A familiar voice outside the doors drew me to my feet. “Hey, is that Melody back there? I’ve been looking for her.” I had never been so happy to hear Nolan’s voice.
“The fire department is on the way, Ash. Can you step aside so I can talk to Mel?”
Asher shuffled over a few steps, and I walked up to the front.
Nolan smiled. “Fancy seeing you here.” He stretched out his arm to grab my hand. “Are you okay?”
I pressed my lips together and nodded, trying to fight my tears.
We held hands. “Is there anything I can help you do today? I’m a freelance intern today. I can help you.”
I mustered a smile. “You’d think the stripper cosplay was my hugest favor, but I really do need your help again.” Here I was, asking Nolan MacKenzie for yet another thing because everything in my life was falling apart at the seams. “I was supposed to present some slides at an investor call at one, going over the same numbers from the board meeting. You know them as well as I do, maybe even better. Can you present them and, if they ask, explain why I’m not there?” I looked at my watch. “It’s in five minutes in the executive conference room.”
“Oh shit, I need to go then!” He saluted me and took off down the hallway, tucking his periwinkle-and-white windowpane-patterned shirt into his baggy khaki pants.
Sue in HR squatted down a little in the doorway. “The firefighters are downstairs. They’re trying to figure out what happened and get you out of there.” She passed me two bottles of Gatorade and some SunChips. From deep in her pocket, she pulled out an almost-empty bottle of CBD capsules. “Can you give these to Asher? It’s cannabidiol. They help me with anxiety. He’s scaring everyone.”
I’d been so preoccupied with my Nolan favor that I forgot Asher was behind me. Turning my head, I saw him pacing back and forth, tugging at his hair. Mumbling to himself. Falling apart right before my eyes. Note to self: never partner with Asher in an apocalypse situation.
I tiptoed toward him, dangling the Gatorade, chips, and CBD. When he didn’t take them, I crouched down on the floor and placed them by his feet, then slowly backed away. “The firemen are here. We’re going to be free soon.”
Moments later, we heard shouting just as the neighboring elevator dinged on arrival. A crew of firefighters streamed out. It appeared that only our elevator was broken. Lucky us.
A flashlight beam streamed through the door, landing directly in my eyes. “Is anyone hurt?” he asked.
I turned my head and squeezed my watery eyes shut. “Well, I’m blind now, but other than that I’m okay. Asher here is freaking out, but physically, he’s fine.”
For nearly an hour, the elevator shaft filled with echoing sounds of banging, hammering, and electric drilling. Asher had taken two of Sue’s pills and had calmed down considerably. He stopped pacing. Same with the mumbling. His eyes stayed fixed on that door. As soon as it finally opened, I knew he would bulldoze me to get through it. None of that “ladies first” bullshit.
“One. Two. Three!” Two sets of hands on each door panel pulled at the same time, forcing the part to widen enough for a body to pass through. Of course, Asher was the first to exit, pulling himself up onto the floor, stumbling directly to the men’s bathroom straight ahead.
When it was my turn to exit, I whispered “Thank you” to the firefighters hoisting me up. Just past them, Nolan stood with his arms open wide, waiting for me. I collapsed into his arms, burying my face into his chest, silently shuddering and crying. He bent his head down and whispered, “Let me take you home. Let’s use the stairs. No more elevators today.”
Gently tugging me along, he guided me toward the back stairwell leading to the parking garage, supporting me with his arm around my shoulder as we walked side by side down the hallway. With no mental energy to overthink anything, and with Nolan so close to me, I couldn’t focus on anything but him. His reassuring smile when I was inside the elevator. His warm embrace when I was freed. And now, with his body right up against mine, his firm hold around my body, all I could think about was how this was the best I’d felt in a long time. Nolan. Me. Together.
He opened the stairwell door and waved for me to pass through first. I turned around to face him as the latch clicked.
Neither of us moved down the steps. Our eyes locked and I took hesitant steps toward him. I meant to say thank you, but no words would come out. Instead, I put my hands on his chest and slid them up to his shoulders. My chin tilted upward and I stood on the balls of my feet so my mouth could meet his. Closing my eyes, I softly pressed my lips against his. Breathing hard, he ran his hands down my back and returned the kiss immediately, hungry for more.
