On The Rails (Closed For Britwitch)

[Lustful_Intentions]

Jeff Andrews caught himself cursing as he hopped through the bustling morning crowds emptying from the northbound line. He'd left his flat a good five minutes later than normal-more than enough to cause him to race for a train on who's arrival he was generally waiting. It was far from the ideal way to start his day, especially with a deposition scheduled for the morning and lunch set with his least favorite client on tap for the day.

He muttered a few choice words under his breath, mostly related to the pace with which Londoners seemed to move, all of them driven by his impatience with the delay in getting to a car. Green eyes glancing up to the board, he cursed a little bit more loudly, seeing that the train was near departure and he still had several rows of commuters to slip through to make the train.

For Jeff, this was the height of frustration, and something that happened at least once a month. Even four years into an ex-pat assignment meant to last 18 months, he'd never really taken to the subtle differences in language, culture and politics that surprised him coming from the States.

All of this, plus the fact that today was the two-year anniversary of the date that Karen, his wife, had him served with divorce papers, was the backdrop of him trying to push his six-foot, one inch, broad shouldered frame through the crowd without being too much the ugly American.

He succeeded-just barely-in pushing his way into a crowded overland rail car just as the doors snapped shut behind him. The sigh of relief Jeff felt when he cleared the threshold quickly gave way to a quiet bit of despair. The delay in getting to the station and then to the car left him in the second to last car of the set, and without any prospects for a seat.

Frustration aside, the crowded nature of the car did at least validate his decision to forego the jacket and tie for today, though he could already feel a bit of heat creeping into the light charcoal pants he was wearing. The saving grace being that, without the jacket or tie, he had some breathing room in the light blue dress shirt he'd grabbed this morning.

Content that he'd at least avoid being late for work, he reached up, grabbed at the rail with one of his strong hands, and, taking a deep breath, Jeff Andrews steeled himself for a crowded commute.

 

[Britwitch]

Some days just didn't go the way you wanted. At all. Emily Rosehall was having one of those days.

First the alarm hadn't gone off, then the hot water had run out half way through her shower. Or to be more precise, her flatmate had apparently used almost the entire tank. Her hairdryer died leaving her no choice but to hope her long brunette waves dried enough on the journey to work to look presentable when she got there.

As she buttoned up her blouse she eyed the clock on the wall warily, she'd have to run. Jamming her heels into her handbag she pulled on a pair of trainers. Trying not to think how ridiculous she looked in a fitted skirt and crisp white blouse and bright pink running shoes, she snatched up her keys and phone and all but threw herself out of the door. Drying hair bouncing around her shoulders as she broke into a run.

The station was, fortunately, at the end of her road but with the late start she knew it would be a close call. She could see the train was at the platform as she dashed through the main doors and headed for the stairs leading down.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit," she panted between strides as she sprinted along the platform. The lights on the doors started to flash and the alarms sounded, warning they were about to slide closed.
With a leap and a wince she launched herself at the nearest door and made it just as the doors closed quietly behind her. Her glee was cut short when momentum continued carrying her forwards and straight into the side of a fellow commuter. She blushed slightly and moved away, offering an apologetic smile.

"Oops," she pushed the hair back from her face to allow her blue eyes to meet theirs, although she found her chin having to rise a fair amount before they could do so. "Sorry about that."

Glancing around as the train began to move, sending her unsteadily back towards him again, the only available space to stand was where she was. Trying not to blush she leant across the grab the hand rail just to the side of the man she'd bumped into, fixing her gaze out of the window. Watching as the station slid out of view to be replaced by occasional flashes of green that would eventually turn into varying shades of grey as they headed further into the city.

She sighed, allowing the swaying of the train carriage to sway her with it. The thought of another day at the front desk of a large business in the city making her heart sink slightly. It wasn't anywhere near what she thought she'd be doing with her life but the wages were good and, rude visitors aside, it wasn't really the most stressful job out there. She was certain her bright smile, trim figure and pleasant appearance were as much the reason for her getting the job as her secretarial skills had been but her indignation had been short lived. She was good in social situations, she'd always loved meeting new people. So what if her interviewer had spent more time eyeing her cleavage than he had her CV? She did her job well and she lived in the hope that maybe one day, one of the directors or CEOs who came to her desk to announce their arrival would see her potential and steal her away. One day. Maybe.

Glancing down at the watch on her wrist she let herself relax a little. She would be pretty much on time for work and should even have time to slip into the 'ladies' and sort out her hair and apply a little make up.

