STEPH
Iboard the carriage and make my way down the aisle, moving past seat after seat with no Cal. My hands are sticky. Beads of moisture surface on my skin. I’m out of breath after my brief run across the bridge. I’m so unfit.
You should have kept that gym subscription, you lazy sod. My subconscious is right again. If I had gone to the gym, perhaps I wouldn’t be sweating right now like a roast chicken on a spit. Thinking of roast chicken makes my stomach growl.
Moving swiftly through several carriages, I wonder how many more. I’ve walked through at least three so far. Suddenly, the train comes to life. The floor creaks, and a high pitch squeal pierces my ears as the metal runs along the rail. A low hum spreads down the line and the floor moves beneath me.
As I look out of the window, the platform pulls away. An alarm rings through me, buzzing in my temple as panic sets in. The platform fades into the distance, and I realise I never even put a parking ticket on the car. Justin is going to wake up and wonder where I am. I stand in the middle of the aisle and take in a deep breath, trying to compose myself and think.
I can go to the next stop and catch the next train back to my car. Frantically unzipping my bag, I pray my purse is in there. I let out a breath, when I see my credit card, even though I don’t have any cash. At least something has gone right this morning.
I wipe my forehead before my fringe sticks there and continue with my search for Cal. It would be just my luck if he’s not even on this pissin’ train. I imagine he missed the train and is on the platform now, waiting for the next one. Or he told me the wrong time, or maybe I misheard him.
Stepping into the fifth carriage, I continue to walk down the aisle, still hopeful. I hear that gravelly voice that I love, and my body stops functioning for a moment as I hold my breath. I’m sure my heart skipped a beat.
His dark hair is visible over the top of the seat. A woman sits opposite him on the other side of the table. As I approach, he’s deep in conversation. I slip into the seat diagonally behind him and wait for him to stop talking so I can get his attention.
“What do you do, Callum?” she asks in a sultry tone.
“I work in marketing.”
“Interesting. My company is looking to market our next product. Maybe we should get our heads together.”
I stare at her as she bats her eyelashes and pouts her lips. She wants to get more than her head together with him.
“What product? What business are you in?” Callum says with a smile in his voice, even though I can’t see his face.
“I’m a sales representative for a high-end beauty range.”
Of course, she works in beauty with her airbrushed skin and glossy black hair.
“Ah, that makes sense,” Callum says.
What the heck is he getting at?Probably the same conclusion as you.
“Why’s that?” She gives him a coy smile, showing her perfect teeth.
Callum huffs out a laugh. “I think you know why.”
Is he for real? He came to my house yesterday saying all that crap and now he’s flirting with some other woman, acting as if I don’t even exist.
She circles her middle finger on the table with her polished red nail. “I don’t know what you’re saying. Spell it out for me.”
Oh, please, lady. Could you be any more obvious? Talk about fishing for compliments. I settle back in the chair, waiting for Cal to shoot this kitty-slinger down.
He laughs under his breath. “Let’s just say you don’t need all those beauty products.”
She smiles and looks down at her nails, batting her eyelashes.
I glance down at my clothes. What was I thinking coming here like this? I haven’t even showered. Lifting yesterday’s shirt over my nose, I check myself, then pull the bobble from my hair and smooth out the bumps, styling it up in a messy bun.
I must have a lipstick in this bag somewhere, gloss anything to paint some life onto my face. Though, whatever I do, this woman is in another league. Even if I had the best makeover from that show, ‘Ten Years Younger’, it wouldn’t be enough.
I can’t let him see me like this and embarrass myself. He would take one look at me, then look back at her and wonder what he ever saw in me. I need to go, but my body won’t move out of this seat, and my ears won’t stop listening to their conversation, torturing me with every flirty word that leaves his lips. Words that only yesterday would have been meant for me.
“I like a man that appreciates the finer things in life.” She pouts.
“I certainly know how to appreciate a beautiful woman.”