DING!
The elevator doors slid open to reveal two occupants, reading newspapers and holding designer coffee cups from Starbucks. John stepped inside while shaking his head, long raven tresses falling over his eyes, complaining silently about expensive coffee. As the doors slid close, he punched the number for Layla’s floor and the elevator began its ascent. He stood along the back of the elevator between the two women, oblivious to their surrounderings...Big mistake, he thought, women need to be more conscious of who’s in their space. Once a cop, always a cop…he chuckled to himself. He received a call from Layla two weeks ago, inviting him to a housewarming party. Layla and Cristian got married and left Llanview last year. He was on the way up to their new penthouse apartment.

As John glanced around at the cherry wood interior and golden bars, it reminded John of another elevator long ago. Only the occupants of that elevator had other things on their minds rather than a specific destination. He could still hear her voice telling him what to do, how to do, and when to do it as their clothes lay at their feet. Her favorite fragrance, Paris in Springtime, assaulted his senses and arrested his nether regions as he remembered how made love to her against the walls of that elevator. God, he mused, it’s been 1 year since her family decided that they couldn’t allow her to live as a vegetable.

DING!
John shook his head as if it would keep the memory of her at bay. The elevator doors slid open on the 5th floor. Both women looked up from their newspapers and walked off the elevators not sparing John a look. John sighed to himself as he placed his hand over his heart and touched the place where her hand would always linger when they were together. He could feel tears stinging behind his closed eyelids when the elevator music begin playing THE song she belted out to him on that Valentine’s Day long ago:

All is fair in love
Love's a crazy game
Two people vow to stay
In love as one they say
But all is changed with time
The future no one can see
The road you leave behind
Ahead lies mystery
But all is fair in love
I had to go away
A writer takes his pen
To write the words again
That all in love is fair

John thought of their short, intense relationship and how Evangeline made him a better man even though, at the time, he didn’t feel it himself. She took him places in his heart that he thought would remain dead and buried with Caitlin, his childhood sweetheart. It never occurred to him that people would have a problem with him being in love with a African-American woman…her family and his friends but he didn’t care. Evangeline was the ONE but he was too much of a coward to tell her those three little words. He allowed his ego to be stroked by Natalie, who really wasn’t in love with him but schemed and plotted to break up his relationship due to jealousy. Then again, it really wasn’t her fault…it was his because he refused to believe that Natalie was playing the victim’s role to keep him focused on her and now Evangeline is truly gone.

He will never have the opportunity to speak his truth: that no matter where she was and who she was involved with…he yet loved her. He stood with his back to the elevator wall, eyes closed, lost in those feelings that would never go away. He shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to stifle the sobs that rose in his chest when the elevator slowed and suddenly stopped between the 11th and 12th floor. John opened his eyes and his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. She stood before him with her hand on the elevator stop button.

“EVANGELINE?!” he shouted incredulously.

He couldn’t believe his eyes! She was here in the elevator with him. He fought to control his erratic breathing while his heart continued to beat furiously.

“Hello John,” she spoke softly, her large brown eyes misting over with tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

She moved in front of him, her white jersey wrap dress moving with her curves. John blinked and blinked again. I’m hallucinating, he thought. He wiped his eyes then opened them again. She was still there, looking as if she never seen death and life gave her more reasons to live.

All of fate's a chance
It's either good or bad
I tossed my coin to say
In love with me you'd stay
But all in war is so cold
You either win or lose
When all is put away
The losing side I'll play
But all is fair in love
I should never have left your side
A writer takes his pen
To write the words again
That all in love is fair

Evangeline smiled through her tears as he worked to comprehend that she was, indeed, alive and standing right in front of him. His hands covered his face as he sobbed and asked, “God, don’t play with me, please!”

“John, baby,"

Evangeline moved closer and moved his hands away from his face. She leaned forward, framing his face with her hands and started to kiss the sides of his mouth.

“I’m alive and I’m here, “ Evangeline said as she continued to kiss him.

John’s heartbeat returned to normal and he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing tightly. “Your family told me that you were dead,” he cried while surrendering to her light kisses, “why would they do that?!”

“I will explain in time but right now let me hold you and kiss you,” she said against his neck.

“Yeah, you have some explaining to do!”

She raised her head as he captured her lips in a searing kiss of welcome and love.

A writer takes his pen
To write the words again
That all in love is fair