As the train approached the subway platform, Jack moved forward to position himself to board and get a decent spot. As expected, the seats were all taken and the standing space was half full. When the doors opened, he maneuvered toward the end of the car to his favorite position. It was a narrow hallway next to the spare driver's compartment and the emergency door to the next car. The space allowed him to lean against two walls for support. As the car filled at the next stations, he would have only one person next to him. It sure beat the middle of the car where you were squished on all sides and constantly jostled as the train moved.
Jack opened his newspaper and settled in for the long and routine commute home. He was looking forward to a quiet Friday evening.
Two stations further on, the crowd shifted to accommodate new passengers. A tallish woman with dark hair moved into the space on his left. As the trained moved forward, she returned to reading her novel. Without turning his head, Jack furtively checked her out.
She wore stylish business clothes; clearly a young professional. A dark, semi-fitted, silk jacket covered a tailored shirt with a pretty dotted print. The aquamarine and chocolate blouse was open at the collar and revealed a hint of cleavage. A simple blue stone on a gold necklace complimented a colorful lapel pin. Her knee length soft silk chiffon skirt had a flared, tulip-style silhouette. It was cut on the bias for a swingy, feminine feel. Black shoes had mid-height heels and open toes. The entire ensemble suited her athletic body. Overall, it was a clean, sophisticated look.
In the tight space, he couldn't get a good look at her face without appearing obvious and attracting her attention. Therefore, he shifted positions and used the traditional subway device of looking at her reflection in the window. It let you stare without your subject knowing.
Her shoulder length hair was styled, but not overdone. Her eyes, nose and mouth were cute. The chin may have been a little large, but not disproportionately so. It gave her an air of determination. Her eyebrows were nicely shaped and fit her oval face. The make-up complimented the rest of her look. It was well done. Feminine, but subtle.
Turning the page of his newspaper to cover his surveillance, Jack risked a direct look. A quick scan confirmed his impressions. Like Jack, she seemed to be in her late twenties. All in all, a great package. Noticing that she was involved in her book, Jack's eyes moved to her breasts. They filled out the blouse nicely. Full, high, yet not overly large. Yeah, very nice. Just the kind of together, yet alluring, woman many men would be drawn to.
Sighing internally, Jack dropped his eyes back to the newspaper. He lamented the unwritten rules of society and subway riding. In a crowded car, you could look, but definitely not intentionally touch. Also, no eye contact or starting conversations with strangers. Especially not with people reading and thereby sending a message of "Do not disturb". But being this close to an appealing woman wasn't bad. It sure beat standing next to some sweaty, fat guy. He decided to enjoy being stimulated by her proximity for the rest of the trip. His mind started to weave an erotic fantasy with this pleasing stranger as the centerpiece. It was fueled by his peripheral vision fixating on various portions of her anatomy. At some point, he named her Belle.
At the next stop, a few more commuters squeezed on. The object of his attention turned slightly and placed her back to him. Her position separated him from the other riders. He lost sight of her breasts, but her body was even closer as everyone's space continued to shrink. When the doors closed and the train moved forward, Belle rocked back. Her hair brushed his cheek and her ass rubbed his hip. He imagined that it lingered for a moment, and then she adjusted to the motion and straightened. The close quarters weren't enough to permit Jack to hold the newspaper any more. He knelt to store it in his briefcase being careful not to touch his neighbor. He could do without getting her angry and being accused of groping.
He slipped the paper into the side pocket of the briefcase and started to stand up. Just then, she shifted her weight and Jack was more confined in the corner. As he continued the standing motion, his arm and the back of his hand rubbed noticeably along the outside of her thigh and hip. The friction caused her skirt to rise.
Jack blushed and froze. He waited for her to turn and give him an angry rebuff, a slap or worse. His mouth began to form the words for a sincere apology.
As the seconds passed, nothing happened. She continued to read her book with no reaction. He thought he detected a bemused smile on her lips.
Taking a breath and trying to relax, he was thankful she was so engrossed in the book. Or maybe she had a high tolerance for the crowded conditions. In any case, he wasn't taking any chances. Jack tried to maximize the distance between them. It only made a few centimeters difference, but he was happy for them. He didn't want to tempt fate with further contact.
The train slowed and Jack braced himself. They weren't coming to a station, but rather stopped in the tunnel. The lights flicked off and disappointed mumbles came from the lips of a few passengers. After a few seconds, the driver came on the intercom and explained the train would be holding at this location for a few minutes due to a problem on the tracks ahead. He asked for patience and turned on the emergency lights.
The lights were few and they were primarily located in the center of the car. They were dim, but enough to lessen the claustrophobia among the nervous. Jack's location was in semi-darkness with a slight red tint from the emergency exit light above his head.
Belle rose up on her toes and looked toward the center of the car to survey the situation. The motion lifted her ass and accented the curves of her legs. Jack fought the strong temptation to reach out with both hands and cup the firm globes. As she stayed on her toes and craned her neck, Jack inhaled her perfume. It was sweet and soft with a hint of flowers. He became aroused.
As she lowered herself, Belle wobbled a little as if off balance. She twisted and reached out to steady herself. As she did, her knuckles brushed across the front of his trousers. The touch was electric and Jack inhaled. She got her balance.
Now, he expected it was her turn to blush and apologize.
She did neither. She made no eye contact and her face maintained the disengaged look common to many riders. Jack reasoned that despite its location, the touch was in that gray zone of ambiguity. It was certainly inadvertent, and therefore could be acceptably ignored; or just as acceptably apologized for. He preferred it this way. A stammered apology and subsequent nervous conversation would be awkward. Instead, this allowed him to continue his sexual fantasy.
In his daydream, he imagined that Belle was coming on to him. She was turning into quite the sensuous companion. He was becoming more stimulated.
