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“Sorry. I realize this is likely inappropriate, but it seems yesterday gave me a bit of a fear of elevators,” I manage. “I didn’t think it would be this bad, but here we are. If we get stuck, you might regret goading me onto it.”
“Grip me as hard as you need to.”
Oh, thank God. I do as he instructs, not even caring that he’s my boss.
“I’ve got you,” he soothes. “Just breathe.”
“I’m breathing. A lot. Probably a bit too much.”
“Okay, fine. Breathe less.” Humor dances in his voice.
“You breathe less.” I close my eyes. “Sorry, that was rude and also inappropriate.”
He shifts closer to me until the side of his body is aligned with mine, the contact grounding me and making my head spin less.
“You have to get over the panic at some point,” he instructs.
“I was planning to. Tomorrow.”
He chuckles. “You’re not working tomorrow.”
“Oh, darn. Monday then.”
“It wasn’t so bad when we got stuck, was it?”
“Truth that you can’t hold against me?”
His arm rubs against my shoulder. “Go for it.”
“I was terrified.”
His head angles and his eyes catch mine, sparkling rare blue gemstones. “You were fun. I liked that you were pretending we didn’t know each other. Incidentally, you talk a lot when you’re scared.”
“I talk a lot all the time. I just tend to ramble when I’m scared. I did warn you about it.”
“You did. That’s true.” He nudges my shoulder. “Truth that you can’t hold against me?”
“Go for it.” I throw his words back at him, clutching him a little tighter because he’s here and he’s letting me, and frankly, this elevator is no picnic.
“It was the highlight of my day.”
A strangled laugh flees my chest. Partially because, even though I was freaking out and terrified out of my skull, in a weird way, it was for me too. And partially because I want off this elevator yesterday. Except my life never goes in a straight line, so we stop on a floor, and no one is there to get on. What is that bullshit?
“You’re a liar,” I challenge. Still, I like that he feels the same way I do about it.
“No. I swear,” he promises. “Who knew I’d get trapped with the student I made out with once? And what are the odds that she’d work for me again?”
He did not just say that we made out when I adamantly denied last night that’s what we did. I squint accusingly at him. “Are you distracting me or flirting with me?”
“Both,” he says plainly. “But don’t worry, I’ll only flirt with you on the elevator and only as a means to distract you until you’re over your newfound fear.”
“I’ll remember that. If I ever get on one again after this. How slow is this elevator, speaking of which? This is a hospital. People’s lives are on the line here.” I shake my head in exasperation. “If getting stuck was the highlight of your day, your life must not be all that great at the moment.” My eyes shoot wide, and I clap my free hand over my mouth. “Oh, shit. I’m so sorry.”
His head tilts. “Don’t be. You’re not wrong.”
“Why is that?”
“Maybe I’ll tell you about it another time. We’re here.”
