Two Sides of Us

Chapter 6. Andrew

Monday morning arrived with a sense of dread that had become all too familiar. The weekend had been consumed by wedding preparations—Rachel had insisted on dragging me to every bakery in New York City to sample cakes for the wedding. I tried to muster some excitement, but even to my own ears, my enthusiasm sounded forced. The endless discussions of flowers, dresses, and seating arrangements felt more like a performance than a celebration.

As I entered the office, I spotted Emily a few steps ahead, engrossed in her phone. I slowed down, hesitating to avoid the awkwardness of riding the elevator together, but then she looked up, noticed me, and waved. There was no turning back now.

"Morning, Emily," I greeted, forcing a smile as I caught up.

"Morning, Andrew," she replied, her smile warm and genuine. "How was your weekend?"

"Testing cakes all over New York," I said, attempting to sound enthusiastic. But even I could hear the lack of genuine excitement. "For the wedding," I added, as if that made it better.

Emily nodded, but there was a hint of something in her eyes—sympathy, perhaps? "That sounds... fun?" she ventured, though it sounded more like a question.

"Yeah," I said, though my tone betrayed me. Shouldn't I be enjoying this? Shouldn't planning a wedding with the woman I'm going to spend the rest of my life with be fun? But instead of joy, all I felt was an overwhelming sense of dread. Rachel and I had been together for just under a year when I proposed, and at the time, it seemed like the right idea. The company was thriving, the future looked bright, and Rachel was beautiful, smart, and ambitious—everything I thought I wanted.

But since our engagement, something had changed. Rachel had become sharper, more demanding, and everything revolved around money. The wedding budget had ballooned to an astronomical figure, and she didn't even seem to care.

"Andrew?" Emily's voice snapped me back to the present. I realized she had asked me something, but I hadn't heard a word.

"Sorry, what was that?" I asked, forcing myself to focus on her.

Emily smiled, though her eyes searched mine. "I was just asking if you had time for coffee before the meeting."

I managed a chuckle, trying to shake off the lingering thoughts. "Sure, coffee sounds great. I could definitely use some after all those cakes."

Emily laughed, and for a moment, the tension in my chest eased. We stepped into the elevator together, and the doors slid shut, sealing us into the small, quiet space. The numbers above the door began to climb, but the silence between us lingered—comfortable, though my thoughts kept drifting back to the other night when we worked late. I enjoyed talking to Emily—she was smart, ambitious, and kind. It reminded me why I started this business in the first place.

But then there was Rachel. I was engaged, and here I was, thinking about another woman. Disgusted with myself, I pushed the thoughts away, trying to focus on anything else.

Suddenly, the elevator jolted, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced at Emily, noticing how her hand had tightened on her purse, her knuckles white.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned by her tension.

Emily gave me a tight smile, though her eyes betrayed her fear. "I hate heights," she admitted quietly.

Before I could respond, the elevator shook again, harder this time, and the lights flickered. The numbers on the display continued to climb, but each lurch made the distance to the next floor feel like an eternity.

"Great," I muttered under my breath, trying to keep my own anxiety at bay. The last thing I needed was to be stuck in an elevator with Emily, especially when she was clearly on edge.