The Train Journey

Steve stood on platform three of Edinburgh Waverley Station with the rest of the guys travelling south, waiting for the 3:05 to London Kings Cross. He stretched and smiled as he was passed a tin of beer. He shook his head and said 'No thanks Dusty, too warm for my liking, I'll wait for a cold one in London.'

Rob 'Dusty' Millar was one of those likeable guys, always joking and messing about, but never taking it so far as to make it annoying. He said 'A beers a beer Steve! Always dependable whether its warm or cold. They'll do cold ones on the train, get this down you for now, there's only two left and these greedy gits'll have it if you don't. What you going to London for anyway? You live in Leeds don't you?'

'Just going for a change, I'm flush at the moment' After five months at sea all the guys had a lot of money burning a hole in their pocket 'Thought I'd go and chat up some of those classy London girls at a night club.' He replied with a smile.

Dusty laughed 'You got no chance mate, they're after good looking blokes! You'd be OK with one of the tarts at Kings Cross though!'

Steve laughed. He knew he was attractive to women, and he never needed to pay if he went looking for a good time with the girls. He was a shade under six feet tall and twenty six years old, he kept himself in shape running and boxing and when he turned on the charm and made lots of eye contact with his large, dark brown eyes he knew that there were plenty of women that could not resist his advances.

Just as he was going to turn down Dusty's offer of a warm beer someone yelled 'Train's coming!' and everyone bent to pick up their cases and bags. Steve was travelling light with just a rucksack and he got to the door first as the train came to a stop. It was a six hour journey to London and he wanted to make sure he got a seat. He wanted to get some sleep as he had not had a full nights sleep the previous night.

The doors opened and Steve got on before the rest. He spotted an unoccupied aisle seat, the type where there is a table between four seats, and headed for it. The seat next to him was taken by a business type with his tie loosened who was reading a book, that was OK, he was not going to be disturbed much by him. The worst type for incessant chatting were old men who had been in the armed forces when they were younger or middle aged women who would insist on talking about their children who were either in the armed forces or who should have joined so that they grew into better adults. Steve put his bag between the backs of his seat and the one behind and sat down.

Opposite him was an older woman, probably in her 50s or 60s who gave him quite a disdainful look when he smiled at her, and next to her, diagonally across the table from him was a girl who was turned away looking through the window. Her long black hair was obscuring her face so he couldn't see how old she was or what she looked like. It didn't really matter, she was in the worst possible seat for him to be able to talk to her and it looked like she was in the charge of the battle axe opposite anyway.

Dusty struggled past and said 'Lucky git, there are no other seats here, I'm going to try my luck in the next carriage.'

Steve leaned his head back and closed his eyes, it looked like he had struck lucky and would be able to get a few hours sleep before London. He'd done the midnight to four .a.m watch and it was catching up with him.

Steve drifted in and out of sleep for half an hour, then the train slowed as it approached a station. He opened his eyes and saw the woman opposite was standing up and reaching for a large bag on the luggage rack above her seat. It had jammed where the long shoulder strap was caught between the rails of the rack. She pulled at the bag as she stood on tiptoes but it wasn't going to move. Steve stood and pushed the strap up, took hold of the handle and gently pulled the bag down and handed it to the woman. She looked totally surprised and stammered 'Th thank you.'

'You're welcome.' Steve smiled as he went to sit back down in his seat. The business man was also standing up and was preparing to get off so Steve moved to one side to let him out. As Steve sat back down again he saw the girl across the table was looking at him and smiling. He met her gaze and smiled back. She was a very attractive black girl with eyes even darker than Steve's and with beautiful full lips. Steve blushed and her smile widened a little before she turned back to look through the window again.

A man and a woman got on, obviously a couple, in their mid thirties, each with a heavy case. They approached Steve and asked 'Are these seats taken?' Steve shook his head and stood up to let him sit down up. The man said 'I don't suppose I could ask you to move to that seat' he indicated the empty seat opposite Steve 'so that my wife and I can can sit together?'

Steve replied 'Sure, no problem, I prefer to travel facing forwards anyway.'

Steve sat down next to the girl who turned away from the window long enough to smile at him before turning back. It was a shame that she didn't seem interested in him, she would have been a welcome distraction on the journey, he hadn't intended to sleep for the whole six hours.

