Catherine Grey sat on the cold bench waiting for the train to arrive. She wrapped her coat around her body and turned up her collar. Fall was nipping at the wind. Biting at noses and fingertips. Already most of the leaves blazed red, orange, or yellow.
She could hear the steady flow of traffic from across the tracks. The cold seemed to make everything crisper, cleaner, and more real. Looking down the platform Catherine could see a few people huddled in groups with their backs to the wind.
Catherine reached down into her bag and pulled out a book when someone sat down beside her. After a while the cold dropped away, and even the chattering of the two young women beside her faded.
The only sound that broke its way through the words, was the sound of the train pulling up. She tucked her book under her arm, grabbed her bag, and boarded the train. She found a seat near the windows and resumed reading her book. The gentle rocking of the train relaxed her. She set the book down again and looked out the window. She watched as houses, streets, and people passed.
The time that she spent on the train almost felt like time was suspended. Watching people go about their lives as she moved by, made her feel like she wasn't a part of the world for the half an hour. She liked it, it felt like this was her time to just breath and catch up to her life.
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the crowded quiet of the train. When she opened her eyes, she looked over to her left, there was a man staring at her. Briefly she met his green eyes with her blue, before she quickly looked away.
He was cute, she thought to herself. He had dark hair, and beautiful green eyes. She looked back again. He was still looking at her. She snapped her head back to the window. She could see his reflection in the window. He was still looking at her.... Well maybe he's just looking out the window.
His lips curved up into a small smile before he turned away. She could feel her face become red and her stomach knot. This was ridiculous, she thought to herself, you aren't in high school. Men have looked at you before.
She pulled her curly red hair back into a ponytail, before she looked back over at him. He was looking at the front of the train. He was wearing jeans and a black sweater. He was tall with broad shoulders, she noted. Her eyes ran down the length of his arm. He looked like he was in good shape. He probably knew it, she mused, and was probably arrogant and totally in love with himself.
Her eyes reached his hand, it was clean, and his nails were clipped. Obviously didn't work with his hands. He had a small scar by his thumb, but the rest of his hand looked smooth and strong, resting on the thigh.
She looked up and saw him watching her. She quickly looked away again. Well, now all she needed was her tongue hanging out, panting after him to complete this embarrassing moment.
She thought she was about to die of embarrassment when the train finally stopped at her station. She put her book into her bag and stood up, just as the stranger did. She just about bumped into him. He gave her another smirk, that she almost couldn't stop herself from mimicking, when he waved her ahead of him. She mumbled her thank yous and got off the train. But not before she caught his scent. She wasn't sure what his cologne was, but whatever was in it, they should call it, 'Make you weak at the knees.'
She stepped off the train and began the short walk to her apartment. Her mind drifted over the scenery, and her day at work, until it fell back on the stranger. She bet women fell over themselves to get him, he was gorgeous. She daydreamed about pulling his sweater off and running her tongue... 'Alright Ms. Grey' she mumbled, 'This will be one night to many in the apartment, you’re going out tonight.'
She reached her building door with keys in hand, unlocked it and stepped in. She took the stairs up two flights and began to walk down the hall. The old woman that lived beside Catherine stepped out to grab the paper. "Hello Catherine, how was your day?"
"It was good Mrs. Foster, and yours?" Catherine asked as she quickly bent to grab the paper and hand it to the old woman.
"Oh fine, fine, have you met the new neighbor?"
Catherine eyed Mrs. Foster, she was always trying to set her up with someone, "He's a real looker." Mrs. Foster added.
The only new neighbor that Catherine could think of was the old man upstairs in 3b who picked his nose out on the balcony. He was probably closer to Mrs. Foster’s age and type, ignoring his use of the balcony.
"Oh yes," Catherine deepened her voice so it sounded husky, "I've already had my way with him," Catherine laughed.
"What?" Mrs. Foster stared
"I've already gone up and said hey to him."
"You cheeky little manx, fooling around with an old woman's hearing, Oh Mr. Walker, I didn't see you standing there."
