I work at Taco Bell

My shoulder was hurting.

I work at Taco Bell
Photo by Yanhao Fang / Unsplash

by Ambika Bates


I was dilly-dallying on the line, waiting for somebody to want a Crunchwrap Supreme, when the doors swung open and I was pressed suddenly into the taco tower.

It was His finger, jammed in the big doors, which are heavy, so I knew it had to be Him.

He must have been hunched, somehow, over the whole establishment, probably in quite an awkward position, clawing for something.

I said, oh, hello, and, what brings you to Dragon Retail Park, and, do you want a Crunchwrap Supreme? There’s no need to claw about, we can bring it out for you. I didn’t know what to say, and my shoulder was pressing quite uncomfortably into the taco tower.

My shoulder was hurting.

He said, in a soft rumble, oh, no, I’m here for you.

For ME.

He said, how’s Hinge going? Which I thought was an odd question, but, well, now that you a-

He said, maybe I do want a Crunchwrap Supreme.

I didn’t know God said maybe.

The finger inched its way out and my shoulder breathed a little sigh of relief, which it had never done before. I said, why did my shoulder just breathe a littl-

He said, I think my finger’s jammed.

I was beginning to process that I had a real opportunity here, to gain some clarity on matters, so I took the leap. Wh-

He said, I didn’t. I didn’t do any of this. I didn’t make any of this.

He sounded sad.

I asked, to lighten the mood, did you take the bus down? Which one?

He said, I took the 50. I didn’t make any of this. I don’t…

I said, it’s fine. Hinge is a bit impersonal, but we‘re doing our best. No, we’re not. I mean- we need help. We, kind of, I guess, well, we thought-

He said, I don’t even know where to START. What IS a Crunchwrap Supreme?!

Then there was a shuddering, and the doors shook a little and swung closed, and He was gone.

The Crunchwrap timer beeps.


Ambika Bates is a poet, English and Creative Writing student, and Taco Bell employee.