drama?"

A group of young women giggled behind their hands.

An elderly couple in the corner, however, beamed at her. The old woman nudged her husband excitedly, her wrinkled face stretching into a delighted smile.

But Kyrie wasn’t focused on them.

Her gaze drifted to the only person who hadn’t looked up.

A man sat in the VIP area, dressed in a crisp white shirt, his sleeves rolled up as he typed on a sleek laptop. Unlike the others, he didn’t spare her even the briefest glance.

Was he the owner?

Her chest rose and fell as she tried to catch her breath.

"You're late," a familiar voice whispered beside her.

Kyrie turned to see the waitress from last night. She looked at Kyrie’s clothes and barely held back a smirk.

"The manager hates late people," she continued in a hushed voice. "He’s been waiting for you for almost two hours."

Kyrie’s stomach dropped.

"T-Two hours?" she whispered, horrified.

The waitress nodded. "He’s at the back. You need to get your uniform and meet the rest of the team. Like, right now."

Kyrie barely had time to compose herself before she stepped into the manager’s office.

He was standing with his arms crossed, by the look of his face he was clearly disappointed.

"Two hours late," he said flatly. "That’s a new record."

Kyrie winced. "I’m so sorry. I"

"Save it," he cut in, handing her the folded uniform. "Let me make one thing clear: I don’t tolerate tardiness."

She swallowed, nodding.

"Rules are simple," he continued. "Don’t be late. Don’t cause trouble. And never" his eyes locked onto hers, "disturb the VIP guests. You clean the area only after they leave. Understood?"

Kyrie nodded quickly. "Yes, sir."

"Good." He turned to the group of staff behind him. "This is Kyrie, our new colleague."

She turned to them, mustering a small smile only to be met with unimpressed stares.

"Didn’t know we hired time travelers," one of the baristas snickered.

"Bet she’s never even held a mop," another muttered.

Heat crept up her neck, but she forced herself to ignore them.

The manager clapped his hands. "Enough. Get to work."

Kyrie exhaled, gripping the uniform. This is fine. It’s just the first day.

She peeked at the VIP area, watching the man finally standing up.

Now’s my chance!

Grabbing the cleaning supplies, she hurried forward only to crash directly into him.

The impact sent a stack of papers flying from his hands.

Kyrie gasped. "Oh my God, I’m so sorry!"

She dropped to her knees, scrambling to pick them up. Her hands trembled as she stacked the pages together.

The man still didn’t speak.

She dared to glance up and instantly regretted it.

Sharp, icy blue eyes.

A chiseled jaw, shadowed with light stubble.

The VIP man was glaring down at her with a cold impression not interested.

Her stomach twisted.

Before she could say another word, her foot slipped.

CRASH!

The mop bucket tipped over, sending a wave of dirty water across the floor—soaking the papers.

Kyrie’s breath hitched. No. No, no, no!

The man clicked his tongue, shutting his laptop with an irritated snap.

He turned sharply toward the door, not even sparing her another glance.

At that exact moment, the manager came running.

"Mr. Reynolds!" he gasped. "Sir, I deeply apologize—she’s new! I’ll take care of the damage!"

The man Mr. Reynolds simply waved a dismissive hand and walked out, leaving Kyrie soaked, humiliated, and kneeling in a puddle of disaster.

The manager turned to her slowly.

"Kyrie," he said, voice painfully tight. "Did I… or did I not… tell you to clean the VIP area after they left?"

Kyrie gulped, her mouth suddenly dry.

"Y-You did…"

His eye twitched.

"Go. Change. Now. And for the love of coffee," he pinched the bridge of his nose, "don’t cause any more disasters today."

By the time her shift finally ended, Kyrie felt like she had been wrung out and left to dry.

Her feet throbbed from standing all day, her arms ached from sweeping and scrubbing tables, and her pride had taken several hits courtesy of a certain VIP man and the mop bucket disaster.

Stepping out of the café, she sighed as the cool night air brushed against her overheated skin.

It was already dark.

She bit her lip, adjusting the strap of her bag. How did it get so late?

Most of the other employees had already left, except for a few who exchanged a quick glance her way before heading off together. No one offered to walk with her.

