Elevator Valentines

Eileen Hughes had to work even later than usual. She wasn't happy about it. It wasn't the first time and wouldn't be the last. It was a fact of life for a junior associate that had only recently passed the bar. Junior associates weren't allowed a life. It was an unspoken and unwritten firm policy. She was the last one in the office when she left a little after ten. She was tired and hungry. She just wanted to get home, have a glass of wine and something to eat. Then she'd get some sleep and drag herself back to the grind of legal research the next morning. She'd be expected by eight, though the office didn't open until nine.

With luck, the short walk to the subway near the Diamond District would be uneventful. The apartment she shared with three other young women she barely knew, on Grand Concourse, was across the street from a subway station. Her roommates were all nurses. They worked odd hours and weekends, so she saw little of them. Their schedules rarely jived. Besides, they had lives.

The fact that Saturday was Valentine's Day never entered Eileen's mind. It was just another day. She wasn't seeing anyone. There wasn't even anyone that interested her. Certainly not any of the self-absorbed, ego-maniacs that she worked for and with.

There was one associate she liked. The rest were tolerable at best. Most of the other female associates were as hyper-competitive as the male associates. The partners rarely interacted with junior associates. Office politics were unceasingly cutthroat. Her team lead was a talented attorney and a good leader. He'd been with the firm three years and had recently been elevated to senior associate. He was already on the partnership track, if you could believe the office scuttlebutt. He treated the people he worked with like they were fellow human beings. He asked rather than ordered when he gave an assignment. He said thank you when a task was completed. He listened to ideas and suggestions. He knew he didn't have all the answers. He was respectful with secretaries and paralegals. He was married and acted like it. Other associates, especially those that had been around longer, hated him.

Eileen waited impatiently for the elevator. Odds were, it was coming from the ground floor. The building was almost always empty this time of day. The bonded cleaning crew was out of her firm's offices before nine. She never saw any other cleaning crews. The security guard left the front desk at eight. Anyone that had to enter or leave the building after hours used a security card.

The elevator was empty when it finally arrived. Eileen got on, pushed the G button and put down her briefcase. She let her hair down as elevator descended. It felt good to remove the clips that held her hair in a tight, conservative bun. She wore eyeglasses with heavy, dark frames that were too big for her face to downplay her attractiveness. She didn't even need glasses. She took them off and put them in a pocket on her purse. The conservative pin-striped charcoal gray business suit Eileen wore was almost masculine, though the skirt that ended below her knees didn't hide nicely-shaped calves or a svelte, feminine figure when she took off the jacket.

The elevator had only gone a couple floors when it stopped. A man got on and nodded at her. He looked to be about thirty. Eileen made eye contact but didn't return the nod. He looked at the console briefly, then leaned against the back wall when he saw the G button was already illuminated. He drew in a deep breath and sighed.

Eileen thought he was kind of cute though she was a little put off by his appearance. His dark hair was clean but long and shaggy. He had several days growth of beard. He wore round wire-rimmed glasses. His clothing was casual. His overall appearance bordered on unkempt. He carried a leather backpack that looked like it had been around since the Civil War. He was tall and wiry, at least eight inches taller than her five-nine. He reminded her of a photo of her father taken in the late sixties. Eileen wondered if he even worked in the building.

The elevator jerked and stopped. The lights blinked several times and then went out. Eileen and the man stood, in the dark, silent for a moment, before Eileen swore under her breath. 'Shit, I don't need this tonight,' she said without thinking.

'Crap,' the man said. 'It's already been a long day. I want to go home.'

Something heavy hit floor. Eileen both heard it and felt it under her feet. 'What was that?' she asked.

'My bag,' the man said. 'My computer and a stack of books I need are in it. It's too heavy to just stand here with it if we're not going anywhere.'

Eileen groped for the console and picked up the phone. She'd been told during new-hire orientation that it would connect to someone at the security company twenty-four-seven. She held it to her ear. It was silent. She held it to her ear for several minutes, but nothing happened. 'Phone's dead,' she muttered in frustration.

Eileen rummaged in her purse and took out her cell phone. The man took his out, too. They cursed in unison when neither had service. Eileen dialed 911 anyway but the phone just displayed 'No mobile network available.' They had no way to contact the outside world. And no way to know how long they'd be stuck there.

