Chapter 3: Elevator Frustration

JAMIE

After a forty-five-minute catch-up lunch with Ethan, I walked the cold street toward Knight & Son.

December was absolutely bitter, so much so that I covered up head to toe.

I held my phone against my ear, chatting to my mum. She was doing her usual thing: trying to set me up on a date.

I really hated it when she did this, but the woman was on a mission to get me married off before I hit my thirties.

“I don’t know... I don’t really like the idea of going out with a man I’ve never seen before, Mum. What if I don’t like what he looks like?”

I don’t mean to sound shallow, but I’m going to need some encouragement if she wants me to do this.

Mum clicked her tongue off the roof of her mouth.

“Ryan is very good-looking, and I think you would like him. He seems very eager to meet you, Jamie.”

I caught a glimpse of Mason Knight as I got closer to the office door, his arms wrapped around a different blonde, his hands squeezing her ass over a tight black mini.

She was whispering in his ear and by the look on his face it was something rather raunchy.

~He’s such a whore!~

Mason glanced in my direction as I opened the door before focusing his attention back on the blonde.

He wasn’t worried about looking inappropriate in front of staff—I guess why would he, when he’s screwed half of them already.

“Jamie—Jamie, are you there?”

“Sorry, Mum, I was—distracted. What was it you were saying?”

I pressed the button continuously for the elevator to come down. It was quiet in reception, a change from the usual rush.

“I was just asking, would you give Ryan a chance? One date? I can send you a picture of him so you can see for yourself.”

~Oh, give in, Jamie. You know she won’t.~

I sighed as I pressed the button for the elevator again.

“All right. I’ll go on the date. But I swear, Mum, if this guy is a weirdo, I’m so out.”

I heard a chuckle beside me and I looked over.

Shit.

Mason Knight’s muscular frame was standing right next to me; he was looking at the elevator doors with a huge smirk on his face. I assumed he’d overheard my conversation.

“I have to go, Mum. Call you back.”

I hung up the phone while she was still chatting away, placed my phone back in my bag, and looked toward the elevator doors, willing them to open so I wouldn’t have to stand next to him in awkward silence.

“So your mum is setting you up on a date. That’s a bit weird. You can’t find a date for yourself?”

Mr. Knight turned his head in my direction, waiting for an answer.

I was biting my tongue. I wanted to tell him to keep his opinions and rude comments to himself.

“It’s a blind date. I’m just going to humor her. It’s worth it to keep her off my back about my dating life.”

“Or your lack of.”

He chuckled.

“I’m guessing you don’t do much dating. A word of advice: wear something a bit revealing and try not to talk a lot. A man is only interested in looks, after all.”

~Of course he would say that. He doesn’t care if a woman is sensitive and sweet, just as long as she’s hot enough to bang.~

The elevator doors opened. No one was inside, no one waiting to get in but us.

Just me and Mr. Knight to ride forty-eight floors alone.

What were the chances?

“Are you coming or what?” Mr. Knight held the door open. “I’d advise that you get in. Unless you want to stay late again.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

I think I would rather be in a confined space with him for a couple of minutes than stay late again.

I stepped in and stood next to him. Mason pressed the button for the forty-eighth floor and up we went.

“I’m going to need you to set up that meeting with Mr. Henderson for sometime this week.”

He was tapping his screen lightly.

“Make sure it’s at the Bradford. And make sure it’s not too late.”

“Yes, Mr. Knight.” I was trying my best to be professional and polite.

All of a sudden the elevator shuddered and came to a halt, causing my heart to jump up into my throat.

The doors didn’t open. It was quite clear that it wasn’t just stopping at another floor.

~No fucking way.~

“For fuck’s sake,” Mr. Knight exhaled, pressing the buttons over and over again. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

I sighed. “We’re stuck.”

He rolled his eyes. “You don’t say. Of all the elevators in the building to get in, we got into this one. I have a meeting in the conference room at two o’clock.”

He glanced down at his expensive watch and released a sigh of frustration.

~Unless we get out of here in eight minutes—which I really hope we do—he isn’t going to make that meeting.~

The thought of being alone with this asshole for a couple minutes tops was bad enough. Now it seemed that it was going to be a lot longer than that.

Just then the emergency intercom sputtered to life.

“Hi, you’re speaking with Adam from security. We’ve been alerted that there is a fault with the elevator you’re in. If you two could sit tight, help is on the way.”

Mason pressed the button for the speaker.

“How long of a wait are we talking about here?” he asked with a tone.