She dug into her pocket, pulling out the crumpled bills Mandy had given her.

It wasn’t much, but it was all she had.

And she wasn’t about to waste it on a cab.

I’ll just walk.

The city at night was a different beast.

The streets weren’t exactly dangerous, but they weren’t the kind of place she wanted to stay in either.

she was about to round a corner when a sleek black car rolled to a stop in front of her.

As the window slid down, her breath paused somewhere between her lungs and her throat.

A man sat behind the wheel, his face partially illuminated by the glow of the dashboard.

"Need a ride?"

Kyrie hesitated, gripping her bag.

Who the hell...

Then, she recognized the car.

It was the same one she’d seen on her first day in the city, parked near Mandy’s place.

"Relax," the guy said, sensing her wariness. His voice was smooth, tinged with amusement. "I saw you leaving the café. We're going the same way."

She hesitated.

Getting into a stranger’s car? Not exactly smart.

But the way he spoke casual, unbothered, like he had nothing to prove made her instincts relax a little.

Finally, she exhaled and opened the door.

The car was surprisingly nice inside.

Not in a flashy way, but in a clean, well-kept, smells-like-leather kind of way.

"I'm Sebastián, by the way," he said, glancing at her with a quick grin before returning his attention to the road. "And you are…?"

"Kyrie," she replied, shifting in her seat.

"Nice to meet you, Kyrie."

He drove smoothly, the city lights flickering past the window.

"So," he said after a moment, "first day at the café, huh?"

She turned to him, startled.

"How did you?"

"I saw your uniform peeking out of your bag," he said, amused. "Plus, you look… exhausted."

Kyrie huffed a small laugh. "That obvious?"

"Painfully."

She slumped against the seat. "Well, yeah. It was… eventful."

He chuckled, turning onto a quieter street. "I bet. The manager's kind of a hard-ass, huh?"

"You have no idea."

She noticed the way he drummed his fingers lightly on the steering wheel relaxed, comfortable, like he belonged anywhere he went.

"So, do you just… offer free rides to strangers often?" she asked, raising a brow.

Sebastián grinned. "Only to ones who look like they might pass out mid walk."

She snorted. Fair.

They pulled up outside Mandy’s apartment building.

The moment Kyrie spotted Mandy sitting on the steps, cigarette in hand, staring at the street with furrowed brows her stomach clenched.

Mandy was worried.

That was a first.

Kyrie had never seen her look so tense or even smoking. what really happened to Mandy she knew back in high-school?

The second Mandy spotted kyrie in the passenger seat, she stood up and rushed to her.

Kyrie barely had time to step out before Mandy wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Jesus, Kyrie!" she scolded, pulling back to glare at her. "Where the hell have you been?! Do you know what time it is?"

Kyrie blinked. "Uh...work?"

Mandy exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "This...this is why you need a damn phone! You scared me!"

From the car, Sebastián watched with mild amusement. "You didn’t tell me you had a whole search party waiting for you."

Mandy turned to him. "Sebastián?"

"You know each other?" Kyrie asked, surprised.

Mandy waved a hand. "Yeah, kinda. He lives nearby. Thanks for bringing her back."

Sebastián leaned back in his seat, smirking. "No problem. I'd do it again."

Then, as if reading Mandy’s mind, he added, "Actually, I pass by the café every morning on my way to work. I wouldn’t mind giving Kyrie a ride if she doesn’t mind."

Mandy grinned. "Oh, she doesn’t mind."

Kyrie shot her a look.

Sebastián laughed. "Great. See you in the morning then, Kyrie."

And with that, he drove off.

As soon as they stepped inside, Mandy whirled on her.

"Okay," she demanded, tossing her jacket onto the couch. "Tell me everything."

Kyrie groaned, kicking off her shoes. "Do I have to?"

"Yes!" Mandy flopped onto the couch, tucking her legs under her. "You were gone for hours. And don’t think I missed the fact that you got a free ride home from hot neighbor guy."

Kyrie rolled her eyes. "I didn’t know he was our neighbor."

"Well, he is. And more importantly how was your first day?"

Kyrie sighed dramatically, flopping beside her.

"You wouldn’t believe me if I told you."

Mandy smirked. "Try me."