Chapter 39
Sophia heard a girl’s voice griping from behind her, “What’s this Yolanda stuff all about? You’re acting like you don’t know me. My name is Marian Barlow, Marian, OK?”
Sophia didn’t know if she was just being oversensitive to the name “Yolanda’ and mistakenly thought it was about her, or if it was really just a coincidence. She couldn’t help but turn her head to sneak a peek at the girl, then at Don, both
strangers.
She shook her head with a chuckle, scolding herself for being too touchy, and then headed to the other side of the
exhibition area.
The seminar was about to kick off, and everyone had already snagged their seats early.
Sophia checked the time on her phone, there was still a while to go, so she walked into the multimedia classroom.
At the entrance, staff were collecting resumes and portfolios. Sophia had brought hers along, too, but hesitated for a moment when she thought of the “Yolanda incident from earlier.
The girl collecting resumes shot a puzzled look at the resume in her hand, then at her, “Hello?”
She said it with a meaningful glance at the resume and portfolio Sophia was holding.
Sophia hesitated, then handed it over. Thanks.”
The girl smiled, “No worries.”
Sophia returned the smile and took a seat in the back row of the classroom.
Whether it was the “Yolanda thing messing with her head or not, Sophia was a bit out of it.
The Marian who had bumped into her earlier was now seated in the front row and waved cheerfully at Don when he walked in through the front door.
Don responded with a smile and then stepped up to the podium.
Sophia’s gaze drifted from Marian to Don on the stage. If this Yolanda was the one Brandon was searching for, were Don and Brandon old pals? Or was it just a coincidence that they both had some connection to Yolanda, but no mutual social circle?
Sophia’s mind was so caught up in these guesses that she couldn’t focus on the seminar and didn’t feel like sticking around. Seizing the chance as the speaker changed, she slipped out of the room.
Don stepped down from the podium and headed to the entrance, where he picked up the stack of resumes that wasn’t exactly thin and started flipping through them.
Sophia had just left the multimedia classroom too; the back door was closed, so she had to take the long way around to the front. To her surprise, she bumped into Don, who was perusing resumes.
She gave an awkward smile as a greeting.
Don, ever so friendly and recognizing her as the girl who had nearly been hit earlier, asked with a smile, “Leaving so soon? Was the seminar that boring?”
“Not at all. It was fascinating” Sophia replied with a smile. I just have something going on at home and have to hurry back.”
“Gotcha, Don smiled back. “Family first, don’t let us keep you.”
Sophia nodded with a smile as a response, not lingering on small talk, and after saying goodbye, she turned and left.
Don kept rifling through the resumes and portfolios, focusing more on the portfolios. He wasn’t paying much attention to the resumes until he stumbled upon a new ancient-style design portfolio. The clever fusion of classical window patterns and garden elements with modern materials caught his attention. He pulled out that portfolio along with the resume, and the name “Sophia’ caught his eye. Her work experience section was pretty bare with no full-time gigs, but her personal achievements listed quite a few projects, some of which were even finished landmark buildings in the area, some that Don had personally visited.
Chapter 39
He raised his eyebrows in surprise, not expecting to uncover a gem.
He quickly skimmed through Sophia’s portfolio attached to her resume and then turned to the girl collecting resumes, shaking the resume, “Did she drop this off herself?”
The girl looked up at the resume and nodded without hesitation, “Yeah, but she just left. The girl who just said hi to you.” It wasn’t that she had a super memory. It was just that Sophia’s resume was so minimalist compared to the flashy ones. around it. The resume was just a simple sheet of A4 paper, so plain it made her do a double-take at Sophia, who was a stunner with a unique presence – a rare blend of innocence and grace, bookish yet gentle and demure. She remembered her in a heartbeat, which made it easy for Don to match the face with the resume.
Don glanced at Sophia’s retreating figure, somewhat surprised, and somehow felt that her work matched her vibe.
“I’ll leave you to it for a sec, call me if you need anything,” he said in a rush, taking Sophia’s portfolio with him as he went
after her.
“Ms. Yearwood.”
Just as Sophia reached the hall of the teaching building, she heard Don’s voice behind her, slightly out of breath, as if he had hurried over.
She turned around, puzzled, to see Don approaching her quickly with a questioning look.
“What’s up?” she asked.
Don stopped in front of her, catching his breath while patting his chest, and handed her the resume, “Ms. Yearwood, is this your resume?”
Sophia looked at it, recognized it as hers, and nodded, “Yeah, what about it?”
Don, catching his breath, said, “Ms. Yearwood, I’m really into your design work. Would you be interested in joining Dempsey Architects?”
Sophia was amazed for a moment.
She was caught off guard, not expecting this kind of response so soon after submitting her resume.
Afraid she would decline, Don quickly added, “It could be a part-time gig, won’t interfere with your studies.
“It’s not that,” Sophia said with a smile, eager to clear up the misunderstanding. “Can I take some time to think about it? I’ve been under the weather lately, worried I might not be able to handle both.”
“No worries, our position is part-time, and we’re looking at a long-term collaboration. You can focus on getting better first. Don reassured her, then pulled out his business card and offered it, “My phone number and WhatsApp are on here. Give me a call anytime once you’ve made up your mind.”
Sophia took it, responding with a polite, “Sure.”
Don flashed her a smile, “Anyway, I’m crossing my fingers for a chance to work with you, Ms. Yearwood.”
Sophia matched his smile, “I’ll think about it.”
“Cool, I’ll be on pins and needles waiting for the good news from you.”
Sophia chuckled and nodded, about to walk away when her phone rang.
“Sorry, gotta take this call,” Sophia said apologetically, nodding As she turned, she casually hit the answer button without really checking the caller ID
“Hello?”
There was a brief silence on the other end.
Sophia glanced at her phone, puzzled, and did a double-take when she recognized the familiar string of numbers
On the other end, Brandon’s deep voice began to drift through the speaker. “Are you out of class? I’m right below the teaching building.”
