We were both now staring at a very large, very detailed penis scrawled on the metal in black marker.
Probably not the moment to mention it.
“I don’t have low self-worth, by the way,” she said. “I was just… exploring a few ideas.”
“Of course.”
The lift eased into a downward glide. “If it helps,” I said, “I’d hate to imagine what my phone would say about me if it had the confidence yours does.”
She exhaled sharply—another laugh or a warning, hard to tell.
I kept my head still but let my eyes slip sideways. She was still looking at the doors, lips tight. She smoothed her hair, then tugged at her dress from behind, and the neckline jumped up a solid inch.
My eyes snapped forward.
Fuck. Did she think I was trying tolook?
I shifted a fraction to the left.
Pixelsomething. That was what her access card said. A creative outfit, judging by the clothes. Dress code clearly optional.
The lift gave a sudden judder, like it was going to stop, but then changed its mind.
She swayed sideways, lanyard swinging, and my hand shot out automatically, catching her elbow with two fingers.
“Oh God, sorry.” She straightened herself and tucked her hair behind an ear, but it pinged out again like an unruly spring.
“All good. They do that sometimes,” I said, like I knew how lifts worked.
She nodded, politely ignoring my newfound expertise in vertical transport. Her arm stayed close to her side, bag clamped under it.
I dropped my hand and shifted my weight back to the center. Best to stop talking altogether.
The lift continued its slow, uneven descent.
Then it stopped. Hard.
The lights flickered—a single blink, but enough to make her inhale.
Before either of us could speak, the lift lurched upward.
“What—is it going up?” she said.
It certainly felt that way.
The doors slid open again.
Level six. Exactly where we’d started.
The speaker crackled overhead. “A technical fault has been detected. Please wait for assistance.”
“Oh no.” She looked at me. Clearly, she’d bought the lift guru thing.
I glanced out at the hallway, then back at her. “We should get out. I’m not getting confident vibes from this thing.”
She nodded and stepped forward, but the doors slid shut in our faces.
“What—?” She lunged for the panel, but the lift had already jolted downward.
