Page 30 of The Vegas Rerun
“Can we get to work now then? Or would you like to knock something else over first?" Joshua says.
I let out a small, nervous laugh.
"I think I’m good to start," I say.
He laughs, shaking his head, then he leans forward, tapping the folder.
"Let’s start."
The next few hours are a blur of dictation and typing, my fingers flying over the keyboard as he speaks. Once I relax, I fall into the familiar rhythm of his voice, his precise words, the way he occasionally pauses to gather his thoughts. By the time we finish, it’s nearly eleven o’clock. I told my mom it wouldn’t be too late. I hope she thinks this is acceptable.
Joshua stands up, stretching.
"Alright. Let’s get out of here," he says.
I go back to my desk and gather my things, feeling lighter than I have in weeks. Joshua waits for me to slip my jacket on and then we walk to the elevator together. We get in and go down to the lobby. As the elevator goes down, my mind instantly goes to the last time I was in an elevator with Joshua and what happened next between us. It’s a delicious memory, one to be savored, but not while I’m standing in a small, confined space with Joshua. I force the images away.
The elevator reaches the lobby, and we step out and head across the large, open space. We reach the main door to the office building, and Joshua presses the handle down - and nothing happens. He frowns and tries again. The door doesn’t budge.
I stare at him.
"Is it locked?" I ask.
His jaw tightens.
"It shouldn’t be. Security knows we’re here."
He pulls out his cell phone, and taps the screen, and then lets out a quiet curse.
"There’s no service in the damned lobby," he says.
I dig my own cell phone out of my purse and check it. Nothing. My stomach sinks.
"What do we do?" I ask, suddenly feeling very aware of how empty and silent the building is around us.
Joshua exhales, rubbing his jaw.
"Well, it looks like we’re stuck here for a while,” he says. “We’d best go back upstairs where we can get cell service, and I’ll call for someone to let us out.”
CHAPTER 21
MOLLY
I can’t believewe are locked in. I mean seriously, what if there was a fire or something? I suppose considering the whole front wall of the lobby is glass we would be able to get out easily enough in an emergency, but that’s hardly the point, A strange, trapped sensation curls around my ribs, squeezing the breath from my lungs. I need to get out of here. I need to get home to Autumn.
I nod stiffly and follow Joshua back toward the elevators. It’s not like there’s anything else I can do. I won’t achieve anything just sitting in the lobby. My legs feel weak, but I keep moving. My mind is already racing ahead—how late is it? Will my mom be okay with Autumn staying overnight? Obviously, she’s not going to throw her out into the street, but if she thinks I’m taking advantage of her, she might refuse to babysit at all and then I’m stuck.
The elevator doors open and we get in and Joshua presses the button for the seventh floor. The elevator hums as it carries us back up to the office floor. This ride is very different from the one going down. On the way down, all I could think about wasmy proximity to Joshua. Now all I can think about is Autumn. The elevator pings, announcing its arrival on the seventh floor and the moment the doors slide open, I check my cell phone and see the signal bars flicker back onto my screen. Joshua is doing the same thing as we step out of the elevator.
"Cell reception is back. I’ll call the building superintendent," Joshua says, already tapping through his contacts.
"Ok," I say quickly, turning on my heel and hurrying toward the bathroom before he can ask me anything.
The second I push through the door to the bathroom my attention is on my cell phone. I go to my recent calls and find my mom’s name. I press it and then I press my phone to my ear and pace as I wait for my mom to pick up.
"Hey, sweetheart," she says when she answers. She doesn’t sound pissed off, but I haven’t dropped the big bombshell on her yet.
"Mom," I whisper, gripping the edge of the sink. "I can’t get out of the office. The doors are locked, and I don’t know how long it’ll take to get someone down here to let us out."
