Jeslyne pushed open the door to her small apartment, the smell of cooking instantly welcoming her home. The cozy warmth of her space made the weight of the long day feel a little lighter. She kicked off her shoes and made her way to the kitchen, where her grandmother stood stirring a pot on the stove.
"Hi, Nonna!" Jeslyne greeted, her voice bright but tired. "It smells so good in here."
Her grandmother, a petite woman with neatly tied gray hair, turned from the stove and smiled warmly. "Ah, Jeslyne, you're home! I made your favorite—beef stew with polenta. You need to eat well after a long day."
Jeslyne's heart swelled with affection. She went over and gave her grandmother a quick hug. "You always know how to make things better, Nonna."
"You work so hard, you deserve it," her grandmother said softly. "Now sit down. Dinner's almost ready. How was your day?"
Jeslyne sighed as she took a seat at their small kitchen table. "It was pretty hectic. We're getting ready to launch the new fashion line, so everything's been crazy. Oh, and I got stuck in an elevator today."
Her grandmother's eyes widened in concern as she turned off the stove and brought the pot to the table. "Stuck in an elevator? Are you alright?"
Jeslyne laughed, waving away the worry. "I'm fine! It wasn't for long. Some guy helped me climb out when the doors got stuck halfway."
Her grandmother tilted her head, intrigued. "Oh? Who was he?"
"I don't know," Jeslyne replied, shrugging. "It was dark in there, and everything happened so fast. I didn't even get a good look at him."
Her grandmother raised an eyebrow but said nothing more. Instead, she ladled out the stew and set it in front of Jeslyne, who smiled gratefully.
As they ate, they settled into their routine of watching TV together. Tonight, they were watching an episode of Friends, one of their favorite shows. Jeslyne laughed as Joey delivered another one of his goofy lines, shaking her head in amusement.
"You really like that Joey, don't you?" her grandmother teased, a knowing smile on her face.
Jeslyne grinned. "He's just so funny! And even though he's not the smartest, he has a good heart. He's always trying to be better."
Her grandmother nodded. "It's good to like people who have kind hearts."
They watched the show for a while longer, but Jeslyne's thoughts kept drifting. She found herself thinking about the man in the elevator—the way he had helped her so effortlessly, as if it was second nature to him. She hadn't even seen his face clearly, but something about the encounter lingered in her mind.
After dinner, Jeslyne excused herself to take a bath. As she soaked in the warm water, her mind kept wandering back to the elevator. She could almost feel the way his hand had steadied her when he helped her climb out. His touch had been firm yet gentle, and for a moment, she had felt a strange connection with him.
Jeslyne sighed and closed her eyes, trying to push the thoughts away. "It's silly," she muttered to herself. "He's just a stranger."
But no matter how hard she tried, her mind kept returning to him. She could still remember the faint scent that lingered in the air after he left—a subtle but expensive fragrance that spoke of wealth and power. Her heart raced slightly as she thought about him, and she quickly shook her head to clear it.
"This is ridiculous," she said under her breath, stepping out of the bath and wrapping herself in a towel. "I've got way too much on my plate to be daydreaming about some random guy."
She slipped into bed, determined to put him out of her thoughts. Tomorrow would be another busy day, and she needed to focus on work, not some fleeting encounter with a stranger.
'""''''"""""""
Across town, Rolland sat in the bar of his family's estate, nursing a glass of whiskey. His younger brothers were joking around, laughing about their latest trip to Europe, but Rolland's mind was elsewhere. He had been trying to focus on the work ahead of him—there were always deals to be made, meetings to attend—but something kept pulling his thoughts back to the elevator.
It wasn't just the inconvenience of getting stuck—it was her. The woman with the floral scent. He hadn't even seen her face properly, but the moment she stepped into the light after he helped her out, something about her presence had lingered. Her scent, soft and sweet like jasmine, had stayed with him since.
His eyes wandered around the bar, settling on a vase of flowers in the corner of the room. Jasmine. The scent immediately brought her back to his mind, and he murmured the word under his breath, barely noticing the glass in his hand.
"Jasmine," he said quietly, almost to himself.
His brother, Daniel, glanced over. "What was that? You talking about the whiskey?"
Rolland blinked, snapping back to the present. "No, nothing," he replied, shaking his head. "Just thinking."
Daniel shrugged and returned to the conversation, but Rolland couldn't quite shake the memory. He couldn't stop thinking about the woman in the elevator. She had been wearing a mask, which only added to the mystery.
The next few days passed in a blur of meetings and responsibilities. Rolland's life was always moving fast, and it was easy to get swept up in the whirlwind of work. Yet, despite his packed schedule, his thoughts kept drifting back to her. The memory of her scent, the brief touch of her hand as he helped her out—it lingered like a song stuck in his head.
Finally, a meeting about the new car model advertisement brought him into the entertainment department. The team had been working hard on perfecting the ad, and Rolland wanted to ensure that everything was going smoothly.
He watched as the final cut of the video played, showing sleek angles of the luxury car in motion, its powerful design captured perfectly. Rolland nodded approvingly, but even as he focused on the work, his mind wandered back to that day. He couldn't help but wonder who she was and why he hadn't seen her since.
*********
Back in her department, Jeslyne was also busy. The deadlines for the fashion line were looming, and her team was working overtime to make sure everything was perfect. As she stepped into the office, Lila, her colleague, hurried over.
"Where have you been? We need to finalize the sketches for the new pieces," Lila said, sounding stressed.
"I'm here now. Let's get to work," Jeslyne replied, quickly settling into her station. She couldn't afford to let anything slow her down, not even the persistent memory of the man in the elevator.
"Alright, everyone, let's stay focused!" Jeslyne called out, rallying her team as they dove back into the creative chaos. For now, work would take her full attention.