Homeward Bound

In the chill light of dawn they gathered, today and every day. Just as they always did, the herd moved forward slowly, reluctantly hurrying along to their final destination. None of them really wanted to be there, but there was no escape as they collectively made their way along the platform. Down the ramps they headed, the noise of the waiting train beckoning them in the early morn. They all had their heads bowed as they slowly boarded the train, each of them finding a spot for the long ride ahead of them. Once they were aboard, the doors slammed shut and the train began to move.

On board the train, Joe carefully made his way through the crowded car. Although he'd only been on this line for a few months, but he had already settled into a routine. He clutched his work bag close to him as he weaved and pushed his way to the end of the car, eyes darting back and forth to make sure he didn't miss her. As always, she was waiting, ostensibly making a show of needing the extra seat for her bags, something that other passengers loathed but that she somehow got away with every day, and Joe plopped down in it as soon as she pulled her things away.

"Good morning, Carole," he said as he slumped down in his seat.

"Morning, Joe," she replied with a smile. Carole always had a smile for Joe, which was one of the bright spots in his day. This morning she wore a hot pink lipstick on her sexy lips, and her dirty blonde hair was arranged just so. Carole required very little make up to enhance her fine features, and what she wore was artfully done. Joe found himself quite taken by her beauty, but while he harbored his fantasies about her, that was as far as things got. A sort of friendship had been struck between the two as they shared their morning ride, and the idle chatter they engaged in helped pass the time tremendously. They started this morning with the weather, the forecast was for a light snow, but nothing that would create any problems for them. After all, under normal circumstances the morning commute for both of them was hellacious, and that was just considering the drive to the train station. The regional rail line took even longer to get them to work, but they found they had quite a bit in common. Inclement weather was the last thing they needed, but it was a risk they were both willing to accept. Moving closer to work was something that they had both dismissed as well, for neither could maintain their current standard of living that close to the city. It was just too bad that they didn't live close enough to each other that they could car pool in the mornings, for their schedules were nearly identical. Every morning and night they rode the rails together, talking and laughing about life's little quirks and anything else that came to mind. In the anonymity of the crowd, it was nice to have a friendly face to talk to, but that was all they shared.

It wasn't as if Joe wouldn't have been interested in anything more, nothing could have been further from the truth. If Joe hadn't know her, Carole could have been almost intimidating to approach, but that was no longer an issue. That was partially what led to his attraction to her, not that she needed any help. Even without her ubiquitous heels on, Carole was nearly as tall as Joe, and the skirts she preferred wearing showed off her sexy long legs. That was something Joe always looked out for, and he dreaded her casual Fridays when jeans were permitted. She filled those out nicely too, and Joe usually caught himself casting admiring glances at her rear. Fortunately today was a skirt day, and even though Carole had stockings on, Joe could still enjoy the shapeliness of her lines. Besides, her white nylons were sheer enough that the dolphin tattoo on her ankle was visible. That lent Carole a bit of an exotic air, and Joe often wondered what else was hidden beneath her clothes. Once in a while he'd be able to catch a hint of lace beneath her blouse, and despite the cold today was no exception. Carole had doffed her long trench coat in order to be more comfortable on the ride, and Joe immediately noticed she had missed a button. Surely she'd pick up on it sooner or later, but for now he simply enjoyed the view she offered. While it was true that there were women who were more well endowed than Carole in that field, her breasts were full enough to capture Joe's attention. On most days, however, it was her legs that did the trick, and as the train made its way along the tracks, Joe got a reminder why.

