Grace left immediately after school for her place of work, she stepped into the bustling pizza shop and took a deep breath, taking in the scent of baked dough and melted cheese. She was excited to start her shift as a part-time employee at her favorite pizza place. Her boss, Tony, greeted her with a warm smile.
"Hey Grace, good to see you. Are you ready to get to work?" He asked.
Grace nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "Absolutely, Tony. I can't wait to learn how to make the best pizzas in town."
Tony laughed. "Well, we're happy to have you on board. Let's get you started."
He handed her an apron and showed her to the kitchen. Grace's eyes widened at the sight of the ovens, the prep stations, and the stacks of ingredients.
"Wow," she breathed. "This is incredible. I can't believe I get to be a part of this."
Tony chuckled. "Well, you're going to have to work hard to keep up with our standards, but I have faith in you."
For the next few hours, Grace worked hard, learning the ins and outs of pizza making. She helped with the dough, spreading it out and adding the toppings. She learned how to handle the ovens and how to time the pizzas to perfection. And she even had the chance to make a few pizzas herself.
As the lunch rush died down, Tony came over to her with a smile. "You did great, Grace. I'm impressed."
Grace beamed with pride. "Thanks, Tony. I had a great time."
He nodded. "You're a natural. Keep up the good work."
Grace was busy working hard at the pizza shop, and it was almost her closing time when she heard the bell above the door chime. She looked up and saw a tall, handsome boy walking in, with a chauffeur following closely behind him. It was Nathaniel, the transfer student from school.
He walked up to the counter and Grace felt a little intimidated. She was a little embarrassed that someone as pompous as him would see her working after school.
She kept on a straight face, pretending not to know him.
"Hi there, how can I help you today?" she asked, trying to sound confident.
Nathaniel looked at her with his piercing brown eyes and gave a small smile. "I'd like to order a large pepperoni pizza, please. And can you make it quick? I'm on a tight schedule."
Grace nodded, jotting down the order on a notepad. "Sure thing, I'll make sure it's ready in no time."
She rushed to the back, telling the chefs to prepare the pizza quickly. As she waited, she couldn't help but steal a glance at Nathaniel. He was dressed in a crisp black shirt and black trousers, his brown hair was slicked back. He was tall, with chiseled features and broad shoulders. He looked like he belonged on a magazine cover. He exuded an air of confidence and authority that made Grace feel even more nervous.
Was he always like this, after school? Her heart skipped a beat. The first time they had met, Nathaniel had talked down to her and made her feel small. She hadn't liked him one bit, but as she looked at him now, she couldn't help but think that he was incredibly good-looking.
She took a deep breath and tried to push her feelings aside. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he affected her.
As she handed him his pizza and he paid for it, Nathaniel looked at her with a small smile. "Thank you. This looks delicious."
Grace couldn't believe her ears, as she felt a flutter in her stomach, but she didn't let it show; she felt that he might just be mocking her. "You're welcome. Enjoy your pizza."
Nathaniel took his pizza and headed over to one of the chairs in the pizza shop. As he sat down, he noticed that Grace was still hard at work, taking orders and preparing pizzas. He couldn't help but be surprised to see her still working so late at night.
While he ate his pizza, Nathaniel thought about what Rose had told him about his behaviour towards his classmates and she was one of the people he had been rude to. This is probably a golden opportunity to make things right.
Nathaniel waited patiently in the pizza shop, eating his pizza as slowly as possible. As he waited, he rehearsed the words he would say to her in his head. Grace finished her work for the night, packing up her things in a hurry; bothered by the fact that Nathaniel was still in the shop and nearly two hours had passed. She wondered what he was trying to do, and the thought left an unsettling feeling in her stomach.
Grace exited the shop, pretending not to notice him, even though he was the only customer left. Nathaniel got up and ran after her when he noticed that she had left.
"Hey!" he called and she stopped abruptly, he then hurriedly walked up to her.
"What do you want? She asked with a frown. "Hurry it up."
"I know you remember me, you're just pretending not to. We are in the same class at school." He explained almost out of breath.
"So?" she raises a brow quizzically.
"There is something I want to say to you, I think I might not get another chance." He sighed, and Grace's heart began beating frantically in her chest.
"W-what?" Her voice was a little lower and less confident.
"I just wanted to apologize for the way I spoke to you the first time we met. It was out of line, and I'm really sorry. I hope you can forgive me." He said.
Her mouth fell open…
She was surprised that Nathaniel was apologizing to her. She had expected him to be too proud to even acknowledge his mistake, let alone apologize for it. She couldn't help but feel a little impressed by his newfound humility; or perhaps did he fall and hit his head on something.
"I-I-It's oka..." She stuttered, unsure of what to say. This could probably be a dream.
Nathaniel's contrite expression quickly changed to one of relief, and then to one of eagerness. He had been thinking that she would probably not hear him out, or even reject his apology.
"If that's all, I would like to go home." She said still feeling uneasy.
"Can I give you a ride home?" He offered, gesturing to his car which was parked outside the pizza shop.
Grace's expression quickly turned to one of discomfort. She didn't want to end up in a conversation with him, let alone owe him a favor. Perhaps what if he had some dark twisted reason?
"No, thank you. I prefer to walk." She replied.
Nathaniel's smile faltered, but he didn't give up. "Well, can I at least walk you home? If it's not too far, I mean."
Grace felt her heart start to race. She didn't want to be alone with Nathaniel, but she also didn't want to seem rude.
"Actually, it's not necessary. I'll be fine on my own." she said, then quickly walked away.
As she walked away, Nathaniel couldn't help but feel a little hurt. He had apologized to Grace and even offered to help her, but she had rejected him at every turn. He watched as she hurried down the street, feeling a little dejected and confused.
Grace, on the other hand, felt a sense of panic rising within her. She didn't want to be rude to Nathaniel, but she also didn't want to be alone with him. She couldn't let her guard down or trust him, he could be a monster too for all she knew. She quickly turned the corner and ran towards the bus stop, her heart racing with anxiety… everywhere was so dark already.
She knew she needed to find a way to deal with Nathaniel without compromising her boundaries, but for now, she needed to put some distance between them.