Passersby chattered by the stairwell door, discussing the elevator fiasco and whether my game would launch on time. Their verdict? No fucking way. The loudest voice belonged to Ian.
Oh god. What was I doing here in the stairwell? There were no hours to spare in the day and because of the afternoon incident, I was a half day behind now. “I . . . I’m sorry. We can’t do this,” I muttered, dropping my hands to my side.
“Wait, what? Why not?” He raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“There’s too much going on at work. And you’re still sort of my intern, because you helped me out today. And I could get in trouble for this.” I wagged my index finger between the two of us. “You wouldn’t get fired, but I would.”
Nolan’s phone and mine buzzed at the same time. Mine was a text from Kat: check your email.
A companywide message from Ian . . . Because of Nolan MacKenzie going above and beyond today by filling in for his supervisor on the investor call, he’s being awarded this month’s Seventeen Studios MVP award. Congratulations, Nolan!
MVP awards came with a $500 Visa gift card and two free PTO days.
“Congratulations, Nolan.” I sighed, trying to stifle any hostility in my voice. Yes, I was grateful he helped me out. Yes, he deserved it. But still, a little part of me was sad, maybe even angry, that I was never recognized for my work.
He stammered, “I-I-I didn’t know this would happen . . . I—”
I cut him off. “It’s fine.” Not really fine, but whatever. “I’d been meaning to tell you something. My friend Jane has a strategic analyst position that opened up at her company, and I think you’d be great at it.” I bit my lower lip. “If you got the job, you’d have to relocate to New York. But I think you should go for it, it’s a great opportunity. I’ll email you the info.”
His brows knit together into a continuous, straight line. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. Sent it. Now we’re even for you helping me with the investor call.” My stomach sank as soon as his phone buzzed with my message.
He shrugged. “If you want me to apply, I will. Thanks for looking out for me.”
I glanced down the stairs so he wouldn’t see the tears brimming in my eyes. “I’m okay to drive home by myself now. Thanks again for helping me today. I’ve got it from here.”
Without waiting for his reaction, I clattered down the stairs, the metal steps echoing as the rubber soles from my boots hit each one with a thud.
Once I got to my car, I had to sit there for a minute to steady myself. So much had happened that day. Mostly all bad, but I couldn’t shake my constant replays of that kiss between Nolan and me in my head. Or the second one. Somehow, Nolan could make all the negativity in my life melt away, even for a fleeting moment.
Too bad it wouldn’t happen again.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jane messaged me the evening of her bachelorette party: Whoooooooo’s ready for the festivities? See you downstairs!
Our limousine service would pick us up first and then we’d swing by Candace’s place. At dinner the prior weekend, Candace said unenthusiastically, “I look like I’m smuggling a fifteen-pound bag of weed under my shirt. Can’t I just stay home?”
Jane was not having any of it. “Bishes, we’re all going in the limo. Platinum members get free champagne! Oops, sorry, Candace. I keep forgetting that you can’t drink. That’s more glasses for Mel and me, though!”
Before heading down to the lobby to meet Jane, I puckered my lips and turned my head upward in the bathroom mirror. I’d successfully pulled off the cat-eye look, something that took years to finally accomplish. And with a little primer, foundation, concealer, and reflective powder action, you couldn’t even tell I’d been harboring all my sleep deprivation in the two deep hammock-size bags under my eyes! I’d even bought an antiaging eye cream with caffeine micropearls to perk up and stimulate my eye area and put that on for this special night. I’d need a chisel to remove all that makeup and face product later, but that wasn’t something to worry about yet.
I grabbed my purse off the hall closet doorknob and stopped at the door. Did I need an umbrella, too? Seattleites never carried them and the only one in the closet was a golf umbrella with a honking Seventeen Studios logo on it. Nah.
Jane stood under the awning, wearing a scarlet minidress and bling-blinding tiara. It wasn’t one of those cheesy plastic ones you got at Party City. It was more Miss-Universe-pageant-appropriate, intended to be coupled with a satin sash.