Tainted Desires | 18+

13 - Elevator Ride

Mirabelle Morrison

As I stood in the empty lobby of my department floor, waiting for the elevator, my mind wandered back to a time back in when Emily would stop by my workplace to chill with me whenever I was working late. And we would talk all about different things, down to the nitty-gritty parts of the man she was seeing then.

The chime of the elevator disrupted my thoughts, and the doors opened before me. And then, as if the universe was playing a joke on me, my eyes locked with a familiar pair. It couldn't be. My heart skipped a beat, and I blinked several times, half-expecting the image to vanish. But there stood Terrence, looking just as handsome and charming as he always was.

As I stepped into the elevator, ignoring Terrence's very intent gaze, I pressed the button for the ground floor and waited patiently. As the elevator doors closed with a soft hiss, I felt my heart race. I couldn't believe my luck-or rather, my misfortune. I was now trapped in a small, confined space with the once-upon-a-time object of my one-sided affection.

But as the elevator began to descend, it suddenly came to a stop. As the elevator jolted to a sudden stop, I found my clumsy self, standing face-to-face with Terrence with my hands on his chest to steady myself. The awkwardness hung heavy in the air as I looked at him nervously, realizing the predicament I was now in.

"I'm sorry,"

Out of embarrassment, I quickly took my hand off his chest and hid in the far corner of the elevator. My heart dropped, as I realized that I was stuck in the elevator. And with Terrence. I pressed the emergency button, but there was no response. Of all days, it had to be the day I was alone with Terrence in a confined space.

I tried to stay calm, reminding myself that someone would surely come to rescue me soon, but it was hard to collect my thoughts when there was a huge man about two feet or so away from me. From the corner of my eye, I saw him tilt his body so he was able to lean on the wall.

I brought my phone up to my face to unlock it so I could try calling for help. However, there was no signal. It was like we were completely cut off from the world.

"It's a power outage," Terrence announced. I turned to look at him but his attention was on his phone as always, tapping and swiping away with one hand while the other hand was tucked away into the pocket of his pants that clung to his body more than usual. "You like the view?"

"What?" I was confused about what he was talking about. However, when he smirked and shook his head, still looking at his phone, I realized he must have noticed me checking him out. "What... what do you mean power outage?"

"Didn't you get the announcement that was made today?" He looked up at me briefly before returning his attention to his phone.

"Announcement?" I unlocked my phone again to check for any message I must have missed. Lo and behold, there was a message regarding the power outage that was going to take place.

Attention all employees,

We would like to inform you that there will be a scheduled power outage in the building today from 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM. This outage is necessary for maintenance and upgrades to the electrical system. During this time, all power will be turned off, including lights, elevators, and other electrical equipment. We encourage you to plan accordingly and to take any necessary precautions to ensure your safety during this time. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

I checked what the time was now. 8:10 PM. If ten minutes had just passed, then that meant I still had more than an hour to be stuck in the elevator with the man whose cologne was fast filling my lungs.