The sun had no mercy that afternoon.
It pressed down on the pavement, glazed every surface in heat, and made the city shimmer like it was wrapped in glass. Lea stepped off the bus and adjusted the strap of her worn tote bag over her shoulder, squinting through the glare. Sweat clung to the back of her neck, and her legs ached from standing through most of the ride. But the supermarket was only a short walk away, and her shift started in fifteen minutes.
She glanced around the sidewalk, the scent of street
food hanging in the air, mixing with car exhaust and humidity. It was her third week working part-time at the local grocery store, and though the pay wasn't great, it gave her something to do during the long university break and a little independence.
The break had started with excitement: sleeping in, binge watching shows, and catching up on hobbies. But after a week of that, the restlessness crept in. She wasn't used to being idle. Her mind was always chasing something a goal, a plan, a version of herself she hadn't fully become
yet.
And now here she was. Clocking into a job she didn't love, but didn't hate. Saving bit by bit. Watching time pass in slow, sticky waves.
She reached the entrance of the store, smoothing down her simple t-shirt and adjusting the navy blue apron folded in her bag. Before she could step in, a sharp
voice behind her made her pause.
"Hey! Watch it!"
Lea turned just in time to see a man stagger slightly backward as someone bumped into him near the parking lot. The other person barely looked back, disappearing into the crowd.
The man dusted off his sleeves, muttering something under his breath. He looked out of place not because of what he wore, which was simple but sharp, but because he stood still in a space where everyone else was in motion.
Tall, built, with a lean, understated confidence. His sunglasses hid most of his face, but when he pulled them down slightly to scan the area, Lea caught a glimpse of eyes too observant to miss anything.
Then unexpectedly those eyes met hers.
A second passed. Then two.
He gave a short nod, like he'd caught her staring (which, admittedly, she had been), and walked toward the entrance behind her.
Lea looked away quickly, trying to ignore the small
flutter in her chest.
She wasn't the type to get flustered easily, especially not over strangers. But something about him the way he moved like he wasn't in a rush, like the world adjusted to his pace it unsettled her, even if she didn't understand why.
As she clocked in and tied her apron, she pushed the moment aside. This wasn't a romance movie. It was just another shift, another Tuesday, another hot summer afternoon in a city that never cooled down.
Still, when she spotted him again twenty minutes later in aisle five, holding a basket and looking vaguely confused about cereal brands, she didn't expect him to speak
"You work here, right?"
His voice was deep, smooth like it didn't ask for attention, but got it anyway.
Lea blinked. "Uh, yeah. Can I help you?"
He held up a box of granola. "Is this one any good?"
She looked at the box. Then at him.
And maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was the way he tilted his head slighuv. amused. uke ne knew how absurd the question was. Or maybe it was the fact that her day had been boring until now. But she found herself smiling, the kind of smile that snuck up before you realized it.
"Only if you're the type who likes to chew for twenty
minutes."
He gave a short laugh. "Noted. Suggestions?"
"Go for the honey clusters. Less effort, more reward." He picked up the box she pointed to and tossed it into his basket without checking the price. Then nodded again, like she'd just handed him a stock tip.
"Thanks...?"
"Lea."
"Zayn," he said, and for some reason, it felt like he'd
just offered her a secret instead of a name.
She returned to her duties after that, but the air in the store felt slightly different like something unexpected had shifted.
And she couldn't help wondering if he'd come back
Lea stocked the shelves on autopilot, her fingers arranging cans in perfect rows while her mind replayed the encounter over and over. It wasn't just that he was attractive although he was. It was the way he looked at her, like he was actually paying attention. That didn't happen often. Not in a world where most people moved too fast to really see anyone.
"Zayn," she murmured under her breath, as if tasting the name would help her understand why it stuck to her like perfume in the air.