"Which floor?" He asked in a softer tone than she'd heard him speak in earlier.
She rolled her eyes. "First floor. I think...I'm just trying to find the bathroom."
He pressed the button for the first floor and it lit up under his touch. He then pressed one of the buttons for the top floor and stood back as the elevator door began to close.
Seren had never liked small spaces. As a child she had always known the wide outdoors and the open spaces. Small places went against everything she knew. And as she gripped the wooden bar behind her for comfort, she closed her eyes and willed it to climb faster.
"Are you ok?" The man asked, his eyes looking her up and down.
"Yes, I'm fine." Seren lied, " I'm just not a fan of elevators."
The man nodded and slipped a cell phone out from his pocket. No sooner had he flipped it open, then the elevator began to shake violently up and down.
Gripping the wooden bar until her knuckles became white, Seren fell to her knees and closed her eyes. The man pinned himself against the wall, both arms stretched wide. The light above them flickered until finally it died. And they were alone in the dark. Not moving. Her heart pounding and palms sweating, Seren managed to drag herself to her feet. The man across from her moved, but she couldn't see him.
"Are you ok?" He asked, his feet shuffling across the carpet.
It suddenly occured to her that she was stuck. And it was dark, and this person she was stuck with was a stranger to her. Her regrets were forming already as she wished she was on her way to Jacksonville for than ever.
"I'm...fine." She stuttered, trying to discern which direction the footsteps were going in.
She heard buttons being pressed, and a lighter being flicked.
"Damn it..." He spat, throwing something on the ground. "The damn thing never works!"
Seren rummaged in her bag for the same thing, and flick it to life. His face was incredulous. She held it over the buttons as the man pressed the emergency help.
"Thanks." He said humbly.
In the flame she noticed his face for the first time. His jawline was covered in stubble, he looked like he hadn't slept for days. Amongst the black ties and cocktail dressed downstairs he stuck out like a sore thumb. He smiled gratefully and Seren let go of the fuse as it began to grow hot and burn her. But she knew now, she was in no danger. He would not hurt her. She wasn't alone with someone to fear. And her thoughts of Jacksonville faded away. As did the darkness. The light above them flickered, and even though it was dimmer than before, it came back on and basked the tiny elevator in a low orange glow. The emergency button was flashing, but neither of them knew what that meant.
"Perhaps it sets off an alarm or something." Seren surmised.
"One they'll never hear down there." The man added, sighing heavily and checking his phone again. "No signal."
A silence hung over the small space. The man slumped to the ground and rested his head on his arms. Seren slid down the wall and leaned against it, putting her shoes beside her. She knew she wouldn't be missed for a while. She was glad for the first time that she hadn't genuinely needed the bathroom.
"I hate elevators..." She said, hugging her arms tightly around herself.
"Not crazy about them either." The man replied. "But since we're stuck here...I'm Robert."
"Seren...." She began, about to say the rest of the name she loathed. But she didn't. "Seren Phoenix."
"I didn't realise we were doing last names too..." He joked. "Robert Pattinson."
She nodded politely and went back to assessing the situation. She couldn't help but notice the man's face. It was staring at her, and he looked confused.
"Nice to meet you." She said, wondering if this was the response he was looking for.
"And you." He said quietly, returning to his cell phone that wouldn't work.
Rob sighed in relief and suddenly it didn't matter that he had no signal. The girl opposite him seemed to not know who he was. He'd had reservations about telling her his name, but then thought the most logical thing to do would be to get it out of the way. At best, she would know who he was and not care. At worst, she'd start asking for pictures and autographs when he least wanted to give them. Being an actor presented so many amazing opportunities. And some not so amazing. He wouldn't have changed a thing. But sometimes when all he wanted was the put his head down and walk around, there was nowhere to hide. His face was omnipresent in all the magazines. Which was why it struck him as odd that the girl would not know him at all. He studied her closely. She wasn't pretending. She had no idea who he was.
"So Seren...enjoying the party?" He asked, finally relaxing in her company.
She thought about it. "Not really. I'm only here for my cousin. I've only been in the city a few hours. It's been a little...overwhelming."
The words slipped out like verbal butter. She usually never gave this much away. But somehow she'd said too much, to someone she wasn't sure cared to know.
"I only arrived today." He replied. "But I can't stay here. It's a little too...grand."
Seren nodded. "Yeah, it's a little intimidating."
Robert pulled the zip of his hoodie down and curled it up behind his back. Seren wanted to cross her legs, but the dress would never allow the position without embarassment. She placed her bag between her legs and hoped it would hide her blushes.
"Let's hope their elevator alarm is just as grand." He said, watching the button flash over and over.
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