At the time this story happened, I was working as a freelance proofreader for several small publishers in New York. I had come to this particular building on Fifth Avenue to pick up a job. I had always enjoyed coming to this building because it housed one of New York's biggest modeling agencies, and I almost always shared an elevator with one or two models whenever I was here. Not that I had ever dared speak with any of them. At twenty-eight years old, I was still very shy with women, still a virgin. I had always been very self-conscious about my baby-fat, which I never lost, and about my small penis. But I still enjoyed looking at the beautiful models I encountered in this building.
I had just picked up my job and was in the elevator alone when it stopped on the seventh floor and she stepped in. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen--tall, with long straight red hair, high cheekbones, a turned up nose. She gave me a slight smile as she got on. This alone would have been enough to make my day, but what happened next was unbelievable. The elevator stopped suddenly between floors.
"Oh, shit!" she said. "What's this?"
"I guess the elevator's stuck," I said, trying to fumble for words.
"No kidding," she said, rolling her eyes. She grabbed the house phone under the number bank and called maintenance. She told them what had happened and then hung up the phone. "Can you believe this? They said it'll take at least a half-hour to get it running again."
She took a cell phone out of her bag and dialed a number. "Hi, sweetie," she said into the phone. "You won't believe this. I'm stuck inside the elevator at the agency. No, I'm not alone. There's a real nice looking guy here, but they said this'll take a half-hour. Yeah, I got the shoot. Three days in the Bahamas, can you believe it? Okay. We'll celebrate when I get home. Okay doll, I'll get home as soon as I can. Byeeee."
She sat down on the floor and said, "You might as well sit down too, it's going to be awhile. I can't believe this. I'm supposed to be at home with my boyfriend and instead I'm stuck here. Damn.!" She offered me the cell phone. "Here. If you want to call someone and tell them you'll be late, go ahead."
"It's okay," I said. "I don't need to call anyone."
"No? Why not? Don't you have a wife or a girlfriend waiting somewhere for you?"
"No."
"Aww, too bad. You look like such a sweet guy. I'd think you'd have someone."
I smile at her and a couple of moments of awkward silence passed between us. It was impossible for me to hide how nervous I was, finding myself in this situation with her.
"You're kind of shy, aren't you?" she said.
I felt a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I guess I am."
"Well, there's no reason to be shy with me," she said. "We're going to be here for awhile, so we might as well get to know each other. I'm Saundra."
"I'm Jerald."
"Nice to meet you, Jerald. Now tell me....why are you so shy?"
"I just always have been." I guessed that she could figure out that I was self-conscious about being chubby, but I didn't want to tell her about my other little secret.