You’re in 4B. Don’t look so shocked. Your boxes say so. Big letters, right there on the side. “Kitchen.” ···
I’m not a stalker, I promise. I’m just observant. It’s kind of my whole thing. You’ll learn that about me.
God, look at you. You’ve got that tape gun tucked under your arm like you’re going to duel someone with it. Long day moving in?
Yeah. I could tell. You’ve got the shoulders of a woman who has personally carried a mattress up three flights of stairs and has opinions about it now.
Wait. Did you feel that? ···
Oh, that’s not good. That’s a lurch. Lifts shouldn’t lurch. That’s like rule one of lifts. ···
And... there go the lights. Mostly. Great. Fantastic.
No, no, don’t waste your time on that button. See? Nothing. We’re stopped somewhere between three and four, and we are now officially residents of this metal box.
Let me try my phone. ···
No bars. Of course no bars. This lift is a dead zone. I’ve watched people stand in here for a full minute just staring at their screens in despair.
Yours? Yeah. Yeah, I saw you check it three times already.
Okay. Emergency button. Let’s see what the professionals have to say.
presses button
···
“Approximately two hours.” Two HOURS. Did you hear that? Two hours. That’s an entire movie. That’s a flight to another country. That’s...
You know what, don’t cry. Or do. I’ll allow one tear.
What? What are you doing? ... You’re just sitting down. On the floor. Of a lift. ···
You know what? That’s the correct call. This is the correct amount of giving up. Scoot over.
sits down
Cold floor. Great start. Ten out of ten.
Wait. Wait wait wait. Is that... is that a bottle of wine in your bag? Please tell me that’s wine. Please tell me you are the kind of person who carries emergency wine.
You are. You ARE. Marry me. I mean, hang on, I’m getting ahead of the story. Screw top? Nia, you magnificent creature. You came PREPARED.
Here. I’ll do the honours. To... new neighbours. And to mechanical failure.
drinks
Oh, that’s terrible. That is genuinely terrible wine. I love it.
So. 4B. Tell me everything. Bad breakup? Bad landlord? Both? It’s always both. People who move buildings mid-year with that much wine are running from something. ···
No, don’t apologise, that was the best impression of an ex I’ve ever heard. I actually felt that. “I’m just being honest” guy. They’re always “just being honest.”
See, this is what I mean. Two hours ago you were a stranger with a tape gun, and now I know your ex is a war criminal and you have a nemesis in your book club. This is the most I’ve laughed in a lift in... well, ever, but you knew that.
laughs
The toast guy! Yes! That’s 4C! Every morning! 6am! I’ve started waking up to the smell of failure and it’s your problem now too. Welcome to the building. ···
Hey. Hey, you okay?
You’ve gone quiet. And you’re doing the thing….. The arm-rubbing thing. You’re cold, aren’t you?
Here. Take my jacket.
No, wait. Wait, that was rude of me, I just... thrust clothing at you. Is that okay? If I give you my jacket? You look cold, I run warm, that’s the entire pitch. But it’s your call. ···
Yeah?
Okay. Here.
There. Better?
Look at you. Buried in that thing. You’re swimming in it, you know that? It’s enormous on you. ···
What? No, I’m not staring. I’m observing. There’s a difference. It’s a professional difference.
Okay, fine. Since you asked. I read people. Body language. It’s what I do. And you are... extremely easy to read, Nia. In a good way. You’re an open book. A very funny open book.
Don’t believe me? Fine. You rub your thumb over that wine label every single time you mention your ex. You angle your body toward the doors when you laugh, like you like keeping an exit in sight. And right now...
Right now you haven’t moved your shoulder away from mine once. Even though you’re warm now. You’re tucked right in. And your eyes keep flicking down to my mouth and back up like I won’t notice.
I always notice. ···
So. What’s it telling you? All of that. What do you think it means? ···
Say it. I want to hear you say it. ···
“Kiss me.” Okay. Yeah. I can do that.
Come here. Is this okay? My hand here, on your jaw, is this okay? ···
Good. Because I’ve been wanting to do this since the tape gun.
kisses, slow
God. You taste like terrible wine. Don’t ever drink the good stuff. ···
You felt that. Don’t pretend you didn’t. You made that little sound and now I have to hear it again or I’ll lose my mind.
Tell me to stop. Any time. One word, and I stop, and we drink bad wine and talk about your book club nemesis instead. ···
“Don’t you dare stop.” That’s my girl.
Wait. Wait, one more. I have to ask, because I’m going to ask the whole way through, and you said you like that. Are you sure? Really sure? Because we’ve got two hours, and I intend to use every minute, and once I start I’m going to take my time with you. ···
“Never been more sure.” Okay. Okay. Come here then.
Arms up. Is it okay if I take this off?
Yes? Good. God, you’re beautiful. The dim light in here is doing you favours and it didn’t even need to.
Lie back for me. Against the wall, there you go. Comfortable? Tell me if the floor’s too cold and we’ll fix it.
No? You’re fine? Good. Then I’m going to make you forget your own postcode.
What was it again? 4B? Gone. Already gone. By the time I’m done with you you won’t remember the building has a fourth floor.
Shh. I’ve got you. Just feel this. Here. And here. ···
That sound. There it is. God, I could listen to that all night, and lucky me, I’ve got two hours.
You like that? Tell me. Use your words, Nia. I know you have words. You had a whole speech about your ex five minutes ago. ···
“Right there”? Right here?
Yeah. I know. I’m very observant, remember? And right now you’re pulling my hair, which means you’re close. That’s in the book. Page one, actually. You’re the whole book.
Let go for me. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.
she comes