Because the ride would take so long, Carole had leaned back in her seat a bit as she chatted with Joe. This caused her skirt to ride up a few critical inches, and as Joe leaned back himself, he found his eyes drawn downward. Fortunately for him, he never stammered once in his conversation with Carole, despite the fact that he was constantly sneaking glances at her delectable thighs. Sure she was wearing stockings, but the very shape of her legs beneath them beckoned to him. Already Joe could see that Carole was wearing thigh highs instead of pantyhose, and he wondered just what else went with her ensemble. For her part, Carole didn't seem to notice Joe's prolonged attention to her lower body, and if she did, she definitely didn't mind it. Instead, they continued their conversation as they had before, whiling away the time until they reached their final destination. The smooth lines of Carole's legs and the hint of lace beneath her blouse was plenty to get Joe's heart racing this morning, but just moments before the train reached the station he would get another treat. What happened was Carole shifted herself in her seat, and ended up at an angle where Joe had a direct line of sight to her crotch. While it wasn't bare (as Joe had often fantasized about), he could make out the thin triangle of white satin that covered his travel companion's pussy. He was so sure it was hot and sweet, just like Carole, and he couldn't help but focus his attention to her exposed panties. Joe marveled at how tightly the form fitting material hugged Carole's most feminine curves, and he thought he could even see the creasing in the satin outlining her pussy lips. In all his wildest dreams, Joe never believed he'd ever actually see what treasure she had hidden under there, but he filed away the view she gave him today in his memory, doubtless to be dug up the next time he needed something to fuel his desires.

All good things had to come to an end, and Joe's brief visual encounter with Carole's pussy would be no different. The train finally bumped to a halt at the station, and they rose to head off their separate ways. Carole and Joe parted cordially, as always, neither one revealing any hints about Joe's early morning voyeurism. As things turned out, Carole actually hadn't noticed the increased attention from her counterpart, and Joe wisely kept his secret fantasies about Carole to himself. After all, they were both married, and while their spouses knew general details about their relationship, it was simply platonic and there was no reason for anything to develop any further. Once the two of them were off into the city, most of what transpired this morning was forgotten, at least the conversation part in Joe's case. They parted ways at the usual corner, but as he often did, Joe lingered for a moment to watch Carole walk away. Her ass always looked so fine as she sashayed down the sidewalk. Joe could never be sure if it was her heels that made her walk in such a fashion, or if such a sexy walk came naturally to her. In any event, he enjoyed his final view of her as she disappeared into the crowd and he turned and made his way to his office. Such was the way of their friendship, each of them keeping the other as a way to alleviate boredom in the mornings and nothing more.

Joe didn't give much more conscious thought to Carole during the day, but as the hours ticked on by he found he had other concerns. The weather had steadily worsened during the day, and snow was falling in the city way in advance of any predictions. Thoughts of how difficult the drive home might become preoccupied him until it was finally time to leave for home. Joe knew he had a long, hard road ahead of him, and he trudged down the street to the train station wondering just how nasty the night would become. Along the way he ran into Carole, and the two made their way to the station together. Both worried about how they'd do after getting back to the suburban station, Joe especially for his car wasn't designed to handle such rough weather. In a gracious move, Carole offered to go out of her way to drive Joe home if need be, and while he openly dismissed the idea, Joe was grateful that he'd have an alternate method of getting home. They would have plenty of time to discuss this, however, for the train ride home took over twice as long as it should have. The farther away they got from the city, the worse it seemed outside, and when the two weary travelers finally reached their destination, they found the parking lot completely buried in white powder.

The sight of all those cars buried was quite depressing to Joe and Carole as they stepped off the train. Digging out Joe's car would have been a futile exercise and they both knew it. Clutching their coats tightly, the couple headed to the mound of snow that hid Carole's truck from view. The fact that the statuesque blonde drove an equally impressive Dodge Ram helped them out tremendously. While they would still have to fight their way through the knee deep snow and waist high drifts, they both knew that Carole's vehicle could still handle most of what lay before them. Even so, it took them both several minutes to clear off enough of Carole's windows and hood so that they could get going, and by that time they were both cold and soaked. At least Carole had the forethought to pry one of the doors open and start the engine so that her truck would heat up a little quicker. As Carole and Joe settled in, they tossed their work bags and sodden overcoats in the back of the extended cab, glad to be rid of those burdens. They shivered as they waited for the truck's heater to kick in, rubbing and shaking their hands in front of the vents. Carole took this opportunity to peel off her wet stockings, one by one.

