Encounter on a train brings two strangers closer together.
“I wanna go home now Mum!” a small child screeched making Sophie’s skin crawl.
“OK Max. We’re nearly home now,” the woman holding his hand soothed far too politely for Sophie’s liking. All he needed was a good slap. That would shut him up.
“I don’t like it Mum! There are too many people! I wanna go home now!” the brat demanded, turning around and kicking Sophie in the shin.
“Ouch!” Sophie yelped as she rubbed the red mark on her shin and tried not to fall off the platform and on to the tracks.
“Max! Naughty! You mustn’t do that. It’s not nice,” the mother reprimanded feebly as the child screwed up his face and let out a piercing scream. His face turned bright red and tears poured out of the corner of his eyes as he wailed, stamping his feet and kicking his mother.
The sound was like nails scraping down a blackboard to Sophie who tried to escape but was surrounded by equally irritated commuters. The platform was heaving and as each minute passed, more commuters poured into the station like ants, pushing and shoving to secure a place on the platform.
It was the perfect end to the perfect day for Sophie and as she sighed loudly she said a silent prayer to London Underground that the train would arrive soon.
“Ladies and gentlemen. We’d like to apologise for the delay,” the announcer said moronically, “there’s a signalling fault at Parsons Green. The next District Line train is due in 7 minutes.”
Everyone on the platform groaned, drowning out the sound of the screaming child, albeit momentarily. Sophie winced as she felt an elbow in her side as the well dressed man beside her reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his mobile phone.
“Honey, I’m going to be late. Fucking Tube!” he said irritably into the phone.
Sophie closed her eyes and tried to go to her happy place, far away from Notting Hill Gate and the angry commuters. She took a deep breath and brushed her short blonde hair out of her face, checking her watch to see if the 7 minutes were up. Her feet ached, her expensive stiletto-heeled shoes threatening to cut off her circulation. She was hot and uncomfortable and couldn’t wait to get home and take off her shoes and grey suit, her short skirt clinging to her sweaty legs.
When the train eventually arrived, there was a sudden surge forward and Sophie couldn’t breathe as the passengers crowded around her, desperate to get on the train, not sure when the next was coming. When the doors opened, she didn’t so much get on, as was carried on by the sea of people.
“Move down!” someone cried as everyone scrambled to get onto the train.
“There’s no room!” someone replied, echoing Sophie’s thoughts.
Just when she thought no one else could fit, three more people forced their way on as she felt someone’s backpack digging into her arm. As the door shut, she found herself facing a tall, dark-haired guy and she moved her face away with embarrassment when she realised that her body was pressed against his chest.
No one could move as the packed train slowly left the platform and Sophie fought for breath as she tried to ignore the strangers’ bodies pressed up against her own. She could still hear the child screaming somewhere on the carriage and she sighed loudly, knowing that she had a long way to go until she was home. The only thing she was grateful for was that this section of the journey was over ground so she didn’t have to endure an endless dark tunnel.
Sophie’s head ached as the loud train made its way to the next station. The relentless crying from the annoying child she’d encountered on the platform was only made worse by the symphony of mobile phones ringing around the carriage which remained unanswered because it was so crowded no one could reach them.
Suddenly she felt something brush between her legs and her blue eyes widened when she realised it was a hand. Sophie looked desperately around her, straining to see whom the hand belonged to and gasped as she felt it move up.
“Hey! Get off me! Stop!” she demanded as loudly as she could as she looked accusingly at the people closest to her. But whoever it was didn’t listen and began gently rubbing her through her black silk underwear.