He looked up from his novel, feeling . . . something. From his seat on the bench facing the façade of the train station, he had a clear view of the block, left and right, but could find nothing out of place. He bent back to the words and lost himself once again.
A warm breeze blew over him, ruffling the pages, which he smoothed back into place. At the next wind, he again felt the invisible something, carried to him. Not warm now; chilled and crawling into him. Gooseflesh erupted on his arms. He looked up the block; nothing. Turning to his left, he saw her.
She was 20 yards or so from him, propped against the streetlight. It seemed that was all that was holding her upright. She was young, perhaps 20, with long, dirty brown hair, and he swore he could smell her. She smelled like rain and sex and pollution. He could not take his eyes off her. He sat, staring, until he realized she was staring back at him. Blushing at being caught, he turned away.
She moved closer to him, walking on the edge of the concrete, sidling up to him like a cat. He felt her moving and could not help but watch her. He felt himself beginning to harden, heard his breath quicken. She reached him and held out her hand. He made no move to take it. She growled, low in her throat, and reached down, grabbing his hand, pulling him up. She was strong for a small thing, he thought as he followed her mindlessly.
With her leading him by the hand, as a child would be pulled along, he watched the back of her head as they across the street and through the herds of people gathered in the station. She moved deliberately, forcefully, with no thought to the person tethered to her by a tenuous grip of skin. As he plodded behind her, hypnotized by the sway of her hair, her smell hit him again. A wedge of want sped through him, causing him to pause. Their hands broke from the bond; she stopped and turned on him, spearing him with her eyes. She hissed slowly, pushing the air between her teeth, letting him hear and feel her disapproval. He stared at her for a second or two, reached down and took her hand again. Her eyes narrowed to slits and she smiled a woman’s smile; a hard one, slashing across her face.