He: 48. Pin-striped suit, blue patterned tie over a light blue shirt. Clean shaven, light brown hair. Quite good looking. Leather document wallet. Business man. Family man. He has a daily paper, carried like a sword, used like a shield, an excuse to not have to make eye-contact.
She: 19. White embroidered blouse under a thin fawn jacket. Light blue pleated skirt, maybe once intended for school wear, but too short now. Or maybe not too short, if you like that kind of thing. Her legs are gorgeous, long and graceful and, no doubt the reason that she wears such a brief skirt. The shortness of the skirt and the way she is sitting makes the panties important: white cotton, short lace frill at the edges and decorated with a small powder blue flower print. Fair brown hair, almost blonde.
Late night. On a train somewhere between the suburbs where the houses are closely huddled and the outer suburbs where the richer people live in the space and manner they can afford. Not many people come this far this late. When the carriage had left the city, there had been more people, but now many had disembarked to their suburban dwellings. The coach was almost empty and they were left at one end sitting facing each other. Facing is not quite the word: he is looking at his paper folded before him. It is a simple ruse; by glancing up imperceptibly, he can appreciate the young woman's thighs and follow the exposed light pink flesh up the inside of her leg to where it disappears tantalisingly behind the lace frill of her panties. She looks out of the window, seemingly oblivious to the display she makes. It is dark outside and little to see but the streetlights and the dark shapes of trees and houses. But the movement of the shadows holds some interest and she likes to think of the many things that may lie concealed there, right in front of her eyes and yet hidden where she cannot see them.
She looks away and focuses inside the carriage once more and catches an almost imperceptible movement of the man's head. She becomes aware that maybe she has been showing rather more than might be politely decent (and her such a nice girl), but why not give the poor guy a bit of a thrill? This guy is safe – too many responsibilities – too much to lose. It's there to see in his whole demeanour - it might as well be written across his forehead. She can tell he's embarrassed by her very proximity but, nonetheless, he likes to look. She turns her head without changing her position to look out of the window again and the train continues to clackety-clack into the night.
Clickety-clack. Clackety-clack. Clickety-clack. Clackety-clack
Turning around, she sees the carriage is almost empty – just her and this man up this end – two women and three men up the other end sitting quietly as if hypnotised by the journey. Her eyes move back to the man. He is still pretending not to be looking.
'You like that, do you?'
He reddens, but pretends not to hear.
'C'mon! I know you were looking. I don't mind, but be honest.' She is direct, his pathetic attempt at evasion boosts her courage, makes her feel strong. She is in control.
He realises that he cannot avoid the question, no more than he can avoid the guilt he feels. He swallows … time to fess up.
'Yes.', he says. 'I'm sorry, but it is a distracting sight.'
'I'm sorry.', he says again, feeling awkward.
'You like looking up little girl's skirts, do you?'
'Look! I'm sorry! I just couldn't help myself and, anyway, you're not a little girl, are you?'
'No. But I bet you'd like me to be. I used to wear this skirt to school, do you like it?'
'It's very nice.'
'You mean it's very sexy, don't you? I think so.'
'It's very sexy. I wish you wouldn't tease me.'
'You think I'm teasing?'
'Aren't you?'
She paused, reflecting. Yes, she was teasing – she felt a bit guilty. She wasn't normally like this. She felt less in control now the man was starting to take the lead in the conversation.
'I don't mean to.', She said, and wondered if she believed that herself. 'I really don't mind you looking, but I'd kind of like to share what you're thinking. Do you know what I mean?'
'Look, young lady. I really don't think we should be having this conversation. I'm old enough to be your father and, to be honest, I really don't like the way this conversation is going.'
'Because it's getting interesting?'
Strange how conversations can pivot on single words, how a world of meaning can be communicated through a handful of syllables. That one word 'interesting' from the young girls lips flew through his thoughts, flicking switches and turning lights on and off inside his head. Erotic and exotic, some other young and carefree universe had somehow appeared within his thoughts hovering tantalisingly close to the boring commuterland in which he normally lived. He saw himself through the eyes of this young girl, old and boring because he lacked the courage to be otherwise. The word had a strange sexual potency, as well: his voyeur role was now becoming something more interactive and he could feel stiffening of a more lustful 'interest' within his trousers.
'Yes,' he admitted, 'because it's getting interesting.'
She sensed she'd won some battle … and it was time to collect the spoils.
'You mustn't touch.' She said, 'and I don't want to know who you are – I'm certainly not telling you who I am … and I know it's very unlikely that we'll see each other again, this journey is unusual for me. Do you promise?' As she said this she lifted her skirt, allowing him more of a view of her long bare legs and her pretty frilled panties.
His mouth felt dry. 'I promise.'
'Do you like my panties?'
'They're very pretty panties.'
'They are getting wet in the crotch. That's because I'm enjoying showing them to you.'
'I can see.'
'Would you like them?'
'I don't know.'
'I think you do. If I took them off, you would be able to see my pussy … or perhaps you would prefer to see my cunt. I want you to talk crude to me. I want you to get me excited.'
'I want to see your pussy. Please show me your wet little pussy.'
'Mmmm … I don't know. Does your cock get stiff thinking of my hot wet little pussy?'
'Yes, it's very stiff. Show me your pussy.'