Lucy finds her jeans, but there's a bit of a problem

Lucy searched the kitchen more carefully, but her search still turned up dry. If her jeans were in the kitchen, they were hidden very well.

Giving up on the kitchen for the moment, Lucy made her way down the short hallway to the basement door. As she was about to reach for the handle, she spotted something in the corner of her eye.

Directly across the hall from the basement door was the office door. Through the small window, Lucy could see her jeans folded neatly on the desk. Elated, Lucy grabbed the handle of the office door and turned...

And then she turned again...

Jiggling the handle of the locked door, the reality of Lucy's situation was setting in. Steph had probably put Lucy's jeans in the office to keep them from getting dirty in the kitchen. Hopeless, Lucy thought about walking home. The small umbrella would do little good against the torrential rain. Her apartment wasn't far, but she would still get soaked. Not to mention, she'd have to walk the whole way in a skirt.

Staring at her jeans just yards away, something caught Lucy's attention. A drop of water fell from the windowsill of the exterior office window. The latch on the window had a bit of a problem and came unlocked sometimes if it wasn't closed well. Judging by the water on the windowsill, Lucy was reasonably confident the window could be opened from the outside.

Lucy mulled the idea over. Her apartment was a lot further than a short trip around the building. And if she did it, she could drive home in the comfort of her car. The more Lucy considered it, the better the idea seemed. Finally, she made up her mind and headed towards the side door. Small folding umbrella in hand, she leaned her weight against the heavy door. Pushing the door open, she was immediately met with cold rain.

Lucy wasted no time expanding her umbrella to shield herself as best she could. As the door slammed shut behind her, she edged closer to the back of the building. Her legs were already soaked, and the skirt clung to her legs. Rounding the edge of the building, she was astonished by the even stronger winds blasting her. Taking steps forward was difficult with the wind threatening to tear her umbrella away at any moment. After the previous gale died down, Lucy loosened her stance and increased her pace. Just as she was nearing the other end of the wall, another gust of wind caught her off-guard.

Lucy's arms were thrown back while she struggled to hold on to her flimsy protection. She desperately gripped the handle, but the **** was just too much for the old thing. Lucy kept her grip while rain continuously pelted her body, but the top of the umbrella flipped inside out and ripped clean off.