Catherine turned around, expecting 3b, but found the man from the train. Still with that goddamn smirk on his face, but now it had deepened into a smile.
She could hear the steady flow of traffic from across the tracks. The cold seemed to make everything crisper, cleaner, and more real. Looking down the platform Catherine could see a few people huddled in groups with their backs to the wind.
Catherine reached down into her bag and pulled out a book when someone sat down beside her. After a while the cold dropped away, and even the chattering of the two young women beside her faded.
The only sound that broke its way through the words, was the sound of the train pulling up. She tucked her book under her arm, grabbed her bag, and boarded the train. She found a seat near the windows and resumed reading her book. The gentle rocking of the train relaxed her. She set the book down again and looked out the window. She watched as houses, streets, and people passed.
The time that she spent on the train almost felt like time was suspended. Watching people go about their lives as she moved by, made her feel like she wasn't a part of the world for the half an hour. She liked it, it felt like this was her time to just breath and catch up to her life.
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the crowded quiet of the train. When she opened her eyes, she looked over to her left, there was a man staring at her. Briefly she met his green eyes with her blue, before she quickly looked away.
He was cute, she thought to herself. He had dark hair, and beautiful green eyes. She looked back again. He was still looking at her. She snapped her head back to the window. She could see his reflection in the window. He was still looking at her.... Well maybe he's just looking out the window.
His lips curved up into a small smile before he turned away. She could feel her face become red and her stomach knot. This was ridiculous, she thought to herself, you aren't in high school. Men have looked at you before.
She pulled her curly red hair back into a ponytail, before she looked back over at him. He was looking at the front of the train. He was wearing jeans and a black sweater. He was tall with broad shoulders, she noted. Her eyes ran down the length of his arm. He looked like he was in good shape. He probably knew it, she mused, and was probably arrogant and totally in love with himself.
Her eyes reached his hand, it was clean, and his nails were clipped. Obviously didn't work with his hands. He had a small scar by his thumb, but the rest of his hand looked smooth and strong, resting on the thigh.
She looked up and saw him watching her. She quickly looked away again. Well, now all she needed was her tongue hanging out, panting after him to complete this embarrassing moment.
She thought she was about to die of embarrassment when the train finally stopped at her station. She put her book into her bag and stood up, just as the stranger did. She just about bumped into him. He gave her another smirk, that she almost couldn't stop herself from mimicking, when he waved her ahead of him. She mumbled her thank yous and got off the train. But not before she caught his scent. She wasn't sure what his cologne was, but whatever was in it, they should call it, 'Make you weak at the knees.'
She stepped off the train and began the short walk to her apartment. Her mind drifted over the scenery, and her day at work, until it fell back on the stranger. She bet women fell over themselves to get him, he was gorgeous. She daydreamed about pulling his sweater off and running her tongue... 'Alright Ms. Grey' she mumbled, 'This will be one night to many in the apartment, you’re going out tonight.'
She reached her building door with keys in hand, unlocked it and stepped in. She took the stairs up two flights and began to walk down the hall. The old woman that lived beside Catherine stepped out to grab the paper. "Hello Catherine, how was your day?"
"It was good Mrs. Foster, and yours?" Catherine asked as she quickly bent to grab the paper and hand it to the old woman.
"Oh fine, fine, have you met the new neighbor?"
Catherine eyed Mrs. Foster, she was always trying to set her up with someone, "He's a real looker." Mrs. Foster added.
The only new neighbor that Catherine could think of was the old man upstairs in 3b who picked his nose out on the balcony. He was probably closer to Mrs. Foster’s age and type, ignoring his use of the balcony.
"Oh yes," Catherine deepened her voice so it sounded husky, "I've already had my way with him," Catherine laughed.
"What?" Mrs. Foster stared
"I've already gone up and said hey to him."
"You cheeky little manx, fooling around with an old woman's hearing, Oh Mr. Walker, I didn't see you standing there."
Catherine turned around, expecting 3b, but found the man from the train. Still with that goddamn smirk on his face, but now it had deepened into a smile.
