The Elevator

Time: 6:20 p.m.

Location: Office tower, 28th Floor.

Scene: Reception area of an office. Empty, except for a woman in blue spotted sundress and Asics tennies, pulling on her backpack and iPod, waiting for the elevator.

Cue Mood: 91 degrees outside but 62 degrees inside, where woman has been holed up in air conditioning for 9 hours. The vibe is impending freedom.

Cue Music: "Never Alone," unheralded gospel tune from the Fame movie soundtrack.

Cue Elevator Arrival: (Ding!)

Cue Action: Woman dances. Dances through the elevator's open doors. Dances while pushing the button for the ground floor. Throws arms wide. Spins. Pirouettes. Anticipates 28 glorious downward floors of dancing as the doors close.

Cue Elevator Stop: (Ding!)

Cue Action: Doors open to 27th floor. Man with briefcase and suitcoat steps on. Woman abruptly stops pirouette. Slides into back corner. Keeps tapping foot, beating hand on thigh. Pretends to not have been pirouetting to the Fame soundtrack in the elevator. Doors close. Elevator descends for 27 self-conscious downward floors of foot-tapping and thigh-beating.

Cue Elevator Arrival: (Ding!)

Scene: Lobby of office tower.

Cue Action: Door opens. Woman walks forward 5 steps out the elevator, damns the self-consciousness. Resumes dancing.

Fini.