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Chapter 1
♥?♥?♥
Paula
“IT’S JUST AN ITTY-BITTY HANGOVER,”the woman whined. “What’s the big deal?”
“Georgette, you spent the whole night on the floor of my bathroom puking your guts out.” The deep voice sounded impatient. “That may be your idea of fun, but it wasn’t mine.”
“Chuh! it wasn’t thewholenight.”
Huddled in her corner of the elevator, Paula squeezed her eyes tightly shut. She’d been subjected to this couple’s petty bickering for too many minutes of her life, first in the hallway, now in the elevator. All she could think was,Come on, people! Inside voices! Look over here, there’s another person standing three feet away from you, and guess what, she gets to eavesdrop on your drama.
“I don’t want to discuss it in the elevator,” the man muttered.
Finally! The light dawns! That’s right, mister, you have zero privacy. And may I just second the motion that you not discuss it now?
“Oh, come on, it wasn’t my fault,” the female voice grumbled.
Unfortunately that proved too much for the man. “You’re trying to tell me it happened without your participation.”
“Stopyellingat me,” the woman shouted, ending on a wobble, prompting Paula’s eyes to squint open. The speaker, a redhead, wore an elegant designer dress and a full face of makeup…and was clearly drunk as a skunk.
“I’m not yelling,” the man said through gritted teeth. “I’m merely telling you what happened.”
“No, you’re blaming me.” The shrill accusation had Paula again squeezing her eyes shut.Please. It’s too early for this. Somebody just cut the cable and end me now!
“Who else would you blame?” the man demanded.
“Sanna Claus!” The woman exploded into giggles. “There was sammy in the eggnog. Samma.Salmonella. Salmonella makes you throw up. It does, it really does.”
“You drank rum and Coke,” was the curt reply.
“I drank eggnog, silly.”
The elevator slowed.Oh, goody! Escape from this hell!She held her breath as the doors opened, slow as molasses. She blinked at the indicator lights. Seventeenth floor.
Oh.
Seventeen more stories to get to the lobby.
There was silence as the doors hovered open for a few seconds. Nobody got on or off.
“Did you push the button?” the man said, and the redhead said, “Not me,” and the man’s eyes swung over to Paula. The woman, for her part, completely ignored Paula, acting as if she weren’t there.
Paula instantly closed her eyes again, pretending she hadn’t seen the man looking at her.
The doors closed again and the elevator laboriously resumed its descent.
Thanks for that, elevator. So much. All I want for Christmas is a gratuitous stop to prolong this delightful encounter as much as possible.
It didn’t take long for the other two to pick up their bickering where they’d left off.
“Eggnog was at breakfast,” the man said in a low, deep rumble. “Last night it was rum. Several glasses of it.”
The elevator crawled like a snail….
Faster! Faster, dammit! Do you want to lose a lifelong customer? Because I will get off and walk down. I will do it, don’t push me! Just get your steel ass down to the lobby pronto!
