The Elevator Incident

Abby clutched the carboard box tighter to her chest as more people entered the elevator. Twenty-nine floors and each time the doors opened; her cheeks flushed with humiliation. After six years at Legacy Insurance, she’d been booted, let go, down-sized – who was she kidding? She’d been fired! Her eyes filled again and she blinked away the tears. She would not cry on an elevator with a bunch of curious on-lookers. It was bad enough she was carrying the box of her personal possessions, so everyone knew she’d been fired. A photograph of her dog Bruce was on top, a Pitbull with the goofiest tongue-lolling smile that usually brightened her day, but now just made her sad.

Her nameplate poked up at an angle from the box. She’d been so happy when that nameplate was put up next to the door that said Director of Marketing. It still seemed like yesterday. She probably shouldn’t have taken it, but when the snooty HR Manager stood there while she cleaned out her office, she couldn’t resist the tiny bit of rebellion she felt when she took it off the wall and added it to her meager box. She sniffed again and cringed when the elevator occupants either looked at her or studiously avoided looking at her. How much longer could this freaking elevator take? It was closing time; they’d made sure she’d worked her whole shift before springing the news on her five minutes before close. The HR Manager looked almost gleeful as she’d called her into her office. The bitch.

Abby shifted the box as more people entered the small space. She was being jostled to the back and was starting to feel decidedly claustrophobic. She looked at the sign that said how many people could safely ride in the elevator. After a quick head count, she figured they were still OK, though she was counting that big guy that smelled like onions as two. She noted the people in the elevator. They all still had jobs on Monday. Even the lady smacking her gum while she kept explaining into her cell phone that she was in an elevator and the reception was bad. She had a job. Paisley print purple polyester blouse and all. Damn. It just wasn’t fair. She shifted the box again as another round of people stepped on. She glanced at the sign again, like it might change to accommodate as more bodies squeezed their way inside. Surely they must be at maximum capacity now, although she was pressed so tightly into the back that she couldn’t see well enough to get a head count. The doors swished open and the herd started to spill out into the lobby of the building. The fresh air pushed the onion guys smell into her face and nearly took her breath away. Stinky guy was oblivious and started pushing people to get to the front of the elevator. She tried to follow behind, letting him make room but her cell phone chose that moment to start to ring. The song signaled it was her best friend Meghan and she really needed to talk to her and tell her about this ridiculously horrible day. She shifted the box into one arm and fumbled around trying to reach into her coat pocket for her damn phone. It was so loud the elevator crew were giving her dirty looks as they jockeyed to get out of the death box they’d just ridden in. The smelly guy pushed the box hard into her chest as he forcibly made his way up front and exited, but not before her box and cell phone both crashed onto the floor. Could this day get any worse? She bent down to pick up the spilled contents of her box just as her phone went silent. The screen wasn’t cracked, so that counted for something.

“Can I help you with that?” A deep voice rumbled from above before he dropped down to eye level. He was freaking gorgeous. Like movie star gorgeous. And she was scooping her life’s work into a cardboard box while she tried not to cry. His navy-blue suit still looked perfectly crisp, although his square jaw and angular cheeks were sporting the beginnings of a five o’clock shadow, but it was the deep blue eyes that stopped her heart. Good heavens, if she still had a job, she’d love to get him in some of their print ads. The thought had her eyes welling up again. She was good at what she did. Damn good. She just didn’t sport the right equipment for the new bastard of a CEO that decided he wanted to bring in all his golf course cronies for upper management positions.

“You’re Abby Townsend?” He asked as he looked at the gold nameplate he was holding. They stood at the same time, her box now serving as a barrier between them. A barrier she wished wasn’t there. How come onion guy could push up against her, but the Universe couldn’t have blessed her to have this guy instead?

“Yes,” she answered, as she stepped past him out of the elevator. Whatever he wanted; she wasn’t in the mood. Unless it was hot, sticky voodoo sex between the sheets, but she doubted that offer was on the table. He looked expensive. Very expensive. He smelled expensive too. Sexy business guy with the killer voice and the bluest blue eyes she had ever seen was way out of her league. Way, way out.

He caught up to her and grabbed her elbow causing the box to tumble again to the gleaming marble-look floor. “Are you freaking serious?” She grumbled as she looked at the mess of items littering the floor. The gold nameplate sounding ridiculously loud as it skidded across the smooth tile. They stooped down together and began filling her box again. He paused at the dog photo and smiled. “Is this your dog?”