Eileen heard the man take off his coat and slide down the wall, landing on the floor with a soft thud. 'Might as well get comfortable,' he said.

Even though it was dark, Eileen was reluctant to sit on the floor. Her skirt would ride up her legs, potentially exposing more of her than she felt comfortable with. She took off her shoes, glad to finally be out of the heels. She needed to find her cross-trainers or get a new pair. She still couldn't believe she lost them somewhere.

'My name is Thaddeus, but everyone calls me Tad,' the man said. He had an accent that was slightly different from what Eileen typically heard around the city.

Eileen hesitated before finally saying, 'Eileen.'

'I'd normally say it's nice to meet you, Eileen. But frankly, this sucks.'

Eileen laughed involuntarily. 'I can't argue with that,' she responded. 'Do you work in the building, Tad?'

'Yes. At Tomkins and Barrett. I'm a geologist,' he answered. 'You?'

'Yes,' Eileen answered, reluctant to elaborate further.

'You're an attorney,' Tad said. It wasn't a question.

'Have we met somewhere?' Eileen didn't remember ever seeing Tad before he got on the elevator

'No, but I've seen you. The suit, briefcase, your usual hairdo, and the eyeglasses you wear scream lawyer,' he answered. 'You don't need the eyeglasses, do you?'

Eileen was getting a little nervous. Tad was a little more forward than she liked and didn't seem to have a filter. He said what he thought. Damn the consequences. 'Why do you think I don't need eyeglasses?'

'I was standing behind you a while back. I could see through your right lens. There was no distortion,' he answered. 'I understand. My sister does the same thing. She feels it makes the people she works with take her more seriously. She's an attorney, too. She looks just like you when she goes to work. Well, she dresses like you.'

'I don't remember ever seeing you before, Tad.'

'I don't normally look like this. I just got back this afternoon. I've been in the field for almost three weeks. I normally come to work in business casual. In my business, that's the equivalent of a three-piece suit,' Tad said. 'I'm usually clean shaven when I'm at the office. I don't like shaving with cold water.'

Eileen felt she could relax a little. Tad wasn't an ogre and didn't seem dangerous. Perhaps a little eccentric. Eileen's feet were beginning to itch. She'd been standing in one place for a while. Shifting her weight between feet wasn't helping.

'Why don't you sit, Eileen? Who knows how long we'll be here? You might as well try to get comfortable.'

'I'm okay.' Eileen answered.

'No, you're not. I can feel you shifting your weight between feet. They're bothering you from standing in one spot. Sit. I promise I won't look up your skirt. Besides, it couldn't see anything if I tried. It's pitch-black in here.'

Eileen thought about sitting for a moment. Tad was right. She couldn't see her own hand in front of her face. She took off her overcoat and laid it on the floor. She hiked her skirt up and sat on the coat. The coat provided some cushion, but the floor was still hard, and the position wasn't very lady-like in a skirt. But at least her feet felt better.

Eileen flinched when Tad wolf-whistled as she sat down. But then she couldn't resist laughing. If she couldn't see him, he certainly couldn't see her.

'That's better, Eileen,' Tad chuckled. 'I think we're going to be here a while. A sense of humor will make it easier.'

'Damn, I'm hungry,' Eileen said. 'I was so focused on work, I completely forgot about ordering something to eat.'

'I've got a box of protein bars in my bag, I can spare a couple, if you like.'

'No thanks, I'd need to drink something, too,' Eileen responded.

'I've got a bottle of water, too. That is if you don't mind sharing.'

'Do you always have a solution?' Eileen asked. She could feel herself smiling.

'I'm like a Boy Scout.' Tad said breezily. 'You know their motto? Be Prepared.'

Eileen was beginning to like Tad. He might be a little quirky, but he was considerate and had a sense of humor. She found his easy manner comforting. If she had to be trapped in an elevator, she could have done worse.

'Okay then, Tad. I'll have a granola bar.'

Tad rummaged around in his bag. 'Do you mind if we dine together? I didn't eat either.'

Eileen laughed. 'They're your granola bars. How could I say no?'

'How about some candlelight to set the mood? We'll need some light to dine by.'

'You don't have candles,' Eileen said in disbelief.

'Of course not, silly girl. But I can get us some light.'

Tad turned on his cell phone. Eileen watched his face in the dim light. He pressed the screen a few times and a flashlight app bathed the elevator in light. Eileen squinted until her eyes adjusted to the relatively bright light.

