Office Desires

28. Stuck

Debbie rushed into the elevator the next morning, her lack of sleep evident in the dark circles under her eyes and the disheveled state of her appearance. As she stepped into the elevator, a wave of exhaustion washed over her, and she fumbled to press the button for her floor.Just as the elevator doors began to close, Lou's hurried steps echoed in the hallway. 

She managed to slip through the narrowing gap just in time, causing the doors to shudder to a stop.

Great, the one person she wanted to avoid. Well, that wasn't true. Debbie always wanted to see Lou, to be close to her, to talk to her. But right now she looked like a mess and with the realization of the night before she wasn't really ready to engage in some weird small talk.

"Saved by the bell," Lou remarked with a smirk, pressing the button for her own floor."Hi..." Debbie sighed.

As the elevator began its ascent, it suddenly jolted to a halt between floors. The lights flickered momentarily, and then everything went silent.

"Great, just what I needed today..."Lou raised an eyebrow. "Looks like we're stuck."

Debbie sighed, leaning against the elevator wall. "Yeah..."

Lou, however, seemed surprisingly unfazed. "Well, at least we have some time to catch up."Debbie shot her a skeptical look. 

"Catch up? I don't think there's anything left for us to catch up on."

Lou chuckled. "You'd be surprised."

As the realization of being stuck sank in, Debbie's exhaustion seemed to weigh even heavier on her. "Can't this elevator move any faster?"

Lou shook her head, a playful glint in her eyes. "We're at its mercy now."

Debbie furrowed her brow, frustration evident in her movements as she pressed every button on the elevator panel. She even resorted to giving the elevator a light punch, as if that could magically fix the situation.

Lou leaned against the wall, watching Debbie's efforts with an amused expression. "You know, I don't think assaulting the elevator will help much. It's not exactly known for responding to violence."

Debbie shot her a glare. "I'm going to be late for work because of this."

Lou shrugged, unfazed. "I'm going to be late too, but see, I'm not punching the elevator, am I?"

Debbie muttered under her breath, "Must be nice not to care about being late."

Lou chuckled. "There's a difference between not caring and going crazy."

Debbie rolled her eyes, her frustration mounting. "Well, I prefer going crazy over being stuck in this elevator with you."

Lou raised an eyebrow. "Ouch. Harsh."

As the realization of her words sunk in, Debbie's cheeks flushed slightly. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant... never mind."

Lou grinned. "Oh, because I am so glad to be stuck in here with crazy Debbie."

"I'm not crazy. I'm stuck... and I don't like to be stuck, okay?"

"Okay... jeez... relax, I'm sure we're gonna be out in less than five minutes."

Debbie sighed again. "I just... I'm tired, and I have a lot to do..."

Lou leaned against the wall, her casual demeanor contrasting with Debbie's visible stress.