Union (Open for 1 F; Please PM)

Union (Closed for Papillon24)

Jason was doing what everyone does if sitting in the Great Hall of Chicago's Union Station. He was staring up, transfixed by the ceiling. The "ceiling" of the Great Hall was, in fact, a skylight built as an arched dome 10+ stories above the floor, and extending the entire 219 foot length of the immense room. So remarkable was the Great Hall that it had been formally designated as a "Great Public Place" by the American Planning Association.

Union Station, at its peak, had handled as many as 300 trains per day, the grand hub of American passenger railroads until their decline. Jason Delaney knew all of this because he had spent countless hours reading up on the history of Union Station and the Empire Builder line that he would be boarding in about an hour. As a boy growing up in a blue collar neighborhood in Spokane, WA, he had frequently ridden his bicycle down to the end of W. 14th Ave. where he could watch the Amtrak passenger train go by. He repeatedly pleaded with his parents to take him on a long-distance train trip, but the family finances wouldn't support such a venture. Jason had had to satisfy himself with his travel fantasies.

Now, finally, at age 48, he was taking himself on that trip. His reservation on Amtrak's Empire Builder would take him on a 2-day, 2-night trip to Seattle where his niece was getting married. He had splurged - he could afford to - he had purchased a full bedroom, not the roomette, with its own toilet and even enclosed shower.

His childhood memories spurred more reflection: his college years at UW, his graduate work at Northwestern, and his marriages. Oh...the marriages. Jason's first marriage was to a college sweetheart that, as it turned out, a marriage that had no more meaning than just that. After five years and no children, he and his wife split amicably. His second marriage was to Betsy, a woman 12 years his junior. Their marriage featured high romance and hot sex, and a tempestuous quality to match, but it did produce their daughter, Amanda, now 14 and the love of his life. He was stunned when Betsy announced that she was leaving him for a younger man, but he was devastated when a conventionally-minded judge awarded full custody of Amanda to her mother. Jason had been awarded visiting rights, but when Betsy's new husband moved their family to Philadelphia, Jason's contact with his daughter decreased to just the one-week summer vacation with her that he was allowed. That was three years ago; seemed like a lifetime. Since his divorce, Jason had dated only a handful of times, none of which lead to any significant relationships and, remarkably, none of which had even involved any sex beyond something like two high-schoolers making out.

Jason's reverie was interrupted by quick movement across his visual field. He pulled his eyes off of that iconic skylight just in time to see her. She was in a hurry, moving rapidly toward the ticket counter. Tall for a woman - about 2 inches under Jason's 6',0" height - her snug jeans suggested a well-toned body, and definitely a great ass. He hadn't moved quickly enough to catch a glimpse of her front, but he had seen enough of her profile to conclude that she was in her early, mid-30's, a good 15 or more years his junior. As was often true when he saw a beautiful woman, he had fleeting images of her with fewer clothes and of them in erotic coupling. But the images were gone nearly as soon as they were formed. He would never see this woman again. He wondered, though, why was she in such a hurry? It was a Saturday, very little commuter train activity, and the only scheduled departure anytime soon was his train - the Empire Builder - but that was nearly an hour hence. What was her hurry? Oh, well; who knew. With an inaudible sigh, Jason continued his survey of the magnificent Great Hall and turned his thoughts to happier times.

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This post is actually from Anonymity 90)
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"Shit shit shit!" Amelia muttered to herself as she raced across Union station. She was going to miss the rehearsal and that didn't bode well for the maid-of-honor.

"Next train to Seattle, please!" She breathed at the ticket officer out of breath, throwing in her most winning smile.

Head down, typing into the keyboard, the officer read "Next train leaves in 20 minutes. You'll arrive on Saturday 11:55 am and as there are only single beds in group accommodation left - that okay? If not, the next train leaves in 6 hours, it's has a connection and doesn't get there until Saturday 4 pm but there are premier bedrooms available."

Amelia knew she had to get on the first train, the second train would mean she would miss the ceremony. She leaned over the counter and squinted at his name badge "Mike? Is there any chance there are any better rooms available on the train leaving in 20 minutes?"

Mike looked up from the safety of his screen and his mouth dropped. He quickly closed it and coughed, "uuuuuum, let me check." His eyes darting from her eyes to the screen to her cleavage.

Amelia sighed relief when he started nodding, oblivious to the young man's sneaky glances. "Yes, yes, someone cancelled their seat this morning but the system hadn't caught up with it. There's one premier bed in carriage B - it'll be $911"

"Thanks!" She passed over her credit card, relieved that she didn't have to sleep in her jeans and tee. Amelia slept naked and as she wasn't planning on taking a train, she hadn't packed anything appropriate. She had lingerie, a couple of tops, another pair of skinny jeans, 2 formal dresses and a bikini - that was it.

Mike handed her the ticket and pointed her in the direction of her platform. She made it to the platform just as the conductor opened the doors and a crowd carried her towards the train.

"The snow's really pouring down today - huh?" A sexy male voice directed at her from her right hand side.

"Yeah, tell me about it! I was supposed to be on a 4 hour flight, not on a 2 day train!" She managed a brief glimpse at the man only to be pushed into her carriage as he got pushed into his.

"Hmmm, not bad" she mused over the tall handsome stranger. He was taller than her, for sure. Which was hard considering she stood an impressive 5ft 10 in these 3 inch heels. He had gorgeous blue eyes and dark hair. She guessed he was in his mid 40s. She had just hit 30 but usually dated older men. He also had one of those mischievous grins to boot. "Not bat at all."

Amelia found her room. It was better than she expected. She quickly threw her small suitcase to the side and herself onto the bed. She felt awful. She was supposed to be at the hotel yesterday but at the last minute a model called in sick, meaning she had to catch a plane to Chicago and cast a model with the same exact specifications as the sick model for her line's Winter Collection. Being the owner and designer and casting agent of a small budding couture lingerie company had its drawbacks.

The snow also didn't help. She was supposed to be on a flight that would mean she had only missed a day, now she would be missing three. She grabbed her phone and called her best friend, the bride, to apologize and give her an ETA.

"It's okay!" Kate reassured. "It's not like you can control the weather! I'll see you on Saturday. Just don't miss my wedding! Now go to the bar and have some champagne for me!" Sounding as though she had already beaten Amelia to it.

"Okay, okay." Amelia laughed at her tipsy friend, "I promise!"

"Try not to think about it, you're not missing anything. It's just a hotel full of all mine and George's old fuddy duddy relatives. Most of them are too senile to notice that you've been missing. I know you'll be stressing over the fact you're not here for me, but it's okay. You still have time to help me get into my dress and then offer me an escape route if I get cold feet on Saturday. I miss you. I love you. I'll see you then! Go get that drink!"

Before Amelie could respond Kate had hung up on her.

"Well, what the bride wants, the bride gets" she thought as she opened her door and headed towards the bar.

Jason boarded his car and found his room. It was everything that he had dreamed of as a boy. It even had it's own shower. For the first half hour he busied himself with exploring his surroundings, playing with the temperature, the music system, everything - being a boy!

But the adult man was still there, and he couldn't get the image of the attractive woman that he had seen in the station out of his head. Turns out, she was boarding the train as he was, and in the next car to boot. When he saw her on the platform, he threw a brief comment her way about the snowstorm. She had responded, but that was the end of that; they had boarded their separate cars.

When the conductor had collected his ticket, Jason has opted for the last seating in the dining car at 8:30. The conductor pointed out that since it was the last serving, he could essentially stay as long as he wanted. Jason liked the idea of that freedom and laid back atmosphere. But...he needed a snack now, and, of course, why not have a drink. So...he headed to the bar car.

The bar car did not really have a "bar" in the sense of having a bar with stools or something that you could stand up to. There was a little serving stand, and then sets of tables along the other wall. Jason didn't look around much when he entered - he went straight to the serving station and ordered a bourbon on the rocks. Then, he started to survey the room. And...holy shit! - there she was.

Jason did not like "coming on" to women if they didn't seem to be interested initially. So, he let his eyes survey the room to see if she would see him and what her reaction would be. As he slowly surveyed the room, she looked up. Their eyes met, and their gaze locked for several seconds. Emboldened by that, Jason took a few steps toward the table where Amelie was sitting alone, extended his hand, and said, "Hi, I'm Jason Delany. I spoke to you quickly as we were boarding".

Amelia had found the bar with little problem and had claimed a seat in a booth-type table separate from the rest of the travelers. With champagne in hand, she decided to catch up on some reading - a guilty secret of the latest installment from Lee Child's Jack Reacher series. She had just made it to the obligatory sex scene when she felt someone's eyes on her. She tried to ignore it, but the urge to glance up overwhelmed her.

She clocked him as soon as she did. The tall handsome stranger from earlier. Their eyes locked and she felt a flush creep into her face. The champagne and drinking on an empty stomach, was her excuse. However, that didn't excuse the build up of excitement as he started walking over to her.

"Hi, I'm Jason Delany. I spoke to you quickly as we were boarding".

Amelia laughed coyly as he offered his hand. She shook it warmly.

"Yes, I remember. Amelia Duquette. Was smalltalk about the weather the best you could come up with?" She teased, a sparkle of mischief in her eyes allowing his face to break into a grin.

"Please, sit." She nodded to the empty seat across from her, dog-eared her book and slid it to the side.

