Starstuck

Chapter 2: Not the best day

“Hey, we’re stuck in the elevator,” Jamal calls into the metal grid.

“I am going to have to ask you some questions to assess where our services are needed first,” speaks a jaded, metallic voice. “We need to know if there are any emergencies where you are?”

Jamal glances towards the limp sculpture wrapped in towels. Annie is not dying but not coping well either.

“Um, I…” Jamal starts.

“What? You need to stand closer to the speaker.” By the tone of the voice, Jamal judges this has been repeated endlessly by the operator.

“Not emergency, but not everyone is coping,” Jamal answers honestly towards the panel.

“Not good enough, I’m afraid. There has been a power outbreak throughout New York, and emergencies are prioritized. We have a birth and a heart attack to give you something to compare to. Also, several young children are trapped all over the city. Do you have any of those with you?”

“Please lie,” Annie whispers from the floor. Jamal can barely hear her.

“Can you prioritize us after the small children? It might become an emergency if we have to stay here long,” Jamal answers the operator, ignoring Annie’s plea.

“I’ll see what I can do. If it becomes an emergency, call us again. We will check in with you every hour.”

“Every hour?” both Jamal and Annie exclaim together. Annie looks up at Jamal for the first time. Her sunglasses have fallen, showing dark circles around her eyes as if she hasn’t slept for weeks.

“We are responsible for several hundred elevators. It will take time, but we are working as fast as possible. To be honest, your best hope is that the power comes back on, but considering this is a major disaster, you’re more likely to run out of the emergency power that lets us communicate. I will have more information in an hour.” The electronic sparking from the speaker dies with the last word.

“You should have lied,” Annie retorts, then leans against the wall.

“I don’t lie,” Jamal smiles back, happy to get some response from the woman he is going to spend hours with. She sighs and closes her eyes. He sits down next to her. Lifting a towel from the floor, he reveals a small box of “Ben&Jerry” ice cream.

“I was on my way to the roof to take a break in the sun,” he explains to her. “Since we are stuck here, do you want to share it with me?”

“You have ice cream?” Annie whispers, barely believing her eyes when she opens them to check. Then she shakes her head. “No, thank you. I don’t want any,” her words answer, but her eyes tell a different story. She stares at the container Jamal has opened. The sweet scent of ice cream that has melted enough to be soft but not runny dances in her nose.

“Here, I have an extra spoon from my lunch box,” Jamal smiles at Annie. He has scooped a couple of spoons into the lid for himself. He leaves most of the ice cream in the container for her. Without thinking further, she accepts the container, and the spoon offered.

“If you insist,” she agrees, licking her lips. It’s her favorite flavor, ‘Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.’ They eat the ice cream in silence, only interrupted by moans escaping from Annie. Jamal secretly enjoys the way she savors every spoonful and how she seems more alive.

“Is the ice cream enough to redeem me for my inability to lie?” Jamal asks with a chuckle when she has scraped up the last drop from the container. Had she been home, she might have licked the box too.

“Maybe,” Annie muses as a sliver of a smile braces her lips. She is sitting more straight now, no longer ready to give up on everything.

“Why don’t you?” she wonders out loud.

“What?” he asks, confused.

“Why don’t you lie?” Annie clarifies and fidgets with the hoodie over her shoulders. Lifting it closer to her neck, she notices it smells nicely of spicy food. Homemade food. It’s been a long time since she smelled something similar, and a hungry ache makes itself known to her. Except for the ice cream, she hasn’t eaten for hours. She barely had time for dinner before she left for the premier yesterday. If you can call a handful of nuts dinner.

“It’s a long story,” Jamal answers, looking thoughtful.

“Well, I don’t have time for a long story today. Maybe you can tell me the next time we are stuck in an elevator for several hours?” Annie scoffs. She had to make the joke; it almost said itself. But neither of them laughs, and silence follows.

The towels Annie sits on help against the cold, but it’s not enough. The cold temperature slowly seeps from the stone and metal surrounding her and into her bones. Freezing, she rubs her arms before curling them around her knees, making herself sit in a tight ball. Maybe eating ice cream wasn’t the best move she had done in the last half-hour, but it was worth it.

“Okay, I’ll tell ya why I don’t lie if you do one thing for me. Can you do that?” Jamal suggests.

Annie frowns. She’s not sure she wants to know what kind of proposition he will make. He is a man, after all. They only want one thing from her, and today she is not willing to listen to more demands of that nature.

“Put my hoodie on, and I’ll tell ya,” Jamal encourages, not even noticing how shocked Annie is. She did not expect that. Hesitating, Annie does as he wants. The sweater is oversized for her, so she can even slip it over her knees and legs. Then Jamal drapes a couple of towels over her back, ensuring she can warm up.

“Thank you,” Annie stutters.

“Don’t mention it. Can’t have you freeze to death, can we? You know what I’m sayin’?” Jamal thunders, no longer afraid to scare Annie with his booming voice. She responds with a tiny smile, feeling a little warmer under Jamal’s clothes, towels, and gentle care, and they fall silent again.

The silence has a rare quality to it. It’s not awkward, even if it extends the four-second rule generally followed by English speakers. It holds an acceptance in it, an acceptance that they are two strangers having a very shitty day. There is nothing they can do about it other than to be civil to each other and take their time.

Annie studies Jamal further from the corner of her eyes. He is sitting with his hands on his knees and leaning against the wall, much as she did. His eyes are closed, so she takes the liberty to observe him, his calm breathing, his posture, and his rugged beauty.

She is fascinated by his relaxed hands. The nails are clipped short, and his knuckles and palms are calloused like they are used to hard work. She still remembers the warmth she felt from them when he tried to comfort her earlier. Had it been any other day, she might have fantasized about those hands touching her again.

To be stuck in an elevator with a man, she couldn’t have asked for a better companion. He is mild-mannered, and despite his worn clothes, he is eye candy. The stench of cleaning equipment she could be without. Still, it’s probably better than yesterday’s alcohol she’s sure she’s reeking of.

When Jamal notices she is staring at him, he looks back with questions in his eyes. “You still haven’t kept your part of the bargain,” Annie chimes in as an excuse, and Jamal chuckles.

“I’ll be honest with ya; I hoped you forget. It’s not something I like talkin’ about,” he admits, looking down at the floor.