Chef's Kiss

Stuck

Violet

"I hate to say it but I think we're stuck," he admitted on a breath, pushing the emergency button. The speaker rang out a ringtone as it called whoever the fuck it was connecting to.

I backed up and leaned against the elevator wall and he did the same. We faced each other as we waited for the call to connect to someone. He pulled out his phone and looked at it momentarily.

The elevator phone rang and rang. And rang.

"Oh my god, this isn't happening," I moaned, dropping my backpack beside me and sitting down on the floor. I could sense this wasn't going to end any time soon. "Do you have service?" The ringing of the elevator phone dropped and the cabin returned to silence.

"No. I'm guessing you don't either?" He asked, looking down at me and reaching out to press the emergency button again. The ringing started up again and I unzipped my sweater as I felt heat rising up my spine, creeping outward and around my back. Sitting in my crop top didn't feel any cooler, but I felt less constricted.

"Nothing," I sighed. Leaning my head back against the wall and closing my eyes.

Suddenly the elevator phone connected and a man's voice rang through the speaker.

"Maintenance," his bored tone rang through. I opened my mouth to speak but the stranger beat me to it.

"Hey man, we're stuck in the elevator," he announced, taking control.

"What's your address?" The maintenance guy asked. I widened my eyes suddenly. I didn't know the address, I used GPS to get here, but I guess it was in my app's history. But again the stranger beat me to it, announcing the address like it was his own home's. Confident, assured. I looked up at him curiously. I wasn't exactly freaking out, but I definitely wasn't comfortable in that moment. And here was this ridiculously pretty man, calm as anything, just taking over while I watched helplessly, overheating and sitting on the floor like a drama queen.

Silence came through the speaker as the guy worked his magic to get us help.

"Are you alone?" He asked. The stranger glanced down at me, readjusting his hat to hold his hair back. It was truly dark and unruly. Not that I could focus on anything.

"No, uhh..." he started, looking at me for a moment. And then I saw something in his gaze, something a stranger shouldn't be able to recognize in another stranger, and it was a shine of some sort. Like he was up to no good. "I'm here with a pregnant woman actually," he stated, pushing down a smile. "She's super pregnant dude, I don't think she can be in here long."

Clearly I wasn't pregnant, let alone super pregnant, and I looked at him like what the fuck are you doing? He just shrugged at me like fuck it and took a seat across from me, resting his elbows on his bent knees, his hands dangling lazily.

"Say something," he whispered to me. "Make it believable, they'll come faster." The shine in his eyes made sense then, although it was strange that I understood it before he'd even done or said anything. I looked at him then with my own smothered smile as I felt a surge of thrill at his playful idea.

"Uhh," I started, looking at him like what the fuck do I say?! "I'm...I'm 9 months pregnant, sir?" I held out my hands to emphasize I didn't know what the hell I was doing.. "And I can't be in here long," I spoke loudly up at the speaker. "Please help us, I don't wanna have a baby in an elevator!" I added, trying to sound distressed.

The pretty stranger leaned his head back and held back his laugh while I covered my own face at the ridiculousness of what I just said.

"Okay ma'am, emergency services are on their way now. It shouldn't be long, no need to worry. You'll be out in no time," the maintenance guy's voice sounded through the speaker again.

"Thanks man, I really can't help her if her water breaks," my pretty companion added. I scoffed at him and reached out to smack his hand to chastise him and he only laughed as the call cut. I don't know why my body did that, touch him like I knew him. It just happened.

"That was a terrible thing to do," I scolded him playfully.

"Was it? We'll be out in no time, ma'am," he mocked the polite address the man had called me. I sighed and stretched my legs out before me.

"I guess it's not the worst thing to do. But wow, I'm kinda glad I got a few extra minutes before I got where I need to go anyway," I admitted, running through my hands through my hair.

The stranger stretched one leg out, parallel to mine and I admired his outfit for a moment. Baggy cargos, a green crewneck with some brand across it in orange. His hat was a black snapback, which he turned around so the brim wouldn't hit the wall he was leaning against. He wore orange Nike dunks to round out the whole outfit. What an odd sense of style. It was like a homeless man met a rich 12 year old. He absolutely killed it though, I had to admit.

"Where are you going?" He asked curiously.

I sighed. "I'm meeting a new client. At least being late was outside of my control. They'll probably be wondering where I am though. Hopefully this doesn't fuck up my chances."

He listened intently.

"Client?" he asked, tilting his head just a bit. His blue eyes watched me from across the cabin, and when they bore into mine, I swore he could hear every single one of my intimate thoughts and my heart jolted.

"I'm a private chef," I explained, leaving my hair alone, resting my hands in my lap and crossing my feet at the ankles.

"Wow, crazy job," he admitted, nodding his head lightly.

"What do you do?" I asked to be polite.

"Nothing special really," he said, shutting down my question. Maybe he was a private person. But he was young like me. It was more than likely he really didn't do anything, so I left it at that. "Wanna play a game to pass the time?"

I studied him for a moment. He had an earring in each ear, and his lips were wide and pillowy. He seemed to have this air of joy and silliness about him, but it was in complete contrast with his looks. When I'd seen him at the elevator just moments earlier, he'd reminded me of an animal of prey. Hunter's eyes. The kind of guy who chews you up and spits you back out, too mean and too pretty to be kind or playful with a stranger.

I nodded a bit. "Alright I'm down. What's the game?"

"Would you rather," he said and I laughed.

"Alright, on one condition," I countered.

"And what's that?"

"No weird questions," I stated plainly. I knew this game, and I'd played it before. It could get weird with the wrong guy, and this one was a stranger to me. I don't know what kind of guy he was. He looked at me then with a softness in his gaze that almost made me feel bad I'd said it.

"No, I wouldn't do that," he said gently. "It's just to pass the time. Only G-rated questions, promise." He leaned up then and held out his pinky across the elevator.

I leaned forward to wrap my pinky around his, noticing a small design on each of his nails, and felt a shockwave at our contact. I looked into his eyes for a moment and saw that shine. Up to no good, this one. I could tell. He might've made a promise but there were wheels turning behind those eyes and I knew it. I narrowed my eyes at him as I sat back.

"What's your name?" He asked me then, almost like he'd been trying to figure it out.

"Violet. What's yours?"

He nodded as he sat back, too.

"Chris."