Midnight Elevator Ride

The employees who worked in the International Bank Tower were familiar with elevator number three. It wasn't something that happened often, but it did happen, over the course of a year, perhaps two, or maybe three times. The computer, which controlled the elevators, hiccupped. There was no other word for it that they could think of. Hiccup seemed to work.

Every time it happened, the bank had an elevator company come investigate the elevator and the computer that controlled it. Once, when the bank president and a young file clerk were caught in the stalled elevator, two different maintenance companies tried to find the problem and both declared the problem was resolved. Three months later the computer hiccupped again.

That particular elevator stuck, stopped, paused, or some other more appropriate word, but everyone knew whatever word they used, it still meant trapped. On rare occasions, when going up, there was a small bump, which caused people to jerk in apprehension, squeal in surprise, or turn white with fear, but the carpeted people mover never seemed to hiccup on the way up, it was always on the way down and seldom with warning. It never seemed to stop at the same place and the bump did not occur on the same floor, either. It was such a seemingly confusing thing and no one seemed able to find the problem.

Last Thursday I was late getting to work. I'd had to stay in my new apartment for a short time to let the plumber replace the trap under my kitchen sink, which I had discovered, during my initial inspection, was leaking. I agreed to accept the apartment as it was, with the rental management company's promise they would repair the leak as quickly as possible. I didn't realize that would take a week, but the leak was really minor and it didn't take very long to replace the trap in the drainpipe. Nevertheless, it still made me late for work.

When I got to the bank tower, I was standing waiting for an elevator when a stranger walked up beside me and stood waiting also. I had noticed him the day before, carrying three large boxes and a briefcase strapped to a luggage carrier. This morning he had two file boxes strapped to the same luggage carrier.

"Moving in?" I asked as I looked at his boxes and then up at his face. For just a moment his beautiful dark blue eyes mesmerized me as he looked at me while a slow smile crossed his face. I almost felt he could see beneath my clothes. I disregarded that notion thinking that because I was attracted to him did not mean he was attracted to me.

"Yeah, I just started working for Harris and Associates," he replied, holding out his hand. "I'm Dave Thomas."

I also offered my hand, "Nice to meet you Dave Thomas, I'm Jo Preston. I work for Preston