Brooke
"Roman, we're stuck," is the first thing I say upon looking out the window.
Roman and I thought it was a good idea to visit my grandparents in Minnesota. But, well, it was... until now. Trying to get to the airport, it's snowing a crap ton.
I look over at Roman who looks frustrated. His eyebrows knit together and he has a scowl on his face when he looks over it me. "I think I see that now,"
I chuckle. "I'm just letting you know," I put my hands up in defensive.
Ah the joys of Minnesota in January.
"There's a hotel up ahead," Roman says, glancing down at his phone. "I think we can make it there."
I nervously look outside. "I don't-"
He follows my gaze out the window. "It'll be okay," He reassures me. "We have all our snow gear on and it's just up this hill,"
I glare his way, but nod anyways.
And to be honest, the walk to the hotel actually wasn't that bad. It was quite peaceful actually. The snow was beautiful and besides getting stuck, it's a good night to see the snow.
The hotel we go into is a simple motel type place. But it's actually almost like a log cabin with it's inside decor. I look around in awe.
"It's beautiful," I say to no one in particular.
I feel Roman kiss my cheek, "I'm going to go check us in," He says and walks over to the counter.
I look at him as he leaves and I smile to myself. I really love him. Like seriously. No matter how moody or serious he can be, he's the best guy I've ever met. We've been together three years now. It's crazy to think of how much time has passed.
Roman graduated and got his degree in computer science. He now works at a school district as their IT department head. He wouldn't admit it but I know he loves helping the kids with their technology. He tells me new stories all the time. At first, I thought it was a little out of character for him but then I realized that maybe he's just never been able to show that side of him until it was right in front of him.
Every time I see him with his stepsister, Lydia, my heart squeezes. She looks very similar to him with her identical hazel eyes but she has dark red hair that is gorgeous.
I'm finishing up my degree and in a few weeks I will actually co-own the dance studio I have been working at. The owner and I have a very good relationship and she is sadly going to retire soon.
When she asked me I actually cried and hugged her for like thirty minutes. One because I was then realizing that I was going to eventually own the studio, but also at the fact that she was retiring. When I started the job I was so nervous and she was the best thing I could have asked for. I get a little emotional everytime I think of it.
Roman walks back over with the room key and I think he notices my shivering because he wraps his arms around me. "Your clothes are freezing!" I squeal.
He chuckles. "Tough," He says, as he kisses my forehead. "Let's go get some rest, 'kay?"
I look up at him and nod.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ash
"You got everything didn't you?" I frantically ask Derek as I search the hotel room for anything we might have missed.
He sighs and I see the amusement on his face. "Yes I did, now can we please get some food?" He pleads.
I look over at him and smile at his tired looking eyes. He had a big game tonight and I was anxious the entire time. We leave early in the morning for a flight out to Dallas and Derek and I both agreed to have the stuff packed before we go to sleep.
Derek's team won 2-0 but I know it was stressful for him. Derek has been playing for the Wilds for over a year now and I can tell it's taken a toll on him. No matter how long he is gone, I miss him every time he leaves. Most of our relationship nowadays is through phone calls and text messages but I'm fine with it because it means the love of my life can live out his dream.
I'm very close to finishing my Undergraduate and I'm thinking of going to graduate school right away. School has been the thing that keeps me busy while Derek is gone.
My job at the bookstore has also helped. God, I love that store. It's like heaven walking in every shift. It's a small used book store downtown and I could live peacefully in there forever.
Life has been good. Complicated, but good. Derek walks over to me and kisses my forehead before pecking my lips, which turns into him laying my down on the bed, and I guess his hunger is forgotten.
"Shit," Derek mutters, after pulling away. "You made me forget I was hungry,"
I start laughing and he does the same, gazing down at me with that dazzling smile and bright blue eyes.
"I love you," He says and he kisses my forehead.
I smile. "I love you too,"
His lips linger on my cheek and jaw before pulling away. He holds a hand out to me and pulls me up. Our foreheads connect and I take a deep breath. I could be here with him the rest of my life and never complain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brooke
My stomach growls in the dark. I'm starving. Like, eat a cow type hunger.
Roman passed out about ten minutes after we got into the hotel room and I guess we forgot to grab me something to eat.
My plan was to get something at the airport to eat on the plane, but now that we've rescheduled our flight after the snow issue, we never made it to the airport and I never got food.
I roll over to face Roman who is actually very close to me, if I leaned just an inch forward our noses would touch.
"Roman," I whisper.
He doesn't even twitch.
I sigh, really not wanting to wake him. "Roman," I whisper a bit louder.
He jolts this time and his eyes open. "What? What?"
I fight a smile or laugh from coming out.
"Brooke?" He asks, quietly.
"I'm hungry," I say, softly.
He closes his eyes and I can see the realization on his face. "You never got food,"
I shake my head. He immediately gets out of the bed and moves to our small bag of clothes.
I tilt my head as I watch him. "What are you doing?" I ask.
He looks at me like I said something weird. "I'm getting you food," He states.
I could melt.
"I'll go with you," I tell him.
He shakes his head, slipping his sweatpants and sweatshirt on. "I'll go, it's my fault you didn't eat anyways,"
I squint. "Uh, no it's not, I chose not to eat earlier,"
He watches me with a smirk. "And I didn't get you anything,"
"That still doesn't-"
"Bye babe, I'll be back," He says moving to walk out the door.
My jaw drops. "Hey wait!" I say, running to grab a hoodie to catch up with him. I was too lazy to change earlier so now I'm rocking old leggings and one of Roman's old hoodies.
I make it all the way to the elevator, but before I can fully catch up with him, I see his face, mischievous as always, waving at me through the closing elevator doors.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ash
Walking back into the looby of this very cozy looking hotel, Derek and I find a restaurant that looks suitable for us to eat at.
