There are several things about women I don't like and the woman I was sitting next to on the Greyhound bus certainly had some of them. She was really quite pretty but had on a mini dress that was far too young for her age (in her early to mid-thirties I guessed) and was wearing a very strong perfume. To add to this, when I joined the bus in New York, she looked at me as if to say 'How dare you sit next to me.' Just to be friendly I introduced myself and was rewarded with a frosty "Miss Allinson" as she turned to stare out of the window. Suit yourself, I thought. As the bus pulled away we settled down to ignoring each other. At the Pittsburgh rest stop we sat at separate tables to eat.
Samantha Allinson saw this average looking man approaching the seat next to her and thought "I hope he sits somewhere else" but of course, he didn't. As he settled into the seat he said cheerily "Hi, I'm Paul" so to cut the conversation short she just said "Miss Allinson" and turned away.
She had just been fired from her job, one she liked, as the new boss - who was brought in over her head, a promotion she felt was hers by rights - tried to get into her panties and she wouldn't have it. This made her mad at men in general. She knew she was called an old lesbian behind her back but she had a strict rule that she wouldn't date work colleagues; most of the girls in the office were catty so she only had one friend, who just happened to be a lesbian, but that didn't matter to Sam. Still, she had got back at her sleezeball ex-boss by posting photocopies of his private address book to his wife just before she boarded the bus.
Back on the bus after the rest stop, I took a book from my holdall and started to read. After about five minutes the woman next to me asked "Is that Machiavelli you are reading?" I replied "Yes, it is" she said "Do you find it helpful or are you just reading it for fun?" only for fun I replied. She said "By the way, I'm Samantha - my friends call me Sam, sorry for being so standoffish when you got on." We talked on and off until the next rest stop. When she came back from the powder-room I noticed she had changed out of her mini dress into a denim skirt and loose top, had washed off her makeup and reapplied it more sparingly. She smiled and waved and we sat together until it was time to board the bus.
She told me that she was going to her sister in Eagle, Colorado for an extended vacation and would probably stay in that area as she had no real ties in the east.
I told her I was going to Laramie to take a position with the Parks Service but not until later next month. I was going to look round first before taking up my post. I planned to stay in Denver for a week to explore before moving on. She had told me she had been fired from her job and was 'mad as hell' although she didn't tell me why. She asked me about my life, so I told her I had been working on Wall Street and with the collapse of the market I had been let go. We talked about our social life - or lack of it, I told her I had been too busy building a career to have much free time so I was still single. She seemed to be in the same situation, although she did say she dated occasionally but that most of the men she had been out with were not really interested in her as a person, only in themselves or what they could get. "I hate pushy men who think they are God's Gift to women" she added.
By the time we got to the overnight portion of the trip we were almost like old friends. When the bus driver dimmed the lights we tried to get some sleep. We placed our coats over our knees as it was getting cold and, to get comfortable she rested her head on my shoulder saying, "Do you mind?" I said "No."
I was just drifting off to sleep when I felt her hand reach for mine under the coats. I had the same idea but she got there first. I drifted back to sleep, only to be woken as she tried to leave her seat to go to the john. As she got up her butt brushed across the front of my jeans and I was sure she could feel my woody but she said nothing. When she returned she apologised for waking me, rearranged the coats and took my hand again. With our fingers now entwined, she placed it on her thigh just below the hem-line of her skirt. There it stayed until the morning stop.
Over breakfast she commented that I had passed the test. "What test?" I asked. Lowering her voice - she really did have a nice voice - she said "The hand on thigh test: You didn't try to take advantage of me when you had the chance. I am fairly sure you're not Gay so you either don't like me or you respect my privacy even when opportunity is put your way."
I replied "I had thought of 'accidentally' moving my hand to see what would happen but then thought I couldn't do that as we hardly know each other" I went on, "anyway, what makes you think I'm not Gay?" She replied "A girl can tell" and winked. I was getting to like her more and more.
"I will tell you my secret now" she said, lowering her voice even more, "after I got back, I had no panties on."
What a start to the day! I almost choked on my Corn Flakes!
As we boarded the bus, she went first and I'm sure she wiggled her butt as she climbed the stairs. When we regained our seats I put my arm round her and she didn't object. In order to not embarrass her I didn't say anything more about her revelation. We sat silent for a while then she dozed off.
She looks really vulnerable when she is asleep, I thought.
...
Sam didn't know what to make of the feelings she had for this man. Her taste was usually the more rugged type but Paul seemed more intellectual. He had worked as a fund manager on Wall Street where he was used to handling vast sums of money. He chose to travel cross-country on public transport because, as he said, 'I like busses.' She had found herself enjoying his company more than anyone else she had ever known. She was normally fiercely independent but suddenly all she wanted was for him to pick her up and sweep her away.
She had only felt this way once before, that was in college when she had a crush on the football quarterback. He hadn't even noticed her as he preferred that blond bimbo in the cheerleader squad.
To see what reaction she would get, Sam told Paul about not wearing any panties, even though it wasn't true. As he hadn't made any comment (other than nearly having a heart attack) or pursued it any further she felt she was able to trust him. "Paul" she said, "how about we see Denver together?"
For the second time in one day I was taken by surprise but I managed to hide it. "What a good idea" I replied.
"I will ring my sister and put her off meeting me from the bus."
