Savannah shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Next time she traveled, she was taking a plane. Traveling across country on train from Michigan back to California had been good in theory. The scenery was beautiful. She'd gotten a lot of reading done and had taken a lot of wonderful pictures. Her sore butt didn't care about any of this at the current moment. Next time one of her sisters got married, she was taking a plane.
Xavier's sister in San Francisco had gone into labor the day before they were supposed to leave so at the last minute he went up there to be there when Lana had her first baby. He wasn't due back until tomorrow so when she got home she'd have the apartment to herself. If she ever got there. This had to be the slowest train on earth.
She hadn't been back to Michigan since moving to be with Xavier a year ago. It'd been nice to see everybody, but it was time to come home. She'd finally gotten used to sleeping next to someone every night. If it hadn't been for her nieces bunking with her, she might not have been able to sleep.
Finally after the longest twenty minutes of her life, the train chugged into the station.
"Here, let me help you," An older gentleman offered, pulling her luggage out of the compartment above her.
She shot him a confused look, it wasn't like she was having a hard time getting it. She hadn't even had the chance to try yet, "Um, thank you?"
His skin was a little too orange for it to be from the sun. The lines on his face suggested he was probably in his early forties, but from the formation of his muscles, he definitely worked out regularly.
The light that filtered through the train station bounced off his the top of his dark head. Effortlessly he pulled down her Betty Boop luggage down for her. "No problem,"
When she took it from her, he didn't hide the way he scanned her left finger for a ring. His facial expression changed when he noticed the diamonds sparkle off her engagement ring. "Have a nice day," he nodded, bowing out gracefully.
Savannah snickered, waiting for him to exit the car before she made her own way. Gabriella was supposed to meet her there. So why was it when she stepped into the train station, there wasn't a familiar Puerto Rican in the crowd? Taking out her cell phone, she pulled up Gabby's number and hit send.
"You're not going to believe this,"
Savannah sighed calmly. A segue like that was never good unless the sentence ended with "I won the lottery," but with the tone Gabby was using, she wasn't swimming in money.
"Hi to you too. What's up?"
"There's a bad accident on the freeway and we're backed up. I've been here," before she could finish her story, Savannah's phone died.
"Cheap ass battery," she grumbled, dragging her luggage over to a phone booth. It must have been the last of its kind. It was the kind that Clark Kent used to change into Superman. On the inside of it was a satiny brown curtain. Pulling it around her, she put her purse on the brown stool next to her. Shoving quarters in the pay phone, she punched Gabriella's number.
"Hey you there?"
"Yeah, my stupid phone died. So what's up?"
"I've been stuck in traffic for about an hour. It looks like the cops are finally getting things taken care of,"
Damn it. That meant taking a cab home, "Okay well just get off at the next exit. I'll call a cab,"
"No no, don't. By the time you call the cab and it gets there, I should be out of this,"
"Gabs, it's okay,"
"No please? It'll cost you a whole bunch of money. I wanna see the pictures of Monique's wedding. I'll take you out for dinner so you don't have to cook when you get home,"
"I am getting to a really good part in my new book. I'll just hang out I guess," she sighed dejectedly. There was a Fashion Bug about a block away, she could find something cute to welcome Xavier home in.
"I'll be there soon. If you don't see me in forty-five minutes, call and check on me,"
Saying their good byes, they hung up. Spinning around, her knee bumped the stool, causing her purse to fall off, spilling all over the floor. "Damn it," she grumbled, kneeling down to pick things up. The phone rung above her, shocking her. It took her a minute to realize that it was her phone ringing. Could the number have popped up on Gabby's phone?
She stood up, tentatively picking up the receiver, "Hello?"
"Hey Isabella baby. I'm stuck at the office a little bit longer than normal, but as soon as I get out I'll come over and we'll finish where we left off last night. Could you be a good girl for your big daddy and wear the naughty school girl out fit?"
Savannah's mouth went dry. This was obviously a wrong number. Sounded like Isabella was a bit of a freak.
"Um, this isn't Isabella,"
"Is this Tabitha?"
"No,"
"Nicolette?"
"No, this isn't even an apartment,"
"Did I call a pizza place?"
"No sir, it's a phone booth at the train station in down town Los Angeles,"
"Please don't call me sir, that makes me feel old,"
Savannah giggled, "Sorry, dude,"
His manly chuckle vibrated the phone, "I'm sorry. My name's Ethan,"
"Hi Ethan. I'm sorry you got the wrong number," there was something stopping her from telling him her name.
"I'm not sure how I managed that. I just called her this morning,"
"Trying to get her ready for round two?"
"Something like that,"
"Sounded hot,"
"It was,"
Dropping her purse back down by her side, she leaned up against the curtain, "What'd you and Isabella do last night?"
"Why should I tell you something so personal when I don't even know your name?"
