a fate meeting : in the elevator

5

It may take some time before I could ride the elevator again. 

So I continue ignoring Christy's calls. She kept on bugging me and asking me to come over her place. She said it was important and that I should really see her as soon as possible. 

What the heck?!? 

The last time I came by her place I was trapped in an elevator for roughly an hour. Scared to death and could have died of heart attack if not for the fact that a handsome looking guy was there, inside with me. 

Sigh. I wonder how Troy is doing. 

It was a week since the incident. 

I still don't know if ignoring him and pretending nothing happened was the best choice. But I've already done it anyway. So I guess I'm left with bitter regret that I may never see him again. 

So right now I'm not sure w/c can be more stupid: (a) kissing a total stranger; (b) ignoring the stranger after kissing him because I felt embarrassed; (c) to keep on thinking and replaying the whole thing inside my head even if it pains me, like I'm some sort of a masochist. 

I was in this deep thought when the doorbell rang. 

"Coming!" I called out when the persistent buzzer did not stop. 

"Oh, it's you," I said without apathy when I saw Christy standing outside the gate. 

"That's all you've got to say to me after you ignored all my calls and text messages this past week?" she accused me. Apparently I really hurt her feelings not calling her or texting her back. 

"Sorry," I answered simply while I let her in. 

She was scowling at me. 

"So why are you here? Don't tell me you went all the way here just to frown at me," I asked uncomfortable with the way she was staring at me. 

"Oh yes, about that," her expression changed, as if she was so excited about something. 

She took out a piece of paper from her bag. 

It looked like a poster or flier with a face sketch on it. She shoves it to my face. 

It took me a while to process it. 

"Why?" it was the only thing I could say out. I was dumbfounded looking at a very detailed sketch of my own face. 

"Looks like the guy from the elevator was crazy over you," My friend was smiling like a Cheshire cat. 

"That can't be possible," I can't get my eyes off the piece of paper. "I mean why would he be?" 

It was a meticulous sketch of my face with the words 'Please tell me where I can find her' written in bold face letters along w/ the name Troy Benson and his contact details. 

"That was slipped under my door a few days ago. Your elevator-lover had it printed and distributed to each and every room in the whole building. Even had some posted in the lobby that you would hardly miss it. Everyone from the building would probably recognize you if they saw you now." my dear friend Christy was having the time her life making fun of me. 

"And you were bugging me to go to your place when you know I had my face posted in public?" It makes me so mad at her in spite of myself. 

"Well, I figured you won't come even if I told you to. Besides I was still waiting if he would start giving a reward or something," the devil! She was enjoying herself. So I glared at her. 

"It's kind of weird though," Christy said with quite fondness. "Just look at how almost portrait like the picture is. He must be looking at you a lot when you were together. And he got a photographic memory and night vision to boot!" my friend teased 

"Yeah," actually that was what's freaking me out. 

"So what are you planning to do?" Christy asked w/ sincere curiosity. 

I on the other hand looked at her w/ a puzzled expression. 

"Aren't you going to call him?" Christy was incredulous. 

"Why?" I asked with a hint of frustration. 

"The guy was turning a 30-storey-condo-building full of different tenants, upside-down and inside-out just to find you. Wouldn't it be customary for you to call him and talk to him about it?" Christy answered matter-of-factly. 

"But what would I say?" the aggravation is killing me. 

"I don't know," she answered "What do you say to a guy you got stuck with on an elevator and tried to do a man-hunt just to find you?" she threw back the question in my face. 

All I could do was let out a sigh one after another. 

"What exactly happened inside the elevator Tabs?" she inquired. 

"Nothing!" Shoot! I sounded too defensive even for my own taste. 

"Gee, if you're so keen to hide something just say so and I won't bother asking you anymore," of course this was some psychological mumbo-jumbo tactics that Christy was using to make me confess. 

So I shut my mouth and ignored my friend. 

"Okay fine. If you're so stubborn as to hide such things to a good friend, I'll just seduce the guards from the facilities and ask a copy of the surveillance cam on the elevator that day..." she was teasing 

And the stupid me reacted fast. 

"Don't you dare?!" 

My dear friend was not able to resist laughing out loud. 

"I never knew you had it in you, Tabitha," was all she could mutter between hysterical giggling. She looks like an idiot, really. 

"And what does that suppose to mean?" I asked irritated. 

"Nah! Nothing. I'm just wondering have you done inside that elevator that day. That you're so hype up to keep it a secret from me," 

It's something really embarrassing. 

"It's okay dear," she reassured me. "I was just kidding," she followed through when I looked unconvinced. 

"You think we were put on tape?" the thought of seeing myself in a surveillance video throwing myself and initiating a kiss like that is really embarrassing to even think about. 

"Hardly," Christy answered. "The Power was down. And even the generators did not work that time. I don't believe the surveillance cameras could be possibly working that time, if it did the police could have used it as evidence or something," she further justified. 

"Yeah I guess," I sighed in relief. 

"That bad huh?" again Christy was smirking at me while looking how relieved I was. 

"I wonder," she murmured. 

"You wonder what?" despite my irritation I can't help but ask her. 

"I wonder if your elevator-boyfriend thought of smuggling those tapes so he can watch you two making out when you were together," I caught Christy off guard when I threw a pillow in her face. 

"Hey what was that for?" Christy protested. 

"That was such a perverted thought. Stop it!" Christy was really annoying today. 

"Well you asked me, I just answered you," she was giggling again. 

"Then I take it back. Just keep your thoughts to yourself," but it was too late the idea was swimming in front of my eyes too. 

Now I am more confused on what I should do next. 

***