Jason had not been sure what to expect after his somewhat pushy introduction. He had quickly imagined a number of possibilities ranging from a sharp rebuke to muted response, to maybe a equal introductory response. He had not imagined such a warm response. She not only took his hand, but she shook it firmly, while laughing and smiling warmly. Mmm...this was nice.

Was smalltalk about the weather the best you could come up with?

Damn...she was teasing him on their first interaction! "Well, it was kind of lame, but it was one of the few things that I could think of that might cause you to say 'Hello' and not be worried that I was hitting on you - assuming, of course, that you didn't want to be hit on." Jason decided to meet fire with fire, and tease her right back.

Please sit.

"Gladly", Jason smiled warmly as he accepted her invitation and slid into the empty seat. He noticed her Jack Reacher novel; he had read a couple himself, although not a fan. "I see by your reading that you are interested in 6'5" tall, ex-military, fighting men. How do you feel about 6'0" tall history majors who work in IT?"

Amelia leaned in and lowered her tone, "I don't know, what does he look like?" Boy she was feeling cheeky tonight. Must be the alcohol on an empty stomach thing.

The way his eyes crinkled as he laughed was turning her on. He was turning her on. She crossed her legs together to squeeze her thighs. In doing so, she accidentally grazed Jason's shin with her foot. The connection made her freeze. They both stopped laughing and just stared at each other.

Embarrassed, Amelia looked away first and cleared her throat. "I think I need something to snack on, I skipped dinner. Can I buy you another drink?"

I don't know, what does he look like?

Jason laughed out loud at her come-back. Very clever indeed. Jason always was attracted to witty women, and she certainly was that. He had at first just been in a very, light flirty mood, but her banter was beginning to excite him. When Amelia's foot grazed his shin, his breathing stopped and his heart skipped a beat. He felt himself being rapidly turned on by this woman. Jason couldn't speak, he just stared at Amelia and found that she was returning his stare for a few long seconds until she looked away.

I think I need something to snack on, I skipped dinner. Can I buy you another drink?

Jason didn't want the intensity of the moment to pass. Re-establishing eye contact, he said "I'll make you a deal. I'll accept not only your offer of a drink, but also sharing your snack with you. In return, you accept my offer of joining me for a full dinner in the dining car. I have a reservation for the last seating at 8:30."

Amelia stared into Jason's blue eyes, trying to keep her breathing steady. "This is ridiculous," she told herself. "He's a nice guy, we're both on our own in here, he just wants some company so he doesn't have to eat on his own. Get a grip!"

Smiling, she tucked a stray lock of light brown hair behind her ear and nodded, determined to keep the atmosphere between them light.

"On one condition," she replied, finally managing to move her foot away from Jason's shin. Dimly, she registered a sense of disappointment at the lack of contact but shook it off.

Across from her, Jason raised an eyebrow. "Okay," he said warily, wondering what she wanted to add to the deal. It had seemed pretty simple to him.

"You must tell me more about this history loving IT guy you mentioned. He sounds intriguing," she said, her eyes sparkling with a mischievous twinkle. Amelia smiled as Jason burst out laughing, a deep rich sound which made her determined to make him do it again.

For the first time in her life, Amelia was glad she had missed a flight. They did say that trains were one of the most romantic ways to travel. Maybe she was going to find out why...

"Okay", Jason said a bit cautiously, waiting to see what Amelia's condition would be. When Amelia revealed, in a somewhat flirtatious way, that she wanted to know about him, Jason couldn't help but laugh out load. She was teasing him - again - and, what's more, she was essentially indicating that she wanted to move them to more personal connections.

Jason decided to double down on Amelia's move. "Sure," Jason replied, his eyes matching her mischievous twinkle, "but I also have a condition now too. After I've told you more about me, you have to respond in kind. I want to know more about the woman who doesn't seem to ever pass up the chance to make me smile and a laugh. Deal?"

Jason could see that his comeback caught Amelia a bit off guard, but she smiled warmly, and nodded as she rose to go get their drinks and snacks. Mirroring her move, Jason rose and offered his handshake to seal the deal. Their handshake, Jason noticed, was less like business and more like a couple who were holding hands, if only briefly. The feeling was so intense for Jason that, this time unlike Amelia's accidental grazing of her foot on his shin, he could not look Amelia straight in the eye, but gazed a little aside like a bashful boy on a new date. He thought he noted a similar reaction from Amelia.

As soon as Amelia left the table, Jason was struck hard by a thought. Had he just asked her for a "date"? A woman whom he had just met, and who might have no interest at all in even a casual romantic encounter? Jason had always thought of first dates in large part as a mutual exploration to see if the couple wanted to start down a road to romance, including, at some point down that road, becoming a sexual couple. Or not, if it didn't work out. But the point was that both of them knew that even a first date is not entirely platonic, even if there's no more physical contact than a light kiss at the end. That's why Jason, as well as virtually ever other man, experienced from time to time the awkwardness when the woman in question offers up that infamous line, "I just want to be friends". Oops!

In the midst of his worry about a possible faux pas, Jason glanced over and caught a glimpse of Amelia standing in line at the serving station - a very nice sight, he immediately remembered. "But, wait", he told himself, "you're forgetting something. Amelia has been flirting with you since her first opening line. She's even upped the intensity, rather than backing away from it." Then, Jason knew. He and Amelia were going on a "date" . Jason suddenly felt 10 years younger, at least. His worries were replaced by a sense of joy and adventure. Bring it on!

Although joyful, Jason had one serious thought. What was he going to tell Amelia about himself? Scare her off by detailing his two failed marriages? Remind her of the large difference in their ages by talking about his 14 year old daughter, or revealing that he was going to the wedding of a niece who was likely very close to Amelia's own age? He decided to try to keep it light. Tell her about his love of history, his job, his life in the Windy City. In return, he wouldn't probe her for anything other than superficial things about herself. He wouldn't be, then, in any danger of getting in too deep, unless Amelia pushed their conversation that way. But...he was sure she wouldn't do that. They were clearly having too much fun playing with each other.

"I want to know more about the woman who doesn't seem to ever pass up the chance to make me smile and a laugh. Deal?"

Amelia swallowed hard, having not expected Jason to respond like that. At least she knew one thing - he was definitely flirting with her, so the jolt she had felt when her foot touched his leg wasn't just a one-way thing.

Owning her own business, and a relatively new one at that, meant Amelia rarely devoted much time to enjoying herself, something Kate had spent many an hour chastising her for over the phone. "You're never going to meet anyone if you don't take a chance, Amelia," she would say, "so if something comes along, grab it with both hands! Life's too short, babe."

"I definitely want to grab this with both hands," Amelia thought, casting a quick look at Jason's handsome face. "Oh what the hell?"

"I think we've just successfully completed negotiations," she smiled, standing and offering her hand to jokingly seal the deal. As he grasped her hand, Amelia felt the jolt again, the warmth of Jason's fingers curling gently around hers making her feel safe and secure, yet also wanting to know what they would feel like on other areas of her body. Blushing slightly at such naughty thoughts about someone who was, let's face it, virtually a complete stranger, Amelia headed for the queue to select the snack and replenish their drinks.

Sensing her face was still flushed, Amelia tried to take some slow, measured breaths. She could do this. Two days on a train, a bit of pleasant conversation and light flirting never hurt anybody. If things didn't work out, she had a nice sleeper cabin that she could hang out in, catch up on some sleep, read her book, take in the scenery. No need to run into him again at all. And yet...

Sure, she dated but there wasn't really ever time to get seriously involved with anyone. The guys she met were usually businessmen themselves, so it was often a game of iPad Calendars trying to schedule dates. Usually things drifted into "If you're ever in town... I've got meetings here in a couple of months... The merger's going to take a couple of weeks but maybe after...". It was the same for her. Sighing, Amelia shifted from foot to foot, casting a glance at Jason sitting at their table, rolling his nearly empty bourbon glass between his hands.

Amelia felt her stomach flip and quickly turned her gaze back to the counter, pretending to inspect the choice of snacks. Blindly grabbing a couple of containers of mixed sandwiches, she stepped up to the register and ordered another champagne and bourbon. While waiting for the drinks, she tried to plan what she would tell him about herself.

She had worked hard these past six years to get her couture lingerie line going. Studying business at college during the day, sketching and sewing in the evenings, scouring fashion magazines and websites for ideas and trends whenever she had a spare moment. Amelia's goal was to make sure every woman, no matter her age or size, could find something in her couture line that would suit them. Trouble was, when most men heard what she did for a living, Amelia saw their eyes light up and scan her body, thinking they were going to get free lingerie shows every night. The last guy she'd had dinner with had been very put out when the evening hadn't ended with the Show & Tell he'd been imagining.

"Probably best to just say I'm a fashion designer with my own label, not mention the type," Amelia decided, knowing it was the truth but just a little sketchy on details. Taking the tray with their drinks and snacks, Amelia turned and headed back to Jason, smiling as she slid back into the booth.

"I wasn't sure what you'd like so just grabbed something light. No use spoiling our appetite for later, right?" she laughed, before seeing Jason's eyes darken slightly and his face change. She realised that her words could have been taken a different way and perhaps he was considering a different sort of appetite. Amelia felt a small shiver down her spine, knowing that her eyes were likely flashing the same sort of thought.

While Amelia was standing in line at the service counter, Jason had the opportunity to watch the scenery roll by. This was what he had imagined he would be doing most of the time when he planned this trip. Meeting Amelia, or anyone for that matter, was an entirely unexpected event. With great effort, he tried to focus at least for a little while on the train trip itself. They had been underway now for about 2 hours. It was now just about 4:30 in the afternoon. They had left the station at Milwaukee recently and were headed toward the station stop for Madison, WI. Jason had heard so much about Madison as one of those great university towns that he had always wanted to see the place. Maybe next time.

