My phone rings in my pocket, and I let out a curse when I see Ana’s name on the screen. My agent is good at her job, one of the best, but when I see her text, my jaw ticks with annoyance.
Ana:
We weren’t finished. That isn’t a way to leave a meeting. Be a little more professional next time.
Professional? How the fuck could I stay another second in that room when I got a call from the hospital? I couldn’t. Didn’t even care what they were saying. It’s all the same shit, anyway.
We need something different. Something new.
People are bored, Lucas. Our current strategy is no longer working.
You don’t want to be irrelevant, do you?
Fuck that. I didn’t even want to be part of that perfume commercial. I couldn’t stay in that room a second longer, hearing how everything I worked so hard for was no longer good enough. ThatI’mno longer good enough. As soon as I got that call, her voice drowned out, and I raced out of there.
James has been my best friend for the better part of my life, so leaving to check up on him was a no-brainer. I just hope they didn’t call my mom. That poor woman would jump over hoops to be at the hospital.
Heavy pelts hit the glass, and I turn my head to see rain pouring down over the city, droplets hitting the glass. “Great,” I mutter with a sigh. This will make it ten times harder to find a cab.
I stuff my phone in my pocket, ignoring the rush of texts my agent keeps sending, and lift my head just in time to see the elevator doors about to close. “Wait up,” I call out to whoever is inside.
A slim, white heel props itself between the doors, opening them back up. My eyes drift up to see a girl standing there, with her foot in front of her. She moves back when she sees me about to enter, and I let out a breath, jogging inside. “Thank you,” I tell her. She presses her lips together in a smile and faces forward, staring at her reflection. Or is she looking at me?
She didn’t seem to know who I was, or maybe she was faking. It’s not the first time someone’s tried to get my attention that way. I’ve been in the eyes of the public for so long that it doesn’t surprise me. People are fake. They lie and cheat and do whatever they need to for fame and money.
I lean against the back of the elevator and cross my arms, looking at her. I let my eyes drift down her body, taking in her outfit. It’s the middle of the day, during a rainstorm, and this girl is in a dress. A mid-length, dark red dress that brings out the warm brown tones of her deep skin color.
I rub my chin, and I feel my lips turning up in a smirk. Really hope she’s not a crazed fan or, worse, a pap. Lord knows it’s not the first time I got tricked by the paparazzi before, ambushing me when I least expect it. They have no limits when it comes to taking pictures to get the story they want to tell, even if it isn’t true.
I glance up at her again, meeting her eyes in her reflection. She isn’t looking at me, though. She’s just staring back at herself. Does she really not know who I am, or is she just playing me? I hope it’s the former. It’s kind of relaxing.
Of course, that’s before the lights go out and the elevator grinds to a halt.
“What the hell?” I step forward, trying not to panic as the whole room fills with complete darkness. There was probably a blackout because of the rain, I’m sure it will start moving again in no time.
But the girl next to me doesn’t seem to think the same. Her panicked voice startles me. “No,” she cries out, banging on the doors. I blink, trying to adjust my eyes to the dark, but it’s no use. “No,” she yells again. Oh hell, what a way to stay calm.
“Hey,” I try to coax her, approaching wherever she is. It’s only me and her in this dingy elevator, and she might think I’m a murderer or something. And by the sound of her screaming, she’d be able to convince anyone of it. “Calm down. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” she shouts back.
My eyebrows raise. “I’m just trying to help you,” I tell her. “These things have generators. You don’t need to panic. It’s probably going to kick in anytime now.”
“How do you know that?” she asks, her voice cracking. “What if it doesn’t?” I hear her sniffling and then drop to the floor.
I let out a sigh, feeling a little bad. It’s a shitty situation to be in, especially with a stranger. I pull my phone out of my pocket and turn on the flash. “We’ll have to make do with what we’ve got until it comes back on,” I tell her, trying to adjust my eyes to the dark room with only the flash as an aid. I spot a small figure curled up in a ball on the ground, her face buried in her hands.
I lift myself off the ground and point the flash to the wall, looking for the emergency phone. My fingers reach for it, pressing it and waiting for someone to pick up. It rings, and rings, and rings. “Hello?” I call into the intercom, but there’s no response.
“I can’t do this again,” the girl says to herself. “Not again.” She cries out again, and as much as I want to comfort her and help her out, I don’t fucking know what to do.
“You’re seriously not helping.” I turn around, pointing the flash to her. “We have some light for now, and the power will come back on soon. Just relax.”
“Relax?” she repeats, lifting her head to look at me. Tears stream down her scowling face. “How can I relax when I’m stuck in an elevator twelve stories from the ground with a stranger.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “The first rule of these things is to remain calm, and you’re not doing that. You panicking is not helping, so please, just stop crying. I’m trying to help us here.”
“What are you doing to help?” she asks. “Have you called someone yet?”
