Free Write

I rush across the heavily crowded downtown street, feeling people grunt as I attempt to push past them. I get glares and annoyed glances, but I don't care. I'm twenty minutes late to my first day as an accountant for a new firm. Lately I've been trying to kick the habit of being chronically late, but nothing seems to help. I pressed snooze on all four of my set alarm clocks, and sat in my bed while I was supposed to be getting ready. It wasn't a surprise, my being late, it just was.

When I finally make it to the office building, I had to stop and get a badge so that I could get in the elevator and go upstairs. This only resulted in me being more late. 
"Usually they ask you to come in earlier." A female security officer tells me. I stare blankly at her for a moment, analyzing the coffee stain on her shirt. She notices me staring, and immediately attempts to cover it with her arm. 
"Anyways," she coughs, "I can't find your badge. You will have to wait for us to print off a new one"

I sigh, and roll my eyes. At least now I will have an excuse for being late. "Very well then, thank you." I say smiling. Why does this always happen to me? I turn away from the security desk and try to find something to do while I wait.

I decide to make my way across the lobby towards the espresso machine. I glance down at the message on my phone, its my boss, asking why I haven't showed up yet. Of course, I tell myself, making a bad impression on my first day. As I respond with an apology and excuse for being late, I feel scalding hot coffee hit the front of my white blouse. Cursing under my breath, I attempt to find a napkin to prevent the large stain that will soon grow. In the raging chaos, I don't bother to stop and question where the coffee came from, Im only concerned with how to get it off. When I realize all hope is lost, I look up to yell at whoever just cost me my new blouse. My eyes connect with a tall man with dark brown eyes in a navy suit. He looks at me slyly and shrugs.
"Excuse me." I grunt angrily as the man turns his back.
"You're excused Aria."
My head whips back to look at the man. He called me by my name... I quickly rewind the situation that had just played out, and I realized, I never told him my name. Before I can say anything to him, the security guard calls me over and hands me my badge. 
"Thank you." I say quickly as I look at the badge. 'Aria Cano' it says in block print. I walk to the elevator, and look around one last time for the man, and then swipe my badge. The screen turns red, and reads 'Access denied'. 
"But they just gave me this thing..." I say aloud.
"You're swiping it the wrong way," a familiar voice behind me says."Here, let me."
I turn around to look at the man again, and before I can say something he takes the badge out of my hand. He slides it with ease, most likely because he does it every day. I automatically assume he is an employee of the company, but I don't bother to ask. His presence makes me uncomfortable, the way he acts like he already knows everything about me, and everything that is going to happen. On someone else it would come off as cocky, but on him, it is slightly admirable.
The elevator door opens, and the man slips inside along with me. I press my floor number, and turn to ask the man for his, but I see another number is already lit up. 
"So how has your morning been so far?" the man asks.
"Good, but there was this one weird guy who followed me into the elevator." I joke.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He laughs.
"Its alright." I say. I want to ask him his name, but I don't know how. He is extremely intimidating, and an attempt at a conversation seems pointless and would most likely be one-sided.
"My name is Elijah." He speaks up. I look at him and tilt my head, as if changing the perspective could help me figure out what this guys deal is.
"Well I would say mine, but you already sorted that out." I laugh uneasily.
"Again, sorry about that." He replies.
The elevator dings as it comes to his floor. The door begins to open, and the elevator is flooded with light. Before my eyes can adjust, I realize that Elijah is pulling me out of the elevator with him. I try to fight back, but he persists. When I reach my bearings I realize that we are no longer in an office building, we are in the middle of an open field, with green grass and vibrant skies, nothing like the bustling D.C. I was just in. I am taken aback by my new surroundings, and I have to catch my breath to avoid losing my mind.
"Would you like to come on an adventure with me Aria?" Elijah asks.