CHAPTER 2 — A STRANGER IN THE RAIN
1602 Words
The rain continued to fall.
Not the gentle kind that made people want to stand by a window with a cup of coffee, but the heavy, relentless rain that turned streets into mirrors and forced everyone beneath whatever shelter they could find.
Elena Carter stood beneath the narrow awning of a coffee shop, staring helplessly at the road.
Her umbrella was broken.
One of the metal ribs had snapped, leaving the fabric hanging crookedly over her head. Her blouse was damp at the shoulders, her shoes were soaked, and several pages of the portfolio she had been carrying were beginning to curl from the moisture.
It had been a terrible day.
Her morning interview had been canceled at the last minute.
The bus she had taken home had broken down.
Her phone was at twelve percent.
And now the rain seemed determined to finish the job.
Elena sighed.
“Perfect.”
She tried to shake the water from her umbrella.
The umbrella collapsed completely.
She stared at it.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
Across the street, a black sedan was parked beneath the trees.
Inside, Adrian Blake sat in the back seat, looking through documents on his tablet.
His driver had been waiting for him to finish a phone call, but Adrian had stopped paying attention to the numbers on the screen several minutes ago.
Something outside had caught his attention.
A woman.
She was standing beneath the awning of the coffee shop, fighting with an umbrella that had clearly surrendered to the weather.
Adrian watched as she tried to fix it.
She failed.
She laughed to herself.
Then she looked up at the sky as though personally offended by the rain.
For some reason, Adrian smiled.
He didn't know her.
He had no reason to care.
Yet he couldn't look away.
“Sir?”
Adrian turned toward his driver.
“Yes?”
“Are we still going to the office?”
Adrian glanced at the woman again.
“Wait.”
The driver looked confused.
Adrian lowered the tablet.
“Give me a minute.”
He opened the car door.
Cold rain immediately hit his face.
His driver started to reach for an umbrella, but Adrian waved him off.
“I'll be fine.”
He crossed the street.
The woman didn't notice him at first.
She was too busy trying to protect her papers.
One page escaped.
“Wait!”
She ran after it.
The wind pushed the paper farther down the sidewalk.
Adrian caught it before it could land in a puddle.
He looked at the page.
It was a graphic design draft.
A city skyline drawn in shades of blue and gold.
It was surprisingly beautiful.
He looked toward the woman.
“Looking for this?”
She stopped.
“Oh.”
She hurried toward him.
“Yes. Thank you.”
She took the page.
Their fingers briefly touched.
Neither of them noticed the rain for a second.
Elena looked at him properly.
Tall.
Dark hair.
Sharp features.
Expensive watch.
Black shirt beneath a dark coat.
There was something intimidating about him.
But his expression wasn't cold.
It was curious.
“Is this yours?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“You designed it?”
“Yes.”
“It's good.”
Elena blinked.
“Really?”
“Really.”
She looked down at the paper.
“Thank you.”
Then she glanced at his clothes.
“You're getting soaked.”
“So are you.”
She looked at herself.
“I'm already soaked.”
That made him smile.
It was a small smile.
But it changed his entire face.
Elena found herself smiling too.
“Are you waiting for someone?” he asked.
“No.”
“A taxi?”
“Hopefully.”
“Your phone?”
“Twelve percent.”
“That's unfortunate.”
“You don't say.”
He looked toward the street.
“Where are you going?”
“My apartment.”
“How far?”
“About twenty minutes.”
“Walking?”
“If I have to.”
“You shouldn't.”
Elena frowned.
“Why?”
“It's raining.”
“I noticed.”
Again, he smiled.
She was beginning to suspect that he enjoyed being sarcastic with her.
He looked toward his car.
“Come with me.”
Elena stared at him.
“Excuse me?”
“I'll drive you home.”
She immediately shook her head.
“No, thank you.”
“Why?”
“Because I don't get into cars with strangers.”
“That's sensible.”
“Thank you.”
“I appreciate that.”
