Unlikely encounters

Some tiny but treacherous flakes kept touching his coat. Jake was walking back to his office. He noticed that it had started to snow, again. People were gradually pulling their hoods on to cover their head.

A woman, working in his building, nearly fell.  Luckily, Tom was there to come to her rescue. She was wearing high heels and trying to quickly get in a car that had been waiting for her.

With a deep sight, he enters the building. It was going to be a long afternoon. A Board meeting that promised to keep him, and all top executives, locked in a conference room for hours. The meeting was about downsizing one branch and expanding another. It implied laying off several people. It was not going to be pleasant.

As he arrives in his office, he looks out the window. In just a few minutes, the snow was making a white blanket on top of the buildings. It felt wet and cold.

A few steps away, he could hear steps of people entering the conference room. His office was just next door.

“They are about to start, Mr. Brown, “said his Executive Assistant, after knocking on the door.

“Thank you, I will be in, in a few minutes,” he responded.

This was the last thing he remembered about being surrounded by so many people. The rest of the afternoon was a blur after that.

That day, little did Jake know that he would make unlikely acquaintances that would change his perspective about the people he saw at work.

It snowed all afternoon and that snow eventually turned into ice. Not wanting to be stuck in traffic, his co-workers left early. Jake, on the other hand, did not feel threatened by the weather condition. He thought that since he had an SUV, lived in town, and was even close to a subway station, he would be fine.

But things did not turn that way.

As the snow continued to fall outside, he realized that the garage had closed. His car was the only one on the parking lot. On his floors, the lights were off, and the building janitor was making his rounds to empty trash cans.

“Come in,” Jake said when the man arrived at his door, knocking.

“’Evening, Sir. I am sorry to bother you.”

“It’s okay. Looks like it is just us two!”

“I’m afraid so. But I am used to this. I have the late-night shift, so I’m good!”

“I see.”

“You stuck here ha?!”

“I’m afraid so. Tried to order something but everything is closed.”

“Well, you might find some thing good in the kitchen.”

“That kitchen?”

“Yeah, been there at night? I’m the janitor and I see all the good stuff you guys sometimes leave behind. It’s not all spoiled you know.”

“Like what?”

“Leftover pizzas, some beer, cookies, leftover coffee, packs for hot chocolate, milk…the good stuff, for an evening like this one.”

“I never thought about it. See, we head out in the evening.”

“I know, and people like me come in to clean.”

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Mike, everyone here calls me Micky though.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Jake.”

The two men shook hands. Something that felt odd but also normal. They were equal in this situation: stranded on the eleventh floor of an office. The only area where offices still had their lights on, yet only two people—no three—were in the entire building.

As the two carried their casual conversation, Tom, the security guard walked by. He was curious to know with whom Micky was talking to at this hour. The building was supposed to be theirs by now.

Micky had already picked up the trash and as he turned to walk out, he said “’tell you what. If you’re interested, curious and getting a little hungry, my homey Tom and I will be taking a break in about an hour.”

“Did you just call—” Tom was surprised to see who his office mate was talking to.

“Good evening, Sir. Didn’t realize you had not left.”

“It’s alright. Micky was just telling me about the two of you hanging out here at night,” he said laughing.

“Well, Sir…erhh it’s not quite like that!”

“It’s okay, Tom, your secret is safe with me. Looks like I will be joining the fun. If it is okay by you, of course.”

“Sure, we would be honored to have you.”

“First names only,” said Jake.

“That works, that’s cool by me.”

About an hour later, the three huddled in the kitchen. They looked for what was still comestible. There wasn’t much, but they had enough to make a lot of hot chocolate.  

As they sat around the table, each of them took turns explaining their secret hot chocolate recipes. Micky revealed his unique twist of adding a pinch of cinnamon, while Tom shared his family’s tradition of adding a dash of nutmeg.

Micky was lucky. Susan, the Office manager, kept cinnamon in the kitchen. She would add it to her coffee in the morning. Tom kept some spices for his late dinner in a drawer. Nutmeg was one of them.

Jake, on the other hand, surprised them both with his secret ingredient - a hint of mint that added a refreshing twist to the warm drink. For some reason, he enjoyed drinking a mix of mint sirup with sparkling water. This was his mom’s favorite afternoon refreshment. So, he always had a bottle in his office. For the occasion, he added a quarter of a teaspoon in his mixture.

They decided to have a friendly competition to determine who made the best hot chocolate. This kept them busy at the late hour of the evening. The snow kept coming and there was nowhere else to go after all.

With eager anticipation, they tasted each other’s creations, savoring the rich flavors and discussing their preferences. In the end, Jake’s mint-infused hot chocolate won the unanimous vote, and a newfound bond was formed between the three.

“I knew it!” he said, standing up from his chair.

“This thing”

“A killer hot chocolate. You need to show us where you get that mint,”

“Easy. You can find it in the grocery store, down the street.”

“Expensive?”

“Kind of. Thirty dollars for this size.”

“Thirty dollars!”

“Okay, I take it back. It’s expensive. But so worth it!”

“Yes, Sir!” said Tom.

As the night wore on, they shared stories, dreams, and aspirations. It turned out that all three were raised just a few blocks away from each other. They realized that they had more in common than they initially thought. Jake learned about the Micky’s passion for art and Tom’s love for music. They discovered that they all had hidden talents and dreams that had been overshadowed by their daily routines.

Amid their confinement, they found solace in each other’s company. They laughed a lot and cried when they talked about their families. The high tower, once a place of isolation, became an instant sanctuary of friendship and understanding.

While Micky and Jake slept in the conference room, Tom kept an eye out. Well, sort of. He had cranked up the heat a little more and brought some extra blankets for his two friends. He kept those in his office for cold winter days.

By six o’clock, the snowstorm had finally subsided. The roads were cleared, Jake, Tom and Micky woke up with a newfound appreciation for the unexpected connections life can bring. They promised to check on each other regularly, introduce their families to each other and to never forget the bond they had formed during that unforgettable snowstorm.

And so, Jake who had made work his priority was eager to return to his family. This time, he brought with him a heart full of warmth and a reminder of the power of unlikely friendships.

From that day forward, Jake made it a point to spend more time with his loved ones, knowing that life’s most precious moments are often found in the most unexpected places.