Going Down

           It was a stressful day at the office and Samantha was trying to tie up a few loose ends before she left for the day. Her job as Executive Secretary to one of the most successful investment brokers in the city had its ups and downs. Her days were always non-stop most of the time between answering phone calls, running personal errands for her boss, and sorting through the mounds of paperwork that had now formed a small wall around the perimeter of her desk.

           A storm started brewing outside of the 30-story office building, so Samantha quickly finished up and ran for the elevator, hoping to make it to her vehicle before the storm hit. Massive black clouds began to roll in while she waited for the elevator to arrive on the twenty-eighth floor, and then a clap of thunder shook the glass walls that surrounded the building. Just then, the elevator door opened and she stepped inside, pressing the button for the ground floor.

           Samantha gazed impatiently up at the numbers above the door…25…24…23…

           Suddenly, the elevator stopped, and the lights went off. Samantha felt nervous; not only because of the power outage but because the only other person in the elevator with her was a man in his mid-thirties that Samantha didn’t recognize. He towered over her five-foot-six-inch frame by at least eight inches. He had an unkempt appearance and wore what looked like a rented or borrowed suit that didn’t quite fit him. The emergency lights kicked in and a dim red light began to glow inside of the elevator car. Samantha wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but the man seemed to have edged his way a little closer toward her while the elevator was in darkness. She nervously looked back over her shoulder at the stranger. He smiled, nodded, and then said, “I guess this kind of thing happens a lot, right?”

           Samantha shrugged, gave him a fake smile, and turned back around without saying a word. The man continued to speak.

           “My name is Donny, by the way.”

           “Sam…Samantha,” she replied.

           “Nice to meet you, Samantha. Do you work in the building?”

           “Yes, I do. Do you?” Samantha asked, already knowing the answer.

           “Actually, I was up on the 30^th floor today for an interview. I had been going through some hard times lately trying to raise my two kids by myself, so I decided to put my education to some use finally and get a job as an investment broker.”

           The man caught Samantha looking him up-and-down.

           “I don’t normally dress this way, but I couldn’t afford to buy a fitted suit before I came here today, so I bought one from a second-hand store and hoped for the best. Before today, I have been trying to make a living as a school bus driver, but the pay isn’t enough to support me and the kids. The only reason I didn’t start into this career right after college, is because my girlfriend had gotten pregnant with our first child, so my plans were put on hold. My girlfriend, Jenny was her name, knew that if I started a new job, that I wouldn’t have time to help her raise our child, so instead of following my dream, I did what I thought was the right thing to do. I married Jenny and raised a family. When I was finally ready to take on a new career, Jenny announced that she was pregnant again.”

           Samantha began to relax as Donny spilled his heart out to her. She thought of her mother telling her repeatedly, “Don’t judge a book by its cover. What you see on the surface may not explain the story of how they came to be that way.”

           “So,” Donny continued, “a few years had passed and we were getting by. I had my school bus job and Jenny started a home-based business selling scented candles. It didn’t pay much, but it was enough to keep food on the table and for the children. Then tragedy struck one evening. Jenny was returning from a show that she had put on at a client’s home when her SUV was struck on the driver’s side by a dump truck that ran the red light while the driver was texting. She died instantly. The grief overcame the kids and I and it took me a while to start back into the swing of things. The kids still cry for their mother even though the accident occurred two years ago. I’m sorry for rambling on. It just felt good to finally talk about it to someone. What is strange, is that I don’t even know you, yet I feel comfortable discussing this with you. I hope you don’t mind?”

           “Not at all, Donny. I will admit, I misjudged you when I first saw you, but now that you have told me your story, I feel much better. Thank you for sharing with me.”

           Samantha smiled again but with a natural smile this time. She started to share a little about herself as well.

           “I have been working with Mr. Stevenson for three years now. Perhaps you’ve heard of him since you have an interest in the stock market business. Anyway, I am his Executive Secretary. I’ve never been married. With this job, I hardly have time to go on a date. The last date I went on was so embarrassing. I was exhausted from work, but I was convinced into going out with friends and to meet this man they were trying to set me up with. Half-way through dinner, I fell asleep at the table, and I fell forward into my mashed potatoes. Needless to say, I never saw him again.”

