Romantic Tales - Contemporary/The Elevator

"Yes," she said smoothly. "As I said, this was Amanda’s first time putting a proposal together. I’m a strong believer in mentoring new staff. I want to help Amanda succeed. She’s fresh out of college and has a lot of potential. I believe in sharing my experience and knowledge. Otherwise, what’s the point?"

"You’re certainly cut from the old school," he observed. "Most people today are using their associate’s back to climb up a step on the career ladder."

"I couldn’t work that way." She lifted her chin and peered directly into his face. "I take more pride in relationships than anything else."

Eric was momentarily transfixed. There was an energy that seemed to radiate from Janet.

"Relationships are important," he said quietly. "It takes time to…" he hesitated.

She lifted her delicate brows, unconsciously willing him to continue. "Yes?"

Eric pushed away from the wall to face Janet. Putting aside any insecurity about rejection or looking foolish, he charged ahead.

"I was wondering if you would like to," he began but the sentence died on his lips.

The eerie whining of cables slowing reverberated inside the elevator compartment.

"What was that?" Janet asked. There was a slight tremor to her voice.

Eric looked at the control box and noticed the floor number had stopped at two. Before he could respond to her question, the elevator abruptly halted. The compartment shook slightly and then stilled.

"Oh, my gosh!" Janet squeaked. "I can’t believe it. Are we trapped in the elevator?"

"Looks like we are," he responded much too confidently. He peered over at Janet. "Ever been trapped in an elevator before?"

Janet could feel a thread of panic sneaking up from the bottom of her toes. "No. Never had and never wanted to be."

"Don’t worry."  Reaching inside his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone.  "Everything will be fine." 

He was acting much too casual and comfortable about the situation. She felt as if the walls of the elevator were closing around her. "Get a grip," she told herself. At least she was not alone in the elevator. She had to look at the positive side. Eric at least appeared to know what he was about.

"Hello, Mary," he said to his assistant. "You better call Building Services. Janet Murray and I are trapped in the elevator…hmmm, that’s right."

She listened in silence as Eric advised Mary of their location. He also asked her to confirm a meeting at 1:00 p.m. The bank’s new assistant legal counsel was as cool as a cucumber. Janet could not help but admire his calm demeanor in the midst of an emergency.

"So, what did Mary have to say about the situation?" Janet asked after he had disconnected the call.

The Elevator - 3 >>>(Continue)