Rain Check
733 Words
Chapter 3 ~
The week passed faster than Mia expected. Work deadlines piled up, and every night she told herself she’d go straight home no distractions, no detours.
But by Friday afternoon, the skies turned that familiar heavy gray, the kind that promised another Manila downpour.
She stepped out of her office, clutching her umbrella. This time, it was the new one she bought after Tuesday’s disaster. She told herself she was ready no more strangers swooping in to save her from the rain.
Still, as she walked down the busy street, a small, ridiculous part of her wondered…
What if he’s here again?
The first drops began to fall, tapping lightly on her umbrella. The smell of rain on hot pavement rose around her, mingling with the scent of roasting chestnuts from a street cart nearby.
Then, as if the city itself were answering her unspoken thought
“Mia!”
She turned, and there he was. Leo. His blue jacket was zipped up, his umbrella tucked under one arm, as he jogged toward her. The rain made his hair glisten, and when he smiled, she forgot for a moment about the dozens of people rushing past them.
“You always appear when it rains,” she teased.
“Or maybe it only rains when I see you,” he countered smoothly.
She laughed, shaking her head. “Corny.”
“Effective,” he said, opening his umbrella and tilting it toward her. “Share tayo?”
She hesitated mostly for show before stepping under. Their shoulders brushed, and she swore she could feel the warmth of him even through her cardigan.
“Where are you headed?” he asked as they began walking.
“Nowhere special. Just home,” she said. “You?”
“Meeting with a client got canceled. I was supposed to go straight home… but I saw you.”
She glanced at him. “You’re making it sound like fate.”
“Maybe it is.”
The rain grew heavier, drumming above their heads. They slowed down, stepping carefully around puddles that reflected the neon lights of the shops they passed. At one point, a tricycle sped by, splashing a wave of water dangerously close to them.
Without thinking, Leo shifted, putting himself between her and the street. The spray hit his jeans instead.
“Hey! You got wet!” she said.
“Better me than you,” he replied easily.
Something fluttered in her chest.
They reached the small park near her street a place she usually passed without noticing but tonight, the benches were empty, the trees dripping quietly in the rain. The park lamps cast a golden glow, making the wet pavement shimmer.
Leo slowed to a stop. “You in a hurry?”
“Not really,” she admitted.
He led her to one of the benches under a large tree. The rain still fell beyond the umbrella’s reach, but here, it felt softer a curtain around their little world.
For a moment, neither spoke. She listened to the rain, the faint hum of traffic, and the rhythm of her own heartbeat.
“Can I tell you something?” Leo said finally.
She looked at him, curious. “What?”
“That night… Tuesday… I almost didn’t get on that jeepney. I was planning to just wait for a Grab. But something made me get in.” He paused, meeting her gaze. “Now I’m glad I did.”
She felt her cheeks warm. “You’re making it sound like you believe in destiny.”
“Maybe I do. Do you?”
“I…” She hesitated. “I’m not sure.”
He smiled faintly. “Then maybe I can change your mind.”
For a heartbeat, the air between them was electric the kind that made her aware of the closeness, the way their knees brushed, the sound of his voice lower now.
And then almost on cue thunder rolled in the distance, making them both laugh and breaking the tension just enough.
“We should go before it floods,” she said, standing up.
He rose too, and they walked again, slower this time, like neither really wanted the night to end.
When they reached her gate, Leo hesitated. “Mia… next week… dinner?”
She tilted her head, smiling. “We’ll see.”
But this time, she knew she meant yes.
- Writer
