RED

10. Orange Blossom

Everyone admits that love is wonderful and necessary, yet no one agrees on just what it is.

by Diane Ackerman

Kiana dragged her luggage along with her out of the building. She was grateful to the fact that the security guard was nowhere to be seen. She wouldn't know how to answer the questions of what she was still doing there at that time of the night. Yes, perhaps she had been irrational and quick to walk away from Enrico, but she had her reasons. She didn't want him stepping all over her once again due to this. Working for him was already enough. Yes, she was in the wrong. She shouldn't have attempted trying to spend the night in his building. It was a stupid idea.

Kiana finally stood still when she was in front of the road. A few cars drove past her. She released her hand and her luggage slumped to the ground. She sighed once more as she looked left and right. Okay, walking away from Enrico and stepping out from the building was easy, but what would come next wasn't. Where was she going to spend the night? Where's she going to call home?

The clouds suddenly rumbled and Kiana looked up. A little lightning here and there flashed in the clouds.

"Really!? It's going to rain now!?" Kiana asked the universe, as if they could hear her. She covered her face quite frustrated, as she pushed her head backwards.

"Urghhhh!" She exclaimed a little louder within her palms, quite suppressing the urge to yell out really loud. The cloud rumbled some more and a little louder.

***

Enrico hastened his pace towards his car just as the clouds rumbled some more. He realised it was going to rain and perhaps, heavy at that. As soon as he got into his car, his prediction came true. The rain began to pour down heavily and nonstop. Enrico wasn't a fan of the rain. There was always a sad atmosphere it brought along with it.

Is she going to be okay?

A strange thought crossed his mind. He didn't know why he was thinking of her that very minute. She had actually worked out on him without trying her luck first. Typical Kiana. It was always her strategy to escape without giving him a reasonable explanation. She had stated she was homeless, but why she wouldn't plead to him to let her stay sort of enraged him. He shook his head at several other unwanted thoughts before starting his car.

As Enrico carefully rode through the rain, not quite far from the company's building, he sighted someone who quite resembled Kiana. He squinted his eyes a bit as he slowly decreased his speed, so he could get a better look. Alas! It was her standing still under the rain. Enrico couldn't take his eyes off her. He couldn't help wondering what was wrong with her. It was raining so heavy, yet she stood still doing nothing about her situation. He felt pissed off as he looked away from her. She would rather stand outside under the rain than plead to him.

Just ignore her.

He told himself, but the closer he drove towards her, the more his decision wavered.

"Shoot!" He exclaimed, quite frustrated before he turned the steering wheel so he could drive to the side and eventually stopped in front of her. He let out a huge sigh, his subconscious warning him that he's going to regret doing this. He pressed down a button and the window went down.

Kiana stared at the familiar car that stopped in front of her. Refusing to jump into conclusions, she decided to wait for the driver to show his face and the glass eventually went down.

"Get in." He ordered her, his voice a little louder than usual due to the rain just, so she could hear him but she just stood still, staring at him with a little look of confusion on her face. Her arms wrapped around her. Enrico felt frustrated at how still she stood without saying a word. He hated how stubborn she could get at times. Unable to take it any longer, he pushed his door open and stepped out of the car. He quickly walked up to her under the rain. She slightly looked up to him as he took hold of her arm and opened the door to the passenger's seat with his other hand.