I was encouraged by the reaction to my first set of stories and decided to write some new material with new characters. As other authors have pointed out, I strongly encourage you to leave a rating and/or feedback. Feedback is what helps me to determine if I'm on the right track in providing something enjoyable for your reading pleasure. I look forward to reading your comments!
*****
Courtney slightly adjusted herself in her seat. To her right, through the crystal clear pane, a lush green landscape that was interrupted by the occasional building or two was visible. The sun was slowly sliding lower from its apex in the sky resulting in a beautiful view that would have been appealing to one paying attention.
Courtney, however, had no such interest in the mesmerizing scenery at the moment. Her head was slightly lowered with phone in hand, and her eyes glazed over as she read a new mystery novel - "The Path" - by her favorite author T.J. Rauthin. It was only the second such book of the genre by the author, and Courtney would not be distracted from its engaging prose.
She typically passed this time in a similar manner. The ride home on the commuter train was over an hour in length, and Courtney had followed her usual routine by stuffing her mind into some latest work of fiction. It was also a habit that she would plug in some earbuds not to listen to music, but rather, to avoid talking to anyone who may sit down next to her.
The train ride was not a new part of her life. At 34 years old, Courtney had lived part of the dream by marrying her college sweetheart, Matt, and becoming an advertising executive for a major firm in the city. Five years ago, they moved from downtown into the suburbs, and the only major downside had been the extended commute. But at the end of the journey home, nothing was the same. The house would be as empty as her heart was now. Matt had passed away two years earlier when a drunk teenager slammed head-on into his vehicle.
The event sent reality crashing into Courtney. She recovered as best that she could and focused on her work and not much else. Her best friend, Lisa, had been there for her as much as possible. But Lisa had a family of her own, and they did not get to see each other often. Courtney would not even consider the possibility of dating as even two years later, the memories of and love for Matt were still very strong. So in between her long work days, Courtney would read and would exercise at the gym whenever possible.
The train was about ten minutes from her station, and as Courtney swiped to the next page of her e-book, she noticed a notification that she had received a text message. Not expecting to hear from anyone, she opened it up.
Unknown: "Thought you would love this picture from the trip!"
Another text arrived with a photo of two women - likely in their late 20s - standing on a beach adorned by crystal blue water and with a lighthouse in the background. One of the women was a voluptuous brunette in a two-piece bikini and the other was a slightly shorter blonde wearing a one-piece suit. They were smiling and obviously were best friends on vacation together.
Tears welled up in Courtney's eyes because the photo showed what appeared to be the same spot in Hawaii where her and Matt took a photo on their honeymoon. That had been eight years ago, but she recognized the spot immediately. She fought back the emotional breakdown that she might have had at that moment and, not wanting to be rude, responded.
Courtney: "I received a text and a photo from you, but I don't believe you sent it to the correct person. I love that spot though - my husband and I honeymooned there a number of years ago."
Courtney knew that the train was almost to the station and was relieved. She was sure that she looked like she had been crying and would prefer to avoid any uneasy questions from one of the other commuters. She heard the notification sound on her phone and saw that she had another message.
Unknown: "Oh I'm so sorry about that! My boyfriend just got a new phone number and I must have programmed it wrong. It was a great vacation. I'm the brunette with the terrible tan! LOL."
A quick giggle could be heard from Courtney. She was a bit on the pale side and couldn't knock anyone for a bad tan. She decided to respond, if even to keep the tears from returning.
Courtney: "No way! It's not bad at all. I'm a freckled redhead so I just burn. I'm almost to my stop but it was nice chatting with you!"
Courtney wasn't expecting a response so quickly but was surprised when her phone dinged again just two minutes or so from her stop.
Unknown: "You too! I'm Lauren by the way. Always nice to make new acquaintances."
Courtney felt relieved to be texting with someone who wasn't too intrusive and wasn't asking a bunch of questions that would make her depressed. She decided to be friendly and respond. The worst that could happen is that she never hears from the woman again.
Courtney: "Always great to make a new friend, even if virtual. I'm Courtney. Nice to meet you - kind of!"
Courtney put away her earbuds. As the train rolled to a stop, she hopped up and shuffled to her car for the remaining three minute ride to her home.
Arriving at home, Courtney grabbed the mail out of the mailbox as she strolled into her home. It was quiet, something to which she wasn't sure she would ever adjust. It had been a long day at the office, but thankfully, it was Friday. She ready to unwind just a bit but always brought some work home to keep her mind occupied.
Later that evening, after dining on a freshly prepared grilled chicken salad and pouring a glass of wine from the kitchen, Courtney ran a hot bath for herself. She finished up reading the novel that she was engrossed in on the train. After an hour of soaking and reading, she slid into her black nightgown and plopped herself on the bed. She turned on the television looking for a good show to leave on in the background. She preferred the noise as she did some preliminary work on a presentation that she had to give for a client next week. She had a drink from another glass of wine that she was savoring.
About an hour into her presentation work, she heard her phone ding. Reaching over to the nightstand where it was charging, Courtney noticed another text message. She didn't think that Lisa would be texting her tonight as she was celebrating a wedding anniversary at a swanky party in the city. The text message was innocent enough.
Lauren: "Had another one I thought you might like. Hope to see you soon!"
Almost immediately after reading the message, a picture arrived. "Oh my god," Courtney yelled out. Of course, there was no one around to hear her, but she could not help herself. The image was of Lauren, the stranger who texted her on the train, sitting at what looked to be a beachside pool. Only this time, her bikini top was pulled down, exposing her ample breasts.
While Lauren had been friendly in her text messages, Courtney did not think that she would hear from her again. She rationalized in her head that the woman had likely forgot to update her boyfriend's number in her contact list and inadvertently sent her the picture. In Courtney's mind, that made the most sense.
A few moments later, it dawned on Courtney that she hadn't actually closed the text message. Her eyes were actually locked on it, looking at how happily seductive Lauren appeared in the picture. Had her blonde friend taken the picture? Was there someone else with them - maybe another friend- who had taken it. The mystery of the photo intrigued Courtney. As she moved her eyes slowly to the stranger's breasts again, she felt a slight bit of warmth flow throughout her.
Courtney never had a sexual interest in women. Matt had been her everything, the guy to whom she lost her virginity. Since his passing, she had little desire for romance. To and from work, she would see men that she found attractive, but they never held her gaze for long. She never felt that love, or even sex for that matter, would ever be in the cards for her again.
