The Girl on the C Train
Another of my semi-autobiographical fictions. No names in this one, so no need to protect the innocent (or guilty).
"The next train to....Cleveland Circle...is now arriving."
I lived alone in the early '90's, worked late, often taking the last Green Line train. Grew up outside NYC, it was Brookline, what was there to worry about - I'd nap.
I first noticed her in winter. She got on at Park Street, bundled up with bleached, spikey blonde hair. She looked around, carefully chose a seat behind the accordion, conductor's side. Seemed odd to so carefully choose a seat on an empty train, but what did I know. Maybe it was good luck thing.
I tried not to sleep before Kenmore, then let myself doze, occasionally opening my eyes so I didn't miss my stop. Something was odd- her eyes were closed as well, but she was fidgeting under her coat. She wasn't wearing headphones - they were big and hard to miss then - so she wasn't listening to music.
She saw me looking at her, froze, looked away. I didn't think much of it, dozed off again. At Coolidge Corner, her eyes were closed again, but still active under a closed puffer coat. And she was sweating, her face flushed. The train's heat was working, for once, so I wondered why she didn't just unzip. Whatever. I got off at Washington Street, nodded politely.
I'm slow, so it was only on my cold walk home that I realized the seat behind the accordion was out of the conductor's view. Interesting - what didn't she want them to see? A wild idea occurred to me but, nah, couldn't be - just my active, twenty-something imagination.
Next night, same train, same girl. We took our preferred seats, this time she gave me a bit of a nod, a grin. Didn't think much of it, nodded back. But same thing again - when I'd open my eyes, she'd look away, stop fidgeting.
Oh my god -was she actually jerking off? I got hard instantly, was fully awake.
The next week, same train, same thing. Except I didn't fall asleep - and she didn't stop when she saw me looking at her. I watched her watching me watching her. When she closed her eyes, leaned her head back against the cold window, shuddered a little, I almost lost it. When I got off the train, I nodded, said "Good night." She nodded, smiled back.
I didn't see her on Tuesday, was out of town on Wednesday. But Thursday night we were again waiting for the same train. It was a bit warmer, so her coat was open showing tights, short skirt, flannel shirt, a loose tee shirt. Grunged out - just my type.