'Slide over here next to me so we can share,' Tad said.

'I'm okay here,' Eileen said.

'Suit yourself,' Tad said as he rummaged around in his bag again. 'But I can see up your skirt if you stay there.' Eileen saw he wasn't looking at her but was focused on the contents of his bag.

Eileen burst out laughing. Tad had made her feel so at ease, she'd forgotten her unladylike position. She moved next to him but stayed an armlength away. 'Was that why you wanted some light?' she asked lightly.

'No, I've got some gorp in here somewhere. We'd spill it if we couldn't see. But I like the stockings and garter belt.'

Eileen laughed again. She wasn't wearing stockings or a garter belt. He hadn't looked, just joked about the way she'd been sitting.

Tad pulled a bag of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and M&M's out of his bag and set it between them. He found his box of protein bars and put it next to the gorp. He had a large stainless steel water bottle hanging from his bag. He offered it to Eileen. 'We're in luck. I filled it just before I got on the elevator. Help yourself to the gorp and protein bars.'

Eileen took the bottle and sipped some water. It was still refreshingly cold. She took a protein bar after Tad took one. They ate together quietly. Eileen took a few sips of water but didn't drink much. It might be a long night.

After they ate, Tad got up and approached the elevator door. He attempted to force the elevator doors open. After several minutes of struggle, he managed to separate the doors enough to get his fingers between them and pull them open. He came face-to-face with a concrete wall. He picked up his cell phone and shined the light up the shaft. He could just make out the bottom of the elevator doors on the floor above them. He pointed the phone at the ceiling. There was a removable access panel. But it was secured with eight spring-loaded retainers. He cursed under his breath. He'd need a screwdriver. He made a mental note to add a Swiss Army knife to his work bag.

'Well, we're stuck here until the power comes back on or someone comes looking for us,' Tad said as he sat down. He turned off the flashlight app.

The next few hours passed slowly. Eileen and Tad talked quietly and got acquainted. Eileen realized they likely would never have met if not for the power outage. They lived in very different worlds. Tad split his time between his office, lab, and the field. He traveled for resource exploration or to provide consulting services to mining companies at their corporate offices or mine sites. Exploration sometimes meant being in a remote area for weeks. Tad wasn't married and wasn't seeing anybody he thought might become a permanent fixture in his life.

For now, Eileen spent most of her time doing legal research. She sometimes attended client meetings where her role was to listen. Occasionally she left the offices when the information needed wasn't in the library or available on Westlaw. She hoped to eventually become a courtroom litigator, but that was still off in the future. Eileen's social life consisted of the rare trip to a club on a Saturday night when her schedule coincided with one of the nurses or a trip upstate to visit with her parents and the few friends from home that she stayed in touch with. There were also the obligatory charity functions her firm purchased tickets for.

During a lull in the conversation, Eileen realized she had to pee. She tried shifting position, but it made no difference. She looked at the time on her phone, four-seventeen.

'You okay, Eileen?' Tad asked. 'Someone should show up in a couple more hours and get us out of here.'

'I'm okay. I just have to pee.'

'Hang on a second,' Tad said. 'Let me check.'

Eileen heard Tad rummage around in bag. She wondered what he was looking for.

'Nope. I can't help this time, Eileen.'

Eileen unsuccessfully fought an urge to laugh. 'I didn't expect you could,' she giggled. 'And don't make me laugh.'

Gradually, the conversation lulled again. Eileen and Tad were both tired and eventually couldn't resist drifting off to sleep.

Eileen woke when the lights turned on. Tad was leaning into the corner, eyes still closed. Eileen had slumped toward Tad and was resting her head on his shoulder. Eileen sat up as the doors closed and the elevator jerked to life, finally descending. Tad woke and rubbed his eyes. They both got to their feet and composed themselves.

Tad laughed softly. "You look like you just rolled out of bed,' he said.

Eileen shrugged. There wasn't much she could do. She looked at her watch and saw it was after nine. They'd been in the elevator about eleven hours.

When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, there was a crowd of people waiting to get to their offices. Standing right in front of Eileen were Edward Shaughnessy, her firm's managing partner, and Mike Danielson, the senior associate she liked.

