James

Outside, rain poured down, broken by the occasional streetlight. Emily walked along the wet pavement, wrapped in a thin raincoat. Exhausted and tired from the unsuccessful interview, she dreamed of only one thing: hot cocoa and silence.

Suddenly, she collided with him. Literally. She dropped the folder with her resume right into a puddle. He cursed, leaned over, and extended his hand.

"Sorry! I was looking at my feet, honestly," his voice was deep, and his eyes were brown with golden sparkles.

Emily accepted his help and stood up. Her resume was hopelessly soaked. He noticed her disappointment.

"You know what? Give me a chance to make it up to you. I work for an advertising agency. Maybe I can help?"

Emily raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Right now?"

"Why not? If you're not afraid of wet clothes and unpredictability," he smiled, and the world around him became a little brighter.

They walked under the same umbrella, engaged in animated conversation. It turned out their agencies were competing. He told her about a new job opening. She, laughing, told him the story of a disastrous interview.

When they reached her house, he stopped. "I'd love to see you again. Not just for work." He held out his business card. "James. Just James."

Emily took the business card, feeling the warmth of his fingers. He left, disappearing into the night rain. Emily walked up to her apartment, holding the card. It bore the logo of the agency she'd so longed to join. James's name was imprinted in her memory, a promise of something new and unknown. Perhaps fate had a knack for arranging the most unexpected encounters, even in the midst of a downpour.