IV: Elevator Interruption

Monique Castaneda parked her car in the lot adjacent to her friend Amy's condo unit. Earlier, Amy had called her, requesting that she drop by the condo after her shift at the pet shop. Amy was concerned about Cinnamon, her Shih Tzu, who hadn't been eating much lately due to an apparent lack of appetite. Since Amy had sprained her ankle after slipping in the bathroom the previous night, she couldn't tend to her pet herself.

With no other plans and the condo visit conveniently along her route home, Monique readily agreed to check on Cinnamon. Before stepping out of her car, she sent a text message to Joshua, notifying him of her arrival at Amy's condo.

Joshua had called her earlier while she was at the pet shop, just to touch base. She informed him about her plan to visit Amy's place and the reason behind it. Joshua's thoughtfulness was one of the many qualities she cherished in him. He possessed all the attributes she admired in a man, and she considered herself fortunate to have him as her boyfriend.

After texting Joshua, she stowed her phone in her sling bag, locked her car with the remote control, and proceeded towards the building.

She brushed a strand of hair away from her face, letting it rest in a somewhat disheveled bun. Feeling a bit too lazy to redo her hair, she accepted her present look with a content smile, elevating her mood as she walked.

As she was well-known to the building's security guard, she faced no obstacles gaining entry. Monique hastened her pace upon spotting the elevator doors closing. "Wait," she called out to the person inside, quickening her steps.

Notably, the person within the elevator promptly responded to her plea, preventing the doors from sealing shut.

With a grateful smile, she exclaimed, "Thank y—ou."

Before she could complete her sentence, she recognized the individual who had halted the elevator doors. She blinked in surprise as she observed her companion.

The man inside the elevator was none other than Joshua's identical twin brother, Jacob. Although they were identical twins, she immediately identified him as Joshua's sibling due to the stubble gracing his jawline, something Joshua rarely sported. Additionally, he wore a leather jacket over a white t-shirt, a style distinct from Joshua's.

"Are you getting in or just standing there?" he impatiently queried as she hesitated at the entrance. She noticed a faint furrow in his brow as he regarded her.

"Oh, my apologies," she responded swiftly, stepping into the elevator. She pressed the button for the 9th floor, where her friend's unit was located. She glanced back at her companion, waiting for him to select his floor, but he remained behind her. It seemed he was heading to the same floor as well.

Monique let out a deep sigh. She wanted to initiate a conversation, to introduce herself as Joshua's girlfriend. However, she didn't want to rush things in her relationship with Joshua. She preferred that Joshua be the one to introduce her to his twin as his girlfriend, and she had a feeling that he would do so in due time.

In that moment, she sensed his intense gaze on her. Even though she couldn't see him, she could still feel the heat of his stare piercing through her.

She briefly bit her lower lip, contemplating whether to change her position, when the elevator suddenly halted, and the lights inside flickered out. Darkness engulfed the small space, and the abrupt stop nearly caused her to lose her balance, but strong hands from behind caught her.

"Got you," he uttered in a deep baritone voice. His warm breath brushed against her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

He adjusted her from her stumbling stance. "Th-thank you," she stammered softly, and she was sure he heard her.

However, he remained silent. Monique turned around, but the darkness of the elevator made it difficult to see him clearly. "What happened?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued by the sudden elevator malfunction.

"It's a power outage," he replied, his voice close to her. Monique took a step back from him, slightly surprised by his proximity.

She retrieved her cellphone from her sling bag and activated its flashlight, directing the beam forward.

Jacob squinted when the light hit his face, momentarily blinded by the sudden illumination. Monique quickly redirected the light away from him. "I'm sorry," she apologized. Yet, he offered no response.

Focusing on her cellphone, she winced upon discovering there was no signal. "Ah, no signal," she remarked, her face contorted in mild frustration. She had hoped to call Amy to inform her about their predicament in the condo's elevator and request that she notify the building's maintenance for assistance.

"Don't worry. They'll find out someone's trapped in the elevator soon enough. It's usually their top priority," Jacob reassured her. "That's what they do first," he added.

Monique raised her head, and in the light of her cellphone's flashlight, she could see him looking at her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she suddenly felt self-conscious under his gaze, as if he could see right through her. She subtly averted her gaze. From the corner of her eye, she noticed him stepping back and leaning against the elevator wall, appearing composed despite their predicament.

Monique let out yet another deep sigh. She then followed suit, mirroring Jacob's posture by leaning against the elevator wall as they both waited for the power to be restored. She stole another glance at her cellphone, hoping for even the faintest signal to send a text message to Amy.

Frustration crept onto her lips as she realized there was still no signal. Shifting her gaze forward, she observed Jacob with his eyes closed. She took this opportunity to study him. He undeniably resembled Joshua in an uncanny way. Their posture, their facial features, and even their voices were nearly indistinguishable. It occurred to her that the stubble on Jacob's face might serve as a deliberate distinction from Joshua to prevent confusion.

"Jacob," she called his name after a while.

His eyes snapped open, immediately locking onto her. In the illumination of her phone's flashlight, she could see his dark eyes focused on her. She figured he probably wasn't surprised that she knew his name, as the bar owner had introduced them to each other during the apology after the incident.

"What?" he inquired in his deep and gruff voice.

Recalling the injuries on his arm from the motorcycle accident, she decided to inquire about it. She remembered the wounds he had sustained when he fell, and considering it had only happened recently, they might not have healed completely yet.

He didn't respond immediately. "It's already healed," he finally replied.

She nodded in acknowledgment. "That's good," she remarked. "Anyway," she continued after a pause, "thank you for coming to my aid the other night." She expressed her gratitude for his defense against the rude man at the bar. She realized that if he hadn't intervened, she might have been struck by the guy, potentially causing even more harm.

"You don't have to thank me," he replied in his baritone voice. "You also helped me when I had my accident. It's even now," he added with a nonchalant shrug.

Monique felt a wave of awkwardness wash over her as she noticed the way he was scrutinizing her after speaking. Just as she was about to avert her gaze, he spoke again.

"Do you live here?" he inquired.

Her response wasn't immediate, and she raised an eyebrow in response to his persistent silence.

Shortly after, she shook her head. "No," she replied. "I'm just visiting someone."

Jacob remained silent, maintaining his intense gaze on her. She thought their conversation had concluded, but to her surprise, he posed another question. "Are you visiting your boyfriend?" he inquired.

She was about to reply when the power abruptly returned. Stepping away from the elevator as it resumed operation, she turned off her phone's flashlight. Shortly afterward, the elevator stopped, and it's doors opened.

As she stepped out, she couldn't help but look back, sensing that Jacob had not exited yet. She saw him still standing inside, his gaze locked on her. Their eyes briefly met before the elevator's doors sealed shut once more.

Monique simply shrugged and continued on her way.