Elevator

“Wait! Hold the elevator!” Joanna yelled, limping trying to catch it before the doors closed. “Thank you so much,” she said to the guy waiting for her.

“You’re welcome,” he replied. “What floor?”

“Lobby.”

The doors closed and the elevator started the nine floor descent. It started to move down slowly and then began to shake. Then it dropped abruptly a couple of times. The elevator slowed and then stopped all together. Joanna started panicking as the stranger pounded on the doors trying to get someone’s attention. She slowly slid down to the ground, shaking.

“Hey, it’s okay,” the stranger said, putting his arm around her. “They’re calling the fire department to get us out.”

“Can you please talk to me?” she pleaded, still shaking uncontrollably.

“What do you want to know?” he asked.

“Anything, please just talk.”

“Okay, um…how about we start by introducing ourselves? I’m David.”

“Joanna,” she replied. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.”

“You have a strange accent, where are you from?”

“Sternberk,” he answered. “That’s in the Czech Republic. Where are you from?”

“Ottawa.”

“I’ve been there, nice city.”

“Yeah, I like it. What’s Sternberk like? I’ve never been overseas.”

“It’s beautiful. If you ever travel to Europe you should visit it. I wish I had pictures. It’s one of those places you almost have to see to see how beautiful it is. There’s the Bouzov Castle, the Castle Sovinec, Tyrs Park, a town swimming pool, which is kind of like a water park…there’s a lot of different things there.”

“It sounds beautiful. I’m saving up for a trip to Europe for after I graduate. Sounds like I have to try and convince my brother to add that to the itinerary,” Joanna said, smiling, starting to relax a bit.

“What are you going to school for?” David asked.

“Interior design. I know, it sounds boring, but it’s really not. It’s fun to put a room together for someone after talking to them for a little bit to get a feel for them. Half of the time they never even imagined that they could like something like what I put together. It’s nice seeing their reaction.”

“So, how would you design a room for me?”

“Well, first, it depends on the room. Most people pick their bedrooms, so, for you….I’d say dark Canadian maple wood furniture. A light oak wood floor and light gray walls with white trim. A sky blue and brown bed sheet set. Of course you would have to have a flat-screen TV and a gaming system,” she said, smiling. “I know, it probably sounds ugly, but it would be easier if I had fabric swatches and could draw it out for you.” By this time they had both started sweating profusely.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” he started, “why were you acting so…weird, I guess, when the elevator stopped? I mean, I know it was scary, but I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t have died if it had dropped, we’re not that far up.”

“I’m really claustrophobic. I usually take the stairs, but I hyper extended my knee, so going down nine flights of stairs wouldn’t have been a very good idea. Although, had I know this would of happened, I would have sat on my butt and scooted down those stairs, even if it would have taken me a couple of hours.”

“Yeah, that would’ve been bad. I saw you limping earlier, it looks like it hurts,” he replied. “So, what are you doing here in Buffalo?”

“I’m meeting up with my brother. His wife has to have surgery, and their nanny just quit to go home and take care of her mother, so I told him I would come stay with him and help out. I’m supposed to fly to Boston with him tomorrow night.”

“Wait, who’s your brother?”

“Marc.”

“Savard?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“I’m his teammate, David Krejci.”

“Oh, I thought you looked familiar! Sorry, I don’t really have time to keep up on his team,” she answered as the firefighters finally managed to get the doors open.

“Sir, do you think you could lift her up to us?” one of them asked.

“Yeah, hold on,” David answered, turning to Joanna. “Hey, since you’re going to be in Boston, do you think maybe we could…go out sometime?” he asked?

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Joanna answered, a smile crossing her face. “But, just to warn you, you might want to double check with Marc. You know how older brothers can be sometimes,” she laughed as he lifted her up to the firefighter before climbing out himself.

“Anything for you.”