He leaned back with his eyes closed and listened to the people around him chatting and the couple opposite taking off jackets and settling into their seats. He felt the girl next to him shift in her seat, she had turned so that her knee was touching his thigh. He knew she couldn't still be looking out of the window in that position so he opened his eyes and turned to look at her. She was looking at him and as her eyes met his she smiled a small half smile that he returned...things were looking up.

'Are you going all the way?' He asked.

She raised an eyebrow and he stammered 'to London, I mean.' She laughed and his heart melted, it was a beautiful, musical laugh that suited her perfectly.

She answered with an accentless, well spoken voice 'Yes, I am going home to Knightsbridge, I have been visiting family in Edinburgh. What about you?'

'I'm going down to London for a few days, sample the nightclubs, then I'm going home to Leeds for the rest of the two weeks I have off work.'

'Sounds nice, are you meeting your girlfriend in London?' She asked.

Steve knew she was fishing for information 'Nope, no girlfriend at the moment. Meeting my brother in town tomorrow, he lives in Milton Keynes and we'll be hitting the bars and clubs.'

'What about you? Knightsbridge is very expensive, your husband must be very rich.' He had already seen that she wore no wedding ring, but since she was testing the water he thought he had better find out what his chances were.

She smiled again, seeing he was playing the game. She replied 'I'm not married, I live with my parents, my father is a barrister and my mother runs a chain of fashion boutiques. No boyfriend on the scene either, before you ask.'

It was Steve's turn to smile 'Perhaps you fancy coming dancing with me tonight then?'

She laughed openly now 'You don't waste any time do you? We don't even know each other's names.'

He held his hand out and said 'Very pleased to meet you I'm Steve.' She placed a soft, cool, long fingered and beautifully manicured hand in his.

'Pleased to meet you Steve, I'm Veronique, but my friends call me Vee.'

Instead of releasing her hand he brought it to his lips and softly kissed the backs of her fingers. 'Its a pleasure meeting you Vee.' He said. She slowly removed her hand from his, her sparkling eyes never leaving his.

'You really are a fast worker Steve. What is the rush? We still have five hours to London.'

'Sorry' He replied 'I have spent the last five months at sea, in fact under the sea, and it is a pleasure to be sitting next to a beautiful girl like you.'

She laughed again, that beautiful musical laugh that was infectious and he found himself laughing with her.

'Flatterer.' She said 'That must be hard.'

'What must?'

'Being at sea for 5 months.' She replied.

'You wouldn't believe how hard sometimes.' He said holding her gaze.

She laughed again and said 'No, but I can imagine. Are you telling me you haven't been with a woman for five months?'

'That's life in a blue suit.' he said with a feigned sigh.

'How do you manage?' She asked.

'We try not to think about it too much.'

'My, you must have a lot of catching up to do when you get back home!' She said with a twinkle in her eye and mock amazement on her face.

'Only if I have someone to catch up with.' Steve replied with a smile enjoying flirting with this beautiful woman.

'Hmm, I think we ought to leave this conversation right here, before it goes somewhere just too embarrassing.' Veronique laughed.

'So will you come dancing with me tonight?' Steve asked with an innocent look.

'Dancing? And that isn't a euphemism for something else entirely...?' She raised an eyebrow in query.

Steve put a shocked look on his face and said 'No! How could you even think that of me?'

Veronique laughed and said 'I would love to come out with you then. So where are you taking me?'

Steve looked at her askance and asked 'Are you being serious? You mean you'll come out with me tonight?'

'Yes...I'm not doing anything, I was only going to have a bath and watch TV or a movie. You look like you could show a girl a good time.'

'OK then.' Steve said with a smile, and not believing his luck 'Where do you want to go, do you have a favourite club or do you want to try somewhere new?'

'Let's go to Larry's, I haven't been there for a couple of months, and I know someone who works there who will always let me in.'

'Larry's? I've never even heard of it...where is it?' Asked Steve.

'You haven't lived if you haven't been to Crazy Larry's. Its on the Kings Road, its been going for years, they get loads of celebs go there.' She replied.

