The Elevator as a Charged Space in In Her Own League
Introduction: The Liminal Stage of Forbidden Desire
In Liz Tomforde's In Her Own League, the private elevator that connects Reese Remington's penthouse condo to the clubhouse floors of the Windy City Warriors' stadium becomes far more than a functional transit device. It functions as a charged, liminal space where professional boundaries dissolve and intimate truths surface. The elevator is literally a small, enclosed box with metal doors, instrumental music, and a tendency to jolt—details that make it both intimate and precarious. It appears at three pivotal moments in the story: the first kiss between Reese and Emmett, a painful memory that nearly derails their restraint, and the threshold to Reese’s most vulnerable self. Each recurrence deepens the symbolic weight of the elevator as a place where the forbidden becomes possible, where risk is palpable, and where both characters learn to trust.
The Three Key Elevator Scenes
Scene 1: The First Kiss (Chapter 20)
After Emmett interrupts Reese's date and walks her to her condo, she stops the elevator and pulls him into a passionate kiss. The moment is intense and nearly escalates until a security guard interrupts. They learn that a rumor about Reese leaving Emmett's hotel room is already online. The elevator becomes the site of their most raw physical connection and simultaneously the moment they realize the professional consequences. Emmett later says, "We probably would’ve if he didn’t stop us," and Reese admits she chose to be there too. This scene establishes the elevator as a space of sudden, reckless desire—but also as a trap where they are exposed to being discovered.
Scene 2: The Haunted Memory (Chapter 21)
Days later, Reese steps into the same elevator alone and is immediately flooded with a flashback of the kiss: her back against the wall, Emmett's lips on her neck. Her grandfather Arthur joins her, then Emmett boards. Under the guise of polite conversation, they exchange teasing words and a brief, charged touch of fingers. Emmett gets off on Reese's floor even though he was headed to the clubhouse, admitting he wanted to "steal a couple extra minutes" with her. The elevator here becomes a trigger for desire and a space where both characters fight the urge to repeat the kiss. It is also where Reese must confront her own vulnerability: she feels "flushed" and unsettled, caught between longing and duty.
Scene 3: The Threshold to Vulnerability (Chapter 33)
After an emotional conversation, Reese drives Emmett to her building without explanation. They ride up in the same elevator, the music soft, the tension thick. She admits no one else has ever been inside her condo—it is her "safe space," a place where she can be herself. By bringing Emmett there, she uses the elevator as a deliberate passage from professional guardedness to personal intimacy. The elevator ride itself becomes a quiet preparation for the trust she is about to offer. Emmet realizes that her nervousness comes not from anger but from the fear of being seen. This scene reimagines the elevator as a gateway to emotional sanctuary rather than just a site of physical risk.
Though the epilogue does not describe an elevator scene, the story implies that after the championship win and their engagement, the elevator continues to serve as a private space for brief, stolen moments of affection—a symbol of the world they have built together outside the public eye.
Symbolic Layers: Liminality, Risk, and Safety
The elevator is a liminal space, belonging neither to the public stadium nor to the private home. It sits between floors, between roles—owner and employee, boss and lover. This in-betweenness allows the relationship to exist momentarily, but also makes it vulnerable to interruption (a security guard, a grandfather, a jolt). The confined walls and metal doors heighten every touch and glance, making the space feel both protected and exposed.
As the story progresses, the meaning shifts. In Chapter 20, the elevator is a space of spontaneous passion and immediate regret. In Chapter 21, it becomes a space of painful memory and restrained longing. In Chapter 33, it transforms into a trusted threshold that leads to emotional safety. This arc mirrors Reese's own journey: from a woman who hides behind walls to one who actively chooses to let someone inside.
Connections to Character Growth
For Reese, the elevator is where she confronts her own need for connection. In Chapter 21, she cannot escape the memory of the kiss, showing that her feelings are beyond her control. In Chapter 33, she takes control by using the elevator to invite Emmett into her private world, a deliberate act of vulnerability. For Emmett, the elevator is where he first crosses the line, but also where he learns restraint. He uses the elevator to gain extra moments with her, yet he also respects her boundaries when she sets them. The elevator tests and reveals the growth of both characters.
Connections to Themes
This symbol directly ties to the novel's central themes. The forbidden workplace romance plays out in its most literal form inside the elevator, where the power dynamic between owner and manager is momentarily suspended. The theme of trust and self-doubt surfaces as Reese battles her own doubts about her position and her desires; the elevator scenes often involve her needing reassurance from Emmett. Sacrifice and vulnerability appear as both characters risk their professional reputations for even a few minutes alone. Finally, the elevator acts as a counterpoint to the gender dynamics in sports—in this private space, Reese can be a woman and a lover, not just a female owner under scrutiny.
Four Study Questions with Answers
1. Why does the author choose an elevator rather than a more conventional setting like an office or a restaurant for the first kiss?
The elevator is a liminal space—neither fully public nor fully private. This ambiguity allows for a sudden, risky intimacy that mirrors the forbidden nature of Reese and Emmett's relationship. The vertical movement also emphasizes the organizational hierarchy: she is his boss, and the elevator moves between floors of the organization. A kiss in an office would be too deliberate and risky; a kiss in a restaurant too exposed. The elevator strikes the perfect balance of possibility and danger.
2. How does the meaning of the elevator change from Chapter 20 to Chapter 33?
In Chapter 20, the elevator is a site of spontaneous, reckless passion that leads to regret and a mutual agreement to stay apart. By Chapter 33, it becomes a deliberately chosen threshold to Reese's private sanctuary. The earlier scene is about losing control; the later scene is about trusting enough to invite someone into your hidden world. The elevator transforms from a place of risk into a place of safe passage.
3. What role does Arthur play in the Chapter 21 elevator scene, and how does his presence heighten the tension?
Arthur, Reese's grandfather, interrupts her private flashback and unknowingly forces her and Emmett to interact under a veneer of professional politeness. His innocent presence contrasts sharply with the erotic memory she is replaying. He uses the childhood nickname "Reese’s Pieces," which adds familial warmth and irony—while he sees her as a little girl, Emmett sees her as a woman. His presence makes the scene both comic and deeply charged, as the characters must suppress their true feelings.
4. In what ways does the elevator function as a symbol of Reese's emotional state?
Initially, the elevator triggers flashbacks and guilt, reflecting Reese's internal conflict between her role as an owner and her desires. It is a confined space that mirrors her feeling of being trapped by public scrutiny and the "loud" headlines (Chapter 21). Over time, the elevator becomes a gateway to her one true safe space—her condo. By choosing to bring Emmett there via the elevator, she actively moves from isolation to trust. The elevator thus symbolizes both her confinement and her eventual liberation.