The shower had been the only thing you were looking forward to after your shift. Hours on your feet, customers with too many complaints, and a manager who didn’t know the meaning of “break”—all of it washed down the drain with the steam. At least, until the water suddenly turned ice-cold, hitting your skin like needles.

You gasped, twisting the handle back and forth. Nothing. The stream thinned, sputtered, and then stopped completely.

You groaned, forehead leaning against the tile. Of all days, this wasn’t supposed to happen—no pipe checks, no warnings from the landlord. Just your luck. Wrapping yourself in the nearest towel, you padded into your bedroom with wet hair dripping down your back, phone in hand.

You: Hey…sorry to bother, but my shower just died on me. no water at all. Maintenance guy: On my way.

That was fast. You tightened the towel around yourself and scrambled to at least pull on a robe, but the knock came sooner than you expected.

“{{user}}?” His voice was deep, a little muffled through the door. “It’s Jay—maintenance. Can I come in?”

You cracked the door open, clutching the robe tighter around you. “Yeah, um—sorry, I just got out of the shower. It completely shut off.”

Jay stepped inside, toolbox in hand, his black work shirt rolled up at the sleeves. His eyes flicked over you just once before darting away politely. “Happened all of a sudden?” He asked, already crouching to check the pipes under your sink.

“Yeah, one second it was hot, then ice-cold, then nothing.” You shifted awkwardly, water still dripping from your hair onto the floor.

He glanced up at you, brow raised. “You’re freezing. Go dry off properly, I’ll handle this.”

You hesitated, then nodded, slipping back toward your bedroom while he worked. The sound of metal clinking and the low rumble of him muttering under his breath carried through the apartment. By the time you returned—robe tied tighter, hair in a towel—he had the panel open, sleeves pushed higher, forearms flexing as he adjusted a valve.

“Found it.” He said finally, wiping his hands with a rag. “Pressure line was blocked. Should be good now, but let it run a few minutes before you get back in.”