The Rain Check

Lena stared at her phone, the message from Ethan glowing on her screen like some kind of beacon. *So… when’s our rain check?* She read it again, and then one more time, just to make sure it was real. Her pulse was racing, her mind spinning in a thousand directions. Was this seriously happening?

She had always imagined Ethan as some untouchable guy—charming, smart, and completely out of her league. But now, here he was, texting her. Not just texting, but actually asking about a rain check.

“Lena, are you even listening?” her coworker Jessie asked from across the desk, snapping her fingers in Lena’s direction.

Lena blinked, finally snapping out of her trance. “Huh? Sorry, what were you saying?”

Jessie rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. “I was asking if you wanted to grab lunch later, but clearly you’re too busy drooling over your phone.”

Lena blushed, quickly locking her phone and shoving it face-down on her desk. “I’m not *drooling*,” she protested. “I just… got a message. From someone.”

Jessie raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Someone? Like, a *guy* someone?”

Lena hesitated for a moment before sighing. Jessie was her closest friend at work, and there was no hiding anything from her. “Yeah… from Ethan.”

Jessie’s eyes widened. “Ethan? As in, *the* Ethan? Marketing hottie Ethan? The guy you’ve been obsessing over for, like, forever?”

“Shh!” Lena hissed, glancing around to make sure no one else could hear. “It’s not like that. I mean, yes, it’s him, but it’s not a big deal.”

Jessie’s grin grew wider. “Oh, it’s definitely a big deal. Spill. What did he say?”

Lena fidgeted with her pen, trying to play it cool. “It’s nothing. He just… texted me, asking about a rain check.”

Jessie squealed in excitement. “A rain check? That means he wants to see you again! Oh my God, Lena, this is huge!”

Lena tried to suppress a smile but failed miserably. “Yeah, but I spilled coffee all over him this morning. He’s probably just being nice.”

“Nice?” Jessie scoffed. “Guys don’t ask for rain checks if they’re just being nice. He’s definitely interested.”

Lena wasn’t so sure. Part of her wanted to believe Jessie, but the other part of her—the part that had been invisible to Ethan for so long—was hesitant. What if he was just being polite? What if he didn’t really mean it?

Before she could dwell on it any longer, her phone buzzed again. Another message from Ethan.

**Ethan**: Did I scare you off already? 😜

Lena’s heart skipped a beat. Jessie leaned over, trying to catch a glimpse of the screen. “What did he say now?”

“Nothing!” Lena quickly turned her phone so Jessie couldn’t see. Her face felt hot, her thoughts scrambled. Was she supposed to respond now? Should she play it cool or show excitement? There were no rules for situations like this, especially when it came to your office crush.

Her thumbs hovered over the screen, unsure of what to type. After a deep breath, she went with something simple.

**Lena**: Haha, no! Just figuring out my lunch break. Rain check sounds good 😊

She hit send before she could second-guess herself, her stomach doing flips. Jessie was practically bouncing in her chair.

“He’s so into you,” Jessie declared, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Mark my words, Lena. He’s totally smitten.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Lena said, trying to stay grounded. “It’s just a coffee.”

But even as she said it, her heart couldn’t help but hope that maybe, just maybe, Jessie was right.

---

Later that day, Lena’s nerves were in overdrive. She and Ethan had agreed to meet at the café after work. She tried to focus on her tasks, but every time she looked at the clock, the minutes seemed to drag on endlessly. What was she even going to talk about? What if she tripped over her words again? What if she accidentally spilled something *else* on him?

By the time 5 p.m. rolled around, Lena’s anxiety was at an all-time high. She grabbed her things, taking extra care to make sure she didn’t have any food stains or mismatched shoes this time. She wasn’t going to let clumsiness ruin this.

Walking into the café felt surreal. Ethan was already there, sitting at a table by the window. He looked even more handsome than usual in the golden glow of the late afternoon sun, his jacket draped casually over the back of the chair.

When he saw her, he smiled and waved her over. Lena’s stomach did another somersault. *Just breathe,* she told herself. *It’s just coffee.*

“Hey,” Ethan greeted as she approached. “Glad you could make it.”

“Hey,” Lena replied, her voice a little too breathless for her liking. She slid into the seat across from him, trying not to let her nerves show.

“Long day?” Ethan asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“You have no idea,” Lena sighed. “It felt like it was never going to end.”

“I know the feeling,” he chuckled. “Marketing is a circus sometimes.”

Lena smiled, starting to relax. The small talk was helping, and Ethan’s easygoing demeanor made her feel less awkward. They chatted about work for a few minutes, swapping stories about difficult clients and office drama. Lena was surprised by how comfortable she felt—like they’d done this a hundred times before.

“So,” Ethan said after a while, leaning back in his chair. “I have to ask—how’s my coffee-spilling partner holding up after this morning’s disaster?”

Lena groaned and buried her face in her hands. “Please don’t remind me. I’m still mortified.”

Ethan laughed, the sound deep and genuine. “Hey, don’t worry about it. It made my morning way more interesting. Plus, I got a new pair of shoes out of it.”

Lena peeked through her fingers, smiling despite herself. “I still feel like I owe you big time.”

“I’d say we’re even,” Ethan said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Besides, if it weren’t for the coffee incident, we wouldn’t be here now, right?”

Lena’s heart fluttered. He was right. If she hadn’t made a complete fool of herself that morning, they wouldn’t be sitting here, sharing this moment. Maybe, in some weird, twisted way, her clumsiness had worked in her favor.

“Fair point,” she conceded, feeling a bit more at ease. “So, I guess I should thank my terrible coordination.”

Ethan smirked. “I don’t mind. It was worth it.”

Lena’s face flushed again, but this time, it wasn’t from embarrassment. There was something in the way he looked at her—something warm and genuine. She had always thought Ethan was out of her league, but right now, sitting across from him, she couldn’t help but feel like maybe… just maybe… this wasn’t so impossible after all.

They continued to talk, the conversation flowing easily. Lena found herself laughing more than she had in a long time, and Ethan seemed to enjoy it too. She wasn’t sure how long they’d been there—time seemed to blur when she was with him.

Finally, as the sun dipped lower in the sky, Ethan glanced at his watch. “I should probably head out soon. I’ve got an early meeting tomorrow.”

Lena nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. She didn’t want the evening to end, but she didn’t want to seem too eager either.

“Yeah, me too,” she said, standing up with him. “But this was fun. Thanks for the rain check.”

Ethan smiled. “Anytime. We should do it again.”

Lena’s heart soared at his words. She nodded, trying to keep her cool. “Definitely.”

As they left the café and went their separate ways, Lena couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face. Maybe it had only been coffee, but it felt like the start of something more. Something exciting. Something that just might change everything.