           Donny began to laugh uncontrollably and without warning, let off a noisy toot that echoed off of the stainless steel walls. He turned so red, that it was even noticeable in the red light of the elevator. He just prayed that there was no scent to follow the noise.

           It was Samantha’s turn to laugh, even though Donny continued to apologize profusely. She told him that it was fine and that it was just a natural bodily response. Nothing to be embarrassed about. The tension in the air had lifted and the two had forgotten about the fact that they were trapped. They were just enjoying one another’s company.

           Fifteen minutes had now passed and for the first time, they thought about calling someone on the emergency phone located below the buttons. The man on the other end of the phone took their information and assured them that the city was working steadily to restore power to the building and they should be moving again shortly.

           Samantha expressed to Donny, “If you want, I can put in a good word for you with Mr. Stevenson. Perhaps he can pull some strings and get you a job. I can’t promise anything, but I feel you have good character and deserve a shot.”

           “Really? That would be so awesome! Thank you so much, Samantha! You have no idea how much this means to me. If I can ever repay you, I will.”

           The elevator sprang to life and began to descend once more.

           “No repayment will be necessary. I’m happy to help out. Speaking of helping out, are you busy right now?” Samantha asked.

           “My mother is watching the kids right now, but I’m sure if I asked, she would keep them a little longer. What did you have in mind?”

           “You’ll see.”

           Samantha had Donny follow her in his car. They drove three blocks and pulled up in front of a row of clothing and jewelry stores. She got out of the car and motioned for him to follow her as she dodged the raindrops that fell heavily upon their heads. She opened up the door to a suit store that her boss used and led Donny inside.

           “I told you, Samantha, I can’t afford a tailored suit right now. We should go.”

           “Hush,” she protested. “Just let me do the talking, okay?”

           Donny apprehensively agreed.

           “Bonjour, mademoiselle Samantha. How can I be of assistance to you today? Does Mr. Stevenson need a new suit?” the tailor enquired.

           “No, Maurice. I would like you to fit my friend here with a new business suit. Something comfortable, yet elegant.”

           “Ah, oui, I can do this.”

           The tailor took some measurements of Donny’s upper and lower body and then showed him a few options. When Donny saw one that he liked, he expressed his satisfaction with the tailor. He was asked to try on the suit that he had picked out, so he brought it into the changeroom. While inside, he took a look at the price tag, $1,895.98. He knew that this was way too much money. What was Samantha thinking? After dressing, he stood outside of the dressing room where the tailor poked, prodded, and pinned until he saw perfection in his work. Donny then removed the suit and handed it back to the tailor.

           He began to open his mouth, but Samantha held up her hand and stopped him before he could say a word.

           “I know what you are going to say, but I will not take no for an answer. I believe in you and if you are going to be working in my office building, you will need a good suit. I have nobody else to spend my money on, so let me enjoy this moment, please.”

           Samantha then had Donny try on shirts, dress shoes, and ties until he had everything that he would need to look the part of a successful businessman. She then took him to a hairdresser two doors down and had them give him a shave and a new hairdo, all on Samantha’s tab. By the time they had finished that day, Samantha had spent almost $5,000 on Donny and he was speechless at her generosity. In return, Donny offered to cook her dinner one night soon, and she agreed.

           “Before you leave, give me a copy of your resume to hand over to Mr. Stevenson. I will read it through, and with your permission, I will tweak it to his standards. Also, here is my number at the office and this is my cell number if you want to call me. Just understand that I can’t take personal calls at work unless I am on break, okay?”

           “Samantha, I am overwhelmed by all that you have done for me already. I am also more confident about starting this new career thanks to you. Do what you need to do with my resume. I trust you and I appreciate it.”

           Donny headed home to see his children and Samantha stopped off at a pizza place for a slice before she went home as well. She read over his resume and was impressed at how well it was written. She hardly had to change a thing. She kept staring at her phone hoping that Donny would call.

           The following day, as promised, she submitted Donny’s resume directly to her boss noting that she was listed as one of his references. Donny’s suit was ready to be picked up a day later, and Mr. Stevenson agreed to interview him the day after that.

