She stood at the bus stop, waiting out in the weather. It wasn’t raining tonight, merely cold and windy. She’d swear it was just as rough as a downpour. The night air was disconcertingly different in tone to the sunny afternoon it followed. Wind blew through her cardigan, over her bare legs. She wrapped her arms around herself protectively and shivered as heat continuously left her body.
She was trying to decide if she had missed the bus when she heard footsteps. A man coming her way from down the street, lightly jogging as if it catch up with her. For a moment she felt a familiar jab of late-night-alone fear, then recognized his face. It was Jake, from sales.
Why Jake? He’s never on my bus. Doesn’t he drive a Jaguar?
He stopped jogging as he pulled up in front of her, panting a little.
“Hi, Sophie,” he said, grinning disarmingly. “Sorry if I startled you.”
“Oh, no,” she said quickly, “it’s ok.” Sophie tried to look away, but instead watched him recover his breath, his stance widened, his chest moving in and out. She wondered how many words they had exchanged during the two years they’d worked together. So few, you could count them. They were from different departments, but he’d always caught her eye in the hallways. She never let herself linger on his face too long, busying herself with whatever was at hand. Dating was too hard to bother anymore; she would just do without. She was sure that he would never give her a second glance, so she never gave him a chance to prove her right. In the office it was easy to pretend to be distracted by an email, but out here, there was nothing to provide a comfortable, timely break of contact. This is going to be difficult.
“Did we miss it?”
“Huh? Oh you mean the bus,” stumbled Sophie, looking down, recovering. “Um, we may have. It’s pretty late.” She checked the time on her phone intentionally. “Yeah, probably have to wait another ten minutes.”
Jake moved to stand alongside her and faced the street. “Well, that’s great. At least I ran for nothing.” He smiled at her again. This time she smiled back. She was surprised at how easy it was.
“Can I ask, why are you taking the bus? I don’t usually see you out here.”
“My car is in the shop.” It might have been due to the dim light, but she thought she saw his eyes move up and down her body as he spoke. Did that just happen?
“Oh, I see.” She was watching him carefully now, so he caught her gaze. His eyes, a serious question; her eyes, surprised. His eyes, stronger, more forceful; her eyes, not scared, mostly…curious. “That’s…inconvenient,” she managed.
“It’s not so bad,” he said, words slipping out without much meaning as his eyes stayed locked on hers. When she didn’t look away, his look continued to gain intensity. She could nearly hear his voice in her head, sense his physical presence next to her, feel his requests solidify into possible commands. He was still talking. “At least you’re here with me.”
Her mouth fell slightly open as she processed the words. “you’re here with me”….I am here with him…I’m the one who takes the bus every day but I’m here with him…. He scanned her face. She felt him flip every switch using his eyes alone, letting her know with all of his presence that he wanted her, that he wanted to take her.
She felt a stirring inside of her, a soft twitch. She felt herself smiling along with him, unable to look away. What…is…this? She’d had men that wanted her, of course. Men that nervously offered to meet for coffee, men that danced around the idea of being more than friends, men that didn’t have the balls to even try…it was always depressing. If only they had any confidence at all. When the mealy-mouthed propositions finally tumbled out of them, she couldn’t possibly be interested to pursue them.
He knows what he wants. He knows he can get it. He’s…going to get it.
“I suppose you live west of here,” she said carefully, maintaining eye contact, gesturing down the street. “My stop is West Pine, how about you?”
He took a step towards her. “Actually, no. I don’t live that way at all.”
A real gasp is a rare thing, but Sophie caught it before it escaped. “You…don’t?”
“No.” He smiled, the smile of the confidence she’d been seeking, the knowing strength she’d been missing. She held still as he took another step closer. “I confess, I don’t need to take the bus. But I wanted to come see you. Been meaning to get to know you better, but you know how it is at work.”
“Mmm.” She was able to only make a slight sound of assent, not knowing at all what he meant. Maybe it’s too public at work?
“Correct me if I’m wrong,” he continued, his voice becoming more intimate as he closed the gap between them, “but I think I’ve noticed you looking at me in the halls. Am I right?” The question was gentle, not accusatory.
She looked at the floor, feeling blood rush into to her cheeks. “Um, yes.” A quavery part of her mind was in protest, ringing alarm bells. I want this, right? Right? Right. She straightened up a little and tried to look at him. He was a little too close now, boundaries more than broken. She tried again. “Yes. Yes I have.”
“Well, then.” He raised a hand and placed it in her long hair just off the shoulder. She watched, motionless, her heart suddenly pumping, adrenaline pushing through her system. He felt the strands carefully, then moved to touch her face.
She thought he would kiss her, but he did not. His fingers trailed along her jawline. They tickled the back of her neck. His thumb carefully found placement in the front of her throat.
He wrapped his hand firmly around her neck.