Chasing the Elevator in a Red Sundress

Chasing the Elevator in a Red Sundress

I was late for work again, sprinting down the hallway of my office building in a dress I’d never wear to the office – a flowy, red sundress with tiny flowers. The security badge wouldn’t scan, so I kept pushing the doors open with my shoulder. At the reception desk, instead of the usual clerk, there was Alex, my college roommate I haven’t seen in years. He was wearing a crisp suit, but his smile was exactly the same as when we used to stay up talking about movies. He handed me a coffee, and our fingers brushed. I felt a jolt of heat and suddenly we were back in our dorm room, laughing about a stupid prank we pulled. Then the alarm rang, and I was back in the office hallway, still in the sundress, trying to find the right elevator. I missed the elevator, the doors closed, and I watched Alex disappear down a stairwell that turned into a hallway that stretched forever. I woke up feeling weirdly hopeful and a little embarrassed.