This did not escape Joe's attention, and he stared in disbelief as she peeled the nylon hose off. Perhaps she didn't mean to do it so sensuously, but there was no denying how sexy her bare legs looked as she rolled her stockings down and finally tugged them off. Once she was finished with the first one, Carole got to work on the other, hooking her fingers beneath the elastic that held them snug against her thighs. Her skirt was hiked up even more than it had been earlier that morning, and for the first time Carole noticed Joe's attention. He saw this and tried to apologize, but to no avail. She laughed at his apparent embarrassment, and to show that there was no harm done Carole peeled the second stocking off more provocatively than she had the first. In doing so, she failed to be discreet about her skirt, and while she thought Joe's attention was focused on her legs, his gaze was in fact resting on her crotch. He never expected to get such a close up look at her white satin panties, and for a moment he thought he could see the wisp of her faint pussy hairs peeking out from beneath them, but he couldn't be sure. Before he was caught looking again, Joe reluctantly returned his attention to Carole's shapely calf, which she had just bared before him. The bright colors of her dolphin tattoo flashed out from beneath the stocking as Carole finally removed it and settled herself back in her seat. "Show's over," she announced with a wink and a giggle. That prompted a smiling Joe turned to reach his shoulder harness. In doing so, he failed to notice the quick kiss blown to him from a pair of hot pink lips.

Carole returned her attention to the task at hand, which was somehow maneuvering her way out of the parking lot. The unplowed snow didn't make life any easier for her, but her mind was wandering. She had actually enjoyed the attention Joe had been giving her during her impromptu little strip tease, and she smiled to herself as she glanced out the window to see if her way was clear. With Joe unable to see, Carole ran her tongue along her lips, moistening them ever so slightly, and giving them a slight sheen. She had never done anything remotely like that before, at least not for someone she considered to be a friend and not a lover, but it had definitely given her a thrill. So much of one, in fact, that Carole failed to notice that she'd neglected to pull down and smooth out her skirt. This didn't escape Joe's watchful eye, and he found himself casting quick glances at the white triangle of satin barely visible between Carole's gorgeous thighs. She had to keep her legs moving as she alternated between the accelerator and brake, and the rubbing motion only added to the wetness she could detect between her legs. This was slowly creeping into her thoughts as she brought the truck onto the snow covered interstate ramp, and she nearly missed the uniformed man waving her down.

Amazingly, Carole was able to bring her Ram to a halt without skidding, and the dark figure stomped through the drifted snow to the driver's side window. Carole rolled it down with a puzzled look on her face and listened to the man's instructions.

The state trooper leaned in close, trying to steal some of the heat emanating from the truck's cab. "I'm sorry folks," he began, "but the governor's declared a state of emergency due to the weather. Highway's closed to everyone except emergency vehicles. You'll have to turn around."

Carole started to protest, "But officer, I've got four wheel drive and I know how to use it. My friend and I," she gestured toward Joe, "really need to get home tonight."

It was to no avail, the trooper interrupted her. "Ma'am, I understand, I really do, but I can't let you onto the highway." He pointed to a distant wreck where lights flashed and a tow truck was trying to pull a vehicle out of a roadside ditch. "Do you see that?" he asked. When Carole nodded in agreement, the weary trooper continued. "That's a National Guard Humvee, and they couldn't handle it. I'm real sorry, I wish I could help you but the highway's closed. You'll have to find another way."

Carole and Joe looked at the distant wreck, each thinking that the guardsmen had to be joyriding to run that four wheel monster off the road, and they shrugged. There would be no convincing this trooper otherwise, and they had no choice but to turn around. They were undaunted, however, for they realized that while the highway was closed, there was a good possibility that they'd be able to get home using back roads. This option would certainly take them a lot longer, but at least they'd be getting somewhere. They each made a quick cell phone call to let their spouses know not to worry, and they headed down the road.