It was nearly 4 hours before their "dinner date", as Jason now saw it. This far north in mid-January, it would be nearly dark at this time of day. It would have been had it not been for the blanket of new snow, still falling quite rapidly. Why in the hell Kate had decided to get married in January, Uncle Jason could not fathom. When he got the invitation he had briefly considered the possibility that she was pregnant and wanted to beat the clock. He had immediately chided himself for such a judgmental thought, especially because she had apparently been planning this event for some time. He decided that if Kate had become a true Seattle-ite, probably she had little sense of the seasons anyway. Cool and wet - one season. He was now a Chicagoen; winter was not for the timid.

Jason turned away from the window just in time to see Amelia turn around and approach with the snacks. In Union Station he had seen her only in brief profile, and, of course, she had been sitting down at the table when he first saw her in the bar car. Now, for the first time, he saw her in full frontal pose. She had apparently changed into flat tennis shoes, keeping the tight jeans, but leaving behind the 3" high heels. Even at her 5'7" natural height, she struck quite a figure. Her body was well-toned without looking like a body-builder. Her hips were nicely rounded below a slim, but not tiny, waist. Her cotton, mid-low-neck top folded around what appeared to be a very nice set of firm, appropriately-sized breasts. Jason was a bit tired of the parade of store-bought, over-sized boobs.

Jason returned Amelia's warm smile as she slid into the booth.

"I wasn't sure what you'd like so just grabbed something light. No use spoiling our appetite for later, right?"

Jason nearly gasped out load. Had she just intentionally used double meaning? Jesus, no! It was his projection. He had tried to convince himself that he and Amelia were just playing lightly with each other. In fact, he had to struggle to keep erotic images of Amelia and him from filling his mind. He was especially chagrined that within an instant of Amelia's remark, his pants felt suddenly very tight. Christ, he was imagining that she was thinking similarly. He could feel his face darken, a lifelong characteristic of Jason's when he was feeling embarrassed or distressed. Better retreat to careful ground.

And, there was some safe ground. She had asked him to describe the "history, IT guy". At the risk of boring her to death or seeming like a self-centered idiot, he plunged in to his story. Jason described how he had grown up in a blue collar family in Spokane, the youngest of three children - he was careful not to mention their ages. He told her how his mother earnestly wanted him to be a teacher and how his father expected him to become an engineer, or something else practical that would lead directly to a middle-class income. Jason explained how he had become enamored with history at the hands of a gifted high school teacher, leading him to decide to major in history in college. Jason lied slightly - he told Ameila that his "grades had been good enough to get into the University of Washington (UW)" - in fact, he graduated second in his class, was a national merit scholar, and had been recruited by several first-rate schools. Once at UW he told his mother that his history major would enable him to have a career as a high school teacher - though he never intended such. To satisfy his dad, he minored in math.

After graduating from UW, he accepted an offer to pursue graduate study in history at Northwestern University. He still pretended to his mom that he was on a high school teaching track. Watching his graduate professors work themselves nearly to death, often short-chaning their families, Jason decided to stop with his M.A., rather than to pursue the Ph.D., but his love of history remained.

Jobs for those with an M.A. in history are not abundant, so Jason worked part-time jobs in the Windy City - which he had come to love - while using his math background to soar through the IT curriculum in a local community college. He obtained an entry level job at the same current financial service firm where he now worked. Within a few years, he rose to be the IT department manager. As it turns out, having a strong liberal arts background beat the hell out of the geeky competition for the managerial position. He didn't tell Amelia that along with the manager's job went a salary north of $150k, and lots of perks.

Jason felt nearly exhausted, and worried that he had just lectured Amelia as though she were one of the undergraduate students in the history classes that he had once TA'd. But...he steered clear, so far, of the pitfalls that he didn't want to fall into. As he focused on Ameila's face, he was surprised to see not glassy-eyed boredom, but what seemed like genuine and appreciative interest. Maybe even a little admiration.

"So, Amelia," Jason finally got out, "that's the history/IT story. So...our deal is that I tell you, and you tell me, but I'm going to be very generous. I'll let you ask me one question, before it's my turn to find out why you always make me smile and laugh." As he said, "...why you...", Jason took his index finger and tapped Amelia's hand lightly on each of those two words.

Swallowing hard at her unintentional double entendre, Amelia felt herself blush slightly. Busying herself unwrapping the sandwiches, she was relieved to hear Jason start talking about his studies and career path.

Sitting back, she munched absent-mindedly on a chicken salad sandwich, watching Jason as she spoke. Amelia wondered if he knew that his face and body language gave away so much - the gentle smile when he talked about his parents, his eyes lighting up and his hands gesticulating as he explained his love of history and mentioned his high school mentor, a slightly resigned hunching of his shoulders when he revealed how he had ended up in IT.

It sounded like they had similar work ethics, although Amelia knew she was lucky that her passion was now her career as well. She thought it was a pity he hadn't followed his mother's wish and gone into teaching, because the way he was explaining things to her now, she could see that he would have been a fantastic educator, likely the sort of teacher that his high school mentor had been. Though Amelia also knew that with his looks, he would have also been the subject of many teenage girls' fantasies.

Jason finished his story and took a sip from his bourbon, quietly studying her face. Amelia fought not to wipe her hand across her mouth and cheeks, dreading the thought that she had a bit of stray carrot stuck somewhere. Just as she was about to move, Jason spoke and his words made her freeze where she was.

"I'll let you ask me one question, before it's my turn to find out why you always make me smile and laugh."

He tapped his finger on the back of her hand when he spoke the words "why you". It was just two small taps but already, the warmth of his finger filled Amelia with the awareness that she wanted to feel his fingers elsewhere on her body. This thought scrambled her brain, making it hard for her to process all that he had just revealed and pick one question to ask him.

"Just one question? That's a bit of a challenge. There's so much I want to know but narrowing it down to one? Tough call," she smiled, trying to keep her voice light while she battled to prevent the questions she really wanted to ask from escaping her lips. Is it all right if I ask you to put your fingers… what are your thoughts on one night… how would you feel if I pushed you against the wall and kissed you on the…

Drumming her fingers on the tabletop, Amelia tried to look as though she was giving Jason's challenge a lot of consideration, draining her glass of champagne. "Oh, good one, Amelia," she thought. "Now you look like a complete lush. Right. One question. Not hard. Just one question. Come on, brain, think. No… not about that…"

Putting her glass down, Amelia looked at Jason, seeing him looking amused. Or was it perturbed? Whatever the expression, Amelia knew that she was quite happy to sit there staring at him for a while longer. She wasn't usually like this with someone she had just met so this was new territory for her. But whatever it was, she didn't want it to end so time for her question.

"Okay, one question," Amelia said, folding her hands in front of her and leaning forward slightly, not realising in her slightly tipsy haze that she had snagged the front of her top under one of her hands, meaning that she had pulled the neck of her top down a bit, giving Jason a bit of a glimpse of what she made for a living.

"My question is - what made you come over here and talk to me?"

Jason's tapping Amelia on the hand twice lightly as he said "why you..." had been an impulsive tease by someone who was not, generally, very impulsive. Jason couldn't seem to help himself. He and Amelia had touched twice before, but very differently. The first was her foot accidentally grazing the shin on his pant leg. Although that accidental touch made Jason's heart skip a beat and he thought that he had seen some emotional reaction from her, the touch was certainly unintentional and might very well signify nothing. Their second touch was the handshake on their "deal" that Jason initiated. That was intentional, but could have been read by Amelia as innocuous, as opposed to being flirtatious. Granted, Jason had an intense reaction to their skin-to-skin touch, but, again, the touch was done up in a ritual - a handshake on a deal - that might be casual or just light flirting.

Jason felt compelled to touch Amelia again, and to do so in a way that was unequivocally strongly flirtatious and even a bit pushy. The double tap, though light in pressure, served the purpose. He was surprised how hard it was to hold back from going further. As soon as his finger made contact with Amelia's warm, soft skin, Jason was sorely tempted to take her whole hand in his, work his way up her beautiful arm, and pull her into a passionate kiss. He was certain that had they been in some secluded part of the train, he would not have been able to resist that temptation.

Just one question? That's a bit of a challenge. There's so much I want to know but narrowing it down to one? Tough call.

Jason noticed the dramatic change in Amelia's demeanor. Heretofore, she was lightning fast with her quips. The thought had crossed Jason's mind earlier that he could never best Amelia in a one-on-one, verbal repartee contest - an even draw was the best he was likely to ever do. In fact, that was one of his attractions to her. Yet, here she was, seemingly confused, admitting her indecision, and, obviously buying time. What had her reeling? Jason weighed the alternatives quickly. Then it hit him. His touching her had knocked her off her game. She hadn't physically withdrawn when he tapped her hand, and she didn't seem to be angry or hostile. Jason smiled slightly; shit, maybe his touch turned her on. Hmmm...interesting.

My question is - what made you come over here and talk to me?

Jason was at once relieved and taken off guard. He had feared that she would ask something about previous relationships, or something that would narrow down his age to within a year or two, and he then would have had to either spill the beans or straight out lie. He was, at least for the time being, off the hook on those two scores. But, her question had posed an at least equally challenging situation.

