Story Of The Week – The Elevator Encounter

Story Of The Week

The Elevator Encounter

by Sandy Ellis

Several months ago, I went on a job interview, and it was my third interview that day.  I was going through a serious transition in my life.  I was getting over a divorce and trying to cope with losing my job after ten years because the company was relocating out of state.

The first two interviews had not gone well, meaning I had not left feeling that I had been impressionable enough to be considered for the positions.  Therefore, by the time I arrived at the third interview, I was psyching myself up to be positive, though I was beginning to believe that day was not my day.

And as it turned out, I was right.  As soon as I stepped through the door to the office of the interviewer, I was told by the receptionist that the meeting had been canceled because he had been called away to another meeting.

After she rescheduled the meeting for the following week, I stumbled through the door in a daze.  I was not only disappointed, but I felt certain my life was on a downward spiral.  I had little or no money in my purse, and at that moment I had no other prospects for a job.

When the elevator opened, I paid little attention to the other passenger on the elevator, as I stepped to the back and sank against the wall.  My spirits were dragging when the elevator suddenly lurched and stopped between floors.  Because I’m seriously claustrophobic, I screamed when the elevator stopped, and flew into a crying panic when the other passenger began pushing buttons and yelling into the elevator phone.

After he hung up the phone, he tried to calm me by telling me help was on the way, but I was in a tizzy.  Twenty minutes had passed before I noticed how handsome he was and learned that he was the guy I was supposed to interview with.  He apologized profusely for having to cancel, and I wound up telling him about my day and my struggle to find a job.  As we talked, he decided to do a “semi-interview” while we waited.

By the time, the power on the elevator was restored, we had been stuck for over an hour, and my spirits had been lifted.  I was convinced that destiny had arranged the meeting when he invited me to meet him the next day for lunch at a nearby restaurant.   I accepted without hesitation.  When we met the next day we had such a great time laughing and talking, that he asked me out again.

On Monday, when I went to meet him for the formal interview, he told me he had found a couple of job prospects for me because he was too attracted to me to have me work for him.  The next day, I interviewed with someone he recommended and was hired on the spot.  By the way, we are still dating…