The Broken Bait

Every time it rained, Arthur would stand outside his office building holding a mangled umbrella with snapped ribs, completely impossible to open. He did this for weeks. One evening, during a torrential downpour, a female coworker approached him. "Your umbrella is ruined," she said gently, opening her own. "Want to walk to the station together?" Arthur smiled, immediately tossed his broken umbrella into a nearby trash can, and stepped under hers.