Elevator Confession

After enduring a work conference the entire day and fighting through her cramps, Trinity just wanted to get home, take off her shoes and take a nice, long bubble bath. Being an assistant to Harold Tyler was tedious and she often worked long hours without being paid overtime, but she didn’t dare complain about it. If she could get a referral from him, it would open up so many doors for her in the future, which was why she was still there. It took her over four years of begging and pleading to get this position. Every time she saw an opening for anything from a manager position to a receptionist, she applied. And just after graduating from business school, she got offered the job of being Mr. Tyler’s assistant and she grabbed it with both hands. There were days when she thought of giving up and quitting, but she had to remind herself that she was doing this so she could get a better job and become an operations manager, which is what she wanted to end up doing.

Packing up the last few files on her desk, she put it in her briefcase and made her way to the elevator. It was just after 18h30 and most of the staff had already gone home, which was why she was walking down an empty hallway. Being on the eighth floor, she pressed the button on the elevator to go down. Another cramp hit her before the doors sprang open and she cursed herself for not having any Tylenol with her. She stepped inside and was about to press the button for the elevator to close, when she heard a voice yelling, ‘hold it, please,’ from the hallway. She placed her hand on the elevator door to keep it from closing and in dashed an average height, well-rounded man, with greige blonde hair in a quiff style and short tapered sides.

“Thanks,” he said as he was able to catch his breath.

“No problem.” She replied moving to the corner. Holding onto the railing inside the elevator, she waited for the cramp to pass.

The doors closed and down they went. Seventh floor . . . sixth floor . . . fifth floor and then out of nowhere the elevator came to a halt as the lights were flashing a few times before the power went out.

“What the . . .” came the shocked response from Trinity’s elevator stranger.

Glad she had been holding onto the railings, she found her bearings before she started to investigate.

“Are you okay?” came his deep voice through the darkness.

“Yeah, you?”

“Yeah. What was that?”

“I have no idea. Maybe a power outage or something.” Taking her phone out of her pocket she switched on her flashlight to get a better view of the situation. She immediately saw the man still standing in the same spot, but now completely facing her. He had a Janis Joplin nose and almond-shaped eyes, though she couldn’t quite make out what colour his eyes were, not that it mattered at all right now. She stepped up to the keypad and looked for the red alarm button, pressing it a few times with no results.

“Anything?” the man asked.

“No.”

“There is no signal on my phone either.” He said as his phone’s light reflected against his face.

“Well, this sucks.”

“Yeah, this has been the first night in ages that I’ve left work before eight.”

“Tell me about it. Yet I still have a whole stack of files I need to go through tonight when I get home.” And as she said that last part, she flinched in pain.

“You okay?” he asked concerned stepping a little closer.

“Yeah, just a few cramps.”

“How far along are you?” he asked gesturing to her stomach.

“Thirty-seven weeks.” She replied as the cramp continued.

“Boy or a girl?’

“I don’t know.”

“Ah, you want to be surprised.”

“Something like that.”

“Do you want to sit down?”

“Might as well, since it looks like we are stuck.” She moved back to her corner and slid down against the wall until she felt the cold, hard surface of the floor. The man made himself comfortable on the other side of the elevator to give her space and not look like a creep.

“I’m Brent, by the way.” He offered his name as he loosened his tie.

“Trinity.” She answered still trying to find a comfortable position to sit in.

“Wait, aren’t you Harold’s assistant?”

“I am.”

“I knew I’ve seen you before somewhere. I’m Jason’s assistant.”

“Harold’s business partner.”

“That’s the one.”

“Have we met before?”

“Not officially, but I’ve seen you around at meetings and such.”

 “Well, now I feel like an ass for not noticing you.”

“No, please. I can see that Harold keeps you busy enough, the last thing on your mind would be noticing anyone else.”

“Yeah, sometimes it feels like I’m suffocating.”

“I know the feeling.”

“I love what I do, but sometimes I want to be able to go to the movies or even just go out on a date . . .” and before she could finish that sentence another cramp hit her which got a yelp out of her.

“Are you sure you are okay?”

“I’ve been having cramps all day but they have been getting worse.”

“How many have you had in the last hour?”

“I don’t know, like one every five minutes. Holy cow!” She exclaimed that last part as she looked up at the ceiling trying to breathe through the pain.

“Are you sure you’re not in labour?”

