Stuck with You: the perfect feel-good romantic comedy!

‘Not much point if it’s just a brick wall outside.’ He stepped forward and I moved out of his way so he could press his eye to the narrow gap. ‘I can’t tell,’ he muttered, before inserting his fingertips into the crack and trying to pull them apart. The doors didn’t give. He swore softly and then apologised.

‘It’s okay.’ I crossed to the control panel. There was a button marked emergency and I pressed my finger to it briefly. A bell rang loudly, making me jump. ‘Why would they do that? Why would they make it sound so horrid?’ I complained. I was already shaking and my legs felt weak. ‘As if being trapped in a lift isn’t bad enough, they make the emergency button so loud it shreds every last nerve you have.’

‘I know. It’s crap.’ He looked up at the ceiling and around at the smooth aluminium walls. ‘So loud and yet still no one bloody answers it. Press it again.’

I pressed it again. And then again and again.

‘Are they kidding me?’ I snapped. ‘This is a busy supermarket! Customers use this lift all day, every day. Surely they must have someone monitoring it in case anyone gets stuck.’ I pressed the button again. ‘Bang on the door, see if someone hears us from outside.’

Daniel thumped his fist against the door panel and then kicked the door. His boot made a loud metallic boom.

‘Here,’ I said, removing my shoe and banging the heel against the door. It made a loud metallic bang. ‘HELP!’ I shouted. ‘HELP!’

Daniel joined in, kicking and banging and shouting.

‘I can’t believe no one is hearing this,’ I said, after a long bout of cacophonous noise. My heart was pounding and I was sweating. ‘Surely there must be someone about? It’s not even that late.’

‘I know!’ He ran his hands through his short sandy hair and crossed to the buzzer again. He rang it repeatedly in longer and longer bursts while I carried on banging with my shoe. The noise filled my head, feeding my panic and making me more and more desperate to escape. I screamed until my voice broke and I coughed.

‘Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Take it easy.’ Daniel stepped towards me and took hold of my shoulders, his eyes wide with concern. It was definitely him. It was definitely, definitely Daniel Moore. Ripping myself away from his grip, I threw myself bodily at the doors. Bad idea. It hurt and I looked like a right idiot when I bounced off and landed heavily on the floor.

‘Jesus!’ Daniel looked down at me in astonishment. ‘Are you all right?’

Nodding mutely, I sat up slowly, rubbing my sore cheekbone. I wanted to cry, but then I’d look like even more of a nutter.

‘I don’t think this noise is doing our stress levels any good,’ he said, crouching down next to me. He looked at me thoughtfully. ‘I think we just need to chill for a while and try again when we’re ready.’

‘What if we run out of air?’ I heard myself say. ‘There doesn’t seem to be any air and it’s getting hotter and hotter.’

‘That’s because you’re screaming and kicking and panicking. There’s a vent up there, see? The air’s not about to run out. Let’s just be quiet for a minute or so and get our breath back.’

He sat on the floor beside me and took my hand. My instinct was to pull away; I knew my palm would be clammy and wet, whereas his was warm and dry. A bit rough though. I wondered what he did for a living. I’d always imagined he’d be a musician or something arty.

‘How can no one have heard us?’

‘Maybe they have and help is on its way?’ He looked up at the roof again. ‘I’m sure it won’t be long. It’s too busy here for us to go unnoticed for much longer. Come on now, just focus on your breathing.’

Wondering if he was some sort of yoga enthusiast, I sucked in a shuddering breath and let it out in a gasp. I hadn’t even realised my breathing was so shallow before.

‘In through your nose.’ He took a deep breath in, long and slow, and I tried to copy. ‘Out through your mouth. In through your nose. Out through your mouth.’

Gradually, my breathing slowed and my head started to clear. How was he so calm? He was just as trapped as me.

I looked at his grown-up face, remembering how he’d been all cheekbones and pouty lips. He was more manly now. His face was fuller and covered in beard. That bottom lip was still nice and pudgy though. I looked away, embarrassed to be staring.

‘Hey, don’t I know you?’ he said, his eyebrows drawing together in a frown. ‘It’s Elena, right? From college?’

My stomach dropped. Briefly, I considered denying it. Keep the dream. Keep the dream. But that seemed ridiculous when he clearly recognised me.

‘Yes,’ I nodded, and tried to smile. ‘Daniel, right?’

He smiled and I went pink. Feeling silly and self-conscious, I smoothed my skirt down over my knees.

‘So, what are you up to these days?’

‘I work for the council.’

‘Doing the bins?’

‘No!’ I laughed. ‘I work in HR.’

‘Ooh, get you.’

‘What about you?’

‘I’m a tree surgeon.’

‘Are you really? Wow. I thought you’d be a rock star or something.’

‘Oh well, I’m still in a band, you know. It might happen yet.’

‘Really? You still play?’

‘Yeah. What about you? You still play the cello?’

I looked at him in amazement. ‘You remember?’

‘Of course. It was a bloody massive thing. You used to drag it around, tripping everyone up as you went.’

‘I did not! I used to put it in the music department.’

‘You had to get it there though, didn’t you?’ Daniel got to his feet and peered up at the hatch in the roof. ‘Everyone used to dive for cover in the common room.’

‘Now you’re just being ridiculous,’ I said, sounding snippy. I’d been really self-conscious about my cello. I knew everyone used to stare at me.

‘So, do you still play?’

‘No. Its gathering dust in the corner of my bedroom. My boyfriend keeps telling me to sell it, but I can’t part with it for some reason.’

‘I don’t blame you. You played beautifully. Maybe you should play for him.’

I glanced up at him. When had he ever heard me play? ‘I think your memory must be deceiving you.’

He shrugged. ‘I remember you practising in the music room. It was lovely.’

‘Oh!’ I was surprised. I’d never thought he’d be interested in that kind of music. ‘Anyway, I have played for Alex. He wasn’t impressed.’

Daniel frowned. ‘What is he? Some kind of philistine?’