Perhaps the biggest challenge posed by Amelia's question was that Jason wasn't entirely sure he knew the answer himself. In fact, his speaking to her on the train platform, and then getting her attention and approaching her at her table was uncharacteristically spontaneous for him. Jason was nominally OK with the male assertive role in "the chase", but he almost never approached women that he did not already know from some other context, or in a dating situation that had been set up somehow in advance. Jason sensed that he was grinning a bit as he thought of a couple of off-the-wall answers: Well, I'm so horny that any woman would do; I just happened to see you first. Or As I saw you flash by me in Union Station in those "come fuck me" 3" heels, I decided to try my luck." The humorous, sarcastic thoughts reduced Jason's tension to the point that he could formulate a reasonably honest answer that also kept their now escalating flirting going. "Well", Jason said, holding Amelia's gaze, "I...". The he froze. Out of a bit of shyness, Jason had lowered his gaze, causing him to catch a glimpse of Amelia's couture bra. Although he could only see a little of its top, Jason instantly knew that this was the fanciest, and probably the most sensuous bra that he had ever seen. Additionally, the garment fit Amelia perfectly, so perfectly, in fact, that Jason imagined that caressing her bra and caressing her bare breast would be nearly the same. And, God knows, Jason thought, right now I'd like that more than anything else in the world.

Jason struggled to regain a modicum of composure, and continued, "I...I wanted to be able to at least say 'hello' to the most beautiful, young woman on this train." Not only did Jason smile broadly and warmly as he ended his sentence, he actually winked at Amelia.

As exhilarating as their interaction was, Jason was suddenly worried. He tried to not let it show to Amelia, who now was laughing giddily. The mathematical part of Jason's brain frequently plotted mental graphs, or thought of social situations in terms of mathematical formulas. Their flirting wasn't merely remaining constant; it was accelerating, and doing so quickly. Jason's mind flashed on the two times when he was dating heavily between his first and second marriages when he and his date had blundered their way into something like a one night stand, or at least sex on the first date. Both had been a mistake, and both had the same feeling of acceleration that Jason was feeling now. He realized that the thoughts that he had about possible silly answers may not have been too far off from the truth. Still, the answer that he gave her was one of the most sexually or romantically assertive statements that he had ever made to a woman that he had just met.

Jason didn't want to stop the wonderful, playful interaction that he and Amelia were having; he just wanted to slow it down. Jason glanced as his watch quickly. It was 4:45 - still over four hours until their dinner engagement. He decided that they should take a breather. He reached out and put his large hand over Amelia's hand that lay on the table. Smiling warmly, but not suggestively, he said, "Amelia, it's your turn now to tell me your story. But...we're going to have at least an hour's worth of time for dinner. I'd like to go back to my room, do some reading, and get some rest. I will look forward to seeing you at 8:30 in the dining car and continuing our delightful conversation. " Still smiling, Jason rose, nodded warmly in Amelia's direction, and took long strides down the bar car in the direction of his sleeper.

As Amelia watched Jason consider her question, she was quietly surprised how eager she was to hear his answer. Was it because she was the only person in the bar car at the time who didn't have grey hair? Was he a Jack Reacher fan as well? Or was it something to do with her specifically and not anything else?

"I...I wanted to be able to at least say 'hello' to the most beautiful, young woman on this train."

"Yes!" Amelia cheered in her head, unable to stop a happy giggle escaping her mouth, especially when he winked at the end of his words. Thank goodness he wasn't tripping over his tongue like some men, or trying to impress her with big words and cheesy lines. Sure, Jason's response wasn't original and it had a slight whiff of Camembert but she could see from his face and his smile that he was keeping things light and playful.

At the same time, Amelia's ego was mulling over the fact that he said she was young. Did he think he was too young for him? Okay, he was definitely at least 10 years older than her but that didn't bother her in the slightest. Catching her thoughts wandering too far down the track, Amelia glanced down at her hands on the table, drumming her fingertips slightly. It was something she'd done since she was little, when she needed to collect her thoughts.

In doing so, Amelia realised that the whole time Jason had been talking, she had been pulling her top down enough to give him a view of her merchandise, so to speak. Blushing a bright shade of red, she moved the hand that had pinched her top quickly to her lap, releasing her top back to where it should have been sitting on her chest. "Way to go, Amelia," she scolded herself, "why didn't you just whip it off and yell 'All aboard'? Stupid, stupid, stupid…"

A warm hand covered the one she had left on the table, causing her to startle slightly and look back into his eyes, something she could quite happily do for a while longer.

"I will look forward to seeing you at 8:30 in the dining car and continuing our delightful conversation."

Stunned, Amelia smiled vaguely and watched as Jason headed for the door to the sleeper cabins. Her mouth fell open slightly as she watched him adjust his steps to the swaying motion of the train, not only because she thought he had one of the nicest backsides she had seen in quite a while but the fact that he had left in what felt like the middle of their conversation. Was he just being polite and trying to get away from her?

Before she knew it, Amelia grabbed her book and hurried after him to the door, a little unsteady due to the champagne she wasn't used to. Seeing him a few paces ahead of her, she called out, "Jason, wait!" then stumbled forward, caught off balance as the train began to wind round the track to turn left. Just as she was about to face plant on the corridor floor, a pair of arms caught her around the elbows and pulled her upright. Breathless from her near fall and the feeling of having Jason's arms around her, Amelia stared up at him, her hair falling into her face.

"Was it something I said?"

Jason felt light and unburdened as he strode down the corridor of the bar car. He felt back in control. They would be meeting again in a few hours when, presumably, their playful flirting would continue. And, he had taken control to slow down what felt like out-of-control acceleration. A double win; he even felt a little cocky. When planning is move, he had considered the possibility that his leaving was too abrupt and might hurt Amelia's feelings. That he certainly did not want to do, both for altruistic reasons and because doing so would likely dampen the fun. Although he had considered that Amelia might have been turned on by his previous "..why you..." touch, he didn't think that she was so interested in him that an abrupt move would bother her much. And, she had smiled at him when he stood up and spoke, although not quite as warmly as before.

Jason, wait!

In the second it took him to change his stride, Jason had two immediate thoughts. His first fleeting thought was to just continue walking, not because he wanted to be rude or hurt Amelia, but because it was instantly clear that his plan had failed miserably. Good sense and strong personal ethics stopped him from acting on that impulse. His second thought came quickly but endured. Amelia was interested in him, and apparently quite so. Otherwise, she would not have called after him.

Jason wheeled his tall, muscular body around just in time to see Amelia's unsteadiness and her sudden loss of balance that would surely result in her falling hard to the floor. With two quick strides of his long legs, Jason was directly and closely in front of her. With some difficulty he got both of his arms under Amelia's elbows, holding both of her upper arms in his hands, and pulling her upright. Amelia's hands came to rest on his fore arms. They were now in something like a romantic embrace that might typically be the step immediately prior to a passionate kiss. On top of that when Jason had quickly swooped low enough to get his left arm underneath Amelia's as she was falling to her right, his left hand had briefly grazed the outline of her right breast through her top. It happened so quickly and she was working so hard to avert her fall, Jason doubted that she noted this. He, however, most certainly did, and had a growing tightness in his jeans as proof thereof.

With Amelia so close and their touching so strong, the resolve that Jason was so cocky about just moments before evaporated entirely. When Amelia stared up at him with her beautiful hair falling into her face, a quip with lots of loaded meaning leaped instantly into his mind: Looks like two glasses of champagne are your limit. One more and I'd have to take you to your cabin and put you to bed. Jason took a breath ready to deliver his teasing line.

Was it something I said?

Shit! His stupid, abrupt move had hurt her feelings and created perhaps a sour mood. Jason quickly decided that he should just come clean. Enough cleverness. Amelia was not just some object to be manipulated, even if playfully. "Amelia, let's sit back down. I want to explain." With that simple statement and his right hand still on her elbow he led them back to their table.

Sitting down, their eyes met, this time with as much intensity as their previous playfulness. Jason took a deep breath and began. "I got divorced four years ago, and have had only a handful of dates since then. The playful interaction that we've been having for the past two hours is the most fun I've had in months, maybe years. I wanted that to continue during our...". Jason stopped momentarily, deciding how open he wanted to be about his feelings; he opted for candor. "...dinner date. I still do want that, but I was worried that our....um...flirting was going too fast. I mean it's not that I wouldn't want to...". Oh, shit, shit, shit...he'd really put his foot in it now. Fuck it! In for a dime, in for a dollar, as his dad used to say. "...um...damn, Amelia, what I'm trying to say is that it felt like we were heading for a one night stand before we get to Seattle. After tomorrow we'll never see each other again. I don't want to go that route. I just want to continue to enjoy the excitement that I feel when interacting with you." Jason leaned back in his seat, exhausted, but he didn't take his eyes off of Amelia, who now seemed to be nearly in shock.

The first thought that crossed Amelia's mind was that Jason had incredible arms. She could feel the tension in his muscles as she gripped his forearms, her eyes directly in line with his chest. Which come to think of it was also quite nice. As were his shoulders… and his throat and neck… and… oh dear.

Was there any point in thinking these things? she wondered. I mean, the guy had called a halt to what had seemed like a very nice getting to know you session. One minute he was saying she was young and beautiful and made him laugh, the next he was telling her he wanted to go to bed… and read…alone. Amelia may have been slightly tipsy on the couple of glasses of champagne but that wasn't the reason for her confusion. It was this tall, dark, blue eyed man currently holding her upright.

