The Oriental Place

14

Abe looks around, the water on the floor slowly rising along our feet level.

"So..." He starts, chuckling nervously. "The walk has failed."

He looks down at Zyggie with an apologetic glance. "We better be going home."

I nod, still awkwardly close to Abe's chest beneath the umbrella.

"Right." I smile a bit. "I should hurry. I came walking."

Abdallah raises his eyebrows. "Beneath the rain?"

I look away, shaking my head. "Uh, no. It wasn't raining when I came. Just... a bit damp but nothing to worry about."

He snorts. "I guess the time to worry would be... now." He tilts his head. "You didn't bring an umbrella?"

I bite the inside of my cheek, shaking my head against my will. Putting it like that it even sounds like I'm an idiot or something.

Wich may not be too far from reality.

"I didn't think it would get to this point." I say simply, my hand still resting on Juno's head.

"Tsc tsc." He clicks his tongue. "You should always think it will get to this point."

I furrow my eyebrows. "It's a short walk. I should just go before the rain gets stronger." I respond softly, not liking how he's literally calling me an imbecile to my face. "Bye."

I wave and I catch a glimpse of Abe furrowing his eyebrows.

"Hey." He takes a step towards me. His neon umbrella covers my head again. "I can't let you go back beneath this storm."

I raise my eyebrows.

"Maybe I deserve to be punished for leaving my umbrella at home?" I respond, doing my best for my smile not to look annoyed rather than innocent.

He chuckles.

"You could be hit by a thunder." He opposes. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened."

I shake my head. "We're in a park. The thunder would hit a tree rather than hitting me."

"But there's always the possibility."

"The possibility is small."

"Like the possibility of raining today?" He raises an eyebrow. "Wasn't that why you said you didn't bring an umbrella?"

I open my mouth to say something, a shocked chuckle leaving my throat.

"The possibility of raining was almost certain, but--"

"But you didn't bring an umbrella? I find it hard to believe." He flashes me a cheeky smile and I narrow my eyes.

"--But, I didn't think a storm would fall." I complete, smiling a bit. "I thought it would be an average drizzle."

"Drizzling, raining, what's the difference?" He approached me with an eyebrow raised, seemingly amused.

I scoff.

"The intensity, obviously." I respond, putting a hand on his shoulder to push him away gently.

"Umbrellas are made to protect either way." He shrugs, still pulling in Zyggie's leash to keep him away from sniffing on Juno. "And you had a triple walk ahead of you."

"A triple walk?" I laugh. "Do enlighten me."

He smirks, leaning his head against the umbrella's metal stick.

"One, walk from home..." He raises his index. "Two, walk on the park..." He raises a second finger as well, counting.

I roll my eyes playfully, seeing where this is going.

"...And three, walk back home." He raises the third finger, wriggling them playfully. "Triple walk, three times the need to take an umbrella."

"You're forgetting the fact it wasn't raining when I left home." I raise my eyebrows. "That makes it a double walk only."

He chuckles.

"Still! Twice the need to worry! Plus, it could start raining right when you left home." He pouts. "And you'd be defenseless."

"It didn't rain."

"It's literally raining right now." He says, dumbfounded. 

I laugh. "But not when I was walking from home."

"But if it did..." He feigns confusion. "How would you protect yourself?" He looks down at Juno. "And your poor dog?" 

"I could go back to fetch an umbrella." I raise my eyebrows.

"Wich is what you should have done, don't you think?" He smiles innocently, batting long black lashes at me. 

I don't respond, looking away. 

He snickers.

"I won't make you admit I'm right." He nudges me softly and I look back up at him. "But I'm giving you a ride."

I raise my eyebrows.

"Excuse me?"

"That's right." He smiles cheekily while reaching for his keys in his back pocket. "You heard me."

I shake my head. 

"Bye, Abe." I turn on my heels.

"Nope." He takes my arm and turns me to face him again. "I'm dropping you off. Not an option."

I scoff.

"I can go home walking in the rain." I cross my arms over my chest. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"Did you know that the best place to be during a thunderstorm is inside a car?" He asks, placing a hand on my back and leading me to his vehicle. "Crazy, right?"

I smile a bit, looking away. 

"My hair is wet. It will stain your seat."

"Good thing it's made out of leather, then." He winks again, letting the umbrella hover over me while we step out of the park and head towards the parking lot. Juno follows me without her leash on, while Zyggie still appears to try to catch the smell of her neck even if his tail hangs between his legs out of fear.

"What about Juno?" I furrow my eyebrows, drifting my gaze from her back up to Abe. "There's no space for two wet dogs in your car."

"They can stay on the back." He shrugs.

I narrow my eyes. "Juno will tear him apart." I mutter, nodding towards Zyggie. He barks. 

Abe laughs. "She won't. I'll be holding his leash still, don't worry."

I widen my eyes. 

"I do worry. "I respond, stopping as we get to his car. "You can't drive doing two things at once."

He chuckles, handing me Zyggie's leash. "Then you'll do it for me." He smiles innocently, opening the passenger's door for me. "Here."

He wraps my fingers around the leash and places Zyggie on the backseat, not needing to help Juno with everything as she hopped inside with a gesture of my hand. "Just remember to keep him closer to the door."

I scoff again, watching him close the door and walk around the car to slide into the driver's seat. "You are so conceited." 

"It's called charm!" He chuckles, adjusting the looking glass. Abe looks back at me and hands me his phone. "Type your address. We'll be there in no time."