Pizza Predicament

After some reflection and a few heartfelt conversations with his family, Jake made the decision to take the job at the local pizza shop just a few blocks from his house. He remembered eating there with his dad when he was a kid, and though the place had never been a major hotspot in town, it held a sense of nostalgia for him. It wasn't the most glamorous position—just a delivery driver—but Jake had no idea just how interesting things would get.

A few weeks into the job, Jake had settled in comfortably. His shifts were short, and since the shop wasn't exactly a high-traffic place, there weren’t too many orders to deal with. He mostly spent his evenings relaxing, with just a handful of deliveries to make.

On this particular night, Jake was running late, but as always, he was pretty sure he could get away with taking it easy. His shift had only started half an hour ago, and already there he was, sitting in one of the booths, his phone in hand, scrolling through his social media. He was dressed in the shop’s uniform—a tight black polo with the pizza shop’s logo, black sweatpants that hung a little low on his hips, and the signature pizza cap.

The quiet of the shop was soothing, and for the moment, Jake was content. But the peace didn’t last long.

“Jake! There you are!” His boss, Adrian, called out, shattering the calm. Jake quickly tucked his phone away and looked up.

“Hey, Adrian… is everything alright?” Jake asked, sensing something was off.

Adrian, looking a bit tense, waved him over to a nearby booth. “We need to have a quick meeting. All of us. Can you come sit?”

Jake gave a small nod and slid into the booth across from his boss, curious about what was going on. The other employees gathered around, and Adrian leaned in, looking serious.

“So, as you probably know, the shop’s been struggling. Business isn’t what it used to be,” Adrian said, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I’ll cut to the chase. We need something that’ll get us noticed, something that'll make us *go viral*—or, you know, whatever the kids are calling it these days.” He paused, raising an eyebrow at Jake, who sat in silence, waiting for more.

There was a beat of awkward silence before Ashleigh, the shop's social media manager, piped up. “Actually, I posted something on the shop's Instagram earlier, and… well, no one volunteered for the challenge.”

Jake blinked. “Challenge?”

Adrian shot him a nervous glance. “Yeah. We think you’re the perfect guy for it.”

Jake furrowed his brow. “What kind of challenge?”

Adrian gave a heavy sigh. He glanced at the other employees, who all seemed to be avoiding eye contact. “Jake, you’re a good guy. You’ve got the build, the looks… You remind me of my son, honestly. But if you don’t do this… well, you might lose your job.”

Jake's stomach dropped. He’d really needed this job. He couldn’t afford to mess it up. His mind raced, trying to piece together what Adrian was talking about.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Jake cleared his throat and nodded. “Okay… okay, I’ll do it. Just tell me what I need to do.”

Adrian’s face lit up with relief. “Really? That’s great! Here—sign this, quick!” He reached into his bag and pulled out a clipboard with a form, thrusting it toward Jake.

Jake hesitated for just a second before grabbing the pen and signing his name, the nervous energy from the whole situation settling in. The other employees visibly relaxed, and there was a sense of relief in the air as Adrian handed him the clipboard back with a small smile.

“Well, that’s it then. Let’s get this started,” Adrian said, clapping his hands together.

Jake had no idea what he was in for, but one thing was certain—his life at the pizza shop was about to get a whole lot more interesting.