This was Erin's sixth vacation and boat show since being hired as a sales rep by one of the largest custom cabin cruiser manufacturers in the United States. From the moment she arrived at the airport the day before, the trip had been fraught with mishaps. The plane was late; the hotel didn't have her reservation; and, the Internet connection in her room didn't work.
Somebody else might have been too frazzled to do the job the following day. But Erin McAdams wasn't like a lot of other people. She was hired for several good reasons. Among them: her looks, personality, and ability to adjust on the fly. She was calm and intelligent, working her way through every near-tragedy that ever confronted her.
This came in handy when dealing with the executives and otherwise rich men she came in contact with as part of her job. Her 28 year old model's body and blonde hair wasn't always enough to get the contract signed. She had the brains and will power to win battles in other ways, as well.
Despite rumors within the company, Erin never resorted to using her femininity to make a sale. She respected potential buyers and earned their respect in return.
Despite all this, it was with a foreboding that the stars were aligned against her that Erin made her way towards the convention center, dragging her wheeled case of marketing materials behind her. It was early morning. She wore an outfit typical for her at these events: an elegant, if somewhat revealing, blouse, a short skirt, and heels. It wasn't a wardrobe designed for pulling her case up a long ramp, but it wouldn't be long before she was standing in her assigned booth, smiling and, hopefully, making sales.
She reached the entrance, thanked a fellow exhibitor for holding the door for her, and looked around the huge concourse. She had her credentials in the front of her purse, knowing she'd have to show them eventually. Signs seemed to be everywhere, only adding to the confusion.
Finally, she found a sign labeled 'Exhibitors' with a large arrow pointing to her right. She began to walk around the curved hallway, proceeding deeper and deeper into the bowels of the building. The wheels of her case clicked across the cracks in the concrete floor and echoed off the walls on either side.
Erin walked a considerable distance before coming to a 'Y' in the hallway. A crude sign written in Magic Marker directed staff in one direction and exhibitors in another. Erin followed her designated route.
The hallway, already dimly lit, became a little darker. She was concerned by the lack of any other participants in sight, but her uneasiness was lessoned by the appearance of a young man standing in the hallway ahead of her. As she approached, she could see he wore a generic 'May I Help You' badge with his name in the center.
'Jim' pushed himself off the wall and glanced her way as Erin came nearer. He smiled and she returned the greeting.
"Do you need help?" he said pleasantly.
"Hi. I'm an exhibitor and am looking for, um, section 109," Erin said, groping for her credentials and eventually pulling them from her purse.
"No problem. I can get you there," Jim replied. "Need help with your case?"
He started to reach for it, but Erin quickly responded, "No thanks. I've got it."
Her case was her livelihood and cabbies, hotel staff, and helpful convention workers were not allowed to touch it. It was just one of her rules.
He turned and continued down the hallway with Erin close behind.
"So, where you from?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.
"Miami."
"Cool. You must hate to leave there to come to things like this," Jim said.
"It's a job. I'll go wherever they send me."
A maintenance cart passed them going the opposite direction, the tail end loaded with cases of pop and beer. Other than that, Jim and Erin seemed to be alone.
They came to a series of double doors, all metal, with no indication of their intended use. Jim halted at the second set.
"I know a shortcut that will get us in the back way. C'mon," he said.
Jim pushed open the door with a clanging racket that reverberated around them. They entered a huge, dark room and the bang that accompanied the door closing behind Erin made her jump. There was barely enough light for her to recognize that chairs, folding tables, and supplies lined all four walls. Otherwise, the center of the ghost-like room was empty.
Her heels echoed around them as she followed Jim towards a door on the opposite wall. At least she HOPED that's where they were headed. The farther they got inside the room, the less she liked it.
"Those doors are always open," Jim said. "You can use this way any time you want. I'm saving you about ten minutes of dragging that case behind you. Trust me."
His confidence didn't make Erin feel a whole lot better. Still, they headed straight for the door and, once there, Jim opened it with his usual smile. The light it allowed in nearly blinded Erin for a second, but she kept going, anxious to get out.
She was standing in a hallway. A short walk led them to another door and, finally, she was in the exhibition hall.
"Thanks, Jim," Erin said.
"My pleasure, Erin," he said, glancing back up from her badge. "Section 109 is towards the center. Good luck."
She thanked him again and they took off in opposite directions. Her heart was almost back to normal and she was in her comfort zone: the hustle and bustle of a convention hall about to become a swarm of activity.
###
The day proved successful for Erin and when it was time to pack up her case and head back to the hotel, she was exhausted. None of the misfortunes that had followed her to the new city raised their ugly heads during the day. She was at least thankful for that, and had a couple sales to boot.
She was packed and ready to go when she realized she really only knew one way to get back to the convention hall entrance. She considered following the exit signs, but then remembered Jim's comment about saving ten minutes of walking. The temptation was too great after such a long day.
Erin pulled her case towards the door he had shown her in the morning. She entered the hallway and approached the door to the cavernous storage space. Second and third thoughts nearly convinced her not to enter. But now she was alone in the hallway and, actually, not sure she could get back into the convention hall.
She pushed on the lever to open the metal door. Somewhat to her surprise, it opened...just like Jim said it would. If it was possible, the room looked even gloomier than before.
Erin looked across at the opposite door, the one that would save her ten minutes. She entered the room and allowed the door to shut noisily behind her. Just as in the morning, the sounds of her heels and the wheels of the case ricocheted in every direction. She walked a little faster, childishly afraid to look around her.
No more than three steps later, she heard a rattle behind her. Instinctively, she whirled her head around to look. Somebody—a man—was rushing towards the door she just came through. In the dim light she watched him shove what looked like a wooden two-by-four through the handles.
Erin panicked. She turned back around and ran in the direction of the exit. Her case rolled behind her awkwardly, her heels slipping on the floor and causing her to lose balance. Erin stumbled ahead. Then her shoe hit the case behind her and she fell clumsily with a gasp.
