When I sat down in the carriage I had only hopes that the compartment would be free of others, it's one of my hatreds of public transport - the public. Yes, you can strike up some interesting conversations, yes there are occasions when you meet someone who makes the journey pass more quickly and whom you regret never meeting again, but more often than not your companions are squealing children with vacant spaces for parents, or weird people in jogging bottoms eating cheese and onion crisps, or those public ranters who inveigle their way into your book, history or job and proceed to tell you exactly what their prejudices would do to solve whatever perceived problem you have. I dreaded the sight of buggy, Nike logo or fastidious man with a Co-op bag. The train began to leave and with relief I leant forward and took my book from my bag, looked my last on London, settled back and opened my book.
Before we'd even pulled clear of the station though, the door to my compartment slid open with a grumble and a slim young woman squeezed through the gap without fully opening it. I kept my gaze on the book, only glancing her way briefly, hoping she wasn't an overly gregarious type. She half smiled, tossed her bag on the seat and sat down beside the window quietly as the door slid slowly closed.
I took the occasional glance at her across the top of my book, appreciating her reticence as well as her slender prettiness. I'd seen her on the platform earlier, when I was having a coffee and tea cake in the station café, seen her and enjoyed watching her lithe stroll down the concourse, bare legs and strappy dress; I'd wondered as I'd sipped whether she was wearing a bra, I couldn't see any straps when I perused the pale skin of her shoulders, and there didn't appear to be any lines suggesting such, but I was too far away to tell properly. I was intrigued, continuing my study whilst feigning reading.
A gentle swell. You just couldn't tell, although certainly no straps, and no tell-tale ridges beneath that thin summer dress, but I couldn't empirically decide, so I decided she didn't and returned to the pages before me, comfortable in my little fantasy.
Some while later, with the train passing northwards at speed, I put the book down, brushed my trousers smooth and stood, a quick trip to bathroom and buffet car. She was asleep now, her head leant against the window, hair draping in sleepy loops across those bare shoulders. I slid the door open only a fraction and slowly, being careful not to wake her, and slipped away for relief and sustenance.
Returning, I leant to the little table beneath the window, placed my coffee down and stretched before sitting down. As I eased the tension my eyes fell on her again, still snoozing comfortably. Her dress gaped where she was curled against the carriage side, and now there was no doubt whatsoever: no bra.
I stood immobile, breath in inverse proportion to heartbeat, knowing I should move away, look away, but I didn't, who really would? I stood motionless for an age, soaking in every aspect of the revelation, the gentle swell, the dark pink of her nipple, delicate and small, the tip protruding, waiting to be licked, sucked. I appreciated the firm arc against her dress and the beautiful smoothness of her skin. I rearranged myself, looked again. Drinking the sight of her deeply, wishing there was any possibility of more, knowing there wasn't, one delicious breast was my lot. She stirred slightly, sighing, and I softly moved back to my seat, picked my book up again.
Just past Grantham she awoke, smiled at me, stretched and looked out of the window for a while before she left for a short while, returning a little later with a drink and a Twix. There was another brief acknowledgement as she stepped over my feet and we withdrew again into our respective thoughts.