“We’re looking at about forty-five minutes to an hour’s wait, but hopefully we can get you sorted a lot sooner than that. Just sit tight and try to remain calm.”

Remain calm.

Easy for Adam to say when he wasn’t stuck in here with Mason Knight.

Mr. Knight turned, agitated.

“Looks like we’re stuck, Jamie.”

I felt like rolling my eyes at him just like he did me. But of course I couldn’t.

“Guess so.”

~I hope the elevator starts up soon. I would literally rather be caught with anyone else.~

***

Forty-five minutes later and we were still stuck in a confined space, the elevator from hell.

Feeling hot too: clothes had been shed, just the outer layers.

I was trying to last as long as I could with my extra layers until it got to the point where I couldn’t take the heat any longer.

I didn’t want to sweat in front of him!

I was resting against the wall, turned to the side so I wasn’t facing him.

I wasn’t trying to be rude, I just figured it would be awkward if we were facing each other in silence.

“I’ve never seen you wear those before.”

Mr. Knight pointed to the pair of glasses I was wearing—black framed ones I wear when I’m reading, which I was currently doing to pass the time.

“I try not to. They’re just for reading.”

I looked back down at my romance book, not even reading, just pretending.

“You don’t like them?” He scooted closer, invading my space with his scent.

As much as I dislike the man, he does smell rather good…like very good.

I looked up from my page again and gave him a shrug of the shoulder.

“Well, they’re not exactly attractive.”

~I can’t believe he’s actually trying to make conversation.~

“What’s that you’re reading?”

Instead of waiting for a reply he snatched the book from my hands and turned it over to look at the cover.

“A romance. Hm. Why am I not surprised.”

I furrowed my brow.

“Because I read romance. I think a lot of people do.”

~Boy, I wish I could tell him to mind his own business and shove his opinions up his chauvinistic ass.~

Mr. Knight chuckled.

“When are you going to wake up and realize life isn’t a fairy tale?”

He handed me my book.

“There is no such thing as happily ever after, Jamie,”

I was looking up at him, seeing how dark his eyes were now that he was so close. The closest I’d ever been to him.

“That’s your opinion, I guess. I’m allowed to have mine, just like you are.”

The elevator jolted suddenly and then started to move, climbing the floors of the building and bringing us closer and closer to forty-eight.

Closer and closer to freedom.

“We should grab our things,” I said, and he moved out of my way.

We both grabbed our jackets and stood by the doors, waiting for them to open.

Stuck in an elevator with a man who hates me. It would happen to me.

~Carmen is going to laugh her ass off when I tell her.~

Just as we reached our floor, Mr. Knight turned his head in my direction.

“You’re wrong about the glasses. They’re not unattractive.”

The doors opened and he walked out, leaving me in confusion.

***

After an eventful afternoon of elevator frustration with the Big Bad Boss, I spent the rest of the day buried in my work.

It was after six before I even took my eyes off the screen and realized people had already started to leave.

I’d better get going too.

I was packing up my things and tidying my desk when I faintly overheard a conversation from Mr. Knight’s office.

Between him and Jen.

“Come on, Mason, you know I can give you anything you want back at mine.”

“One time and one time only. Remember what I told you?” His words came out harsh. “And you told me you were okay with that.”

“I just thought—”

“I know what you thought. You thought you could change me. Everybody thinks that. Well, I am who I am, and I can’t be changed!”

“Fine, then. But you know where I’ll be if you change your mind.”

The door opened and Jen walked out with a scowl on her face, a scowl I was sure she hadn’t shown him.

I felt sorry for her, a bit. But she must have known what she was getting into.

I shook my head.

My phone vibrated on my desk. I picked it up and saw that it was a text from Mum.

When I opened the message I was pleased to see a picture of a very handsome man on my screen.

~That woman works fast!~

Mum was right. Ryan had a rugged look about him, exactly what I liked in a man.

“That isn’t the guy that you’re going on a date with, is it?” Mr. Knight’s voice came from behind me.

I turned around and saw that he had been peering over my shoulder.

“Why do you ask?”

He screwed up his face. “Just…not the type of guy I imagined you with.”

“Well, I could imagine myself with him.” I shoved the last of my things into my bag in a hurry. “Do you need anything else? Or is it okay that I leave?”

“You can go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He placed his hands in the pockets of his pants and walked toward his office for another long night.

~What is it with him?~

Last week he’d gone absolutely ballistic and threatened my job.

But since the faulty elevator earlier he seemed to think he could give his opinions on my life.

~Fuck that asshole.~