8. NICK
“Well, what about you?” The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. I was curious about her. She was one hell of a woman.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Do you have a boyfriend? Have you ever been committed to anyone?” I asked her straightforwardly.
She seemed startled, but she nevertheless answered. “I’m single now, and I’m loving it. I can focus on my business—that’s my current commitment.”
I remained quiet, waiting for her to go on. Her eyes had taken on a faraway look, and I could tell that she was remembering some painful memories.
“I…there was someone before…” she began. “He was my college boyfriend, and for a time, it seemed as if we would last forever. But…when my dad…passed away…”
She was struggling to find the right words. A flush of guilt and sadness dashed through me as I recalled her story about her dad. I had nothing to do with it, but I realized that she was right. I’d been negligent about environmental concerns for many years.
“When he passed away, Mom struggled with our finances,” she went on, her voice cracking just a little bit. My heart went out to her. “And so, I had to stop studying and get a job to help out. I guess the pressure and not having any free time anymore strained the relationship. My boyfriend at that time could not handle it.”
I was taken aback. “You mean he left you at the time when you needed him the most?”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“There are too many assholes in this world,” I remarked, which made her laugh. I found myself laughing with her. And suddenly, it felt like we weren’t on opposing sides anymore.
“That’s why you don’t commit, so you can’t officially be called an asshole?” she joked with a grin.
I chuckled. “Hhhmmm…that’s one way to put it, I guess. No commitments. No expectations. No promises.”
“So, why’d you turn out like that?”
I thought for a moment, pondering on her question. No one had asked me that before.
“You mentioned that you had a tough life,” she said slowly. “Maybe that’s why you can’t trust anybody. Because commitment involves putting your full trust in someone…and loving that someone with your whole heart.”
Love. It was such a strange word to me.
“Maybe you’re right,” I answered thoughtfully. We grew up as orphans. And when we were teenagers, we escaped from the orphanage. So, we ended up on the streets.”
“Are you serious?!”
I turned toward her and looked into her eyes, nodding and actually smiling. “Yeah, sadly.”
“Oh, my gosh. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…”
“It wasn’t anyone’s fault,” I said quickly.
“How did you become this wealthy?”
“I jumped from one odd job to another and then ended up working as a messenger for this huge company. The businessman who owned it became my mentor. Dan also worked as an assistant at a TV station until he got connections in the showbusiness and fashion world and started his own video channel. ”
“Oh, wow! What a story! Where is your mentor now?”
“He retired a long time ago, got married again, and then moved to Italy. But we still keep in touch.”
She stared at me in disbelief for a long time, as if waiting for a punchline. But there was none. This was the real story of my life, which had made me so hungry for wealth and power.
“Come on, Izzy,” I suddenly burst out, wanting to change the subject. I had already said too much, and I’ve never been comfortable talking about myself or my past. It was quite surprising how much I’d opened up to her and shared a lot already.
I stood up and offered my hand to help her up. She took it. As I’d expected, as soon as we touched, a chain of electrical surges went through my core. But there was no time to analyze such a situation.
“I have an idea.” With determination, I swiftly removed my leather belt and scanned the dimly lit space for any other items that could aid our escape. My eyes landed on the metal chain strap of Izzy”s bag.
“Izzy, see that ladder on the wall outside? We can use it to climb to the landing. But first, we need to open the doors just a bit more.”
I pointed out the ladder to her, and she nodded in understanding. “I think my arms can fit into the gap we have for now. Let me try to attach the belt and strap to the ladder outside.”
“Yes, but be careful.” She took the metal chain bag strap and secured one end to the ladder while I watched her from the back. Then she did the same to my belt. Meanwhile, I tied the other end to the bars on opposite sides of the elevator’s interior. The belt and metal chain were taut and ready for action.
“Ready?” I asked. “Now, pull with all your might!”
With our hands gripping the straps, we pulled in unison, applying steady and controlled force to widen the gap between the elevator doors. The confined space was filled with the sound of creaking metal as the doors gradually yielded to our efforts.
“Yes!” Izzy shouted victoriously, letting go and punching in the air.
I felt a huge relief course through me. “Alright, let me go first, and then I’ll help you out, okay?”
Izzy nodded. She looked both excited and nervous.
A rush of anticipation surged through me. I extended my arm and leg through the opening, reaching out for the rungs of the ladder on the wall. My heart raced as I pulled myself out of the confined space, my muscles tense with the effort. The sensation of cool air against my face was invigorating as I secured my footing on the ladder.
“This is stable,” I told her. She was standing on the edge of the elevator. I glanced below me. It was dark, but I could still see that the drop was very high. If we fell through the gap, we’d be dead in an instant.
“Okay, let’s do this,” Izzy said bravely, reaching out to me.
“Alright, Izzy, you’re next. Grab my hand,” I instructed, my eyes locked onto hers, the gravity of our situation keeping us both on edge.
Izzy nodded; her determination mirrored in her eyes as she followed my lead. She reached for my extended hand as she swung one leg onto the ladder rung where I was. Our fingers intertwined, and with my help, she pulled her other leg and began to hoist herself up.
For a moment, we were cramped together in the narrow space, our feet resting on the same rung. The proximity, the adrenaline of the escape, and the rush of emotions ignited a frenzy of hormones within me. I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming desire to hold her close, to protect her.
“You go ahead,” I told her, providing assistance with one arm as she began to climb up. “Almost there, Izzy. Keep going.”
I followed behind her, on the way to our escape.
As Izzy continued her ascent, the atmosphere remained tense, and my heart pounded in my chest.
Suddenly, I heard a sharp gasp, and I saw her foot slip from one of the ladder rungs. Time seemed to slow down as I watched her lose her balance, her body tilting perilously backward.
In that heart-stopping moment, Izzy teetered on the edge of falling. She let out a fearful scream.
If she falls, she’ll take me with her and we’ll both plummet to the ground. We can’t fucking die like this.