Another station and a couple more people shoehorned themselves into the carriage and she found herself almost standing on the feet of the man she'd bumped into. She offered another apologetic smile back over her shoulder as the train began to move again. Allowing the smile to remain on her face as she looked away, a whiff of his aftershave tickling her nose and causing her blush to linger. It could have been worse, she supposed. She could have ended up next to a sweaty, balding businessman with a gut and a lecherous grin.

Trying to keep space between the two of them, Emily's eyes moved back to the window.

 

[Lustful_Intentions]

As a veteran of mass transit, Jeff was used to the incidental contact with other humans. He was already nose down into his emails on his mobile when the petite brunette brushed against him. The slight bit of contact caused him to look up, mostly a reaction to a surprising touch. Satisfied by his quick assessment that the girl wasn't a pickpocket or mugger, he turned his gaze back to his phone with a brief, almost brusque "No worries" in response to her polite apology.

His thumb was rapidly typing away a short hand note, the outline of a brief finding it's way from his brain to a screen, when the continued compacting of passengers into the tin can car caused the same girl to take up even more of his personal space. Even with his years of experience traveling like this, whenever a woman of this stature got into a position like this, where he could easily inhale her scent and almost feel the outline of her frame against him, Jeff caught himself drifting away from work and worries and into the moment.

In this moment, he could catch the hint of something flowery, lilac, perhaps, wafting from her hair. The realization of the sweetness of it gave him a bit of pause, taking his mind from work for a moment, to something simpler. Nothing specific formulated in his brain-she was a stranger, and this was morning rush, after all- but he was still away from work for a moment. Still, even as he appreciated the fate that put a sweet smelling young-ish looking woman and not some awkward creep in his proximity, he was aware of the time and the crowd he'd have to fight through once the train reached his stop just past city center.

The carriage was still 5 stops from that when another crush of people pushed on, this time behind him as commuters jockeyed for precious space rather than wait another 8 minutes for the next run. This time, a bit of his weight pressed against her back, Jeff taking care to keep one hand firmly on the rail, the other on his phone, so as to avoid any possibility of being accused of a grope. Still, the middle of his chest brushed gently against her at shoulder level, this time triggering a softly spoken apology.

It was with this utterance that he was once again acutely aware of the very American-ness of his voice, and the contrast to the muted conversations taking place around him, and even more so the soft, native lilt of her voice in the apology offered a few stops previous. She seemed, to him, relatively demure about it-no doubt she'd been bumped into and brushed up against on the train enough times, and probably in much more aggressive, lecherous ways than the incidental contact he was making at this moment.

Still, his own introverted nature, coupled with what he knew was that noticeable difference in his accent compared to the general population around him, left him feeling a bit awkward about this bit of contact with a stranger.

 

[Britwitch]

Another station and another group of desperate commuters shoved their way onto the already full train. The air seemed to be pushed out to make room, making it clammier and warmer by the second. The fact that the increased population in their carriage had caused the gentleman behind to shuffle forwards and was now much closer didn't help.

She could feel his chest against her shoulder and she had no where to go. The door was right in front of her and he was now right behind.

Suddenly a voice above her head make her glance back as he apologised, clearly as uncomfortable as she was. His accent pricked her ears, harder somehow than hers and instantly recognisable as coming from across the Atlantic. She felt a pang of guilt that a visitor to her country was having to experience a less genteel side to British culture. While she was equally certain the metro in New York was probably as bad, she couldn't help feeling like she should be the one apologising on behalf of her fellow countrymen and women.

"Not your fault," she smiled up at him as best she could, hoping her voice carried over the hum of people talking on their phones and the rattle of the car as it shot along the tracks. Given their proximity she couldn't have turned around even if she'd wanted to and she wasn't sure that would make any of them feel any more comfortable about the situation.
"Got to love the morning rush, eh?"

She glanced back out the window and groaned to see another station approaching. Some mornings she wished the driver would realise how crowded the carriages were and simply not open the doors but she knew they couldn't afford to. Nothing like a grumpy commuter to make a fuss in the press and cause all kinds of problems for the rail companies.

As the train rolled to a stop the momentum made her roll back against him for a second, her back against his front. She could feel the warmth radiating through his shirt.
"I'm so sorry," she replied, flustered before laughing awkwardly. "I almost feel like we'll need to be on first names terms if we get any closer before the end of our journeys."

