RAINSTORM

Ch. 12

The rain seems to be a never ending saga. At least there's no drought, Rachel thinks as she looks out the window of the bus. The glass is covered in raindrops that hold onto the surface for a moment before trickling down.

She gets a call from Hector.

"Are you free today?" He says.

"No, I'm on my way to my sister's place."

"Thought you said she'll be in Hollywood for a week," Hector says.

Rachel told everyone about it, that her sister was designing one of the sets in Hollywood that will be in a Leonardo DiCaprio movie.

"She is," Rachel says, "I just drop by her place whenever I get the time to clean it up."

"Aren't you a diligent younger sister?" He says.

"Did you call to grade how good of a sister I am?"

"No. I called to ask if we could have lunch together."

Rachel smiles. It sounds like he's asking her out on a date, but on second thought it maybe better to not assume that, Rachel thinks.

"In this weather," Rachel says, "I'm not going anywhere else."

"It's only a drizzle," he says.

Rachel looks out the window and can't even make out the color of the vehicles next to the bus. "Why are you asking me?" She says, "Did all your friends ditch you?"

"I didn't ask anyone else. I want to have lunch with you," Hector says.

Rachel doesn't reply. She stands up and takes out her umbrella and walks to the exit. When the bus door slides open, Rachel opens her umbrella and steps out.

Hector hears the rain. "Where are you?" He says.

"I just got off at the bus stop, and am walking to the apartment."

"You took the bus?"

"I'm saving up on gas. Besides it's harder to drive in this weather," she says.

"Which bus stop?"

"G41."

Hector remembers seeing it across the spot he left the kittens. So she was there to see her sister, he thinks. "Which building?" He says.

"Serab Flats," Rachel says while walking around a pothole that could drown her feet.

Hector also remembers the nearby area from when he looked for her blue car. "The yellow building behind the stop?" He says.

"Yeah," she says while avoiding a passing by car splashing water.

"I'll pick you up there," Hector says and ends the call.

Rachel soon reaches the front of the building. She closes her umbrella and gives it a shake. She then heads inside and starts climbing the stairs.

She stops. How did he know which building? She wonders.

A WHILE LATER, Hector calls Rachel.

"I'm here," he says.

Rachel goes to the balcony, slides open the window and looks down. She can see the silhouette of a vehicle parked at the side of the entrance.

"This soon? I'm not done here," Rachel says. 

"I'll wait."

"Come upstairs. I've freshly brewed coffee."

She ends the call and goes to the kitchen and takes out two mugs from the cupboard.

By the time she has done plating everything, Hector arrives. Rachel opens the door.