           As the time of the interview approached, Samantha found herself distracted and looked toward the elevator every time she heard the “DING!” indicating that the doors would be opening. Finally, ten minutes before his interview, Donny arrived wearing his brand new suit and looking like he just stepped off of the cover of GQ Magazine. Samantha smiled as their eyes met, though she did not want to show favoritism around the office. Instead, she directed Donny to have a seat and told him that she would let Mr. Stevenson know that he had arrived.

           Donny’s interview lasted nearly thirty minutes. When the door to Mr. Stevenson’s office opened, the two men came out laughing and carrying on like they were old drinking buddies. Mr. Stevenson even had his arm around Donny’s shoulder as they walked. Samantha was in shock. In the three years that she had worked for her boss, she had never seen him take to a complete stranger this way. Mr. Stevenson said, “It’s been a pleasure talking to you, Donny. See you here first thing Monday morning, okay?”

           “You can count on me, boss.” Donny retorted back. Samantha just stared in amazement until Mr. Stevenson went back into the office and closed the door. She was so excited for Donny that she wanted to get up and hug him, but she had to refrain. Instead, she asked him, “What happened in there?”

           “I’ll tell you all about it over dinner tonight at my place, okay? You have my address. What time can you be there?”

           “I will be here at the office until 5 pm and may need to change. Does 6:30 work for you?”

           “Perfect,” he began. “Do you like roast beef, or do you prefer chicken or ham?”

           “I’m not that picky,” Samantha replied. “Whatever you make is fine with me. I will see you at 6:30.”

           She waved goodbye to Donny as he stepped onto the elevator. As the door closed, she reminisced of the moments they shared while trapped in that elevator and all of her stress from that day disappeared.

           Later that evening, as she arrived at Donny’s house, she was greeted at the door by a boy around 6-years-old and a cute blonde girl with ringlets in her hair that was around 4-years-old. They each took her by a hand and guided her into the dining room where the table was set for four people. The girl directed Samantha to a chair at one end of the table, and the boy pulled it out for her. Just, then, Donny walked in from the kitchen holding a platter with a roasted ham topped with pineapple slices and he set it on the table with roast potatoes, kernelled corn, and fresh biscuits still steaming from the oven.

           “I see you met my lovely children. Let me introduce you. This is my son, Jeffrey and this little trouble-maker is Priscilla. Kids, I want you to meet Samantha. She is the one who helped Daddy get this job.”

           “Pleased to meet you!” they both responded.

           During dinner, Samantha asked Donny about his interview and what they were laughing about. Donny began to chuckle before he responded.

           “The interview went great! He was impressed with my resume and even though I didn’t have any on-hand experience, he gave me random scenarios and questions and I answered them to the best of my knowledge. Apparently, I answered correctly. The funny thing is, that wasn’t the clincher for me getting the job. He started asking me how I knew you, so I told him about the incident in the elevator the other day. When I got to the part about be farting, he nearly busted a gut. He said that the same thing happened to him when he first met his wife. He was trying to act cool as they traveled the elevator together, and he let one rip. He said that she had to hold her breath for the rest of the trip down, and when the doors opened, she ran for some fresh air. He was embarrassed at first, but they bumped to each other days later and laughed about it. They had been together ever since. He also told me that if you believe in me enough to put your faith in a stranger, then that was all that he needed to know and he offered me a job. I will start near the bottom of the ladder of course, but it is still substantially more money than what I am making now.”

           “I am so happy for you, Donny! You and your children deserve the best and I hope you get everything that your heart desires.”

           With that, Donny just stared into Samantha’s eyes and smiled. She could read his thoughts because she was thinking about the same thing.

           After tucking the kids into bed, Donny and Samantha sat in the living room for a while. When Donny finally got up the nerve to speak, he asked Samantha if she would be interested in dating more regularly. She gladly accepted his offer.

           “Jeffrey and Priscilla seemed to be taken by you; almost as much as their father is.”

           They leaned in toward each other, their lips locked, and they experienced the first of many kisses to come.

The End.