She snatched the photo away and put it in the box. “Yes, and he’s very vicious.”

“Yeah, the tongue-lolling gives it away.”

His smile was even perfect. Damnit. The worst day of her life and Mr. Perfect shows up. He reached into his inside suit pocket and pulled out a black notebook, quickly thumbing through the pages. Finding what he wanted, he glanced up at her and she felt herself shrink under his intense gaze. “Abby Townsend of 1423 W. Goddard Road?”

“How do you?” She trailed off, her radar going off inside her head. Serial killers were handsome sometimes. You could never tell. She glanced at the bodies moving around them. They were in a public place. Surely, she was safe here.

“Works at Legacy Insurance company?” He glanced at her box and amended, “Formerly worked there?” She nodded mutely.

“What’s going on?” She mentally ran through every indiscretion she’d ever made. Was he a cop? Was she being sued? He did sort of look like a lawyer-type. Intelligent. Damn, she looked at those blue eyes again. They sort of short-circuited her brain.

He rushed to appease her, “Nothing bad, I assure you.” He smiled and every thought she’d had instantly scrambled. Eggs. She now had eggs for brains. And not even a side of bacon to go with them. “I have some papers for you.” He pulled an envelope out of his black notebook.

“Crap, am I being sued for something?” She looked at the envelope as if it were about to take a bite out of her. “I just got fired and now I’m being sued?” The Universe definitely had it in for her.

“No, no, nothing like that. Do you remember a lady named Georgia Walker?”

He seemed to be really watching her for something, but she wasn’t sure what. “Yes, Georgia was one of my first clients and became a good friend.” Her eyes misted again at the reminder of the sweet southern lady that had called nearly every month to check on her policy or make some minor changes. She’d figured she was lonely, so she’d let her talk about everything and anything that struck her mind. Over the years, although they’d never met, they’d developed a strong friendship and Abby had been devastated to learn that Georgia had passed of cancer last August.

“She was my mother.”

He said the worlds simply, but all she could think was that Georgia had a hot son and never told her? “You’re Bennie?”

“Benjamin.” His lips quirked into a soft smile and his eyes filled a bit at the memory. It seemed like just yesterday he’d held his mother’s hands and listened to her go on and on about the nice insurance lady she called each month. He knew more about Abby Townsend than anyone possibly should. He smiled at the green-eyed blond who was openly sharing how much his mother meant to her. She was everything his mom said and more. Except his mom had never once told him that she was cute as hell or that she was exactly his type, all librarian looking in her rumpled suit and prim heels. Her hair was knotted in a bun, but long strands had pulled free to frame her oval face. She even had a dusting of freckles across her nose. Why freckles did it for him, he had no idea, but he found them sexy as hell. He inwardly sent a prayer up to his mom thanking her for forcing him to personally deliver this letter. He may be a billionaire in business, but his mom could always one-up him. She’d known if she’d tried to set him up, he would not have come, but to surprise him like this was exactly the right move. “Well done, Mom,” he thought.

“Read it.” He handed her the envelope and waited as she opened it. He couldn’t help but smile as she read through the two pages of print and watched as her expressive eyes nearly googled out of her head when he saw the check enclosed.

“Twenty-thousand dollars?” Her eyes flew to his. “I can’t take this. Why would she leave me money? We’d never even met.”

She was starting to hyperventilate, and he couldn’t help but step forward and take the box from her hands and set it down next to them. He stood and put his hands on her shoulders. “Trust me, she very much wanted you to have it.” She didn’t look like she was calming down, so he continued, “I was an only child and worked a lot. Too much. But we talked every day and I know how much those calls you had meant to her. Most of her friends had already passed or were busy traveling or with grandkids so after dad died, she didn’t have a big circle of people around. She called you one day and you were nice and let her chat and the next month and the next and you never seemed annoyed that she called. My mom had a great life and she wanted to give you the money to start your own agency. A drop in the bucket, but enough for you to know that she believed in you.”

Tears filled her eyes and she couldn’t hold them from spilling over down her cheeks. “She was amazing. I looked forward to the calls too. My mom died when I was in my early twenties, so it was nice to have a mother figure again. What a coincidence that you would show up today.”

He pulled her into his arms for a hug. “Knowing mom, she arranged this from Heaven. She was very good at timing.” And as he stood there with Abby in his arms, he thanked his mom again. He had a feeling life was going to get very good for both of them.

Abby smiled. Maybe the Universe liked her after all.