Found In The Dark

Roger was usually a very calm person until the evening of the electrical storm. He had lived in his apartment complex going on four years now. Becky had lived at the apartment complex for going on ten years now. Becky was vibrant and very beautiful at forty five and Roger, who was just twenty five, found her to be very captivating. She was always way to friendly he thought whenever they would meet in the elevator or in the laundry room in the basement of the building. Roger never tried to ask her for a date or anything because of the differences in their ages and fear that she would laugh him off and possibly ruin whatever friendship they might have mustered through the four years that they had known each other. Then it happened.

It was around six pm on a hot August Friday. The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunder storm warning for that night. The clouds were banking when Roger got home from work at four thirty. But the temperature was still hovering around the ninety degree mark. He opened the fridge to grab a beer.

“Shit!” he exclaimed. “I knew I needed something.”

Roger ran down to the grocery store and loaded up on Deli meats, bread and cheese and then down to the liquor store and picked up a case of his favorite cold brew and a bottle of red wine. He stopped at the gas station, topped off the tank and drove home. He pulled into the parking garage just as it started to rain. As Roger was unloading his purchases from his trunk, Becky pulled in and took the empty spot next to him.

“Loading up for the weekend I see,” she commented when she saw the items he had. “Let me help you with those.”

“Thank you maam,” Roger said sheepishly as he blushed.

“Hey. The names Becky, Rog. My mothers a maam. I’m still to young to be called that,” she offered as they made their way to the elevator. “Say. I made a big pan of Lasagna last night and I have a lot left over. What say I bring it over and we can split it for supper tonight. Beats a cold-cut sandwich any day.”

“Sorry,” he muttered. “Okay. But only if you’re sure. Thank you… Becky.”

“That’s okay,” she said as the elevator doors opened and two couples got off. “Oh. One more thing Roger. I don’t bite. Well. Not very hard anyway.”

Roger was sweating as this was the most that they had spoken to each other at one time in the four years that they’ve know each other. And now. Was she coming on to him or just messing with him because he was so shy?

They boarded the elevator and Becky hit the button for the tenth floor. Around the seventh floor they her the crack and felt the boom and it went dark inside the elevator for a few seconds until the emergency lighting came on. Oh yeah. This will be the first time Roger was stuck in a dead elevator as well.

“What the hell!” he exclaimed as he pushed the door open button.

“Don’t worry Roger the last time this happened they managed to rescue the occupants in just under four days,” Becky joked. “That was seven years ago now.”

“What? Don’t even joke about that!” he stated.

“Relax. The super is pretty good at calling the fire rescue. They’ll be here in no time to open the doors and help us get out. You aint claustrophobic are you?” she asked as she picked up the emergency phone.

“No! I’m not. It’s just that this is my first time stuck in an elevator,” he offered as Becky hung up the phone.

“This used to be a regular experience for me at my old building. If the elevator wasn’t stuck at least once a month you were lucky. The super was already on the phone with fire rescue. That was the good news Roger. Now please don’t panic. But he said that they were busy and it might be a few hours. Can you handle that?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be okay. Why are they busy? Did the super say?” he asked as they sat down.

“Apparently that crack boom was a lightning strike. Took out a local substation and they are busy with a whole lot of other calls. They have all their stations out,” she explained.

“Okay. You got my stomach growling with the mention of that Lasagna and now I’m hungry. Want some sandwiches and beer?” he asked Becky.

“Sure. I could eat,” she replied.

They made some sandwiches and sat there eating and drinking beer for a while.

“This isn’t bad for our first date huh Roger?” Becky asked out of the blue.

“Huh? What?” He sputtered.

“Our first date. Don’t tell me you haven’t wondered what this would be like?” she asked pointing to her body. “I’ve seen you look at me.”

“Maybe. I’ll probably have to move after this. But yeah. I’ve noticed you and you are smoking good looking. And yes. I’ve thought about what it would be like to be with you. But I’ve always been to scared to even think about asking you over for coffee or anything,” he confessed.

“You won’t have to move very far Roger. I like you too. I don’t usually offer to share my Lasagna with just anybody,” she offered and then leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

He slowly reached out and took her head and pulled it in close and then he kissed her lips. They embraced and kissed for a few minutes before letting up.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he stated.

“To long. That’s why I started," she said and then kissed him again.

They finished the sandwiches that they had made and chugged the open beer and then started making out. They were doing fine for about an hour when they heard a voice from above holler down.

“Fire Rescue! We should get to you any minute now. Just hang in there,” the firefighter stated.

“Take your time! We’re okay in here. If you have to rescue anybody else. Just go ahead,” Roger yelled back up as he and Becky made love under the dim red glow of the emergency lights.

The End…?