In the Rain (Prequel to Rain Again)

Chapter Eleven: Isaac's Offer

The blur of failure might have hindered Kate from seeing the wall of a man who suddenly had slid into her way. Or perhaps, it was she who had slid into his. And with the speed she had dashed out of the building, she couldn't stop herself from a head-on crash.

"Hey, lady... umph—"

"Agh—"

They dropped down onto the street. Despite the fall, however, Kate didn't feel the hard concrete surface of the street connect to her skin. The male body underneath hers was the sole reason for that safe, she realized.

"Are you okay?" The deep voice asked, concern in his tone.

Raising her head, she found a familiar face. Isaac Groff. "You?"

"Kate." With a smile of surprise mixed with worry, Isaac began helping her up. "Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?"

"Uh, no, it's okay," she replied softly.

"Your things." Tilting his head, he gestured towards the things that fell from her hands and lay scattered around due to the brunt of that fall.

"Uh — I will —" She knelt down to pick them up.

Wordlessly he followed her action, helping her like a true gentleman. "So, how are you faring at the new job? I presume you got it since you've just come out of that building."

"You're right," despite having more to say, she went for the shortest reply.

They stood in awkward silence for a couple of moments.

"So, why were you running out like that?" He asked.

Blinking rapidly, she settled on an honest reply, with a desolate-looking shrug, "I was just fired."

Isaac's brows raised high in surprise. "What!"

Suddenly, she felt so ashamed. She felt ashamed to have ended up as such a failure. And to think she hadn't wanted to get a job in the first place. Such an irony of fate!

"Come with me."

Kate snapped her head up to see Isaac gesturing with a hand towards the building across the street — Choice. His lips spread into an amiable smile. He coaxed further after a small pause, "Come to my office."

For some time, she stood in indecision. But then she thought she didn't want to go home so early anyway. Her parents would start asking questions. Also, she would have to start thinking about her next action plan. Feeling quite a bit tired mentally, she wished to take a break from all that for a little while at least.

--

Choice was impressive.

As Kate tagged along with Isaac, she noticed the posh but cordial atmosphere in the building. All the employees had friendly smiles on their faces. Sure, there was no indiscipline, but there was no uptight, robotic quality in the ambiance either.

Their collections were good, but Quartz's products were better quality-wise—she concluded.

However, profits were coming in fine, she guessed, seeing a new gigantic wing being built.

Her eyes widened, seeing Isaac being greeted by everyone they passed by in a manner like he owned the place. Suspicion grew inside her. From the corner of her eyes, she began observing him more closely.

Inside the elevator to the top floor, as the doors slid close before them, she looked directly at him with scrutiny. "Who are you?"

Again, his lips stretched into that signature amiable smile of his. "You already know," he said. "Isaac."