Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights above cast a strobe-like effect on Beatrice’s face, making her already-wide eyes seem even larger. She bit back a giggle, the urge to start singing a show tune bubbling in her chest. Kevin, her coworker, was attempting to pry open the elevator doors with a pen. “Well, this is going to be a story, isn’t it?” she finally said, her voice laced with an undeniable lightness. She leaned against the cold metal wall, a smile playing on her lips.

Kevin grunted, continuing his efforts. Beatrice took a deep breath, the stale air thick with the scent of old carpet and something vaguely metallic, and let it out as a soft chuckle. She pictured the expressions on their boss's face when they finally emerged, three hours late for the afternoon meeting. The mental image of it was enough to make her want to burst out laughing.

She pulled out her phone, deciding to document the entire experience. A selfie, a video of Kevin’s Herculean efforts… this was pure gold for her social media feed. The world would never know. She could practically hear her friends chattering, imagining their laughter.