I had to go to London on business. Living about 150 miles west of London, driving was an option, but with the nightmare of trying to find somewhere to park and the expense of doing this, the boss suggested I take the train instead. He signed the expenses, so who was I to argue?
Now, I'm not one of those diligent people who work on trains. I struggle a bit with motion sickness, so I find it difficult to read for long without feeling queasy. I can just about manage to do the crossword in the paper, as long as I look up from time to time. I'm pretty good at crosswords, so it only took me about twenty minutes to complete. What to do now? Relax and enjoy the gentle swaying of the train, I guess.
The express train from Cardiff to London only stops three times on the journey of just under two hours. We had already stopped at Newport and Swindon was next. My carriage was only about half full when we stopped, so I wasn't surprised by the rush of passengers entering. One by one, they all found a seat and I was very pleasantly surprised by the person who sat opposite me. She was very tall, exceptionally pretty and looked very confident. Almost intimidating, you could say. But I just love a challenge, so I decided to try and strike up a conversation with this beautiful girl.
Hmm, what to say? 'You come here often?' wasn't appropriate. Also, way too cheesy!
'Grab your coat, you've pulled!' also not appropriate.
'Wow, you don't sweat much for a fat lass!' would probably get me a slap if she didn't have a sense of humour.
I looked over to her and noticed she was looking at me. I smiled.
"You look deep in thought," she observed. If only she knew what I was thinking!
I smiled again and replied "I was thinking everyone on this train is bound for London and probably all for different reasons." I felt that was a tantalizing way to start a conversation.
"Hmm, yes, I suppose that's true," replied my pretty companion. "What's your reason, if you don't mind me asking?"
I thought for a moment. The boring truth or a fantastic lie? I smiled. "The suit and tie probably gives it away, but a business meeting with a few colleagues." She nodded and I added, "How about you? Audition at a model agency?" As I spoke the line, I cringed to myself, but I wanted this girl to know how attractive I found her.
"How did you guess?" she teased. "Supermodel stardom awaits me!"
Well, she was tall enough, pretty enough but possible not as slender as they seem to like catwalk models to be. This girl was bordering on buxom. Certainly not fat, but her bones were beautifully covered.
"Sorry, that was a lame thing to say," I stuttered. "You're much better-looking than most models I've seen!"
I saw her raise her eyebrows. I didn't doubt for a second that she gets hit on several times a day and I was expecting the raised eyebrows to be quickly followed by a roll of her eyes. I was wrong. In fact, this girl continued to surprise me.
"Oh, you're good!" she grinned. "I bet you're only saying that because you know after this train ride we'll probably never see each other again, so you feel you can say what you want. Am I right?"
I stroked my chin and pretended to consider what she'd just said.
"Of course you're right. What an opportunity to say and do whatever takes our fancy with no consequences. Isn't that what everyone wants once in a while?"
I looked her straight in the eyes. Had she picked up on what I was thinking?
She leaned forward and half whispered "Well, I know what takes my fancy right at this moment..."
My mind began to race with lustful ideas of flailing flesh and bodily fluids when she continued "A nice cappuccino would really hit the spot!"
