"The Elevator Ride"

I'm running.
I'm sure I've never run this fast before. My foot slips, and I twist my ankle in my high heels. I grimace, but I keep running. Because I can't afford to miss this date.
Charlie.
My four-year relationship. I love him with all my heart. He's the other half of my personality. I know he can be a little harsh sometimes, and I know that if he saw me like this, he would leave me. Without question.
He doesn't like it when I rush. Or when I don't look perfect.
But none of that matters.
Because he loves me.
And I love him.
The only problem is that I'm sure he'll leave me if I don't make it to our date on time. Because he told me he would. But this works for us. I finally reach the elevator. My heart is pounding, but it's okay. I'm so close now.
The elevator finally arrives.
It only takes a second, but it feels like an eternity.
I step inside and will the elevator to move faster. Of course, it doesn't. I look at myself in the mirror. My mind is scattered all over the place. My armpits are sweaty, and my hair looks like it has never felt a brush before.
I try to smooth down my brown hair after my run. It looked so perfect when I stepped out the door. It looked ready to meet Charlie. And now it seems like none of me is ready for him.
The elevator slows down, but it's not the right floor yet.
"No, no, no, no," I whine.
I look at my phone and I'm already one minute late.
The doors open, and a tall, brown-haired guy steps inside. He smiles and nods at me. I try to smile back, but I can tell by the small grin in his eyes that he can see my distress.
"Where to?" he asks.
His voice is deep and calm. His eyes are blue and almost seem to smile. It takes me a moment. Maybe two.
"Um... yeah, sorry. The fifth floor, please." My voice comes out high and breathy.
He doesn't say anything. He just nods, smiles, and presses the button. It feels like an eternity before I hear a small ping.
Charlie.
My boyfriend.
He wants to know where I am. I quickly type: On my way! Got caught in traffic!
Then I shove my phone back into my pocket. And suddenly, the elevator starts shaking. I grab onto the wall, trying to stay on my feet. My mind immediately starts imagining everything that could possibly be wrong, even though nothing has actually happened yet.
But then something does happen. The elevator stops. The doors don't open.
And I just stand there like an idiot.
"What... what's wrong? Do you know what's wrong? Why aren't we moving anymore?" I ask the tall, brown-haired guy with the beautiful blue eyes.
There's a wrinkle between his eyebrows.
"I don't know. It'll probably start working again in a minute," he says reassuringly.
"Yeah, yeah," I say. "You're probably right."
So we wait.
One minute passes.
Nothing happens.
"I'm going to try calling one of my friends. Maybe they can get someone to help us," the guy says, almost like it's a question.
"Yes! Yes, good idea!" I nod, urging him to hurry.
He calls his friend.
While he's talking, I start to panic. Really panic. What will Charlie think? I text him about the situation.
But he doesn't answer. And that makes me panic even more. One thing is getting stuck in an elevator with a handsome stranger.
It's a completely different thing when you know this might mean your boyfriend will break up with you.
I can feel my breathing coming up short.
"Hey, are you okay?" the guy asks.
I look at him, trying to determine whether he's actually being nice or if I'm just imagining it.
"Oh, yeah. I'm totally fine. It's just that... well, I'm stuck in an elevator. So I'm not entirely okay."
"I get it." He looks away from me, staring at the shiny metal wall. Something in his eyes shifts.
"I don't like small spaces either."
"Well, it's not really just that," I say. "It's also the fact that I was supposed to meet my boyfriend, but now I'm late, and I'm pretty sure he's going to break up with me."
A beat passes.
Then I slap my hand over my mouth.
Why did I just say that?
I always say the stupidest things. This is probably why so many guys have rejected me. My face heats up, and there's no hiding it beneath the bright lights of the elevator.
"Well, then he's an idiot." I look at him. He's staring directly into my eyes.
"If he breaks up with you just because you're late, he doesn't deserve you."
"Thanks," I mumble, trying not to blush even more.
I slide down the wall until I reach the floor. A moment later, he sits down beside me.
"How long do you think it'll take before someone comes to get us out?" I ask, breaking the silence.
"Well, I called the smartest of my friends, so hopefully less than five minutes." He smirks.
I try not to look at him. It does weird things to my stomach. Our shoulders are lightly touching.
Not in a bad way. Or a good way really. Just... very neutral.
"What's your name?" he asks.
I send him a puzzled look.
"Well, you know, I can't keep calling you cute elevator girl in my head." He grins.
And somehow, it makes his entire face light up. His eyes shine brighter than they did before.
"Well, okay." I smile. "My name is Ella." I hold out my hand.
He takes it. "It's very nice to meet you, Ella. My name is William."
"It's very nice to meet you too." I smile as we shake hands.
His hand is so much bigger than mine. For a moment, everything seems to stand still. It's just the two of us.
Alone.
In a broken elevator.
And apparently, that does weird things to my stomach too.
Suddenly, the elevator starts moving. The small connection between us breaks.
I'm back to my nervous self, remembering that I have a boyfriend to get back to. But somewhere in the back of my mind, there's a small voice whispering something I don't want to hear. The elevator stops.
William gets up from the floor and offers me his hand.
I take it. "Thank you."
The doors open far too soon. I give him one last smile before stepping out.
William's friend is waiting for him.
And my phone starts ringing.
Charlie.
I pick up. "Ella, where are you? I'm leaving now. I've waited long enough, and you know this is a busy day for me!"
Someone calls out behind me. I turn around. William is standing in the elevator doorway.
"Believe me when I say that I think you'd be so much better off without that boyfriend of yours," he calls. "You don't need him."
I stare at him for a second. Then I nod, I smile and give him a small wave before turning back around.
"Yeah, I know it's a busy day for you," I say into the phone.
"Then why aren't you here yet? You know what? I'm leaving. Don't bother coming at all." Charlie hangs up, just as suddenly as he called.
I stand there in the middle of the hallway.
I slowly lower my phone.
I check my feelings and realise, this is the best I've felt in four years.