Tell Me a Story

Chapter 6

Once inside the building, we sat waiting for the elevator. I stared at the small door, then the mattress, and back at the door again.

"Is it just me, or does this look bigger than the door?"

Eli looked at mattress and shrugged. "I think we can make it work. Just turn it on its side, then we'll sort of bend it."

"Bend it?" I tried to picture how that was going to work. I made a C-shape with my hand. "Like this? Like a gigantic taco?"

Eli laughed as the elevator doors slowly creaked open.

"Yes, I guess so."

After a bit of struggling, we managed to shove the mattress inside. Eli slid in first, with me barely fitting in front of him as the doors shut.

The elevator started its slow, labored ascent to the sixth floor. It shook as we passed floor three, and nearly stalled out on four. I shifted my gaze from one side of the mattress to the other, before finally looking up at Eli.

"So, this isn't awkward at all, is it?"

Eli said with a grin. "What, you've never ridden in a mattress taco, encased in a metal cube of doom, with anyone before? Pshhh. This is nothing."

The elevator lurched as we hit floor six, the door flying open and jostling me out on to the floor of the the hallway.

Eli stepped out, unscathed and suppressing a grin while he extended a hand.

 "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I think the elevator heard me."

Eli put a finger to his lips. "We still have to get the mattress out."

As if on cue, we looked back to see the doors sliding shut. I made a sad attempt at stopping it, and shook my head.

"Unbelievable."

"Just press the button. It will come back. Eventually."

"Hopefully by bedtime."

"I was just hoping for this week."

We stood in the hallway laughing when I heard the door to the apartment click. Meera was standing in the hallway, staring at the two of us.

"Oh, Kate," she said my name, but was staring up at Eli, "I was just coming down to look for you."

"Emails taken care of?"

"Yeah, although I couldn't get on to your wireless. Your roommate has it password protected. Fortunately, one of your neighbors is a more trusting soul."

She was still staring at Eli. "I'm sorry, are you one of Kate's neighbors?"

"I'm sorry, Meera, this is Eli. Eli, this is my friend Meera."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Meera. Kate says nothing but lovely things."

"Oh really?" Meera gave me a look, eyebrow raised.

I knew the look. She was sizing him up, mentally cataloging every detail.

"You're the Eli she is going to be working for?"

"Technically, although I prefer to say she'll be working with me, not for me."

"Right. Will you be sticking around for a bit?"

"Not for long. Have a few things to attend to. Just came by to see how Kate was getting on."

"That was nice of you."

The elevator bell rang and Meera looked over at the opening doors. "What in the world?"

"Oh," I stepped forward, doing my best Vanna White pose, "haven't you seen the latest in apartment transportation? The elevator taco. It's like riding up to your home in a big hug."