Page 21

 

 

Book of 2016

- Page 21-

 

 "Love in an elevator

Livin' it up when I'm goin' down

Love in an elevator

Lovin' it up 'til I hit the ground"

Love in An Elevator, Aerosmith 

He knew walking around the building that the two references that kept popping into his head where near what had just happened to him.  He smiled a big smile.  It felt good.  Just like the night air on his face.  It was damp out, the rains had finally come to Northern California, but for the time being the skies held there tears. 

            “Love in an elevator!” he sung to the night air as he headed back towards his car.  He hadn’t had any love on the elevator.  Well not in the way one would think about love in the in an elevator.  When everyone’s favorite former judge on American Idol sang it.         

            No the love on this night, on that elevator the love was coming from himself.  He felt it radiating from him.  It was the first time in a long time that he could remember he had felt self-assured.  When he left his office after a few work related confrontations he left it with his shoulders pulled back and his head raised high. 

            He noticed how much taller he was when he was confident.  When he the shoulders were back and his massive chest and arms hung down by his sides he looked almost menacing.  He was broad and tall.  He wasn’t just the hunched over fat man that tried to move around the office without being noticed. 

            Like any other night he waited in the elevator bay by himself.  However, he still smiled a little.  He felt it.  Whatever it was he felt.  Perhaps he even dared to believe.  He heard the usual ping and then turned behind him and headed on the lift.

            He was standing very close to the doors, as he didn’t expect the elevator to stop.  It did on the companies lower flower and the doors open and she was standing there.  This woman looked nothing like Krista Allen although when he first saw her he was sure he would make a fool out of himself on this elevator just like Jim Carey had in Liar Liar. 

            He hadn’t seen her for a long time. Since the move from the other office and that had been over a year hadn’t it?  Did he see her at the holiday party?  Maybe he did, but he didn’t remember.  He saw her now and his heart wanted to sink a little.  How many times at the other office had he tried to talk to her and she just looked the other way?  If it was just saying hi in the hallway or at the coffee machine or even grabbing a bagel?  It was too many times to count he thought?

            Her skin was golden and her long black hair flowed widely form her head.  She had always had it pulled back before, but the way it flowed she looked more beautiful than he could remember.  He assumed she would just step in and ignore him after he took a step back.  However, he was surprised when she looked at him and smiled.  Keeping his shoulders pulled back and his head up right, he returned the smile as her brown boots that went just up to the hymn of her skirt carried her on-board.   

            He pressed the close door button.  He assumed it really didn’t work or matter if you pushed it, but he did all the same anyways.  Elevator doors where much like rings, they have a will of their own. 

            He turned to her and for the first time met her dark eyes.  They were very brown and they danced in her warm face.  He did something he usually never did when in the elevator with someone he didn’t know even if he wanted to know them.  He said “Hello!”

            Part of him figured she wouldn’t say hello back.  There was always that part wasn’t there, the part that was the non-believer.  However, she spoke to him for the first time, and it was simple “Hi!”

            He knew his smile broaden once again on his face and he stood up just a little taller.  Normally about this time on the way out of the building he was kicking himself for not working out, for eating something that wasn’t on the plan, or just generally being down on him for being fat. Not tonight though.  Those things were still true of course but tonight he wanted to believe and he saw himself starting too.

            “Why you hear so late?” He asked, it was all he could think to ask.

            “Just really busy right now, we have some many projects going on, what about you?” 

            Had she really just asked him a question back?  Was this the start of a conversation?  Kid he told himself whatever you say, make it sound cool.  Come on kid, you got this!  “I was working on this spreadsheet for forecasting, it is really manual.” D’oh why did you say that?  There goes this conversation. 

            However he was surprised when she kept talking to him.  She asked him a little about it and before he realized it they were having a full-fledged conversation, walking and talking like equals, not a creepy fat dude who sees a chick that is out of his league and well that chick he longs to talk too.  

            They walked out the door together talking the entire time.  He realized once he walked out the door her had followed her out, and he was parked on the other side of the building.  Well this was going to be embarrassing. 

            That is when he heard a voice from behind him.  It was one of the auditors.  He had to stop, turn, and acknowledge him, but he hoped they would be gone soon and this walk to the cars would take much longer than it should have.

            When he turned though there was three of them and they kept talking to him.  He turned back to say good bye and that it was nice talking to her.  However, she had kept going.  He shrugged.  Walked back over to the auditors and chatted with them for a bit. 

He looked out and watched her pull out of her parking space.  He shrugged to himself and said to himself, this is progress.  He chatted with the auditors and told them he had to go, that his car was on the other side.  They asked well why then are you over here then get lost?  He said no but did you see that chick, the he had been trying to talk to her for years and I finally did tonight, and you dicks monkeyed it up for me.    They looked into the night where she had been and the four of us agreed she was beautiful. 

He told them not too work too hard, and to not stay too late, he knew from being and auditor both were false statements.  They would work too hard, and they would work to late, that is what they did.  He was glad that wasn’t his life anymore.  His life was new and just beginning.  Who knew tomorrow was another day and he might see her again, or someone else he wanted to talk too, that was the great thing about tomorrows you never really knew what they would bring. 

            He started to walk the long way around the building avoiding puddles and smiling into the night.