As if to prove her right, a businessman having a loud conversation on his mobile shoved his way across the carriage and positioned himself right in front of her - clearly wanting to be the first off at the next station. Forcing her back a little more snugly against the poor man behind her. She blushed hotly as she felt her body pressed up tightly against his with no room at all to try and move away.

"I'm not usually this forward," she joked, half heartedly, hoping humour would help prevent him from feeling too bad about their situation.

 

[Lustful_Intentions]

He was very aware of the contact between his chest and her shoulder as the crowd began to entrap the girl against him. At her comment regarding the morning rush, he offered a quaint, sarcastic "Yes, nothing quite like it."

As they pulled into the next station, the promise of further compacting the bodies in the car caused him to finally shove his phone into the front pocket of his slacks. They were close enough to the city and, at any rate, he couldn't risk dropping it, as there wouldn't be room to even crouch down to try and collect it.

The device had just hit the bottom of his pocket when the rocking of car at the station pitched her back against him. Instinctively, feeling a shift of her weight threatening to put him off his balance, his hand shot to her hip, his grip light but steadying. He assumed she must have felt it, given the awkward nature in which she addressed him. Jeff did his best to fix an easy smile to his face to put her at ease, responding with a simple nod and small chuckle.

Then, instantly self-aware, he withdrew his hand, silently chiding himself. It's 2017, you need to be a bit more careful about your hands being on a woman, no matter how fucking innocuous, bud.

By the time he'd finished this chiding, her frame was now tucked completely against his. Hand placement was now the least of his worries. The biological impulses started to creep up as he became aware of the curve of her backside against his waistline, her scent filling his nostrils fully now. Hoping to help the girl maintain some degree of face, given the clear sense of embarrassment marking her cheeks, he tried to help lighten her load, "It's no trouble, I promise. Though, based on what I know about Brits, aren't we approaching a third or fourth date in this position?" He laughed softly at his own joke, hoping that he was at least alleviating some of her stress.

The train continued on, fortunately getting close enough to the city that only a scant few riders joined at the subsequent stations. He let out a soft, long sigh, feeling his chest expand as he inhaled again, pressing it against her back a bit more, finally breaking the rather awkward silence. "Fortunately, only three more stops for me. How about you?"

 

[Britwitch]

She laughed back at his mention of dating culture in Britain.
"By this point I'd usually have at least met your parents, that's for sure," she teased. Swallowing back a grumbled retort towards the burly businessman whose phone rang almost as soon as he'd finished the original call. The rise of his elbow as he answered it all but smashing into her face. She dodged her head back, all but laying it back against the gentleman behind her at that point.

"Ah, you have one less than me. I've four stops myself." She replied to his question about the remaining length of her journey, a small laugh creeping back into her voice as she added, "Hopefully things will have calmed down a little in here or I fear we'll be even better acquainted by the time you've managed to escape the train."

If he had to alight at the next station there would be no end of rubbing up against one another to try and let him squeeze by. She was joking but the more her mind dwelt on what she'd said she felt an embarrassed flush recolouring her face. Praying he wouldn't think she was inviting such contact between them.

The train rolled to a stop and the man on the phone stepped off. As they were all but in the City now the amount of people boarding the train was infinitesimal. Allowing her the chance to step forward and allow there to be air between the two of them. She was torn between turning around and apologising face to face for having invaded his personal space and just moving closer to the door in case he was feeling any more awkward than she was about the whole thing.

In the end she settled for a compromise as the doors slid closed and the train continued along the track.
"That's better," she sighed with relief, half looking back over her shoulder so he'd know it was him she was talking to. "I'll let you get back to 'enjoying' your morning commute in relative peace."

 

[Lustful_Intentions]

The depth of her laugh, the spirit behind it, caused Jeff's lips to curl up at the edges into a smile that lasted a bit longer than perhaps it should have. Fortunately, perhaps, the woman's positioning on the train, barely in front of him, made it near impossible for her to see that. Likewise, it wasn't until she'd moved forward a few steps and barely turned her head that he caught just a hint of the blush still lingering on her soft, pale skin.

And yet, when she did edge away, he became rather aware of the new space between them, and surprised himself with the manner in which he noticed it. The woman had perhaps made a bit more of an impression on him than he'd allowed himself to realize in that moment. Allowed that bit of space, Jeff took in and pushed back through his lips a long, slow breath, the action clearing his lungs and he'd hoped, his head.

