Page 23 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

Hours later, we'd settled on some tentative titles, ones without any alliteration, thank fuck, and we'd written most of the proposal. I'd wanted to hammer out more, but when the words started to blur and become nonsensical, it was definitely time to go home.

We headed to the elevator together, the usually bustling hallways completely empty, the overhead lights dimmed to save energy.

"Have you ever noticed," Jared began as we waited, "that when you say a word over and over it starts to become really weird?"

"It's called semantic satiation."

"There's a word for it?"

"Technically two words. But yeah."

He elbowed me. "You're a fucking smartie pants. You know that?"

Laughing, I moved forward into the otherwise empty elevator. "I know."

"Elevator. Elevator. Elevator. Elevator," he said next to me.

I sighed. Only a few more minutes until I'd be rid of this guy. And then, only a few more minutes until I was home. Home sweet home.

First, I'd change and get rid of this damn bra. Next, I'd—

The elevator lurched and came to an abrupt stop, plunging us into sudden silence, making the gasp I gasped as loud as a gunshot.

Seven

Max

Dim emergency lights flickered on, casting an eerie glow over everything. For a split second, I was caught off guard. I'd never been in this situation before.

Instinct made me press the button for the lobby a few times.

But nothing happened. Not even a slight movement.

"Are we really stuck?" Cordelia asked.

I turned to look at her, studying her face, assessing, hoping she'd be all right under such a wild circumstance.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to freak out on you," she said in a wry voice.

"It's okay to freak out, Dee."

"Well, I'm not going to. Would you just press the emergency button already?"

I almost laughed. If the situation weren't so serious, I might have.

Right before I could press the emergency button, a crackling voice broke the quiet. "Hello? Is anyone in there?" came the distant voice through the intercom.

Relief washed over me. "Yes, there's two of us in here and we're stuck."

"Don't panic. I'll call for help. Shouldn't be too long."

There was a creaking noise and a slight shifting as the elevator seemed to settle, and I exchanged a look with Cordelia.

"It'll be okay," I assured her, even though I had no fucking clue.

"I know."

Jesus. The woman must have had steel for her backbone. I glanced at my phone and had no signal. But someone knew we were here, and that was good enough. Hopefully.

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