“What?” she asked shocked, bringing her focus to him. “No, no, no, no, no, no. This can’t be happening. I’m supposed to be at a hospital and have a doctor with me when I give birth, not stuck in an elevator with an assistant.” She blabbered. “I’m sorry,” she immediately apologized, “I didn’t mean it like that. I just can’t believe that I might be in labour. This is not how it’s supposed to be.”

“Okay, how about I get us some better light.” He reached for his briefcase and took out his laptop. “I don’t know if the light will be better but I’m guessing I’m going to need both my hands.”

“Wait, you’re not thinking . . .”

“I don’t see another option.”

“Oh, God!” she groaned dismayed rubbing her hands over her face.

As his laptop turned on, he moved closer to her and placed it on the floor with the light shining on her.

“I don’t understand this; my water hasn’t even broken yet.”

“Uh, Trinity,” Brent said awkwardly as he pointed to the floor. As she looked down, she realized what he was pointing at. She was sitting in a pool of water, which could only mean that her water did break and she didn’t even realize it.

“Gosh, it hurts so bad.” She moaned reaching for the railing above her for support.

“Trinity, look at me.” He said kneeling in front of her. She slowly opened her eyes to focus on him as the contractions subsided. “I am only trying to help you, but I need to know that you’re okay with me touching you.”

“It’s not like I have a choice.”

“You always have a choice, but it should be yours.”

“I just want the baby out.”

“Trinity, I need . . .”

“Yeah, yes. You can touch me.”

“Okay, so first things first. You have to lose the pants and underwear.”

By this point, Trinity was in so much pain that all her self-consciousness was gone. She leaned on one side of her hips as she pulled down the stretchy maternity dress pants over her one butt cheek and then rolled to the other side to repeat. Brent helped her by pulling her pant legs towards him. She did the same with her underwear as Brent himself shrugged out of his jacket. As the laptop light was only so bright, he reckoned that he would be able to see just enough to catch the baby.

“Okay, I’m going to put your pants just underneath you, so the baby won’t accidentally fall on the dirty ground.

“Okay.” Trinity managed to say. From what she remembered from her birthing classes, she breathed in through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. It seemed to help until the next contraction came along. She could feel movement in her stomach and she wasn’t sure if it was because the baby was ready to come out or if it was just moving around. Taking her hand, she went down and pressed it inside her labia so she could feel if the baby’s head was there. And yes, yes she could feel it.

“Brent, I think it’s time,” she said as calmly as possible even though she was terrified as hell.

“Okay, you’ve got this. You’re going to be fine.”

“I’m sure this is not how you wanted to spend your evening.” She said as she bent her legs and opened it up.

“It’ll be a great story to tell one day.” He replied as he rolled up his shirt’s sleeves. “Do you want me to record it for your husband?”

“No, no. Let’s just do this.” She said positioning herself.

“Okay. I’m gonna count to three and then you push, okay?”

“Okay.” She was so terrified. Even if you watch a million videos on how to give birth, it’s not the same as actually doing it. And it was just her and Brent. No professional to jump in if something went wrong. Oh, God. She can’t afford to lose this baby. Please let it all be okay.

“Here we go. One . . . Two . . . Three!”

“Ahhhh,” Trinity muffled her scream as she pushed.

“Again.”

After her third push, she felt a burning sensation as Brent exclaimed that he could see the head. She took a few moments before she mustered up the strength to push again.

“Almost there.” She could hear his comments in the background. She was very tired and just wanted to sleep, but his constant motivations kept her going. It was one last push and then she felt this massive relief.

“Trinity, you have a beautiful baby . . .”

“No, don’t tell me.” She managed to say as she closed her legs.

“But don’t you want to know your baby's. . .”

“I don’t want to know.” She persisted which confounded him as he held this new life in his own two hands.

“Okay, well here, you can hold . . .” he started to say as he reached over to give the baby to her.

“I don’t want to touch it. Please, just keep the baby.” She whispered.

“I don’t understand.”

“The baby isn’t mine, okay! I’m a surrogate.” She cried out. “I needed money to pay for my student loans so I . . . I didn’t think I would feel like this. That baby was a part of me for nine months and I just can’t . . . I can’t hold him or her, because it will hurt too much when I have to give them away.” She wept as she hid her head between her legs and wrapped her arms around it.

“Trinity, hold your baby.” She heard him whisper causing her to look up. And even in the dim light of the laptop, she could see those beautiful big eyes staring back at her.