January 2022
Subway Streamers
28/01/22 16:34
Mid Week Flash Challenge: Week 236
Subway Steamers
George fell under the spell of Astrid as soon as he saw her at the subway station. She was gorgeous of course, but there was something about her that he found immediately magnetic. He tried and failed not to keep looking at her as they stood about twenty metres apart waiting for the next northbound train. There were probably thirty other people on the platform but all George could see was her. He felt like they were the only two people on the station.
The sign flipped another minute to show the next train was due in four minutes. He’d usually be happy to see the train approaching but he felt like he was another minute closer to leaving her. He felt like a stupid old man. It wasn’t lust he told himself. It wasn’t even animal attraction. She just looked enthralling to him. Stupid. Stop looking. She’d freak out if she saw him looking. Probably call a guard or something.
She looked up from her phone and her eyes drilled into his. Busted. But she flashed a lovely smile to him. Damn, he was in love. Stupid. Stop it.
He turned around to check there was no-one behind him who she was smiling at. That would be the norm he thought – not that he’d done this kind of thing before. Platform flirting was not a thing he’d ever have thought about doing. He turned back to face her but she was looking at a poster on the other side of the tunnel. He watched as she turned away from the poster and looked back at him. Damn she was reciprocating his looks. Toying with him. She must have known she was wrapping George around her wonderful little fingers. Stop being stupid.
A flash of light down the tunnel heralded the arrival of the train. It was to be the end of a beautiful if short and quasi-distant relationship. It was good while it lasted he thought. The train stuttered to a stop and the doors opened. He realised she was walking towards the same door he was. Perhaps it wasn’t the end.
Unfortunately for George it wasn’t. As he watched her beautiful form walk in front of him and step up to the carriage he was lost in his thoughts. The guys who streamed off the carriage barged into him, jostling him left and right. He found himself apologising to them. It was minutes later after the train had left as he stood holding on to a metal pole in the carriage that he realised the girl of his day dreams hadn’t got on the train. She had gone. Along with his wallet and watch.
He’d been played. Done up like a kipper. He kept nervously looking at wrist where his watch had been. He wondered whether to report the incident to the police when he got to the next station. Or more importantly, how he’d tell his wife.
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WC: 490