Emily tended to keep to herself most of the time. Despite being in her early twenties, she'd never had any close friends, let alone a boyfriend. She rented a small studio downtown, commuted to and from her quiet office job on the train, and stuck to her local bookstore for fun. Sure, men ogled her now and then, nothing she wore seemed to keep her chest from getting male attention, but that's just what happens when you have a pair of tits that would make a porn star jealous. She wasn't model thin, with a little pudge on her stomach and an ass that made her self-conscious when sitting next to others on the train. She tended to wear baggy, oversized clothes, keep a pair of noise-cancelling headphones firmly on her head, and learnt to avoid the drooling stares.
She first noticed him looking at her on her way home one night. He was handsome, salt and pepper hair that matched his thick beard, small glasses. He was unassuming, someone's father or possibly even grandfather, but seemed to only be around twice her age. Kindly eyes and a warm smile, they had been catching the same train for about a month. Emily had only noticed him in the past week, as he made a habit of sitting near the door, where she would glance occasionally at every stop. The sight of him made her relax a little. He would give her a quick smile, a little warm gesture as if to say "hey, train-buddy!" And that was it. He would leave the stop before her, usually carrying a brown leather briefcase and some sort of book. She assumed he was some sort of professor, as it was a college town after all, and he dressed the part, slacks and a demure sweater, collar peeking over top.
Tonight, he had made his way next to her, as she had sat second from the door. Emily tried to keep her gaze averted, focus on her new book, but couldn't any longer as he tapped on the page. She pulled one side of her headphones off of her ear just quick enough to hear "...reading that too. Are you enjoying it so far?"
Emily blushed, and stammered. "P-pardon?" Her eyes met his for just a moment, and she blushed deeper.
He chuckled, and said again in his deep tone, "I'm reading that one too. Are you enjoying it so far?"
She took a quick breath, slightly pleased to be talking about books. "Oh, yes. I'm only at the beginning."
"Don't be modest." He put a hand on the page, tilting it towards him. "You're halfway through."
The train car had filled up by this point, a thick crush of people standing. Emily felt swallowed, like everything had stopped, the world just him and her. Someone's legs were touching her knees, and he had to lean in closer to her ear for her to hear him.
"There's a great bookstore close to here. One of my favourites. Would you like me to show you?"
Emily, almost dazed, just nodded. His hand had brushed hers when he rescinded it, and just from the brief touch, she could tell his clothes betrayed his true, strong physique. He grinned, and she felt like a wolf's prey, a child again, as he stroked a lock of hair behind her ear.
It wasn't long before they were out on the cold, dark streets. He took her hand to guide her, much bigger than her own, and she blankly let him lead her through an alley. They were several blocks away from her apartment, in an unfamiliar area, and Emily was starting to feel nervous. That was, until he looked back at her, with that warm, paternal smile, and came to a stop outside a bookstore window. He gestured for her to look, and she took a slight step, glancing at him, almost for permission. He nodded, and she stepped closer.
