She preceded me to the lift and pressed the button. We both stood, waiting, not looking at each other, as people do when waiting for a lift, a train, a bus. A bell rang, and the lift doors opened. Again, I held back to allow her in first, and she smiled at me. I could get to like that smile - it was friendly, open, slightly sexy. I realised she had spoken to me.

“Sorry - what did you say?”

“Which floor?” She was standing with her hand poised over the controls.

“Ninth, please.”

She pressed the button and leaned back against the wall of the lift. I did the same, facing her. We avoided each other’s eyes. The lift moved off, and a disembodied, electronic voice began to read off the floors. We had just passed the third when the voice faltered, and the lift came to a halt. Our eyes met, and I raised my eyebrows in a gesture of frustration. She grinned.

“See,” she said, “That’s what comes of having a woman driver. Perhaps if you have a go, we’ll get going again.”

I crossed the lift to her side and stabbed at the button. The lift started with a lurch, rose about two feet, and stopped.

“You’re not much good, either,” she laughed. And then the lights went out.

“Oh shit!” she exclaimed, and there was no laughter in her voice. “Shit, I can’t stand the dark.”

I heard a rustle, and then her hand found mine and grasped it as though by holding me she could keep the lift from plummeting to the bottom of the shaft. “I’m sure it will start again soon,” I said, more bravely than I felt. I reached out with my free hand, and encountered her body. But which bit? I moved the hand up, and soon found it was on her shoulder. I put my arm around her shoulders, hoping to pass on to her a courage I certainly did not feel myself.

Suddenly the hand she was squeezing was freed and she moved against me, pressing up to me, and her lips were on my chin, and then on my lips. Her tongue was in my mouth before I could re-act, and she was unbuttoning my overcoat. The coat was ripped from my shoulders and thrown to the floor. She leaned away from me and I realised she was removing her coat. Again she pressed up to me, and then stepped backwards, taking me with her. The arm around her shoulders was pressed against something hard - the wall of the lift.....(cont)