I was wondering if you'd come along
Hold up my head, when my head won't hold on
I'll do the same if the same's what you want
***Dave Matthews Band - The Stone
Sonny was quiet as he punched the elevator button for the penthouse. He didn't like elevators. They were confining. This one was barely bigger than a closet and he hated closets. By necessity he rode this elevator every day and every day he felt the same tightness in his chest and a chill always found his fingers. He glanced over at Alexis and smiled. Just the sight of her warmed him. She was beautiful, and in full lawyer mode, discussing the events of the just concluded negotiation meeting with the warehouse workers.
"I don't think this Shift Differential issue will be a problem. They want to change the night shift premium from a flat fee to a percentage of base pay." Her hands danced in the air as she made her points. "The up side of this is you won't have to renegotiate the fee every time the contract expires . . . " The elevator car shuddered, then stopped. "What was that?"
"I don't know." Sonny pushed the 'Open Door' button. Nothing happened. He pressed it again, still nothing. He slammed his hand against the control panel. The tightness in his chest increased.
"I think we're stuck. Hold on." Alexis pulled out her cell. "Johnny, it's Alexis. Sonny and I seem to be stuck in the elevator. Could you get someone on it?" She glanced over at Sonny, who attacked the control panel again, and then kicked the wall. "As soon as possible, Johnny. Thanks." She snapped the cell shut. "I think we're going to be here for a while."
Sonny barely heard her. His chest was being crushed and he could barely breathe. The chill in his fingers had turned to ice that was seeping into every part of his body. He started pacing back and forth.
"Sonny?" Her eyes followed him as he paced the elevator. "Sonny, what's wrong?"
Sonny said nothing. He was sweating.
"Sonny!" She grabbed his hand. "Sonny you're freezing cold!"
Sonny stopped pacing and looked down at her slender hand. He felt its warmth.
Alexis searched his face. "Sonny, are you claustrophobic?"
Sonny said nothing. He focused on her hand and tried to breathe.
"You are! You're claustrophobic! How can you ride this elevator every day when you're claustrophobic?" With her free hand she reached up and touched his face. "Sonny, listen to me. We're going to get through this, okay? I can help you."
Heat shot from her hand to his face. He drew a deep breath. His hand covered hers.
"We need to take your mind somewhere else, some place open. Are you with me?" Sonny nodded. "Close your eyes." Her forehead touched his. Warmth penetrated his soul. "I'm going to tell you about the most beautiful open space in the world. I'm going to tell you why I love sunsets."
Sonny closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He smelled her floral scent. Warmth radiated from her. It penetrated through his forehead and melted the ice in his veins. The sound of her voice lifted the weight off his chest.
"You're a thousand feet above the clear blue ocean." Alexis began, then stopped as a thought occurred. "You're not afraid of heights are you?"
He smiled. "No. I'm not afraid of heights." It felt good to touch her. He brought her hand from his face to join the other at his chest. He covered them both with his own.
"Good! You're on a Greek island. There are sheer cliffs below you, made from dark red volcanic rock. They're not barren though. The fishermen who live there have carved their homes into the cliffs. They paint them brilliant white and trim them in blue and green. Can you see it, Sonny?"
Sonny nodded. He was focused completely on Alexis. His world consisted of the sound of her voice, her warmth and the picture she painted in his mind.
"Good! Now up and down the cliffs are tiny winding roads that are closer to trails than real streets. And on the roads are people on dayglo motor scooters."
"Dayglo motor scooters?" He smiled, showing just a hint of dimple.
"Yes. Phosphorescent green, orange and pink motor scooters. You can see them everywhere."
"Okay. I see dayglo motor scooters. Why do they have dayglo motor scooters?"
"They're rentals. It's to keep them from getting stolen. Would you steal a dayglo motor scooter?"
He laughed gently. "You know I can't discuss certain aspects of my business dealings."
She smiled, her dimples matching his. "You would actually steal a dayglo motor scooter!" Laughter shown in her voice.
"It wouldn't matter If I did. You'd get me off on a technicality. I'm sure." They laughed together.
"I'd do my best. So can you see them? All over the cliffs are little pink and orange and green motor scooters buzzing along."
"Yes I see them." His breathing was more regular now. He wasn't in the elevator anymore. Alexis had succeeded in transporting his mind to Greece.
"The day has been very warm but there is a cool breeze off the ocean. You can feel it on your face. There are sea birds flying below you. They surround the fishing boats as they come in for the evening. Now look to the west. You can see the sun. It is literally a golden flame in the sky. The ocean is turning to gold. Golden waves with white speckles crash onto the beach below."
"It's beautiful." Sonny opened his eyes and blurted. "Is that where you met Christian?"
Alexis' mouth dropped. The elevator car started to move.
