The Elevator

Prologue

It was the same routine every morning for Iris Fletcher.

Wake up, go to work, go home, sleep, repeat. There was nothing complicated about it, but that didn't mean Iris was fine with living the mundane life.

Iris was seemingly completely ordinary. Nothing too special about her, minus her eccentricities. 22 years old; small, average body. Messy, chin length hair that's been dyed purple, her dark brown roots beginning to grow out and the dark purple fading to pastel. Average clothing, oversized and comfy, but still appropriate for work. And her normal brown eyes, framed by cute circle glasses.

Iris craved adventure, having never been given the opportunity to explore in her childhood. She's the eldest of 3 siblings with only an overworking mom that required her to get part-time jobs all throughout highschool to help make ends meet. She had longed to become an artist or an actress, she'd even gone to college, and now she's an intern at Acewood Designs.

Acewood is one of the top tier brands in the fashion industry, Iris sometimes can't believe that she made it here. But the ecstasy of such feat wore off weeks ago and she feels the mundane-ness of life seeping through her bones every morning she wakes up and each night she falls asleep in her small apartment.

Until one fateful day.

Evangeline Burton, heiress to Acewood Designs, 26 years old and drop dead gorgeous with her slim body and model-worthy height, framed by gorgeous strands of black waves, and intended to be married to Ian Murphy, one of the alleged 'hottest actors in the 21st century', stepped into the elevator as if it were any normal day of the week for her. Which it probably was, but for Iris, it was like her world turned upside down.

It was as if she were almost in the presence of a goddess and she felt blessed even if no words were spoken between them until Iris got off on her floor. This was where Iris would run to the break room on the cafeteria floor to grab coffees for her superiors and coworkers on her team two floors down. This trip took her longer than usual, as she was in a daze from her encounter with Evangeline.

Nobody really questioned her behavior, though she did get a few odd looks. But she snapped out of it and easily jumped back into work, running around and collecting papers.

That night she had gone home and squealed into her best friend's ear about her surprise run in with the future CEO of Acewood Designs. Iris has known Karen Green since middle school, they met along the wall at a school dance, they've been best friends ever since. They've also been other things to each other; first kiss, first girlfriend, first time, first breakup. Haircuts, hairdos, frat parties, first consumption of alcohol, first time smoking weed. But they've stuck together through thick and thin, and Karen was immediate to hold the phone away until Iris settled down and then they squealed together.

What they thought was a one-time chance encounter happened again the next day. And the next. And the next. Weeks of getting on the elevator to stand next to Evangeline, with no words exchanged, and getting off two floors later. The razzle-dazzle of that, too, began to fade off and Iris felt nothing but admiration and respect for the other woman. Her idolization of her had worn off. Evangeline had become just another person in the mundane cycle of life.

Then again, another fateful day, another something happened.

Iris had stepped onto the elevator and took her usual place next to Evangeline in the otherwise empty elevator. Silence followed for a beat, and then..

"I love you." Evangeline sighs suddenly, piercing the silence that usually encases the elevator.

The tone of her voice, someone just couldn't deny that it was heartfelt.

Then Iris began to panic, many thoughts swirled through her mind at that moment. There was no one else in the elevator, one floor passed, her's was coming up.

Is it too late to respond?

Another beat.

To hell with it.

The elevator dinged, the doors opened.

"I love you, too." Iris hesitantly squeaked out after what felt like hours, but was only a sheer moment of panic. Her hand had run through her hair on automation, as if to smooth it down like it could be tamed. Her voice rang loud in her ears and she felt the embarrassment well in her cheeks.

The other woman snapped her head around, face flushed to the fullest capability. The two men awaiting to get on looking on with curiosity in their eyes as they seemingly placed the puzzle pieces together.

Evangeline pointed at her bluetooth earpiece.

Iris thought she was going to die. Even her green eyes were gorgeous.