CHAPTER 7 - The Elevator Truce
1206 Words
By Thursday morning, the story of the mug had spread throughout Villareal Group.
Unfortunately for Elena...
The story had grown considerably with each other retelling.
According to Human Resources, she had given the CEO a mug that read "Smile More."
According to Accounting, it read "World's Grumpiest Billionaire."
According to the Legal Department, it actually changed color when filled with hot coffee and revealed an even more embarrassing message.
"It doesn't do that!" Elena exclaimed.
Grace laughed so hard she nearly spilled her tea.
"You have to admit, the rumors are getting creative."
"They're getting dangerous."
"They're getting entertaining."
Elena rested her forehead against her desk.
"I've been here four days."
"And you're already office folklore."
At exactly ten o'clock, Grace approached carrying a folder.
"I need these signed by the the CEO."
Elena immediately shook her head.
"No."
Grace smiled sweetly.
"Too bad."
"I've met my montyly quota of embarrassing myself."
"I'ts company business."
"Send someone else."
Grace crossed her arms.
"He specifically requested you."
Elena stared.
"...Excuse me?"
"I asked the same question."
"And?"
Grace shrugged.
"He simply said, 'Ms. Ramirez knows which documents.'"
Elena sighed dramatically.
"I knew buying that mug would come back to haunt me."
The executive floor was unusually quiet. Ms. Lopez looked up as Elena approached.
"Good morning, Ms. Ramirez."
"Morning."
"The CEO is in a meeting."
"Oh."
"He asked that you wait."
Elena nodded and sat in one of the leather chairs outside the office.
She looked around absentmindedly.
Elegant artwork.
Fresh flowers.
Perfectly polished floors.
Still...
No clocks.
Not even in the reception area.
She glanced toward Ms. Lopez.
"Can I ask something?"
"Of course."
"Has there... always been no clocks in the company?"
Ms. Lopez's fingers paused over her keyboard.
"For as long as I've worked here."
"So everyone just accepts it?"
She offered a careful smile.
"Eventually."
"But why?"
A brief silence lingered.
"I'm afraid I can't answer that."
"You don't know?"
Ms. Lopez looked toward the CEO's office before replying quietly.
"I know."
"Then why not tell me?"
"Because it isn't my story to tell."
Before Elena could ask another question, the office doors opened.
Several executives walked out discussing contracts.
Adrian followed behind them.
The moment he noticed Elena, he gaved a slight nod.
"They're ready?"
She stood and handed him the folder.
"Everything's inside."
"Thank you."
He signed each document with swift, practiced movements.
"No corrections?"
"Not this time."
She grinned.
"I'm improving."
"So it would seem."
Just then, the lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then the entire floor went dark.
A chorus of surprised voices echoed through the hallway.
Emergency lights blinked on a few seconds later, bathing everything in a dim amber glow.
"It appears we've lost power," Ms. Lopez said.
Almost immediately, a security officer hurried over.
"Sir, we're checking the backup generators."
Adrian nodded.
"Keep everyone calm."
"Yes sir."
The elevators let out a soft mechanical chime before stopping completely.
A few employees groaned.
"No elevators?"
"Looks that way."
Elena sighed.
"I work on the thirty-second floor."
Adrian looked toward the stairwell.
"So do I."
She blinked.
"You take the stairs?"
"When necessary."
He held the stairwell door open.
"Shall we?"
Thirty-two flights sounded manageable.
For approximately...
The first five floors.
By the tenth floor, Elena was breathing harder.
By the fifteenth...
She regretted every fried chicken meal she'd ever eaten.
"You walk..." she puffed, "...this many stairs?"
"Occasionally."
"...Are you secretly training for a mountain expedition?"
"No."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Then you're showing off."
"I wasn't aware breathing normally qualified as showing off."
"It does when the other person is dying."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"You exaggerate."
"I absolutely do not."
She dramatically sat down on one of the landings.
"I live her now."
"We're halfway."
"Tell my family I loved them."
"They're unlikely to believe you."
She looked up.
"Why?"
"You seemd remarkably determined to survive."
She laughed.
"You've known me less than a week."
"I've formed observations."
"And?"
"You complain frequently."
"I do."
"You also keep going."
She paused.
It was such a simple sentence.
Yet...
For some reason...
It struck her more deeply than she expected.
He offered his hand.
"Ready?"
She accepted it.
Their hands met only briefly before she stood.
His grip was warm.
Steady.
Surprisingly gentle.
Neither commented on it.
They simply continued climbing.
By the twenty-sixth floor...
It was Adrian who slowed.
Almost imperceptibly.
Elena noticed because she had finally caught her breath.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
"I merely need a moment."
His voice remained calm, but something aboit his complexion had changed.
He looked paler than usual.
A thin sheen of perspiration had formed across his forehead despite the cool stairwell.
"Should we stop?" she asked.
"No."
"You don't have to pretend."
"I'm not pretending."
He took another step.
Then another.
Suddenly...
His hand tightened briefly around the railing.
So quickly that most people wouldn't have noticed.
Elena did.
"Mr. Villareal."
He looked at her.
"You really don't look well."
For a split second...
Something vulnerable flickered in his eyes.
Then it vanished.
"I'm alright."
"You've said that twice."
"And both times were true."
She frowned.
"You're stubborn."
"So I've been told."
"So have I."
He nodded toward the remaining flights.
"Shall we continue?"
She sighed.
"I still think you're hiding something."
"I assure you..."
He resumed climbing.
"...I'm only hiding from paperwork."
She rolled her eyes.
"That wasn't even a good joke."
"I wasn't trying to be funny."
"You accidentally are."
When they finally reached the thirty-second floor, the electricity returned with a soft hum. The office lights flickered back to life.
Emlpoyees cheered.
Grace looked toward the stairwell just as Elena and Adrian emerged.
"You took the stairs?"
Elena leaned dramatically against the wall.
"I've climbed enough steps to qualify as a tourist attraction."
Several coworkers laughed.
Adrian adjusted his suit jacket as though climbing thirty-two flights had required no effort at all.
"Good afternoon."
He nodded politely and continued toward the executive elevators, which had just restarted.
The moment he disappeared around the corner...
Grace leaned closer.
"You two came up together?"
"Yes."
"And?"
Elena smiled despite herself.
"I discovered something."
"What?"
"The CEO..."
She hesitated.
"...actually knows how to make jokes."
Grace stared.
"Impossible."
"They're terrible jokes."
"Oh."
She smiled knowingly.
"Those are definitely his."
Both women laughed.
Neither of them noticed that, a few floors above, Adrian had quielty stepped into the executive washroom.
The moment the door closed...
He braced both hands against the sink. A violent coughing fit overtook him.
He reached into his pocket for his white handkerchief.
When it ended...
Another small crimson stain bloomed against the white fabric.
He closed his eyes.
His breathing gradually steadied.
After a long moment, he folded the handkerchief with meticulous care, tucked it back into his pocket, splashed cold water on his face, and stared at his reflection.
"You still have work to do," he murmured softly.
He straightened his tie.
The composed CEO returned.
The man fighting against time disappeared once more.
Outside, the workday continued as if nothing had happened.
And somewhere on the thirty-second-floor...
Elena couldn't stop thinking about the brief moment on the stairwell when the cold, untouchable billionaire had looked...
unexpectedly human...
- Writer
