7. IZZY
“What’s happening?” I asked in a panic, my heart thudding heavily in my chest.
As the power outage plunged us into darkness, Nick’s close proximity did little to soothe my anxiety. I could feel his warm breath brushing against my ear. Goosebumps prickled my skin, partly from fear and partly from the disconcerting intimacy of our situation. His face was so close, and his lips were just inches away from mine.
To my relief, he stepped backward. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could make out the outline of his tall, well-built figure. I saw him groping on the wall and then trying to pry open the elevator doors. Despite his efforts, they remained stubbornly sealed shut.
“Power’s out,” he declared. “Let’s wait a while.”
He appeared to be calm as if this happened all the time. So, I tried to calm down too. I reached for my phone, but my fingers still trembled slightly. I tried to illuminate the confined space with its feeble light. The sudden brightness only revealed the enclosed walls and the emergency button that Nick had pushed earlier. My eyes darted to my phone’s screen, desperately seeking a signal, but the bars remained empty.
“Mine doesn’t have any network signal either,” Nick said. “But don’t worry. The control center probably got our emergency alert already, and someone will be here soon.”
I nodded, though I couldn’t help but feel my patience wearing thin as the clock ticked by. The stifling confines of the elevator seemed to close in on me.
“Stop pacing,” Nick said after a while. “And breathe normally, or we’ll soon run out of oxygen.”
I wondered how he could sound so calm about this. “Well, you’re not helping!” I snapped.
As minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity, I grew increasingly impatient and restless inside the confined space of the darkened elevator. Claustrophobia began to gnaw at me, and I couldn’t stand the thought of being trapped any longer. Something had to be done.
With frantic determination, I started to grope and search for any sign of a manual release mechanism. My fingers danced along the elevator walls, desperately seeking a lever, button, or any kind of access that could help us open the doors manually. The cold metal walls seemed to taunt me as I fumbled in the darkness.
Nick’s voice cut through the silence, breaking my concentration. “What the hell are you doing?”
I didn’t bother to hide my frustration. “I’m looking for a way out,” I retorted, my impatience evident. “I can’t just wait around in here. I need to do something. And it’d be faster if you help, you know!”
He checked the time on his cellphone. About thirty minutes had passed. Help wasn’t coming.
“Something must have happened to the people outside,” he said. We couldn’t even hear anyone else.
I was sweating profusely now, so I took off my blazer and threw it to the floor. Nick did the same with his coat. He also loosened his necktie and opened the top buttons of his shirt.
My hands continued to explore the elevator’s interior, every corner and seam a potential hiding place for a release mechanism. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there had to be a way to escape this place, and I was determined to find it, no matter what.
“Aaarrrggghh!” I eventually screamed.
Nick gave me a surprised look, and then let out a chuckle. “You’re wasting a lot of your energy and taking up all of our oxygen.”
“Shut up and do something!” I yelled at him, not caring anymore if he was some big shot billionaire investor. “You own this building, don’t you? Well then, you’ve got to be able to get us out of here!”
I was raging mad now, and it wasn’t the time for being courteous and considerate. If we didn’t get out soon, we’d eventually suffocate.
“Stop yelling,” Nick told me firmly, looking pissed off.
I simply ignored him and impatiently reached for my bag, my fingers fumbling with the zipper in the dimly lit elevator. The soft rustling of items inside the bag filled the silence, and I finally located the sturdy, retractable metal straw I always carried with me for eco-friendly reasons.
With my heart pounding, I withdrew the metal straw and extended it to its full length. The cold, metallic surface felt reassuring in my grasp, its practicality proving to be more versatile than I had ever imagined.
“What the heck is that?” Nick demanded to know.
I waved it in front of his nose. “It’s a metal straw, because I don’t like using plastic or even paper straws that can be a burden to the environment. And look, you never know when such tools might come in handy for unexpected situations like this.”
He watched me with curiosity as I carefully wedged the metal straw between the elevator doors, using it as a lever to create a gap. “Aaahhh!” I yelled as I put in much effort.
Eventually, Nick stepped forward. “Let me,” he offered. His fingers brushed against mine as he took the metal straw from me, his touch igniting a subtle tremor within me. It was a momentary contact, but it sent my heart into a frenzy of palpitations. His expression was inscrutable in the dim light, and I couldn’t help but wonder if our shared ordeal was gradually breaking down the barriers between us.
The cold, unyielding doors resisted, but with determined effort, they slowly began to budge.
“Woohoo!” I bellowed with triumph, jumping up and down. “What did I tell you, huh?”
However, the narrow opening revealed that the elevator we were in wasn’t aligned with the landing of a floor. We would have to fully open the doors and then somehow hoist ourselves up toward the landing.
“Hello!” I called out, raising my voice even more. “Is anyone there? Help us!”
“Maybe we can get a signal now.” Nick took out his phone and tried, but the signal was weak, and he couldn’t connect with whomever he was trying to contact. “Fuck. Nothing.”
I was so tired that I slumped down on the floor to rest. “Let me catch my breath. But at least now we’ll have more air to breathe, right?”
Nick nodded as he carefully sat beside me. “Yes, that was a brave and smart thing to do.”
His words made me grin despite my exhaustion. I raised the metal straw to show it to him proudly. “Now aren’t you glad you got stuck with me here?” I couldn’t help joking. “This eco-warrior has got some environment-friendly weapons up her sleeve!”
To my bewilderment, he actually squeezed my hand gently and said, “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to get trapped here with anyone else.”
My heart began to race again. “Not even with your girlfriend?” I couldn’t help quipping, remembering the redhead who’d come to the conference room.
Nick gave me an incredulous look. “You mean Sonya? Oh, she’s not my girlfriend,” he said, shaking his head and releasing a snort-like, scoffing sound. “I don’t do girlfriends. Or any personal commitments, for that matter.”
“Oh.” I was surprised. On one hand, I felt relieved that he, thankfully, had the right mind not to be with a girl like that. But on the other hand, I was also disappointed to find out that he was commitment phobic. “Why not?” I asked.
“Makes life more complicated, and I’m too focused on growing my businesses.”
“But you dated her? Sonya?”
“Yeah, we had a little bit of fun. But that was it. I guess she was expecting more, but I was clear from the start that I wasn’t into going steady with anyone.”
“So, you’ve never committed to anyone?”
He shook his head. I could feel our shoulders and arms brushing against each other, and I was able to sniff his cologne as well, triggering various sensations in my body. My heart was galloping like a stallion, and I could not make it stop.
Well, I could do fun without a commitment, a voice in my head hissed.
Shut up, Izzy. Stop it already.