Amelia had the same philosophy for running her business as she did everything else in her life - if you don't ask, you don’t get. So she asked Jason if it was something she'd said that made him do an apparent U-turn on the way things had been going. As she stared into his eyes, she noticed them darken again, but this time it seemed to be due to something other than arousal.

Before she could discern what it was, Jason was escorting her back to their table. Amelia listened quietly as Jason told her about his divorce and how he was worried that what was happening between them was moving too fast. She felt herself blush slightly at his mention of a one night stand but in her mind, knew that was where she had thought things were heading too. Wait a second, had he just said he didn't want to do that? He didn't want them to sleep together because they'd never see each other again?

She hoped her face didn't reveal the shock but she didn't quite know how to respond. Okay, they'd only really known each other for an hour or two but still, Amelia didn't think either of them could deny the frisson that any physical contact sparked. Nor the inadvertent double entendres that could quite easily turn into single ones given half a chance. Nor the fact that Jason had asked her to dinner so had been planning to spend at least some portion of the night with her.

Amelia sat back in her seat, opening her mouth to speak but not quite knowing where to start. She laughed nervously. "Of all the times to be speechless, this is probably not one of the best." Across from her, Jason smiled but she could see it was forced slightly. It must have taken a lot for him to say those things to her. Needing a second to collect her thoughts, Amelia decided to make a quick trip to the bathroom.

"I'm just going to go and splash some water on my face. Think that champagne might have hit me a little too quickly," she joked, standing up and grabbing her bag. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jason's shoulders slump and his face fall, possibly because now he thought she was doing a runner.

Turning, Amelia placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to start and look up at her. "Jason, I'm coming back, okay? Why don't you order us a couple of coffees and we'll talk, okay? I'm not going anywhere." She smiled, squeezing his shoulder and walking more steadily towards the bathrooms.

Whatever happened, there was something about this man that made Amelia know she didn't want to blow it. If all she got was two days on this train, she'd take it.

Jason knew that he had taken a big risk by revealing so much of himself to Amelia, particularly referencing his divorce and his highly unsuccessful love life over the past four years. He also feared that his statement that he was worried that they were spiraling toward a one-night stand might offend Amelia. So, he was uncertain how to interpret the shocked look on her face. Her statement that she was "speechless" only reinforced his concerns. As she spoke those words, Jason also realized that an even bigger challenge was that he was quite uncertain as to what he, himself, wanted.

I'm just going to go and splash some water on my face. Think that champagne might have hit me a little too quickly.

Jason could feel his shoulders fall, as his despair rose. It was easy to conclude that Amelia was leaving both physically and psychologically. His awkward abrupt leaving and his dumping his history and fear on the table almost certainly had killed the fun and excitement that they had been sharing only a few minutes earlier.

Then, suddenly, a game-changer. Amelia not only touched him on the shoulder, she squeezed his shoulder while directly assuring him that she was returning. As before, but even more so now, her touch was electrifying. One of Jason's questions was immediately and unequivocally answered. He knew now, in an instant, what he wanted. He wanted Amelia as a lover, on this train, before they got to Seattle. His mind filled quickly with images of his hand massaging and fondling her bare breasts; Amelia's toned, bare legs intertwined with his; their hips beginning to find a mutual, erotic rhythm. Why had he gotten so obsessively worried about the possibility of a one-night stand? Under the circumstances where they were unlikely to see each other after they left the Seattle train station, would this have been so awful? Yes, to be sure, ideally they would have been living in the same city, met somehow, and started to date with the prospect of a longer term relationship, before his physical attraction had reached this point. But...that wasn't the cards they were dealt. He couldn't take back his stated position now, not overtly at least, but he realized now how poorly he had been attuned to his own feelings and motivation. But there was also something else. Their previous, brief physical contacts had also been electrifying for Jason, but her squeezing his shoulder had also engendered a hint of a feeling that wasn't pure eroticism; no, it was a hint of romance. Oh, my; Jason hadn't expected that.

As Jason went to the serving station, got two coffees, and returned to their table, he had time to think more about how to interpret Amelia's reactions to his previous comments and actions, especially now in the light of her reassurances to him and her tender touch. She apparently was not completely turned off by his revelation about his divorce or love life, or his comment that he thought they were headed toward a one-night stand. Had she been, she would not have gone out of her way to reassure Jason that she was returning, and returning to talk. So, why the look of shock and the speechlessness? A tantalizing possibility began to form in the back of Jason's mind. Maybe she was not surprised by the idea that they were on a trajectory to a one-night stand. Had she had the same thought? If so, was that an attractive idea to her? Jason had sensed that Amelia was attracted to him in a flirtatious way, but had not considered that she might want him as a lover.

With his love of history, Jason remembered the often-repeated quote, that the only cure for the ailments of democracy is more democracy. He decided that the cure for what may have been the blunders of his straightforwardness was more straightfowardness.

As Amelia returned from the ladies' room and sat down across from him, Jason re-engaged her with his gaze. Her touch and her reassurance had restored much of the confidence and the warm, inviting smile that he had only recently lost. "Amelia," Jason began, "I let my fears dampen the light fun and warmth that we were sharing. For that, I apologize most sincerely. I don't know what will happen between us once we reach or destination, but I do know that I want to continue to spend time with you while we're aboard this train. I want to re-invite you for a dinner date at 8:30 in the dining car, and I very much hope that you will re-accept." Before Amelia could respond, Jason placed his hand lightly on hers and continued, "And, as we say in the IT world, I'd like to 're-boot' our recent previous conversation now as we drink our coffee, and ask you to tell me more about the woman who doesn't seem to ever pass up the chance to make me smile and laugh".

Although he was still a bit nervous, Jason could feel the color returning to his face, and the joy that he had felt only very recently beginning to return to his heart. And a new thought began to edge its way into his consciousness. Maybe, just maybe, Seattle's King Street Amtrak Station might not be the end of Amelia's and his journey together.

As Amelia slid the lock closed, she leant her head against the back of the bathroom door and took some deep breaths. "And they say women are confusing," she mused, rethinking her conversations with Jason up to that point. He approached her, he flirted with her, he touched her, he asked her to dinner, there was an obvious attraction between them… then he left… then he said he didn't want to sleep with her but just enjoy the flirting and banter.

Shaking her head, Amelia turned and clutched the sink, staring at her reflection in the small mirror. Her eyes widening slightly at what she saw, Amelia started rummaging in her bag for her hairbrush. "No wonder he doesn't want to sleep with you, you look like you've been swinging from the chandelier already," she muttered, disgusted at the mussed up appearance of her hair, the flush on her cheeks due to the effect of the champagne, and the slight smudging of eyeliner and mascara probably from when she brushed her messy hair out of her face when she stumbled earlier.

After a few vigorous swipes of a brush and tying her hair into a loose ponytail, Amelia splashed water on her face and did a quick repair job of her eye makeup. The blushing? Well, nothing she could do about that except calm down… easier said than done. He just had this effect on her that no other man had before but damned if she could put her finger on what it was… she stood still as her mind wandered off to the places she would like to put her fingers on Jason, starting with his shoulders… back… chest… stomach…

Catching herself, Amelia did a few bounces on her toes, shaking her hands to distract herself. "He does not want to sleep with me. He does not want to sleep with me," she murmured over and over to herself. Taking one last look in the mirror, Amelia's face fell. "Damn it. He doesn't want to sleep with me."

Sighing, she knew she couldn't put it off any longer. Shouldering her bag, Amelia took one last deep breath and unlocked the door, walking slowly but more steadily back to the booth where she saw two coffees and a thoughtful looking Jason leaning back in his seat, staring out the window as the scenery rushed past. Giving Jason a small smile, Amelia slid back into the booth and picked up her cup, taking a sip and then putting it down again. She had no idea what to say now, even though it had been her suggestion that they talk.

To her surprise, Jason started the conversation, telling her he wanted to spend time with her and was re-asking her to dinner. He then further surprised her by placing his warm hand over hers and asking her to tell him about herself. Amelia blinked at the change in his demeanour, between when she had left to go to the bathroom and now. She had left a nervous, tired looking man but had returned to someone exuding warmth and confidence.

Amelia wasn't sure what he'd had in his coffee or what his thoughts had been but she could feel her attraction rising again. Okay, so he didn't want them to get physical, fair enough. It would be nice to have someone interested in her for her company alone, not just because they wanted to get her naked and horizontal as soon as possible.

"Okay," she nodded, her smile sweet and gentle, "the Amelia Duquette story in a nutshell. I was born in Québec, my parents are French-Canadian. We moved to Chicago for my dad's work when I was 10. He's a museum curator and got a job at the Museum of Science and Industry. My mother was a journalist, mainly freelance articles for fashion magazines. She…" Amelia faltered, as always finding it hard to talk about this painful part in her past. Picking up her coffee, she took a big mouthful and then gently set it back down, trying to get control back of her voice.

Amelia felt Jason squeeze her hand softly, looking up she saw his blue eyes studying her, concerned and caring. She squeezed his hand back, shrugging.

"Sorry, it's just one of those things I'll never get used to saying, I guess. She died of leukaemia when I was 16. Anyway, she passed on her love of fashion to me. We'd spend hours going round the shops together, she'd bring home all these free samples of things that she'd get from the magazines she wrote for. I was always sketching outfits and showing them to her. She even took me to a couple of fashion shows which was my idea of heaven!