When her comment came back across his ears and registered in his brain, he had to stop himself from taking a half step forward. From closing the space between them that now, suddenly, he felt an urge to remove. Instead, he straightened a bit, gave a warm, visible smile and said, "Well, I suppose after what we've been through on this ride, it's only natural you'd need your space now, isn't it?"

The car glided along the rails, steadily emptying passengers along the way. As the rail progressed towards his office, he racked his brain with what to do next. Was he misreading the moment between the two of them? Was it pure circumstance and British manners that caused her to be so kind in a tight situation? Or did she feel some of the same surprising absence that he did when their bodies finally found air between them?

Finally, he steeled himself, reaching a bold conclusion: Well, if you don't initiate something, you've no guarantee that you'll ever see her again.

The car was still crowded, but far from overwhelmingly so, when they approached Jeff's usual stop, he had two short steps through clear space to reach the door, pausing just behind her again. Reaching his right hand overhead again to grasp at the bar, he let his left deftly rest on her upper arm just lightly enough for her to be aware of it and hopefully not be seen as aggressive or threatening.

"Well, travel companion, this looks like where I get off." He said in a hushed voice. "I pick the return up here at 4:58, always in the 3rd car from the front. Perhaps I'll see you on it this evening. Wouldn't that be quaint?" The words hung in the air a bit as the train cruised to a stop. Jeff released his grip on the bar, letting that hand glide along the back and just above the waist of woman who's name he didn't yet know, his green eyes smiling down at her as he stepped around her and down onto the platform.

Without meaning to, he watched her face through the window as the train pulled away, wondering just what he might have invited in that moment.

 

[Britwitch]

"Well, I suppose after what we've been through on this ride, it's only natural you'd need your space now, isn't it?"

Emily just smiled and then turned her attention back to the window. It felt almost strange not to feel him close behind her as he had been throughout most of their journey so far. For several long moments she was genuinely torn between agreeing with his statement and turning around to assure him she didn't feel the urge to get away from him. Far from it, as it would happen.

A crackling voice came over the speakers in the carriage to announce they were approaching their next station, his from what he'd said and she prepared herself to step slightly to the side to allow him as unhindered an exit as possible. To her great surprise she felt him move closer and his hand landed upon her upper arm. The connection sending an unexpected tingle race up her arm to the base of her neck, forcing her to hold back the urge to fidget. An urge which grew as she heard his voice near her ear.

"Well, travel companion, this looks like where I get off. I pick the return up here at 4:58, always in the 3rd car from the front. Perhaps I'll see you on it this evening. Wouldn't that be quaint?"

"Er, I..." Emily found herself completely lost for words as his other hand trailed gently across her back, just above her waist. He stepped around her, brilliant green eyes holding hers for a fraction of a moment before she watched him disembark and stand out on the platform. Her mouth was still partially open and trying to form words as the doors slid shut and the train inched away. He was watching her as it did and she found herself apparently unable to look away.

It was several long moments after they'd left him and the station behind before she managed to close her mouth and snap herself out of the dazed state the stranger had apparently put her in.
"Oh grow up, Em," she muttered angrily to herself, moving closer to the door in readiness for the arrival of her own station. "It's not like he proposed, all he said was he'd be on the evening train."

He'd probably been on it every day, her mind continued. Chance meant that they'd happened to meet that morning and would inevitably mean their paths never crossed again. Reality meant that too if she was honest. It was rare she managed to get out of the building and to the station in time to catch the train that left before five. Still, the idea that she might see him again did cause a smile to filter back onto her face.

From what she'd seen through the window he was definitely an attractive man, tall and handsome. He'd been nothing but friendly and gentlemanly throughout the whole train ride. Even his words at the end erred on the side of chivalry rather than anything less wholesome. In those parting moments his hands could have gone anywhere and he chose relatively chaste locations. Her arm, her back.

As the train rolled into her station she forced herself to focus on the day ahead and once her trainers hit the platform she broke into a slow jog through the station and headed for her workplace. Still smiling. He had been a pleasant distraction from the morning rush. That was all there was to it.

~||~​

The day was uneventful at her reception desk. Few visitors to deal with, even fewer phone calls. As it turned out she'd spent most of the day rather contentedly day dreaming about the tall american from the morning train. His accent had been friendly, his words fun and friendly. When her boss buzzed down that the final appointment of the day had cancelled and that she could go early if she liked, her eyes darted straight to the large clock that hung above the lifts in the hallway. It was just gone half past four. If she was quick she'd make the quarter to five train. Biting her lip as a nervous smile spread across her face she thanked her boss and snatched up her bag.