Hold up my head, when my head won't hold on
I'll do the same if the same's what you want
***Dave Matthews Band - The Stone
Sonny was quiet as he punched the elevator button for the penthouse. He didn't like elevators. They were confining. This one was barely bigger than a closet and he hated closets. By necessity he rode this elevator every day and every day he felt the same tightness in his chest and a chill always found his fingers. He glanced over at Alexis and smiled. Just the sight of her warmed him. She was beautiful, and in full lawyer mode, discussing the events of the just concluded negotiation meeting with the warehouse workers.
"I don't think this Shift Differential issue will be a problem. They want to change the night shift premium from a flat fee to a percentage of base pay." Her hands danced in the air as she made her points. "The up side of this is you won't have to renegotiate the fee every time the contract expires . . . " The elevator car shuddered, then stopped. "What was that?"
"I don't know." Sonny pushed the 'Open Door' button. Nothing happened. He pressed it again, still nothing. He slammed his hand against the control panel. The tightness in his chest increased.
"I think we're stuck. Hold on." Alexis pulled out her cell. "Johnny, it's Alexis. Sonny and I seem to be stuck in the elevator. Could you get someone on it?" She glanced over at Sonny, who attacked the control panel again, and then kicked the wall. "As soon as possible, Johnny. Thanks." She snapped the cell shut. "I think we're going to be here for a while."
Sonny barely heard her. His chest was being crushed and he could barely breathe. The chill in his fingers had turned to ice that was seeping into every part of his body. He started pacing back and forth.
"Sonny?" Her eyes followed him as he paced the elevator. "Sonny, what's wrong?"
Sonny said nothing. He was sweating.
"Sonny!" She grabbed his hand. "Sonny you're freezing cold!"
Sonny stopped pacing and looked down at her slender hand. He felt its warmth.
Alexis searched his face. "Sonny, are you claustrophobic?"
Sonny said nothing. He focused on her hand and tried to breathe.
"You are! You're claustrophobic! How can you ride this elevator every day when you're claustrophobic?" With her free hand she reached up and touched his face. "Sonny, listen to me. We're going to get through this, okay? I can help you."
Heat shot from her hand to his face. He drew a deep breath. His hand covered hers.
"We need to take your mind somewhere else, some place open. Are you with me?" Sonny nodded. "Close your eyes." Her forehead touched his. Warmth penetrated his soul. "I'm going to tell you about the most beautiful open space in the world. I'm going to tell you why I love sunsets."
Sonny closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He smelled her floral scent. Warmth radiated from her. It penetrated through his forehead and melted the ice in his veins. The sound of her voice lifted the weight off his chest.
"You're a thousand feet above the clear blue ocean." Alexis began, then stopped as a thought occurred. "You're not afraid of heights are you?"
He smiled. "No. I'm not afraid of heights." It felt good to touch her. He brought her hand from his face to join the other at his chest. He covered them both with his own.
"Good! You're on a Greek island. There are sheer cliffs below you, made from dark red volcanic rock. They're not barren though. The fishermen who live there have carved their homes into the cliffs. They paint them brilliant white and trim them in blue and green. Can you see it, Sonny?"
Sonny nodded. He was focused completely on Alexis. His world consisted of the sound of her voice, her warmth and the picture she painted in his mind.
"Good! Now up and down the cliffs are tiny winding roads that are closer to trails than real streets. And on the roads are people on dayglo motor scooters."
"Dayglo motor scooters?" He smiled, showing just a hint of dimple.
"Yes. Phosphorescent green, orange and pink motor scooters. You can see them everywhere."
"Okay. I see dayglo motor scooters. Why do they have dayglo motor scooters?"
"They're rentals. It's to keep them from getting stolen. Would you steal a dayglo motor scooter?"
He laughed gently. "You know I can't discuss certain aspects of my business dealings."
She smiled, her dimples matching his. "You would actually steal a dayglo motor scooter!" Laughter shown in her voice.
"It wouldn't matter If I did. You'd get me off on a technicality. I'm sure." They laughed together.
"I'd do my best. So can you see them? All over the cliffs are little pink and orange and green motor scooters buzzing along."
"Yes I see them." His breathing was more regular now. He wasn't in the elevator anymore. Alexis had succeeded in transporting his mind to Greece.
"The day has been very warm but there is a cool breeze off the ocean. You can feel it on your face. There are sea birds flying below you. They surround the fishing boats as they come in for the evening. Now look to the west. You can see the sun. It is literally a golden flame in the sky. The ocean is turning to gold. Golden waves with white speckles crash onto the beach below."
"It's beautiful." Sonny opened his eyes and blurted. "Is that where you met Christian?"
Alexis' mouth dropped. The elevator car started to move.