"I knew that fashion design was what I wanted to do, but I wanted to have my own label. I didn’t want to have my designs go out with somebody else's name on them. I enrolled at the business school at Loyola, studied management and marketing, did some night classes at the Art Institute, worked on my own designs on my free nights and after doing a lot of research, discovered a hole in the market. I made some good contacts through my studies, did a couple of internships - you know, those underappreciated, overused scenarios?

"Finally I was lucky enough to get a mentor and to cut a long story short, I've had my own label now for just under three years, all custom-made designs for my clients. I'm appointment only, my own boss and I get to choose who I take on as a client. My studio and storefront are in downtown Chicago and I absolutely love it. It's a lot of hard work, don't get me wrong, but seeing the look on a woman's face when she puts on the finished product and it fits her to a tee? Nothing beats it." A warm smile crossed Amelia's face, making her eyes shine.

Realising how long she'd talked, Amelia felt herself blushing even more, shrugging her shoulders and taking a sip from her now tepid coffee. She checked to see if Jason's attention had started wandering when she'd mentioned fashion. It was sad but Amelia had gotten used to men doing that, thinking that fashion wasn't really a "proper" career or that it meant she didn't have a brain in her head.

To her pleasure, Jason's gaze was true, nodding his head and looking… impressed? She couldn't quite tell but there was a shine in his eyes that hadn't been there before.

"Was there anything else you wanted to know?" she tentatively asked, shifting her hand so that their fingers lightly linked together. She definitely had questions for him but thought she'd let him take the lead as to where they headed next. Suddenly, a change in the light outside the large window towards the rear of the car caught Amelia's attention.

"Oh my God, that is stunning," she whispered, seeing the palely setting sun illuminate the snow on the trees, causing a shimmering effect that looked absolutely magical. Jason twisted awkwardly in his seat, trying to see over the back. "Come on," she said, standing up and tugging on their joined hands, "let's take a closer look." Amelia led him down the short aisle to the panoramic window, her free hand resting on the glass as if trying to feel the snow on her palm.

As she stood there, gazing out at the calming view, she felt Jason let go of her other hand and move to stand slightly behind her, his hand now resting gently on her hip. Holding her breath slightly, Amelia willed herself to stay still, looking out the window, knowing that whatever happened next would most definitely set the tone for the rest of the evening.

By the time he asked Amelia to re-confirm their dinner date and continue with their deal to tell their respective stories, Jason's confidence had returned fully, and he knew that it showed. He thought, in fact, that he could see in Amelia's expressions that the two of them were back, more or less, to the warm and delightful place they had been before his abrupt departure. Maybe, though, he thought, with a little more depth and intensity. He was delighted when Amelia readily confirmed their dinner date plans; he had expected her to do so, but still it was a relief to be back on track.

The beginning of Amelia's life story seemed almost ideal, parents with very interesting, and very artistic, professions, and life in one of America's great cities, so different from Jason's own background. Indeed, there was some very good news here. Jason had gotten the impression from an earlier comment that Amelia had made in passing that she was just in Chicago on business and lived elsewhere. Clearly, this was wrong. The possibility of a post-Seattle relationship just took a big upswing. He was about to ask her what Chicago neighborhood she lived in when he saw her face darken as she spoke of her mother.

Amelia's revelation that her mother had died when she was only 16 made Jason realize that she, too, was taking some risks and opening up more to him, as he had just done with her. Squeezing her hand and having the same returned added to the increasing tenderness that Jason was feeling for Amelia.

Jason listened to Amelia's story of her career venture with interest and admiration. Although he was not very fashionable himself, he recognized both the value and importance of fashion. When he was a TA for a history course at Northwestern, he had once even included a lecture on the relevance of fashion in European history. Fashion was hardly superficial; it was art. Moreover, here was a woman who had, by her account at least, started and was maintaining a business. Jason had already concluded, based on their verbal repartee, that Amelia was intelligent. Now he knew that she was practical and had initiative as well.

Was there anything else you wanted to know?

When Amelia shifted her hand so that their fingers linked together - one of the classic touches of lovers - Jason thought, "Well, yes, I'd like to know how I could take back my opposition to a one-night stand". A small smile and perhaps a blush crossed his face. Of course, he knew he couldn't ask that, and a different perspective was growing about this issue in his mind anyway. So, he thought to ask her what kind of fashion she designed. She had referred to her products as being custom-made and fitting her clients to a tee. So, probably not handbags. Shoes are too damn difficult to manufacture, plus you'd have to compete with Gucci and Prada. Probably dresses, Jason conjectured. He was just on the verge of asking when Amelia suddenly exclaimed excitedly about the view, took him by the hand, and led them down the aisle to the large window at the back of the bar car.

Walking hand-in-hand with Amelia, with their fingers locked, and headed toward a beautiful and romantic view crystallized Jason's growing self-awareness of what he wanted from Amelia. He wanted a romantic relationship that went way beyond a one-time, cross-country trip on a train. Erotic and physical, absolutely, these images still filled Jason's mind, but more than that, and more than fleeting. That, Jason realized, is what he had, acting on his own fear and confusion, so awkwardly and incorrectly communicated to Amelia only a short while ago.

As they stood watching the sunset, Jason knew that he needed to act confidently on his feelings and insight. The first step was to loosen their hands and rest his left hand gently on her left hip, signifying that his interest in her was far from platonic. They stood there for a few minutes, occasionally each saying something mundane about the view, both knowing that the scenery was not what they really wanted to talk about. They turned slightly toward each other, allowing their gazes to once again lock. Jason seized the moment.

"Amelia," Jason began, " after you nearly fell and we returned to our table I told you sincerely something that was true, but only partially complete. I told you that I was worried that we were on the path to a one-night stand, and that I didn't want that. That was true, and remains so. What I should have said, that is, what I meant to say and am saying now, is that I don't want only a one-night stand with you." As he finished his sentence, Amelia's face first registered surprise, then a growing understanding of the implication of his re-worded statement. Jason continued, "I have never before asked a woman if she wanted a second date before we had our first date, but I'm doing so now. Amelia, I would like to see you after we both return to Chicago, and I'm asking you if you would consider that possibility."

Jason could see that his statements had taken Amelia off guard, but rather than blanching, a glow was growing on Amelia's face. Jason was sure that he had the answer to his question, but he wanted Amelia to have the opportunity to voice her response. As she began to speak, he moved his strong left hand and arm from her hip up to the middle of her back and pulled her around to face him, as he rotated to face her, obviously positioning them for a kiss.

Jason had posed two questions to Amelia: Did she want to continue to see him after they returned home? Did she want them to kiss right there? One question she could answer with her voice, the other with her body; both with her mind and heart.

Amelia kept her eyes focused on the rushing scenery in front of her, watching the sun dappled trees fly past in a canvas of white and green.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Jason said softly. Amelia nodded, her hand still pressed lightly against the cold window.

"It's nice to be able to take the time to appreciate it. Work keeps us busy, I guess," she replied, trying desperately to think of something intelligent to say but the feeling of his body so close to her rendering her immune to anything but small talk.

"True," he replied. "Very… true."

"Okay, maybe it's not just me," Amelia thought, as their conversation - if it could be called that - dwindled to silence again.

In the reflection from the window, she let her eyes drop to Jason's hand, its fingers curved softly round her hip, warm and gentle. In that small action, she knew he was telling her that he felt comfortable with her and she felt the same. Amelia also felt respected - it's not like he had tried to cop a feel of her bum or tried to rub up against her.

Feeling Jason shift slightly behind her, Amelia turned her head and looked back at him, watching as he came around more to her side. From the slight frown on his face and the way his mouth opened and closed a couple of times without him speaking, she knew something was about to change between them. And she was right, hearing Jason tell her that he did want to be intimate with her but not only that, he wanted to see her again when they returned to Chicago.

Amelia felt her heart beat faster and a warm glow spread across her cheeks. Her eyes searched his face, seeing only honesty and sincerity… and perhaps a hint of nervousness?

The logical part of her was shaking its head furiously, whistling and making the "T" sign for Time Out - "What are you thinking? You've known this guy, what, a few hours? Get to know him while you're here, make plans to catch up in Chicago but that's it! Do not play train in the tunnel with him!!"

The romantic side of her was skipping in circles, flinging rose petals around and giggling happily - "Oh my God, this is incredible! Tall, dark, handsome, intelligent man. On a train. Wants to take you to dinner, wants to see you again, wants to sleep with you. Screw you, logic! Seize the day, girl. Forget the day - seize him!!"

Listening to the two sides of her arguing in her head, Amelia saw the nerves in Jason's face increase slightly. Opening her mouth to say something, she was taken aback when he moved closer, his arm wrapping around her and shifting them so they were now face to face.

Looking up into his eyes, Amelia took a deep breath. She saw a look of amused confusion on his face when she softly muttered the words - "Yeah, screw you, logic" - before cupping his jaw with one hand, leaning forward and gently pressing her lips to his. Amelia felt Jason's arm pulling her closer, his other hand running lightly into her hair.

Sighing softly against his mouth, Amelia opened her lips and their kiss deepened, their mouths massaging each other as their bodies pressed closely together. Jason's hand on her back slid up to rest between her shoulder blades, his fingers tracing a circle there and making her head spin. She felt and heard a small groan escape his throat and slid her hand around him, letting it rest on the waistband of his jeans just above his gorgeous butt.

Just as they pressed even closer together, Amelia felt Jason lurch against her suddenly.

"For the love of God, you two, get a room. You're blocking the exit and I need to pee. Shift!" rasped a cranky voice. Breaking the kiss, their mouths swollen and flushed, Amelia and Jason moved closer to the window to let a tiny old lady with a walker and a deep frown on her face shuffle past.