Not really knowing their route well would be the least of their problems. The snow was piled in high drifts along the winding roads they took, and Carole was ever fearful of hitting a hidden car or sliding off the road. Joe helped her by keeping a sharp lookout, but as the time dragged on they knew it was futile. The night was falling fast and they estimated that they weren't even halfway there. Both of them made more calls home to deliver the bad news, and to assure their loved ones that they'd be searching for somewhere to stay the night instead. Joe's wife was somewhat wary of this development, but there was nothing she could do about it. Besides, Joe had spoken of Carole often and that helped defuse the situation. Carole's husband was just glad she wasn't out in the cold alone, and eventually their spouses urged them to find shelter quickly. That was easier said than done, for there was scant little to find on the road they were on. One promising looking motel was already displaying a 'No Vacancy' sign, and another appeared to be deserted. Joe spent quite some time trying to get someone there to answer the door, but in the end they had to press on. They drove on, searching for somewhere that they could spend the night.

By now it was completely dark outside, and the wind was blowing the snow fiercely. Visibility was even worse than it had been earlier that evening, and Carole was afraid that they'd have to spend the night in the truck. Joe hadn't given up hope yet, and he urged his friend to drive on just a little farther, they'd have to run into something eventually. Carole didn't really have any other choice in the matter, and she drove on. As luck would have it, they saw the neon sign of another motel just a short way down the road as they rounded a curve. That got them both very excited, for their lengthy trek was about to come to an end. Carole turned the truck into the driveway and up the short hill that the motel was located on, and they both looked to see what they had found.

From the looks of things, the one story building was a little mom and pop type place, it probably had less than a dozen rooms. Most of the parking spaces were full, but Carole was able to find the last available place. Joe hopped out and made his way in, hoping to find someone there. More importantly, he hoped that there was still a room left. The sign did say vacancy, but he was leaving nothing to chance. Fortunately, the office door opened right away, and Joe found himself talking to the proprietor. "Hey there, hell of a storm we're having, isn't it?" asked Joe. The man just nodded, so Joe continued. "Do you happen to have any rooms left?"

The clerk shuffled around a bit, looking at a mostly empty key box. "Got one left," he announced, and gestured toward Carole, who was peering in from the truck outside. "Are you guys interested in the full hour?" he asked with a leer.

Joe was surprised, and taken aback by the question. Under normal circumstances he certainly wouldn't have been opposed to the idea of checking into a motel for an hour with Carole, but the clerk had to be an idiot to think anyone would be arranging a quickie rendezvous with the weather outside the way it was. Joe figured that the guy was fucking stupid or just plain soft in the head. He turned to the clerk and asked "How about the whole night? You know, eight full hours?"

"Yeah, we can do that," answered the clerk as he tossed over the room key and a stack of forms. Joe filled them out quickly, then handed the papers back. He watched the clerk file them away and dismiss him with a wave of his hand.

With a triumphant smile on his face, Joe went out to tell Carole the good news. She was elated that they had finally found somewhere to stay and she got down out of the truck. Along the way, Joe got a hot view of her panties up her skirt, and this lasted for a moment as Carole grabbed a bag out of the back seat. Once she had it in hand, they headed down the snow covered sidewalk and found their room. A quick turn of the key and they were inside. Joe stepped into the middle of the room as Carole found the light switch and closed the door behind her.

The room was pretty basic, as they had expected. Besides the usual motel grade dresser and table, there were a couple of well worn chairs and a queen sized bed. While all of the furnishings looked like they'd been around, a quick glance at the bed revealed that the comforter and sheets were relatively new. That was refreshing in and of itself, because of this Carole and Joe considered themselves lucky. The wall mounted heater seemed to be working well too, and they huddled in front of it to try and relieve the chill. Joe rubbed his hands together over the vent, finally feeling the tips of his fingers again. He looked over at the solitary bed, then over at Carole. "Well, I'll take the floor if you don't mind," he offered.