Chapter 38


    During the break between sses, 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 ssroom.


    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 ster rep in the biz, and the perks they were offering seemed pretty


    sweet, so naturally, the ce was buzzing with a bunch of students huddling around the promo board


    outside the ssroom, shooting the breeze about it.


    Dempsey Architects had clearly put some serious elbow grease into their publicity, decking out the


    ssroom entrance with a pop-up exhibit that was simple but oozed their vibe, showcasing their


    sess stories with models and. dioramas.


    The exhibit was all sleek and ssy, 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 horsey going on around


    her. Just as she was bending over a faux-rock disy, a yful 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 andmotion 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


    Ynda from the barst night. But before he could say hi, he saw the model she’d knocked was


    teetering on the brink of copse. 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 thest 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 youst 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?”


    Donughed, “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 nce, “Hey, you sure you didn’t hurt


    yourself?”


    Sophia smiled lightly and shook her head, “No, thanks.”


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    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 thepany, “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 thoughtst


    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? Ynda?”


    The name “Ynda hit the air, and Sophia’s stride abruptly faltered.