I've learned that Derek can actually be a picky eater, I tried to take him to a sushi place and he looked at me like I was an alien explaining how the dishwasher works. I laughed for about ten minutes when I realized that he actually just didn't like sushi and I didn't have anything on my face. There are a lot of other things he doesn't like and everytime we go out to eat, I ask him if he likes or dislikes something, he hates it but I like to tease him.
"Salmon?"
A shake of his head.
"Brussel sprouts?"
He chokes. "Jesus Ash, hell no, that's actually revolting that you even said the word,"
I giggle behind the menu and he pulls it down onto the table. I smile at him and he tries his best not to.
"Did you call your mom?" He asks me a moment later.
My eyes widen and I frantically search for my phone. When I don't find anything I realize I left it in the room. I tell Derek I'll be right back and head back up to the room. After retrieving my phone, I exit the hotel room.
But suddenly I jump when I see someone run past me. I look down the hallway and see two people running after the elevator. Huh, weird. I walk down the direction of the two people and march up to the elevator.
I'm met with a girl who looks about my age. She's a bit taller than me but not by much. She has dark hazel eyes and her hair flows over her shoulders in a wavy like style. Her and I are actually matching in our leggings and sweatshirts. She must be the one who was running down the hallway, she looks out of breath.
"Hi," she says awkwardly. "You saw me run didn't you,"
I chuckle. "Sure did," I tell her. "Who were you running after?"
She rolls her eyes but a smile coats her lips. "My boyfriend," She tells me. "He thought it would be chivalrous to go down and get me food by himself. I told him no but he left before I could even get out of the room. I tried my best to catch up with him but it was no use,"
I burst out laughing and she joins me. "Quite the story," I tell her.
"I'll say," she chuckles. "But now I'm starving and wish this elevator would open."
"I have some pretzels in my purse?" I offer, tapping the purse that goes over my shoulder and rests at my hip.
She shakes her head. "Thank you, but I'm sure by the time I get down there, the king of chivalry will have food ready for me,"
I chuckle at her comment and then the elevator dings, the doors opening.
We both get in and I press the lobby button.
The elevator starts to move but the moment I go to reach for my phone, it shakes and then... stops moving.
"What just happened?" The girl beside me asks.
My anxiety swells. "I think we just got stuck in the elevator,"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brooke
This is a joke right? Someone has to be punking me. My heart starts racing and I look over to the girl next to me, who embarrassingly saw me run after Roman, and see that she looks just as terrified.
"This is a nightmare," The girl says. "It has to be,"
I nod in agreement and take in the reality of this situation. The girl and I lock eyes, her wide and terrified green eyes meet my equally terrified ones.
"If we cry now do you think they will rescue us faster," She says.
I shrug my shoulders and will my own nervous tears away.
"I have my phone, I'll try to call my boyfriend to see if they can help us," The girls says, pulling her phone from her small purse.
I realize I left in such a hurry, that I don't even have my phone, Roman is going to flip.
The girl sighs and looks frustrated, "The cell service isn't working and I never connected to the Wifi,"
I groan, sliding my body down the wall of the elevator. "Push the call button on the wall, see if that works,"
She nods and walks over to it, once she presses the button it sounds like a phone dialing.
"911 what is your emergency?" the caller says.
"Hi, yes, um we are stuck an elevator at the Lodge Inn, is there anyway someone can help us out?"
This girl is too nice, I'd probably be yelling by now. Well, maybe not yelling, but I sure wouldn't be polite.
"Oh of course, I'm sorry, let me notify the fire department and we will contact the hotel," The women on the phone says.
The call suddenly hangs up and she looks back at me, "Hopefully that works," She says, nervously.
She joins me and sits on the opposite end of the elevator, near the door.
"Well since we are here, what's your name?"
"I'm Ash," she says. "You?"
"Brooke, nice to meet you, well I guess it isn't that nice since we are stuck,"
Ash gives a sad chuckle. "Yeah I guess so," she says. "Derek said this place was old anyways," she says, mainly to herself.
"Who?" I ask, curiously.
"Oh, my boyfriend. He and I are here together." She explains. "We are supposed to fly out to Dallas tomorrow so let's pray we can get out of her," she says.
I nod. "My boyfriend Roman and I are supposed to leave too. We actually got a tad stuck in the snow so that's why we are here,"
Ash chuckles then. "That's so funny, Derek and I actually got stuck in the snow on one of our first "dates"" she says, and uses parentheses when she said 'dates'.
I laugh. "That's hysterical, and what's with the air quotes."
She shrugs. "It was..."
"Complicated?" I offer.
She nods.
I nod back. "I know all about that,"
She looks curious. "Oh, do tell?"
"Well Roman might hate me for sharing this but we are stuck and I could die in here from all I know," Ash laughs. "Roman used to be an underground street fighter,"
Ash's jaw drops. "Oh my god, no way!" She says surprised.
I nod. "Yes way. Complicated is in our vocabulary,"
"So he got out of it?" She asks.
I nod. "He actually got arrested towards the end, but that was only for a short time to weed everything out. The guy he was under basically blackmailed him,"
Ash frowns. "That sucks, but I'm glad he's out now,"
I nod. "Me too," I say. "So what about you?"
"Derek's a hockey player," She says.
I throw my head back laughing.
"That is such a good answer," I say.
She chuckles. "Yeah, it's basically a definition." She says clearly amused. "He actually plays for the NHL now. It's been a slow and hard process for him and that's actually what led us here."
I nod. "And now we are stuck in the elevator,"
"Most exciting thing to happen to me in months," She says.
"I'd have to agree,"