Going Up

She stepped into the interior of the car, and punched the button labeled "B3," which signified the building's third sub-basement level. The car lurched, and Siren thought, Oh, my God! The damned thing's going to stall! If she were trapped inside a stalled elevator, she'd miss her audition for sure. As a result, her hoped-for Hollywood career would be over before it had begun. She had a sick, sinking feeling in her stomach, and tears welled in her eyes. She choked back the bile rising in her throat. Please don't get stuck! she pleaded silently to the elevator car. Please don't!

As if in answer to her appeal, the car descended, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

A few moments-and a lifetime-later, the car settled roughly to a rest, and the doors parted. If she ran, she could still make it in time to get her gown adjusted and get to the soundstage before her audition. She could still save her career!

Siren sprang forward, dashing through the doorway and into the corridor that led to the costume shop.

RIP!

She felt cool air upon her bare flesh-not just upon her face and arms and back and lower legs, which her gown, by design, hadn't covered, but upon her breasts and tummy and thighs and bottom as well! As called for by the script, she'd been wearing neither bra nor panties beneath the gown, and, she realized, with horror, that she was stark naked. The elevator doors, closing, had caught her gown and, as the car ascended, had stripped the costume from her body. She glanced left and right. Thank God, no one was in sight. No one had seen her!

But what was she to do? Her outfit-the one she was supposed to have had adjusted-had been ruined. She had no other, and she was due on the set in five minutes, exactly.

The sound of applause startled her, and Siren spun around, to face the bastard, whoever it was, who was clapping.

It was the handsome, graying man with the sharp blue eyes and the expensive, tailored suit, her elevator companion.

"You're quite beautiful," he told her, still applauding, "with or without clothes."