Hiding her face in Jason's chest, Amelia started laughing. "Well, when you've got to go, you've got to go - can't argue with that!" she said, wrapping both arms around Jason and nestling into the warmth of his embrace. Looking up at him, she smiled shyly. "In case you're wondering, I would love to go on a second date with you, in Chicago. As for the other thing, let's see how dinner goes and… um, yeah," she stammered, feeling herself blush.

She'd never felt this swept off her feet before and wasn't sure how to proceed. Hopefully Jason would take the lead on this one.

From the moment they turned to face each other, Jason could see that Amelia was going to accept and return his kiss. He felt a warmth cover his whole body, but a little bit of nervousness too. He remembered this as the "butterflies in the stomach" that he typically experienced just before making love to a woman for the first time. Jason hadn't had a "first time" in more years than he could remember. He was relishing the experience.

Yeah, screw you.... What the hell was Amelia muttering about, Jason wondered, but before he could spend much time trying to figure it out, she was touching his face and kissing him gently. A gentle, warm response was what he had anticipated from Amelia. In response, he pulled her closer, not quite knowing what to expect. He never expected her to open her mouth and kiss him deeply. It sent a jolt through him so quickly that he let out a soft groan. His whole body was now on fire for her. And she was stoking those flames, teasing him by running her hand down to his waistband. Reflecting on this later, Jason wasn't sure how much he could have restrained himself if that funny old lady hadn't smacked into him and loudly registered her displeasure.

Holding Amelia in the warm embrace of the afterglow of their interrupted upward spiral of physical intensity, Jason's heart skipped several beats when Amelia accepted his offer of a second date back home in Chicago, and her thinly-veiled acceptance of them becoming lovers. Holding her gaze, Jason smiled and chuckled, "Well...another first. I've never been kissed that passionately before a first date!" He leaned over, positioned them check-to-check and softly whispered into Amelia's ear, "This is going to be a dinner date to remember."

Straightening up, he unwound his arm from around her back, and took her by the hand, linking their fingers, as she had done when she lead him to the panoramic window. He was confident now; he felt no need to be in a frenetic rush. Standing there, hands locked, Jason softly stroked Amelia's hair once with his other hand and said, "When you were in the ladies' room, I noticed that I have pretty good cell phone reception on this segment. I have a standing telephone call every week at about this time with a family member. I'd like to go to my room, make my phone call, take a shower, and be fully presentable for dinner." As Jason finished his statement, he saw Amelia's face darken just a bit, then return to a soft glow. They both knew now that neither of them were leaving. After that kiss, how could either of them have any doubts? "May I walk you home?, Jason asked, using his fingers to make the quote signs around "home". Amelia nudged Jason's shoulder and kissed him lightly on the neck. He had his answer.

Jason and Amelia walked unhurriedly, hand-in-hand, down the aisle from the bar car, through the two second-class coach cars, the dining car, and into the sleeper car where she had her roomette. Amelia stopped at her door, turned and faced Jason. There was no need to posture; they both knew that another deep kiss was next. Neither Jason nor Amelia disappointed the other. Their kiss was passionate, longing, their bodies pressed tightly together. Jason pushed gently but firmly to separate them. This wasn't the time to go the distance. After dinner, perhaps; indeed, almost certain.

As Jason started to walk down the aisle to his sleeper car, the next car on the train, the thought crossed his mind that he might go to his room, lock the door, and masturbate just to relieve his building sexual arousal. He didn't do this often, but he wasn't a stranger to the idea. Suddenly, with this thought in mind, he started to chuckle, remembering a line of Amelia's from a couple of hours ago. Jason turned, and called "Amelia!", just before her door closed. Hearing his call, she slid open the door and popped her head out, smiling warmly. "Don't do anything to spoil your appetite for later," Jason quipped as he grinned, turned, and headed toward his sleeper. Amelia's hearty laugh as she disappeared again behind her door was music to his ears.

Reaching his room, Jason grabbed his phone and started his call. He had told Amelia the truth, but not all of it. Jason had a standing weekly call with his daughter, Amanda, in Philadelphia. It was the highlight of his week. As usual, father and teen-age daughter chatted about seemingly trivial things: her new favorite musical group, the goings on of her other teen-age friends, and such. The content wasn't the point; the connection was. After finishing his call, Jason began to wonder what Amanda would think of Amelia. "Shit!", Jason scolded himself, "you just met this woman; you're going to have a few dates, sleep together a few times, that's likely it. Way too early to be thinking about Amelia as 'family'".

Jason thought about his upcoming dinner date with Amelia. He wished he had better clothes to wear. He wanted to look good for his niece's wedding, so he'd splurged - new suit, two new dress shirts with french cuffs, cuff links, two silk ties, a new pair of Johnstun & Murphy shoes. But...he didn't want to get his new, expensive clothes wrinkled or dirty, so he had packed them in a separate suitcase and checked the suitcase. They were safely locked away in checked baggage. He would have to just go with the casual clothes that he had packed in his on-board luggage.

Jason had also brought on board with him two bottles of wine. Although his income was more than sufficient for his needs, he could be quite frugal. He know how expensive just a cup of wine would be aboard a train, so he brought his own to drink in his room. This had possibilities. He could, Jason thought, invite Amelia to his room for an after-dinner glass of wine. How romantic!

Oh, yes, and then there were the condoms. Two of Jason's young subordinates in IT had teased him unmercifully. "Single women attending weddings are so horny, they'll be all over a good-looking guy like you," they said, "be prepared!". Jason thought that their idea was perfectly silly - he was not going to be having sex while at his niece's wedding - but they were so persistent that he decided to do it just to shut them up. Now, he was thanking them for their silliness.

Jason took off his shoes, stretched his long frame out on the double-wide seats that would later become the bed, watched the scenery go by, and tried to relax. Dinner, wine, condoms - a warm smile crossed his face - he didn't think Amelia would hold his lack of more formal attire against him. It was going to be a very interesting evening.

This is going to be a dinner date to remember.

Amelia could feel the warmth of Jason's cheek against hers as he whispered those words softly into her ear, the faint stubble on his jaw brushing against her lobe. Her fingers tightened imperceptibly on his back, her legs pressing together as she felt a warm tingle buzz down her spine and lodge itself in her stomach and beyond. Amelia had always had sensitive ears - it was all she could do not to push him against the large window and do him right there and then, so turned on was she by just his voice against her ear.

Slightly dazed by the strength of her physical response to him, Amelia was glad when Jason put some distance between them. She mentally ticked off something else on her list of qualities she wanted in a man - knows the importance of family - when he told her about having to call a relative. But she was more distracted looking at the movement of his jaw when he talked, such a strong line. Amelia was itching to sketch his face, using her pencil to create the shade and planes that his features created. Or maybe she wouldn't bother with the pencil - she had fingers… lips… a tongue…

May I walk you home?

Holding his hand, Amelia let Jason lead her through the train towards the sleeper cars. When they reached her, she tugged lightly on his hand. "This is me," she smiled shyly, suddenly nervous about what would happen next. Okay, they were going to kiss again, she could see the hunger in his eyes that she was sure matched her own. But would he want to skip dinner and come in now? As much as she was insanely attracted to him, Amelia didn't want to appear too easy. After all, he wanted to see her when they got back to Chicago so maybe a little restraint wouldn't hurt.

Jason didn’t say anything to her, just put his hands on her waist and gently moved in until her back was flat against her door. Leaning down, he covered her mouth and kissed her strongly but tenderly, his teeth lightly nibbling on her lower lip. Amelia ran her hands up his arms and linked them behind his head, pulling him in further and running her fingers through his hair. With a small groan, Jason wrapped his hands around her back, pulling her hips towards him and sliding his tongue into her mouth, meeting hers in a silky, pulsing glide, over and over.

"Oh my Lord," Amelia thought, "if he uses his tongue this well in other places, I will never say a bad word about train travel ever, ever again."

After a blissful few minutes, Amelia felt Jason ease away from her, registering the change of temperature as the warmth on her front from having his body pressed tightly against her started to cool down. Thank goodness he had broken the kiss, because she was half a second away from sliding the door open and yanking him into the cabin. Taking a shaky breath, Amelia smiled and lightly ran her hand down his cheek.

"Shall I meet you in the dining car at 8:30?" she asked.

"A gentleman always escorts a lady to dinner," Jason parried back, with a mock gallant tilt of his head.

"Well, I shall await your knock on my door, kind sir," she giggled, with a small curtsey. "Bye," she whispered, with a small wave of her fingers. As she entered the cabin, she put her hands to her cheeks, not surprised to feel the hot glow that warmed her palms. To her surprise, she heard Jason's voice call her name. Had he changed his mind? About dinner or… about not waiting until dinner? Opening the door and popping her head out, Amelia saw Jason a little way down the corridor, looking at her with a wry grin on his face.

Don't do anything to spoil your appetite for later!

With a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows, Jason turned again and moved off down the corridor, causing Amelia to burst out laughing as she shut the door once more, a tingle flitting across her stomach as if someone was lightly drawing their nails across her bare skin.

Feeling rather giddy, Amelia opened the small closet. The decision of what to wear for the date didn't take long, which was a relief as she didn't really have that much to choose from. As lovely as the train was, Amelia didn't think the dining car required formal dress for dinner, so that eliminated her dresses. Amelia giggled to herself as she picked up her black string bikini, imagining the look on Jason's face if she opened the door to him wearing that and her 3-inch red spike heels. It didn't matter what the weather was, Amelia always tried to fit in a swim when she stayed in a hotel, and a sauna too if there was one available. She'd always relished the small pleasures in life like that.