She explained she'd been trapped in the elevator all night, after a fourteen-hour day. She was told to take the day. She could make up the hours Saturday. Eileen was disgusted that the managing partner could be so callous. But it was all about billable hours for the partners. Mike looked on sheepishly, knowing he couldn't immediately intervene. But Eileen was confident he would try to reshuffle the junior associate assignments. Mike didn't like working Saturdays, either.

Without giving Tad a thought, Eileen made her way toward the women's lavatory. When she came out, Tad was at the security desk, talking to the on-duty guard. Eileen had hoped to escape and go home, but Tad saw her and motioned to her. She wondered what he wanted as she approached the desk.

The guard hd just got off the phone and was talking when Eileen stopped next to Tad. 'From what I'm told, a transformer failed last night around ten. It took out power to this block, three blocks east and two blocks north. The utility company worked on it all night. Their trucks are still around the corner.'

'Thanks, Don,' Tad said.

'You're welcome. Have a nice day Dr. Barrett.'

When Eileen heard the Dr. Barrett, her curiosity piqued. 'Why did he call you doctor?' Eileen asked as they walked toward the exit. 'Are you the Barrett in Tomkins and Barrett?'

'I have a PhD, and yes, I'm the Barrett. But it's not that big a deal. Tomkins is my grandfather. He founded the business and took me on, adding my name over my objections.' Tad answered. 'Don only knows to call me doctor because it's in the directory. I don't make a big deal out of that, either.'

'Did you want something?' Eileen asked tentatively. 'I just got told to take the day. I'm going home to get some sleep.'

'How about some breakfast before you go home?' Tad asked. 'I know I'm hungry.'

Eileen hesitated. She had taken a liking to Tad. He was nice enough, if a little quirky. He'd been a gentleman throughout their elevator misadventure. 'It's a long way home, Tad.'

'Where do you live?' he asked.

Eileen hesitated again but decided she could give him an idea without being specific. 'Near Grand Concourse.'

'That's not so far. It's the same direction I'm going. We can take a cab part of the way, have breakfast and you can go home from there.'

Almost before Eileen knew it, they were standing on the sidewalk and Tad was hailing a cab. He opened the door for her and despite her reluctance, Eileen got in. 'One-forty-five Central Park West.' He told the driver as he closed the door and settled in.

'Where are you taking me?' Eileen asked nervously. She didn't know of any restaurants on Central Park West, not that she knew everything about the city. She did know Central Park West was a pricey neighborhood.

'Best breakfast in the city,' Tad told her. 'At a place called the San Remo.'

They rode together in silence until the cab pulled up in front of the building. When they got out of the cab, Eileen knew there wasn't a restaurant nearby.

'I don't know about this, Tad. I take it you live here?' Eileen protested. 'I think I should just go home.'

'I won't pressure you to join me for breakfast, Eileen. I'll get another cab for you. My treat.'

Eileen considered the previous twelve hours. Tad had by turns been funny, kind, generous, respectful, curious. He'd known enough about the elevator to check to see if they could escape. Yeah, he sometimes said things that were a little weird and made her feel off-balance. But, when she considered those instances, it was just that he was more open than anyone she'd ever met.

'Okay, Tad. Let's have breakfast.'

The doorman greeted Tad when they approached the entrance, 'Good morning, Mr. Barrett,' he said as he opened the door for them.

'Good morning, Tony,' Tad responded. "Will you ever stop calling me Mr. Barrett? How many times have I asked?'

'Not likely, Mr. Barrett,' Tony smiled widely. 'If memory serves, every time I address you as Mr. Barrett.'

Eileen marveled at Tad's apartment once they entered the living room from an entrance foyer bigger than her bedroom. The living room was nearly as big as the apartment she shared. The furniture was modern. Two walls were lined with glass shelves. The shelves were filled with rocks. Eileen felt like she'd walked into the Hall of Minerals at the American Museum of Natural History. She knew little about the specimens she looked at. But she knew they wouldn't be out of place in the museum.

While Eileen stared at her surroundings, Tad asked to be excused. When he returned a few minutes later, he held out a new toothbrush and a new travel-sized tube of toothpaste for her.

'What's this?' she asked, though she knew what they were.

'I thought you'd like to brush your teeth before breakfast,' Tad answered. 'There's a bathroom just down the hallway on the left. I'll be in the kitchen. Just follow the noise caused by my clumsy attempts at cooking.'