They chatted, laughed and flirted as the journey passed by almost unnoticed, Steve enjoying the banter and the sexual tension, little touches and glances between them displaying their attraction for one another.

The train decelerated suddenly, causing Steve and Veronique to move forward sharply. Steve got one hand on the table edge and threw out his left arm to stop Veronique from colliding with the table. There were several screams from ladies in the carriage.

The train came to a stand still and there was sudden silence in the carriage as people recovered from the sudden stop, then people started to look around and crane there necks to look through the windows to try and see what might have caused the event.

The train was in the middle of nowhere, just moorland all around and some woods in the distance with no sign of civilisation in sight.

After a bout five minutes of waiting people started to chatter excitedly and a couple of people took out mobile phones and tried to make phone calls, unsuccessfully as no one could get a signal. As one of the business men was making noises about going to 'talk to someone in charge, find out what's going on' the tannoy system crackled a couple of times and then came to life:

'This the driver speaking, I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen, there has been a landslide that has blocked the line ahead and caused some of the line to move down the hillside. Although I was able to stop the train in time to prevent a more serious accident I'm afraid the engine has left the rail and we will be here until someone can get an engine here to pull the carriages back the way we came.

'I have been in contact with the control room, we are safe in the fact that no other trains will use this line and collide with this train, but it will be some time before you will be able to continue your journey, I will keep you informed with developments as they happen and I'm informed.

'The buffet car will remain open for refreshments at no cost and we can run the generator to provide heat and lighting. Thank you for your patience and we will endeavour to deal with the problem as quickly as we can.'

There was stunned silence for several seconds then the excited chatter started again. Veronique sat with her hands to her head and exclaimed 'Oh my God! We could have been killed! How long will this take to sort out? My parents are supposed to be picking me up from the station...I don't even know where we are!'

Steve calmly said 'Don't worry about what might have been, its happened, we're still alive. Could be worse.'

'Worse?! Tell me how this could be worse?!'

'It could've happened and you could have not had me here to keep you calm.' Steve sat back and smiled at her.

Veronique looked at him for five long seconds then started to laugh and visibly relaxed. She asked 'How are you so relaxed about this situation?'

'Me? I'm really stressed, I'm just hiding it to keep you from freaking out.' He smiled at her.

'Liar. Come on, aren't you scared?'

'Of what?' He asked. 'We're on a train with light and heat, we can even go and get tea and coffee from the buffet. There's nothing we can do until help gets here so we may just as well sit back and wait.'

'I don't do waiting, I need something to be happening.'

'I've got some ideas to keep you occupied.' Steve said quietly.

'I can imagine what your ideas are, and you can keep them to yourself, thank you very much!' Veronique whispered back.

Steve looked hurt 'I was only going to suggest a game of cards, I've got a pack in my bag.'

'Only as long as your games don't involve taking clothes off!' She laughed.

'You have totally got the wrong idea of me.' Steve said wearing his wide eyed innocent look again.

He stood up to get his bag from between the seats and looked at the couple across the table. They were kissing and holding each other, oblivious to people around them. Steve smiled and thought they had the right idea.

Steve put his rucksack on the table and sat back down, Veronique looked at the couple opposite and then turned to smile at Steve 'Don't get any ideas!'

Steve unzipped the top pocket of his rucksack and reached in for his cards as he replied 'Wouldn't dream of it!' He left his rucksack on the table and positioned it so that it made a wall to give the couple opposite a little privacy, not that they appeared to need it, and slid the cards from the box as he said 'OK, what card games do know?' It was at this moment the lights went off and and plunged the train into darkness, then the lights flickered back on but only dimly.

'Well that makes it more interesting.' Steve said. 'Should still have enough light to play.' He started to shuffle the cards.

Veronique's eyes were wide in the dim light and she asked 'Does nothing phase you?'

Steve replied 'Course it does, but its not nearly bad enough yet, no one is dead or injured. What do you want to play?'

Veronique shivered and said 'I don't mind, you choose. If I don't know it you can teach me.'

'OK, lets play whist, everyone knows that' Steve shuffled the cards and dealt out seven cards each and turned over the top card of the rest of the pack 'Clubs are trumps.'

