Just a short one β this is a small extract from my original draft of Pleasure In Control that never made it into the final version.
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Fearing that I might become a target for unwelcome attentions, I tried to hail a cab but as is ususal, you can never get one when it's raining! But against all the odds, that symbol of trustworthiness, a black London taxicab, pulled up right alongside where I was standing. The back door swung open and without even speaking to the driver I jumped in and slammed the door.
As soon as I realised the cab was already occupied I apologised profusely and reached to open the door, but the woman sitting in the back seat stopped me and asked where I was headed. Nervously I told her roughly where I lived and she assured me that was close to her destination and that I was welcome to share her cab. Looking out at the torrential rainstorm, I accepted her offer willingly.
The skies were dark and the windows were steamed up with condensation so we could not see out, and no-one could see in either. The driver took no notice of us as he weaved his way through the dense city-centre traffic. My dark-haired olive-skinned companion made polite small talk, speaking in a husky voice with a mysterious hint of South American accent. She became more animated and demonstrative, touching my arm, then my leg. The sky outside was black as night and I found it difficult to see her face in the gloom. The air in the taxi has hot and humid and my rain-soaked dress and hair clung wetly to my skin. The atmosphere was highly charged but I froze with complete shock when my car-share partner slid one hand up my thigh and under the hem of my clingy dress.