No, best to stick to safer ground, she thought, selecting her black skinny jeans, a silky long sleeved top with a peacock feather pattern, and the black pashmina she always kept in her handbag, in case of inclement weather. Smiling to herself, she retrieved the red heels that she'd worn onto the train, thinking they'd add a pop of colour to the outfit… and maybe also a little bit of spice later on. And if she was going for spicy, definitely the Chilli lingerie set from her Fall Collection - a hot red satin bra and panties with peach and amber lace flames licking across the bra cups and the derriere of the panties. Perfect for the woman who wanted to look all business on the outside but fiery passion underneath…

With that done, Amelia sank down on one of the bench seats and gazed out the window, trying to relax her slightly fevered brain. The sound of her phone ringing jolted her out of her reverie, and she smiled as she saw Kate's name flash on the screen.

"Ames! Guess what?" Kate screamed down the line, obviously having sunk quite a few drinks since their last conversation.

"What, sweetie?" Amelia laughed, settling back and toeing off her tennis shoes.

"I'm getting married!" Kate whooped. "To George! And I love him soooooo much."

Amelia bit her lip to stop from cracking up. She could just picture Kate, leaning on the bar, the phone sandwiched between her arm and her head.

"Really? That's wonderful, Kate. I'm sure George loves you too, babe."

"Nuh-uh. He can't possibly love me as much as I love him coz I love him, like… like… lots," Kate slurred seriously.

"Well, that's all right. Now why don't you go get some sleep, Katie? You don't want to tire yourself out too mu… hello? Hello?"

Shaking her head with a wry smile, Amelia tucked her arms around herself, happy to hear her friend so blissfully in love. Many's the night they had spent during school and college commiserating about unsuitable men - the cheats, the liars, the drifters - lamenting that they would never find "The One". Well, it seemed Kate had beaten the odds, because George adored the ground she walked on and the feeling was mutual.

Closing her eyes, Amelia felt the train lull her into a gentle doze, her last thoughts of Jason and their impending date. Maybe he could be the one to break her losing streak. Maybe…

Stretched out on the double seat watching the scenery go by, Jason tried to think of something besides Amelia – not that thinking of her was unpleasant, God no, just the reverse – but he was feeling a bit obsessed with a woman that he had just met a few hours ago. Jason was not used to losing this much control over his thoughts and emotions. He tried to think about this railroad trip that he had anticipated for so long. Where were they? He consulted his timetable and the GPS system built into his state-of-the-art smartphone – one of the many perks of being the IT boss. Just east of La Cross, Wisconsin. In half an hour they would be crossing the Mississippi River, the great river that definitively divided the U.S. into East and West, a marker to be sure. But, it didn’t work. Under any other circumstances, Jason’s attention would have been riveted on this event, but now he could only think of his upcoming dinner with Amelia.

Jason decided to go with another one of his strengths – he was a great napper. He could fall quickly asleep, sleep soundly for a short period of time, seemingly willing himself to awake after some pre-determined period, and awake quickly, fully alert and refreshed. After doffing his jeans and shirt, sleep came quickly, but not deeply. Images of Amelia in nothing but the fancy bra that he had glimpsed much earlier and a matching set of panties filled his mind. She was standing in his cabin smiling and beckoning him to come sooo much closer. Jason awoke at his planned time of 8:00, slightly embarrassed to discover that his cotton briefs were no longer dry.

Showering in his own private shower and giving himself a very clean shave, Jason put on his other on-board, long-sleeve cotton shirt, the jeans that he had been wearing earlier, and his soft-leather, casual shoes. It was winter out, but for some reason he didn’t wear a T-shirt under his shirt as he ordinarily would do in this season. “It’s kind of warm on the train”, Jason told himself, though truthfully he knew that he was hoping for an encounter in which more clothes would be a hindrance.

Not wanting to appear overly anxious by arriving too early, Jason had a few minutes to reflect. Just a couple of hours ago when he first asked Amelia to accompany him to dinner, they had just met and had only accidentally touched each other when Amelia’s foot grazed his leg. Going to dinner under those circumstances would surely have been like a typical “get-to-know-you, let’s-see-where-this-is-going”, first date. Since then, they had flirted outrageously with each other, initiated several physical touches, Amelia had gotten scared that he was deserting her, she had – literally – fallen into his arms, they had exchanged at least some fairly intimate details about their lives, Amelia had boldly taken him by the hand to see the sunset as though they were already an established dating couple, he had asked her for a second date and she had accepted, they had kissed and hugged so passionately that an old lady had said “get a room”, Jason had essentially told her that he wanted her as a lover and she had tacitly accepted, they had kissed even more passionately at her door, and Jason had teased her with an overtly sexual reference which Amelia seemed to enjoy. “Jesus”, Jason thought, “this isn’t exactly a first date. It’s more like a third or fourth date.” He smiled as he remembered reading the reports of surveys showing that American dating couples have sex for the first time most commonly on Date 3.

Jason arrived at Amelia’s door promptly at 8:30, and tapped lightly. She didn’t make him wait, opening the door and greeting him with a warm smile and a glowing countenance. Amelia looked absolutely stunning and irresistible in her tight, skinny jeans, silk, embroidered top, and her light over-garment. While he was walking through his car to hers, Jason had realized that he would likely be tempted to push into her room and take her right there, but he had resolved to be more patient. The prize was theirs to share and need not be forced. Still he damn near did it. Jason didn’t think that he could risk a deep kiss, so he took Amelia gently by the hand – their fingers instantly interlocking – and kissed her tenderly on her cheek. “Dinner for the lady”, he joked as they headed to the dining car.

Dinner was not what was on either of their minds, and they both knew it. They tried to not act too rushed or to be rude to the server, but it was almost comical how they orchestrated a quick dinner without ever overtly conspiring to do so. “Would you like some appetizers?” the waiter asked. “No”, and “no” they answered, nearly in unison. “We have some excellent specials this evening”, the waiter offered, only to have Jason ask, with some chagrin, what the preparation times would likely be. He and Amelia each ordered the quicker items. While waiting for their food, they each ordered a glass of wine, but after their food had already been served and the waiter asked if they wanted a second glass, Jason demurred, then turned to Amelia to say, “I have a bottle of Merlot and one of Shiraz – both fine Australian wines – in my room. Much less expensive. Would you care to join me for an after-dinner drink?” He tried to make his offer with a serious face, but found that he couldn’t suppress a laugh while doing so. Amelia accepted his offer with only a nod; she was giggling too hard to actually say “yes”. When the waiter returned to ask if they would like to see the dessert menu, Jason and Amelia both laughed so hard that neither could do more than nod “No”, leaving the poor man wondering if he had made some sort of faux pas.

They left the dining car as they had entered it, walking hand-in-hand, closely to each other. They passed Amelia’s door without comment, arriving at Jason’s in a matter of moments. When they opened the door to Jason’s room, they were pleasantly surprised to see that the porter had arranged the room into its night-time configuration, folding the double seats out into a freshly made bed. They both made a small, audible gasp at the unexpected site of what was likely to become the place of their inaugural love-making. Once inside and with the door closed and latched behind him, Jason turned to face Amelia square on. “Wine?”, he asked, barely able to speak through his excitement and anticipation. Amelia’s face, though still sporting something of a warm smile, now looked more strained as the sexual tension between them became almost palpable. Without breaking their gaze, she shook her head “no”.

Jason and Amelia nearly leapt at each other, restraints gone. Jason pulled her tightly to him with his strong left arm wrapped around her back, his hand on her neck, as he pushed her hard against the inside of the door. Their mouths found each other instantly, as their tongues resumed the silky, pulsing glide they had established in their last kiss. Jason’s right hand was resting just above Amelia’s left hip as their passionate kissing continued. After just a few moments, he slid his hand up her silk top, scooping up the outline of her left breast as he began to knead it firmly. Amelia gasped as his hands found her now-erect nipple through her silk top and bra.

Jason broke their kiss and positioned his mouth by Amelia’s left ear. Remembering her reaction earlier, he ran his tongue around the rim of her ear repeatedly, occasionally darting his tongue into her ear itself and nibbling her ear lobe with tender, but firm bites. He could feel her arousal increasing. She pulled him even tighter with her arms, and pushed back with her hips so that the growing bulge in his jeans was now firmly nestled between her pant legs. Jason summoned what breath he had, and whispered into her ear. “Amelia”, he gasped, “I want you, right here, right now, and with all of the intensity that we are both feeling. And, Amelia, I promise you”, Jason continued, “I will make love with you with all of the passion and force with which you make love with me.”

Jason knew from their previous embraces that Amelia was strong, but he didn’t expect her to grab him hard by the neck, swing them around, reversing their positions, and pressing him against the door just as forcefully as he had pressed her, also causing her pashmina to fall to the floor. He quickly began to unfasten the buttons of her silk top. As he did he was stunned by the sight of her hot, red satin bra with its peach and amber flames. Suddenly, he realized that this was what she designed. He was making love with a woman who designed hot, sexy, women’s lingerie! So absorbed was he by the sight of her craft that he was nearly unaware that Amelia’s nimble fingers on both of her hands – the fingers of a fashion designer – were simultaneously methodically unbuttoning Jason’s shirt, loosening his belt, and unbuttoning the fly of his jeans.