My Taco Bell Romance

I was on the register for the late shift and it was starting to wear me down. I was sipping Mountain Dew Baja Blast to keep myself awake. Then something happened that made me fully alert: she walked in.

I didn’t know her name. I knew that she was so much taller and prettier than me. Her long wavy platinum blonde hair had an incredible shine. Her sequined V-neck tank top made me think she had just come from the club. Her bare legs were impossibly long.

She strode up to the counter “Hi there…” she paused to read my name tag “Amy.” I gulped as she said it. I’d seen her around but she’d never said my name before. “Can I get the Cantina Chicken Burrito Meal, a Mexican Pizza and some Nacho Fries?” She didn’t need to look at the menu when she ordered, she just made eye contact with me the whole time. Her confidence was so sexy.

“Of…of course!” I replied. I did this all day, why was it suddenly hard? I rang her up and told her the total.

She chuckled, “This is embarrassing…” she didn’t look embarrassed “When I was out earlier this evening I kind of misplaced my wallet. Do you think you could let me slide, and I’ll pay you back next time?” She punctuated her request with a sly wink.

“Oh… umm… I don’t know about that” I stammered. She wouldn’t be the first person to ask for free food, but it was the first time I was having trouble saying no. “The only way to get free food is with the Taco Bell Rewards program…”

She leaned forward and took my hand with those long manicured fingers of hers. I felt a blush rise in my cheeks. I may have received a generous view of her cleavage. “Please Amy, I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate. I’m starving and I have to get that marinated slow roasted chicken in me or I might die.”

I could feel my resistance crumbling. However, I was determined to not be a total pushover, I was going to get something in return. “Maybe, if I could just… get your name?”

She smiled and tightened her hand around mine. “It’s Seraphina.”

“Seraphina…” I repeated back in a whispered tone. It was luxurious like her.

I rang her up, just neglecting to collect any cash, and gave her the food.

“A thousand thank yous Amy, I won’t forget this.” Seraphina told me, giving me one more dazzling white smile before taking her to-go order and my heart.

The end of my shift was soon after that. I was ready to go home and enjoy my Big Cheez-It Tostada when my manager Bellatrix called me into her office. My stomach tightened into a knot. Bellatrix was a good leader. She distributed shifts fairly and had a way of smoothing things over with difficult customers. For all that, there was something about her that always intimidated me. She was ten years older than me, but you would never guess it. Her strawberry blonde hair was always kept in a tight ponytail.

“Amy, I’ll get straight to the point.” she said. I had a feeling I would not like the point. “I know you gave away food to that girl. I’m really surprised, this isn’t like you.”

I felt like I was going to throw up. What had I done? I was going to get fired from the best job I’d ever had! I had competitive pay, free meals with every shift, 401(k) with company match, and insurance options! And for what? Just to learn Seraphina’s name. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I’ll pay it back! It’ll never happen again!”

Bellatrix frowned. “Take a breath Amy. This is your verbal warning. If there’s another incident you’ll get a written warning. Let’s not have another incident. Agreed?”

I nodded frantically. “Of course. Agreed No more incidents. Again I’m so sorry.” I couldn’t stand to be in that room anymore. “I’ll just go. Sorry.” I knew I was rambling but I couldn’t stop.

“One more thing.” Bellatrix added as I had one foot out the door. “You may think someone will be your… friend... if you give them stuff, but that’s not how friendship works. A real friend wouldn’t get you in trouble.”

For the second time that day I felt my face burn. I might die of embarrassment. I had to get out of there. “Right. Ok. Sorry. Sorry Sir.”

“Sir?” Bellatrix asked with a raised eyebrow and a hint of a grin.

“Aahhhh! I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m so ashamed.”

Bellatrix stood and took a step towards me. She put a hand on my shoulder. I felt a different kind of heat rise in me that I was not expecting. “I don’t want you to be ashamed, Amy. I want you to learn and be better. That is the Taco Bell way.”

I felt a weight lift from me. “Thank you Bellatrix. I’ll do my best.”

“Good.” She patted my shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

A week later while I was working the morning shift I saw Seraphina again. She was wearing a gold backless mini dress and there was darkness under her eyes. She had clearly been out all night.

“Seraphina! It’s good to see you again.” I said with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm.

“Oh yeah, it’s good to see you too…” Her eyes flicked down to my name tag “Amy. How are you?”

“Good! You know, Living Más.”

Seraphina’s face went blank. “What?”

I cringed. “It was a joke. Our motto…” I trailed off.

“Oh, Ok.” Seraphina gave a shrug and a small smile. “Anyway, can I get the Grande Toasted Breakfast Burrito Combo?”

“Sure, of course.” I rang her up.

“Could you just let me have this one too? Last time, I promise.” Seraphina asked in a whispered tone.

I felt as though I’d been kicked. Not only was she not offering to pay me back for last time, she was trying to get more free food. “Uh… no. I actually got in trouble last week. I can’t do it again.”

Seraphina leaned onto the counter. I definitely received a generous view of her cleavage. “Please Amy, it would mean so much to me.”

Wow, she really didn’t care if I kept my job or not. I forced myself to look away. “No Seraphina.”

She pouted “Fine.” Then she pulled out a credit card from I don’t know where. I felt kicked again. Why was she doing this if she could pay? Was it just a game to her?

After I gave Seraphina her breakfast I went into the walk-in cooler and started to cry.

A couple of minutes later Bellatrix entered the walk-in. I panicked. “I… I got Fire Sauce in my eye. I’ll be out in just a minute.”

Bellatrix gave a knowing look. “Is this about that mean blonde? Cause I’ll ban her from the restaurant.”

I chuckled through my tears. “You would do that for me?”

“Of course! This place doesn’t work if I don’t protect my team.”

“It’s stupid. I’m stupid. I thought she liked me, and she was just trying to get some free food. And now I’m crying in the walk-in about her, which is also stupid because I don’t even know her last name.”

“Hey! You are not stupid!” Bellatrix closed the space between us. This time she gripped me by both shoulders. “She’s the stupid one for missing out on you. This is her loss.”

God I was trying so hard to not break down into full ugly cry sobbing. I felt like such a fool and Bellatrix was being so nice about it. Bellatrix pulled me into a hug. I hugged her back. In that cold room she felt warm like a Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito. She was quite a bit taller than me and my head rested against her chest.

I felt myself calm down. A minute later we came apart a bit. She tilted my chin up so I meet her gaze. “Are you going to be OK?” She asked.

And then, instead of just answering her question like a normal person, I pushed myself up onto my toes and kissed my manager. The next moment I jumped back “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, you were just being nice and I can’t believe I…”

Bellatrix cut me off by grabbing me and kissing me back. This kiss was longer and mutual. When our lips broke apart she said “Well, I wasn’t just being nice. I may have had ulterior motives…”

I grinned “I’ll allow it.”

She kissed me again, then said “You know, one of us is going to have to transfer to a different location.”

I kissed her again. “Worth it.”