Evelyn raced down the street, purse raised above her head, while fumbling with the tote bag slung over her shoulder.
"Oh please, oh please, oh please, just wait till I get home!" she repeated, when a drop splashed on her arm, then another slapped her cheek coldly, just before the downpour began.
She darted toward the nearest shelter, ducking under the awning of a closed store.
"I knew it would be a heavy one!.."
She rustled through her hair, trying to dry it off, then tucked the purse into the tote. Her fingers trembled slightly, chilled from the rain.
Pulling out her phone, she wiped the screen and checked the time. Her breath escaped in frustration.
"Leaving work by 11 p.m.? Today already didn't go well from the start..."
There was nowhere to sit, so Evelyn leaned against the wall, clutching her bag to her chest, watching the rain peacefully.
A sigh escaped her lip, as she rubbed her hands together, pressing them to her chilled cheeks,
"I need to get home soon, or I'll catch a cold, and miss work tomorrow. That'd be a disaster."
She straightened and stepped forward slightly to get a better view of the street. The wind tugged at her gown, and the rain showed no signs of easing.
On a night like this, taxis were unlikely. And even if one came by, why take it? Her home was just a few minutes' walk away.
Just as she stepped back, her eyes caught a man strolling down the street beneath an umbrella, moving like the rain didn't matter.
She hesitated, unsure if asking a stranger for help was wise. But the rain wasn't letting up, and her toes were already numb.
On the other hand, the man walked with a calm, unhurried pace, as if the storm was just background noise.
His steps were steady, his shoulders relaxed. He noticed her standing there, but didn't quicken his pace. 'She looks stranded,' he thought. 'Should I keep walking? Or—.'
"Erm, excuse me," she called out sharply.
He turned to her as she continued,
"Please, if you don't mind, can I share your umbrella? My home's five minutes from here, and I really need to go. I don't know when this rain would stop.."
The young man studied her for a moment, Her voice was urgent, but not desperate. Her eyes were tired, so, He replied in a rather smooth, calm voice, "I don't have a problem with it."
He stepped closer so she wouldn't get soaked again, and she rushed to his side, hopping over a puddle.
"Thank you," she said, and got a nod as the reply.
The first thirty seconds were quietly chaotic; Evelyn adjusted her bag nervously, then rolled up her hair.
Her mind with thoughts— 'Should I make small talk? Is he annoyed?' —but she stayed silent.
The young man matched her painfully slow pace, though she didn't notice how sluggish her legs moved. 'She walks like she's carrying the weight of the day,' he thought. 'No rush, I guess.'
Then came chaos. She kept bumping into him, trying to fix her hair again, and wrangle the tote bag.
"Careful," he said softly.
"Sorry, I'm so sorry," she muttered, glancing at his face to catch any reaction which would make out if he was annoyed.
But all she could try to make out was a calm, relaxed face, wavy black hair and… a lollipop in his mouth?
'Maybe he's a sweet tooth?..' she wondered.
'She's clumsy,' he thought, amused. 'But she's trying.'
The rain picked up, and seeing how long he'd held the umbrella, she tried helping, but ended up nudging him into the rain with her elbow.
He turned to her flushed face. 'Definitely Trying, I guess?..'
"I'm sorry. I just thought I'd hold the umbrella, you've been carrying it for a while now," she said, trying to sound composed.
"Why would you?" he replied calmly. "One, I'm taller than you. And two, you're a lady. It's not exactly gentlemanly to allow a short lady carry an umbrella for a tall man."
"I'm not short!" she snapped, stomping into a puddle. "I'm 5'3", which is actually tall!"
"Okay, but allow me hold onto the umbrella," He offered.
A sudden speeding taxi splashed past, drenching them from head to toe. Evelyn stood speechless, water dripping from her lashes, and the young man's hair.
He blinked, wiping his face. "Do we still need the umbrella?" he asked.
"I'm not sure about that," she muttered, then asked, "Sorry to pry, but what are you doing out this late?"
They kept walking, umbrella overhead, not caring much about the rain anymore.
"I went to see a friend at the hospital," he replied, pausing to squeeze water from his sleeve.
"Oh my, are they okay?" she asked, concern in her voice.
"Yeah. He's getting discharged tomorrow. I just had to stay with him tonight."
Evelyn nodded. 'He must be a caring friend,' she thought.
'She's thoughtful,' he noted. 'Not just polite, genuinely curious.'
"What about you?" he threw the question at her. "What's a lady doing out at an hour to midnight? Boyfriend locked you out?"
Evelyn laughed.
"You've got a dry sense of humor," she said, giggling as he smiled.
"No, I was working late. My coworker wasn't feeling well, so I had to handle the grill solo."
He looked at her with an unreadable expression. "You're a hardworking lady. I can see that."
"Well, gotta hustle if you want to make some bulks and pay the bills.."
He nodded again, then glanced at a black car pulling into the nearby gas station.
"Oh, looks like I'm leaving now," he said, waiting for the car to get closer, before opening the door and sliding inside.
Evelyn waved as the door slammed shut and the car drove off.
"I didn't even get his name, just only a side view," she murmured, turning to take the path to the apartment, then her eyes widened.
"Oh. No."
She quickly turned, stepping forward, but the car was long gone.
"Y... you, You..." she called out into the rain, "You forgot your umbrella with me!."