Patience Heart

The Elevator Heat

Today was supposed to be just another day at Chattame. I arrived earlier than usual, hoping to get a head start on work. The office was in the midst of a redesign, and the usual bustling energy had dimmed. The quietness that greeted me felt strange yet oddly peaceful. The familiar scent of coffee, which normally grounded me, was absent. Instead, the sharp smells of glue, paint, and sawdust hung in the air like unspoken tension.

I waited for the elevator, my mind drifting between thoughts of work and the faint feeling that something about today would be different. A strange sense of anticipation tingled beneath my skin, but I shrugged it off, dismissing it as nothing more than nerves.

That was until I heard Mama Dee's familiar, cheerful voice echoing down the hall.

"Morning, Ellie!"

I turned, my eyes automatically landing on her... and then they fell on him. Adam. My heart skipped a beat. There he was, standing just behind her, tall and composed as ever, the sharp angles of his suit highlighting the cut of his shoulders. His crisp white shirt stood out against the navy blue, a shade that made his skin seem even more bronzed under the fluorescent lights.

"Morning, Mama Dee. Morning, Mr. Adrian," I replied, forcing a bright tone into my voice as I tried to mask the jolt of surprise—and something else—that shot through me at the sight of him.

"Morning, Dee. Morning, Ms. Turner," Adam replied smoothly, his voice calm, though there was something in his gaze that lingered a little too long. A faint smile played at the corner of his lips, but it disappeared so quickly I almost questioned if I'd imagined it. His usual stoic expression returned as if it had never left.

I stepped into the elevator first, thankful for the brief reprieve of distance. Mama Dee followed, and just as the doors were about to close, Adam entered. Our bodies brushed as he moved past me. The casual, accidental touch sent a shiver up my spine that I fought to suppress.

God, Viola, get a grip. Why does my body still react like this?

The elevator ride was inevitable now, and there we were, all three of us standing side by side, waiting for the doors to shut. There was a decent amount of space between us, yet it felt suffocatingly close. The air was thick with the weight of unspoken words and memories—memories that I wished would stay buried.

I kept my eyes trained forward, focusing on the smooth elevator door as if it held all the answers. But I could feel him behind me, his presence was magnetic, like a force drawing me in even though I was doing everything in my power to stay composed.

When the doors slid shut, it felt like we were trapped in a moment suspended in time.

The air felt heavy, charged with tension. Mama Dee stood blissfully unaware beside me, humming to herself as if nothing in the world could break her cheery mood. She fiddled with her purse, her movements a distant noise in the background of my mind. Because all I could focus on was him. Adam.

I didn't dare turn to face him, but I could feel his eyes on me. They traced the space between us, lingering on me like a touch that never quite landed but still left a mark. I was sure he could sense the tension in my posture, the stiffness in my shoulders, the way my fingers were gripping my bag a little too tightly.

Why did it have to be him? Why now?

My heart pounded in my chest as the seconds stretched on. The hum of the elevator machinery felt muted compared to the sound of my racing pulse. And then, just faintly, I caught the scent of his cologne—clean, woodsy, with a hint of something darker underneath. The smell mixed with the scent of fresh paint and sawdust, but his fragrance was unmistakable. My body reacted instantly, my skin prickling with awareness.