It was cold, dark, the middle of winter and I stayed way too long at the drinks night for work, once again having to run for the second last train out to Emerald, because the next one was another 30 minutes away and I didn't want to be sitting on the platform in the loop by myself on a Friday night at 11:00pm. I hadn't drunk too much as I had to drive home from the station, but still the night was pretty good. An old mate turned up and did drink too much, falling off his barstool and rolling his ankle. Staying around long enough to see if he was alright meant I had to bolt.
I sprang down the escalators and dived into the doors just as they were closing, then found my customary seat at the back of the train. The carriage was almost empty except for some girls giggling up the other end, so the i-pod went in and I tuned out completely.
This was why I jumped when three stops later she sat down opposite me. I had seen her a couple of times on the train but was never able to catch where she got on or got off. She wasn't a stunning girl by any stretch so I don't know what it was about her that made me lose my breath. Maybe it was the short cropped white hair, the face jewellery, or the tights and boot combination that worked for so many but on her seemed different. Silver tights, mmm...
"Nice, aren't they?" Oh shit...
"Sorry?" I replied, pulling the earphones out.
"The boots. Their nice, huh? That was what you were staring at?" She smiled, both of us knowing full well it wasn't.
"Um, yeah, sorry. They just reminded me of my friends."
I just remembered what it was about her. She had a confidence that radiated. When she spoke on the phone or to her friends, the silky command in her voice was intoxicating. I could tell she was persuaded the same way I was, she had that look about her, but confidence is the sexiest quality in a person that ever existed, and hers made my spine tingle...
"I've seen you on this train a couple of times before, but don't you usually catch the earlier one?"
"Um, yeah. We had a work function tonight though. I thought I would hang around, you know, cause..." Oh shit, shut up Holly, you're babbling. She smiled to herself, almost hearing what I was thinking and I felt myself going a bright red.
"So your other work buddies didn't go?"
"What other work buddies?"
"The ones you fight with on the way home. The others on the train."
"Oh no, they're not my work friends, I just know them from the train trip we share." A dollar for every time someone had assumed that. Well, actually, that would only be a couple of dollars, HA. Shit, how much had I had to drink...
"Awesome. Well, if you're not averse to making friends on the train, my names Leah." She held out her hand.
"Hi, Holly." I took it, and she squeezed, not too firmly, but as I softly let go, she caught my finger, dragging along it. Her eyes bored into me and I think that was the moment I lost control a little.
We sat awkwardly for a few seconds and it was all I could do not to drop my gaze back down to those gorgeous legs. She shuffled around in her bag for a minute and then pulled out her i-phone. As her attention was drawn to it, I took the opportunity to look her over properly. She had a black knee length jacket and silver stockings covering her knees as her crossed legs poked out the top of it. The boots were Ug boot style and came up over her ankles, and she casually kicked her leg out in a show of pent up energy. I traced her all the way up, begging for a small show of what was under that coat and starting to picture what she might look like without it, and without what was under it, when I met her eyes. She smiled that smile that said I know what you're looking at and I smiled back, busted again, but not really caring.
As her leg lazily kicked the air I crossed mine diagonally to hers. Her gaze never left her phone and I for a second wondered if I didn't give her the same feelings she gave me. I panged with disappointment and put my headphones in, trying to tell myself to get a grip, get back to the car and forget about this, when her leg grazed mine.
"Oh, sorry," she said, looking up quickly and smiling. "Not watching..."
She turned herself away again and we went back to what we were doing for another stop, but once again, her leg grazed mine. I looked her in the eye and she looked back at me, smiling. "Sorry" she whispered, but the swaying of her leg slowed and turned into a slow caress of my legs. Her gaze dropped back to her phone as she sent tingles through my thighs. I sat back, pushing my jacket into my waist and resettling my bag, all the while mentally unable to move my leg out of her reach. What the fuck was I doing?
For the next ten minutes we exchanged smiles and compliments, as her feet explored my thigh and my tights got wetter.
Two stops before I was able to get off, and Leah sat up, leaning forward. I jolted out of the haze her touch was giving me. "You getting off?" she whispered, smiling that smile I couldn't take my eyes off as her hand ran along the edge of my knee. "T-two more stops." I stammered. .
"That quick?" She grinned, and I realised then the double edged question. She was coming on to me. Both palms explored my crossed legs as she stared me down, playfully tickling the spot behind my kneecap.
"No, mm-my car's at Emerald..." I couldn't explain what she was doing to me but these were feelings I hadn't ever had before. I felt completely helpless and willing at the same time. I don't know whether it was the time, the long day, the perfume she radiated or what it was, but I was hypnotized. Her eyes bored into me and if she wanted to she could have stripped me and laid me down on the bench there and then.
But she didn't. She sat back and watched me, still kicking that gorgeous leg in the air and smiling.
As we pulled up to the station I stood, and so did she. I paused to let her out first and she turned back to me. "Come on." I didn't understand at first, I was going anyway, but I followed her out. She slowed and I came up next to her, feeling led along like an obedient poodle. We turned into the car park and walked toward the end. There were a couple of cars still down the back and mine was concealed behind another one.
"You know, I've seen you a few times on the train home. I normally get off a couple of stops later, but I heard you telling your mates earlier this week you were looking forward to the night out tonight, so I thought I'd take a chance and park here to see if I could catch you on the way home."
"Oh." Was that all I could muster? My hands were shaking.
"I know you saw me too. I've caught you looking so many times I've lost count."
