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There are only a few other passengers on this end of the train besides Laura. It’s fairly late, most of the day’s traffic having made it home already. Thoughts of home remind her of exactly how exhausted she is. All she can think about is getting her feet into her slippers and cuddling with her cat in that oversized knit blanket her sister made her for Christmas while she finally watches Bird Box. Although, at this point, after all the memes, she probably doesn’t even need to.
She lets her head roll to the side as she looks down the length of the subway car stopping briefly on the man in an expensive looking business suit. His tie is loose around his neck, and he types away furiously on his phone. His briefcase sits in his lap, a makeshift arm rest for him as he furrows his brow at the screen, thumbs flying across it.
Two seats down sits an elderly woman with a shopping bag at her feet. Her hands hold a well-worn book, and she turns a page as Laura watches, smiling a bit at the words.
Just beyond her, on the opposite side, is a man clad all in black. His legs are stretched out across the aisle, combat booted feet crossed at the ankle. His head is tipped back against the window, eyes closed, though she can tell he’s not really sleeping by the way his body shifts only slightly as the train car goes around a bend. His profile is handsome, a sharp slightly scruffy jawline and a strong nose, high cheekbones. His hair is dark, raven black in the shitty overhead lighting. A leather jacket covers his shoulders, fingerless gloves over his hands.
He’s dressed like every teenage fantasy she ever had of the quintessential Bad Boy Boyfriend. She can even see the inky black of a tattoo crawling up his neck, and the scar splitting his eyebrow just adds to the whole aesthetic.
She’s staring at him a lot longer than is deemed polite, but he draws the eye. He’s certainly the most interesting passenger to occupy what’s left of the journey to her stop. Besides, he doesn’t know she’s looking at him, anyway.
There’s what looks like a holster strapped to his thigh, though it’s not the right size for a gun, and from what she can tell, it’s empty. Curious.
Finally forcing herself to look away, she catches the glimmer of something out of the corner of her eye, like there’s something resting against the seat beside him by his knee. When she looks again, there’s nothing there, not even the faint shimmer she could swear caught her attention. Blaming it on the hours she’s just spent pouring over her dry textbooks, she looks up to his face again and startles when she finds he’s looking right back at her.
Embarrassed to have been caught out, Laura looks away with a sharp jerk of her head, a blush heating her face. God, could this train please hurry up?
Her prayers are answered when the train starts to slow, her stop announced through the overhead system. She starts to gather her things, standing and carefully moving closer to the door as she holds on tight to a grab bar to keep from falling over.
With one last glance back, she can see the man’s stood, as well, and her heart rate kicks up a notch as they pull up to the empty platform. He’s tall. A lot taller than she is. And broad. And all those things that were attractive while he was sitting and seemingly unaware are now looking a hell of a lot more intimidating.
Laura grips her bag tighter, cell phone clutched in her hand. She’s got mace in her purse, and she starts inching her free hand into it, searching around just in case, as the doors open and she steps out. The exit stairs are just in front of her, and she makes a focused beeline for them. She’s not trying to seem like she’s hurrying, but as she hears the footsteps behind her, she lengthens her strides a bit, taking the steps up to street level two at a time.
It’s a relief to reach the sidewalk, and her shoulders relax as she takes in the still busy street, people passing by her. There’s a grocery store to her right that she can duck into for a while, but before she gets more than a few steps, she hears, “You’re late.”
It’s close enough that she thinks she’s the one being addressed, but when she turns around, she finds Tall, Dark, and Must Be A Criminal has an arm wrapped around another man’s waist, dragging him in close as he says, “Yeah, well. You can lodge a formal complaint with the MTA.”
There’s a tone of amusement in his voice, a smile on his lips that makes his face more boyish. Laura bites back an almost hysterical giggle. This too tall guy with his tattoos and scar and intimidating clothes that had made her nervous enough to grab for her pepper spray has done a complete 180 and turned into a sweet and clearly besotted boyfriend. The man in his arms is gorgeous, all smooth brown skin, dressed to the nines with perfectly styled hair and makeup that makes Laura want to ask him for tips. There are suspender straps dangling around his thighs which is an interesting choice, but hell, if it doesn’t work for him.
“I just might. My evening’s already been sabotaged by your job. Public transport just adds insult to injury. A strongly worded letter about timeliness seems sufficient.”
Laura looks down at her phone as Mr. I’ve Been Browsing the Harley Davidson Clothing Catalog laughs, and she sneaks a peek at them even as she answers a text from her roommate about picking up pierogis from Veselka.
“Yeah, I know what your strongly worded letters entail. Cursed mundanes are a nightmare to deal with, so please, if you love me: spare me the headache.”
Leaning in closer, he drops a kiss to his boyfriend’s forehead as he says, “I’m sorry. I promise…” Another kiss lands on his lips, coaxing a smile from what was likely a bit of a fake pout. “I will…” He kisses his jaw next. “Make it up to you.”
The last kiss presses to the side of Gorgeous’s throat, and there’s a long-suffering sigh before he relents with a wave of his hand and a, “It’s the least you can do. I don’t understand why you didn’t just let me come get you.”
“Because I know what was on your schedule. And who. I’m beginning to sound like a broken record when I say, ‘I think you’ve exerted yourself enough for one evening.’ Besides, you’re not my taxi.”
Gorgeous leans into him a little more as he answers, “Well, we’re going to need one, now, if we’re going to get to Simon’s gig before it’s over.”
There’s a bit of a groan, and Laura takes another look at them under the guise of checking for approaching cabs.
“I still don’t know why seeing Simon factors into our date night.”
It’s Gorgeous’s turn to sound amused, “Because you are a wonderful big brother who takes an interest in your siblings significant other’s no matter how troublesome and hyperverbal they are.”
He slips out of his man’s arms a second later, taking one of his gloved hands and lacing their fingers together, “C’mon.”
Laura is briefly distracted by how otherworldly pretty this guy is to notice that instead of stepping closer to the curb to hail down a cab, they’re heading for the alley between the grocery store and the CVS next door.
She catches the eye of her Subway Buddy one last time, surprised when he gives her a half-quirked smile and a wink. She doesn’t know whether to be mortified at this man knowing she’d been creeping on them this whole time or to laugh. To his credit, she wasn’t exactly the most subtle person in the world.
They disappear into the alley, and she texts her roommate that she’s going to be late just as a flash of light emits from the gap, debris and trash sweeping out onto the sidewalk from some strange wind. No one else walking by seems to notice the disturbance, and despite her knowing she should just ignore it and walk away, Laura’s never been able to reign in her curiosity.
Heading for the opening of the alley, she peers into the dim light only to see… nothing. They’re gone.