The tannoy crackled into life again. 'This is the driver speaking. Ladies and gentlemen, it would appear that during the derailing of the engine we severed a fuel line and we have lost a lot of diesel. This means that the lights and tannoy system are running on emergency batteries and the heating is off completely. As it is less than 10 degrees outside the train please put your coats and jackets on to retain body heat as it will be difficult to get warm again if you do get cold. If people have any spare clothes please offer them to those that don't.'

Steve's large warm coat was through the top of his rucksack lid and he loosened the straps to pull it out. He turned to look at Veronique and asked 'Where is your case?'

She replied 'Behind your seat, but I haven't got a coat, just a thin jacket in case it rained, I left my big coat at my Aunt's, she is coming down in the car next week and is bringing it down then. I didn't think I'd need it and I didn't want to carry it.'

Steve sat back down closer to her and spread his coat over the two of them, and she gave him a small smile and moved even closer to him to keep warm. She gave a little shiver and Steve said 'Are you cold already?

She shook her head and replied 'No, a bit scared. I'm glad you're here and I met you.'

He smiled at her in the semi-darkness and said 'I'm glad I met you too. I suppose you are going to turn me down for our date now are you?'

She laughed 'Well I'm not dancing with you here if that's what you mean.'

Their faces were close and their eyes met in the dim light, she turned her face up to his and they kissed, tentatively at first then more confidently, their tongues meeting, mouths open as they pulled each other close.

They kissed for minutes, before they finally pulled apart, a little flushed and breathless with the passion of the moment. Veronique said 'I never kiss on a first date. Especially not like that.'

Steve smiled and said 'No, but I would imagine these are pretty extenuating circumstances for a first date. Any chance of a second date when we aren't stuck on a train in the middle of nowhere in the freezing cold? Perhaps we could go to a nightclub?'

Veronique laughed softly and snuggled in close, she said 'It would seem a bit boring after this! But yes I'd love to.'

Under the coat Veronique's hand had settled on Steve's thigh and she started moving it up and down gently as they kissed again. She slowly moved her hand up his thigh and higher, until she had the tips of her fingers touching the bulge in his trousers, he groaned softly before he could stop himself and Veronique broke the kiss and said 'shhh...'

She moved her hand to his zip and slowly pulled it down, watching his face with that half smile on her lips.

Steve whispered 'What are you doing?'

Veronique replied 'Want me to stop?'

'No.'

The zip came down as low as it would go and she reached in to pull his now aching erection from the confines of his jeans. It was jammed under Steve's belt and her eyes opened wide as she realised how big it was. She worked his belt and jeans button undone and kissed him as she freed him from the constricting clothing, this time it was her time to growl in her throat as his cock twitched in her hand and she slowly started to stroke up and down his shaft.

She obviously enjoyed what she was doing, and she alternated her touch. Fast and slow strokes, squeezing and gentle touches, the whole shaft or just the top or just the base and sometimes just gently squeezing and rolling his balls in her cupped hand. Veronique saw he wasn't far from orgasm and reached for her bag from which she pulled a handkerchief that she quickly wrapped over his swollen glans. He held on for as long as possible but eventually it was too much and he groaned softly as he came over and over, great gushes of his seed filling the makeshift condom.

They sat like that for some minutes as their breathing slowed, Veronique gently holding his deflating erection. He kissed her and whispered 'Thank you.'

She laughed softly and breathed 'My pleasure.'

She carefully removed her handkerchief and folded it to keep its contents from spilling out and put it into her bag then came back to snuggling under the coat and putting her hand back onto his deflated penis.

They kissed and he moved his hand up to her breast, gently tweaking her nipple feeling it harden under his touch, she moaned and said 'Don't.'

Confused he asked 'Why not?'

She smiled and replied quietly 'Because I wouldn't be able to be as quiet as you.'

He laughed and gave her nipple a last gentle squeeze that made her moan again before removing his hand.

They both fell asleep like that, under the coat, her hand part way into his open trousers. It was thirty minute later when they awoke with a start as someone walked down the train aisle with a very bright torch saying 'Please alight from the train at the nearest exit where you will be taken to the train standing behind this one. Hotel rooms and dormitories have been arranged or you can be taken to the bus station for alternative transport arrangements.'