Chapter 38
During the break between classes, Sophia shot her resume off to Dempsey Architects.
This firm not only posted ads around the school but also went the extra mile to host an Info session right there, with jobs up for grabs on the spot.
The gig was set for 5 PM in the multimedia classroom.
Sophia had a free afternoon and wasn’t too keen on going back to face Brandon, so she decided to kill some time and check out the info session.
Dempsey Architects must have a stellar rep in the biz, and the perks they were offering seemed pretty sweet, so naturally, the place was buzzing with a bunch of students huddling around the promo board outside the classroom, shooting the breeze about it.
Dempsey Architects had clearly put some serious elbow grease into their publicity, decking out the classroom entrance with a pop-up exhibit that was simple but oozed their vibe, showcasing their success stories with models and. dioramas.
The exhibit was all sleek and classy, rocking a modern exotic style vibe that Sophia was totally into, and she couldn’t help but get drawn in for a closer look.
The joint was packed, and it was definitely shoulder-to-shoulder, but most folks were just breezing through for a quick peek
Sophia had always had a thing for architectural design, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from those models and dioramas, especially when she spotted some clever exotic style garden elements. She zeroed in on the details and was so engrossed that she was oblivious to the horseplay going on around her. Just as she was bending over a faux-rock display, a playful smack from a nearby girl sent a high-rise diorama flying, and the girl’s shriek of pain turned heads as she instinctively dodged away, causing a bit of a ruckus in the crowd.
Don was on duty keeping things orderly when the scream and commotion made him snap his head in that direction. He spotted the girl who’d caused the stir-none other than the one who looked like Yolanda from the bar last night. But before he could say hi, he saw the model she’d knocked was teetering on the brink of collapse. Noticing it was about to take a dive towards Sophia, who was still lost in the diorama, he bellowed a “Watch out!” and bolted to the rescue.
The panicked girl tried to catch the falling model but was too slight to stop it. She staggered back under its weight, tumbling onto Sophia, who was just rising.
Caught off guard, Sophia stumbled back, nearly hitting the deck, but at the last second, a sturdy arm swooped in from behind to steady her, while another hand deflected the model. With a loud crash, the model hit the floor, the crowd gasped and instinctively backed off.
Sophia, a bit dazed, looked up to see the girl sprawled on top of her and the man whose arm was bracing her. She was a bit knocked for six.
Once the model hit the floor, Don finally let out a sigh of relief, turned to Sophia and the girl, and blurted out, “Sorry about that, you guys okay?”
Sophia gave a little shake of her head, “I’m fine, thanks,” while nudging the girl who was still on top of her
The girl came to her senses and stuck her tongue out at Sophia in embarrassment, “My bad, sorry.”
She had a simple, genuine smile with a touch of awkward guilt.
Sophia couldn’t help but return the smile, “No worries.”
Relieved, the girl turned to Don with a hint of surprise, “Hey, it’s you! What are you doing here?”
Don, brushing off his clothes, shifted his attention to the girl and smiled, “Told you last night I run Dempsey Architects. We’re here recruiting today.”
He looked at her with a bit of surprise, “You’re not a student here, are you?”
The girl jutted her chin slightly. “Why? Don’t I look like it?”
Don laughed, “It’s not that, just didn’t expect it.”
Sophia, seeing they seemed to know each other and were deep in conversation, quietly edged away to leave.
Don hadn’t forgotten about Sophia’ near fall and spared her a glance, “Hey, you sure you didn’t hurt yourself?”
Sophia smiled lightly and shook her head, “No, thanks.”
Don persisted, “And nothing hit you?”
Still, Sophia shook her head gently.
“I’m fine, really, thank you,” she said, smiling her thanks and not wanting to interrupt, “You guys keep chatting, I’ll go look over there.”
Don responded with a smile of his own, “Sure thing, feel free to look around, and If you’ve got any questions, just holler. I’m Don, in charge of the exhibit. Here’s my card.”
Handing her his card, he didn’t miss a chance to introduce the company, “Our firm is hiring part-time and full-time architectural designers. If you’re interested in joining us, feel free to send in your application.”
“Will do, thanks.
Sophia politely took the card, thanked him, and turned to leave.
Don then turned to the girl, head tilted. “You didn’t get hit by the model, did you?”
“Nope, all good, she assured him, hands patting the air and eyes wide with amazement, “I thought last night was just your pick-up game. Didn’t realize you actually owned a firm.”
Don grinned, “I’m always straight-up. But what about you, remember anything? Yolanda?”
The name “Yolanda hit the air, and Sophia’s stride abruptly faltered.