In her heels the journey was slower than her morning jog but if she'd stopped to change shoes, she wouldn't make the train. Not that it mattered, she argued with herself. Her heels clicked a rapid tempo along the pavement before she ducked into the station and headed for the platform with a couple of minutes to spare. She wandered closer to the edge and looked down the trainline, looking for the telltale dots of light that would signal the arrival of the train.

When it arrived she hesitated, looking between the second and third carriages for a moment. Both were half full but the second would give her the chance of possibly grabbing a seat. As the train's conductor was about to shut the doors, she made her decision. Stepping quickly onto the train and finding a spot to stand in almost exactly the same place as she had in the morning, in the third car.

Her stomach erupted in butterflies of nerves as the doors slid shut and the train pulled away. What on earth was she doing? Why was it so exciting to see a stranger she'd met once, for a little over half an hour.

She glanced at her reflection in the window noting how she looked different from the morning. Her hair was now twisted up, a few tendrils curling down around her ears and the back of her neck. She'd found time in the morning to sort out her make up too, smudging some eyeliner around her eyes and adding a coat of mascara to lengthen and define her lashes. Nothing overly flamboyant but definitely different. The heels also made a difference. They weren't too high, she wore them for work after all, but they did add a couple of inches to her height. Smoothing her blouse and making sure her buttons were straight the crackly voice announced the next station. His station.

"He's probably still at work," she muttered under her breath, her eyes scanning the station as the train slowed to a halt. "He's probably forgotten this morning even happened." The doors opened and a large group of commuters entered the carriage. Emily's eyes darted from face to face, hoping to see his and yet completely lost as to what she should say or do if he was to be there.

 

[Lustful_Intentions]

Jeff smirked a bit to himself as he stepped off the train, his face a bit flush, surprised with himself and his boldness. A little rush of heat ran down his spine as the train pulled away, even as he chided himself for being a bit too forward with his remarks. It wasn't in his nature to talk to a woman like that, even if he did find her rather alluring at first encounter.

By the time he'd reached the front door of his firm's office building, he'd convinced himself that seeing her again would be nothing more than happenstance, even if they did ride the same line on a daily basis. London was extraordinarily dense, and the trains reflected that. Upon boarding the elevator to his office, he'd fully disavowed himself of any notion that the words from the chance meeting that morning would have any impact on his life.

II​

Three meetings. A working lunch. Two conference calls with the folks back Stateside, including one where the higher-ups lamented that he'd taken to England so well, as they missed taking his money at the monthly poker game. It was a hectic day for Jeff, but he had most certainly not forgotten about the morning encounter with Emily.

When his last meeting ended at about half past three, he caught himself checking the cock on his monitor roughly every seven minutes, and comparing his to do list to the time remaining, knowing that he'd have to slip out no later than 4:35 to make his way to his usual train.

Fortunately, Jeff had long established a pattern of leaving by that time-taking advantage of the fact that he'd started doing it when married and carried it through the divorce. As such, nary an eyebrow was raised when he slung his bag back over his shoulder, smoothed a hand over his slacks, and headed for the elevators just before 4:30.

At street level, he worked through the late afternoon pedestrian traffic and tried his best to avoid further rumpling his clothes. It was a constant problem for him, in his perception-the amount of time he spent moving from one meeting to another, fighting against crowds-that he always looked a bit disheveled. As his own worst critic, it was never as bad as he feared, but, given the rising bit of anxiety he felt as he gently shouldered his way to the edge of the platform, the thoughts of unkempt appearances lingered.

Almost foolishly, he felt his head jerk up at the sound of the train rounding the bend and squealing to a stop at the station. Years of experience had placed him precisely at the back door of the third car, and he easily side-stepped the two travelers exiting the train before stepping on himself and pushing forward a few strides. And then, maybe four feet ahead and across the aisle, he caught her outline. The hair was up, and she was...taller? A quick check down confirmed heels as the culprit, though it's possible they'd been there earlier in the day and it was a matter of angles.

At the next stop, the older woman standing behind the girl exited the train, and before a new commuter could slide into the space, Jeff stepped deftly forward, hand reaching up to grab at the rail above his head. Softly clearing his throat, voice low, he intoned. "Fancy running into you here, miss."