She waited.
He didn't leave.
“You're still here.”
“I am.”
“So…”
“So?”
“You should probably go.”
“Probably.”
Neither moved.
Elena narrowed her eyes.
“Do you always bother strangers?”
“No.”
“Then why are you bothering me?”
Adrian looked at her for a moment.
“I don't know.”
His honesty caught her off guard.
He glanced at her broken umbrella.
“You've been standing here for a while.”
“How do you know?”
“I've been watching from my car.”
Elena raised an eyebrow.
“That sounds slightly creepy.”
He laughed.
“You're right.”
The laugh surprised her.
He didn't seem like the kind of man who laughed easily.
“I promise I'm not trying to kidnap you.”
“That sounds exactly like something a kidnapper would say.”
Adrian laughed again.
“You have a point.”
He stepped back.
“Fine. I'll leave you alone.”
He turned.
Elena watched him walk away.
She looked down at her portfolio.
Then at the rain.
Then at his car.
Something inside her told her to stop him.
“Wait.”
Adrian turned around.
She walked toward him.
“If I accept your ride…”
“Yes?”
“You're dropping me directly at my building.”
“Of course.”
“And you're not going to make any strange stops.”
“I won't.”
“And…”
She hesitated.
“What?”
“I'm not giving you my address until we're in the car.”
Adrian smiled.
“Fair enough.”
They walked toward the sedan.
Elena got inside.
The interior was warm.
It smelled faintly of leather and something clean and expensive.
She looked around.
“This is… nice.”
Adrian got into the driver's seat.
“Thank you.”
“You're driving yourself?”
“Yes.”
“I thought rich people had drivers.”
“Sometimes.”
“Sometimes?”
“I wanted to drive tonight.”
“Why?”
He started the engine.
“I don't know.”
Elena smiled.
“You say that a lot.”
“Do I?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe I don't have all the answers.”
The car moved smoothly into traffic.
For several minutes, they said nothing.
Elena looked out the window.
The city lights blurred behind the rain.
Adrian occasionally glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
She caught him once.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You were looking at me.”
“I was checking if you were okay.”
“I am.”
“Good.”
Silence again.
Then Elena spoke.
“My name is Elena, by the way.”
“Adrian.”
“Just Adrian?”
“Adrian Blake.”
She froze.
She slowly turned toward him.
“Blake?”
“Yes.”
“As in Blake International?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes widened.
“Oh.”
He glanced at her.
“What?”
“I know who you are.”
“That doesn't sound reassuring.”
She laughed.
“I've seen you in magazines.”
“I try to avoid those.”
“Why?”
“They exaggerate.”
“Do they?”
“Yes.”
“What did they get wrong?”
Adrian thought for a moment.
“That I'm charming.”
Elena laughed.
“You're not?”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“You're actually a little charming.”
“A little?”
“Don't let it go to your head.”
He smiled.
“I'll try.”
They reached her neighborhood.
Adrian followed her directions until they reached her apartment building.
He stopped at the curb.
Elena looked at him.
“Thank you.”
“You're welcome.”
She opened the door.
Then Adrian noticed her portfolio.
“You forgot something.”
He handed her the folder.
She took it.
“Right.”
She stepped out.
Then she looked at his coat.
It was draped over the back of her seat.
“Oh.”
She picked it up.
“This is yours.”
“Keep it.”
“What?”
“It's cold.”
“But—”
“Keep it.”
She hesitated.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“You're going to regret that.”
“I have plenty of coats.”
She smiled.
“Of course you do.”
She stepped away from the car.
Adrian watched her walk toward the entrance.
Then she turned.
“Good night, Adrian.”
“Good night, Elena.”
She smiled.
He watched until she disappeared inside.
Only then did he drive away.
He didn't know why he had stopped.
He didn't know why he had given her his coat.
And he certainly didn't know why he was already wondering when he would see her again.
But something had changed.
Something small.
Something invisible.
Something that felt strangely like a pull.
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