Stuck on Vacation with Ryan Rupert (Ryan Rupert #1) [PUBLISHED]

Bad Day - SOVWRR Launch One-Shot

This one-shot takes place two months after Aubany and Ryan return from Nula Island.

It had been a month since I'd started working at Colata's, a late night coffee shop. They were training me to become a barista, and I'd discovered that I absolutely loved it.

However, I hadn't had a terrible shift until now. Don't get me wrong, in the beginning when I was learning it was awful. I'd pour too much milk, hit the wrong shot button, struggle to create enough foam on my cappuccinos... but I'd never considered them bad shifts, because I'd been expecting to mess up. Now, I seemed to be getting the hang of it.

This day in particular had already looked bad as I left school under the looming threat of an approaching thunder storm. By the time I'd gotten to work lightning was flashing everywhere and I was only too eager to get inside.

The rumble of thunder had me on edge throughout the entirety of my six hour shift. I spilt milk on the floor, I dropped and smashed a coffee mug, and I burnt myself on the machine in three different places! Nothing was going smoothly at all.

"Aubany?" Brianna said finally, coming over to me. "What is wrong with you today? I've never seen you so jittery."

"Sorry," I replied sheepishly. "I don't really like thunderstorms..."

"Ohh..." she trailed off, an understanding expression crossing her face. "Well, it won't be long until home time, so just hang in there. And... try to get it together a bit. The boss isn't too happy. She's getting customer complaints."

Mention of those words created a sickening tension around my chest. Oh no. I was a screw up.

Brianna went back to the kitchen while I did my best to keep my pour steady and still my shaking hand. But a feeling of hopelessness had overwhelmed me now. The last thing I wanted to do was burden my team, and I wasn't trying to screw up, but... I couldn't help the fears I had.

Well... maybe that wasn't entirely true. Ryan had taught me that much. But how did I conquer a thunderstorm? I'd already had to sit them through all my life— it wasn't like I avoided them. I already had to face them head on. I wasn't sure how else to try and get over it!

"Excuse me," came a voice from the counter beside me. I glanced over to see a lady in her late forties.

"Yes, how can I help?" I asked, giving her my full attention. She made a face of disgust and passed over her takeaway coffee.

"My latte has no flavor, and I asked for this extra hot."

The feeling of despair sank even deeper.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I'll remake it for you... no charge," I promised, prying it from her hands.

"Be quick. I have to be somewhere," she commented, still seeming annoyed. Her words threw me off a fair bit, but she had every right to be annoyed I guess. And I had every right to be scolded.

The pressure was intense now. I had to get this order right. If I messed it up again... I didn't even want to think about how that would go down.

I poured the shot, heated the milk, keeping an eye on it to make sure it was definitely hotter. I let it sit for a thirty seconds, gave it firm tap on the bench and began to pour. The milk mixed with the rich caramel colored coffee, and I shook the milk until a heart was formed on the top. A feeling of relief washed over me. It was perfect.

I reached over to grab a lid, but just as I did a huge clash of thunder made me yelp, and with a thwack, the coffee was sent flying. It soaked all the takeaway cups and dribbled over the edge of the bench, creating yet another mess I had to clean up. My boss came out from the back to see what was going on, only to be confronted by the now angered lady who insisted I shouldn't be allowed to be on the machine. After ten minutes of resolving the conflict, in which I'd meekly made myself useful by wiping up the mess I'd made, I was sent home early.

Once I'd gathered my things and headed outside into the stormy rain, I burst into tears. Trying to keep it together I rushed to my car and climbed in.

I just wanted to go home and forget the day had ever happened, but when I tried to start the car it just croaked weakly.

"No... no, no, no!" I cried, banging the steering wheel with frustration. After a few more failed attempts, I let my head fall back against the seat in defeat, tears streaming down my face.

The rain hammered the car, and the thunder shook it, making me whimper and wish I had a blanket or something to hide under. I didn't want to be out here in the middle of a thunderstorm all night.

Eventually I grabbed my phone. It was so late at night, and I didn't want to call Ryan. He'd probably be asleep. I rang my dad and waited for him to pick up. If he even did... I mean, he was probably asleep too.

"Hello?" his weary voice said finally.

"Dad? It's Aubany," I replied, trying to hide the quiver in my voice. "Um... my car is broken down and I'm stuck at work."

"Oh," he said. "Okay. Hold on, I'm grabbing my keys now. I'll be there in twenty minutes, okay?"

"Thanks dad," I breathed, the tension seeping from my shoulders as I sighed in relief. Just twenty more minutes I had to endure this.

The wait felt like forever, and for lack of anything else to do I set a timer on my phone to count down the minutes. Finally, I saw his car pulling up. It was too dark to make much else out, especially in the rain. I climbed out of my car and made a dash across the lot to where he parked. When I opened the door, it wasn't dad I was looking at.

"Are you okay?" Ryan asked. Surprised, I blinked, unable to form words for a moment.

"What are you doing here?" I asked finally.

"I came to get you, silly."

"But it's eleven at night! How did you even...?"

He chuckled. "Did you really think I was going to sleep knowing you were out here in a thunder storm? I was waiting for you to get home at your house to make sure you'd be okay."

"You... you've been waiting there this entire time?" I asked dully. I couldn't help but feel touched.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "It was fun actually. I played monopoly with you family. Your mum would make an excellent real estate agent, but the way..."

I snorted. Mum always won at monopoly.

"Are you going to get in or are you going to stand out there all night?" Ryan questioned, gesturing to the rainfall. A crack of thunder sent me diving into the car and I slammed the door shut behind me.

"Go!" I demanded, hastily putting my seatbelt on. Ryan laughed again, seeming amused, as he turned the wheel and backed out of the parking lot. In the shock, I'd forgotten about work, but now it was all coming back to me, and tears formed in my eyes again.

"You just made my night," I confessed. "I had the worst day today."

"What happened?" he questioned. I told him everything, and at the end he slipped his hand into mine, one hand on the wheel, and gave it a squeeze.

"What if they decide to fire me?" I whispered fearfully.

"It's just one day, Aubs," he said softly. "Your boss won't hold it against you. Everyone has bad days. And I've seen you make coffee— you're an amazing barista. They'd be stupid to do anything rash from just this one incident."

His words eased my worries, but I still felt like crap.

"When we get back, we're going to make some hot chocolate and go to your room, and I'll stay with you until the thunderstorm is off your mind."

I smiled a little. "You don't have to do that—"

"Yes I do," he replied firmly. "I'm your boyfriend. It's my job to look after you. And you've had a crap day, you're scared, and you need comforting."

He sent me a wink, which made me smile wider. I wondered how I'd gotten so lucky to have someone like him in my life.

ѥpO