by Flynn, Mac
This couldn't be happening. There had to be a mistake. Something obvious we were both missing. "Maybe I have the wrong room," I suggested.
He held up my ticket-key. "Let me try your key." He locked the door and tried my ticket-key. The door unlocked and swung open to reveal a very big problem. "We have the same key to the same room," he insisted as he handed me my key.
I looked down at the ticket-key as though it was a creature from another world. "But how?" I asked him.
He shrugged. "Probably double-booking. It happens sometimes, but I must admit I've never been accidentally put with such a pretty young lady."
I was too flustered to blush at his compliments. "How do we fix it?"
He looked past me down the hall. "We'll see if we can do that right now." He raised his hand and increased his voice volume. "Conductor!" I glanced behind me and saw a uniformed man stride towards us.
He smiled at us. "Something I can do for you?"
"We seem to have a problem. We have the same key to this sleeping compartment," the stranger explained.
The conductor frowned. "Let me see your keys." We handed over our keys and he checked the numbers on the backs. "Those aren't certainly the same numbers. Now let me check the locks." Like the stranger, he tried the doors and was able to open them with both keys. The conductor returned our keys and sighed. "It seems you've been double-booked."
"Maybe one of us was given the wrong key?" I suggested.
The conductor shook his head. "No, the other rooms are already occupied."
I raised my hand and brandished the key that was between my fingers. "So how do we fix this?" I persisted.
"That's something you'll have to take up with the office, miss. This train arrives at the next stop in two hours, so you could clear up matters then. In the meantime, you're either going to have to share with this gentleman or one of you will have to sleep in the dining car," the conductor told me.
A heavy hand fell on my shoulder and I turned to find the stranger smiling at the conductor. "We'll figure something out, sir. Thanks for the help."
"All right, but if you get another person with the same key they have to get off. No more than two people to a room," the conductor teased. He turned and walked down the hall.
I reached out to stop the employee. "Hey! Wait a-" The stranger gave a soft yank and kept me in front of the compartment doors.
"We'll figure something out," the stranger insisted.
CHAPTER 3
I shrugged off his hand and spun around to glare at him. "You heard him. It's either share or the dining car."
His eyes swept over me, and I couldn't help but notice the heat that lay in those blue depths. "I wouldn't mind sharing," he commented.
I blushed and turned my gaze to the ground. "B-but we don't even know each other." I started back when an outstretched hand appeared in my vision. I followed the arm up to the man's smiling face.
"The name's Rob Train. What's yours?"
At the mention of his name my eyes widened. That's why he looked so familiar! "Rob Train? As in the railroad tycoon Robert Train?"
He cringed and looked up and down the hall. The hallway was still noisy with people handling their baggage and watching the view from the windows. "Let's talk some place quieter," he suggested. He grabbed my arm and stepped us into the open, disputed compartment. The man shut the door behind us and turned to me with a sheepish grin. "I'm trying to travel incognito on my trains for a personal inspection, and the whole train finding out who I am would sort of ruin that."
"So you're really him?" I wondered.
He dropped onto the couch that lay against the right-hand wall of the small room. "Guilty as charged."
I gestured to our surroundings. "So why are you traveling in a dinky thing like this when you could have rented the whole train?"
He held up a hand with a single finger raised and smiled at me. "First, I'm the one at the disadvantage here. You know who I am, but I don't even know your name."
I shrugged. "A nobody with bad luck."
"So you're Miss Bad Luck Incognito?" he teased.
I rolled my eyes. "It's Stephanie."
"Stephanie Stephanie?"
"No, Stephanie Sullivan."
He bowed his head to me. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Sullivan. Care to share a compartment with me?" he wondered.
I crossed my arms and frowned. "It's kind of a tight space in there. We wouldn't fit very well," I pointed out.
"Where there's a will there's a way," he countered.
"Yeah, but-" A sudden rounding of a corner interrupted my argument. The train jerked to one side, and I lost my balance and tumbled forward. Rob caught me in his arms and pulled me into his lap so my legs straddled him.
A devilish grin graced his stunning, tempting lips. "We're like old acquaintances already," he mused. I growled and hurriedly climbed off him.
"This isn't funny!" I insisted. I gestured to the small space. I gestured to the compartment. There was a room behind me with a bed, and the couch on the right. In front of the couch was a small table with a chair on the other side. A small sink was behind me with limited counter space. "This isn't big enough for both of us."
He chuckled. "Sure it is. The conductor just said two could be in a room, and I noticed a few families are occupying shared spaces in the other ones."
"But they're family! We're not!" I pointed out.
He folded his hands in his lap and raised an eyebrow. "So what do you suggest we do?" he wondered.
I shrugged. "I don't know. The conductor said it was either share or the dining car-"
"And you want the dining car?" he teased.
I cringed. "Not really."
"So its me?" he guessed.
That didn't make me feel any better. His guess showed me how selfish I was. In my attempt to be alone I'd forgotten that he was stuck in the same predicament, but he attempted to make the best of it while I was angry and argumentative. My shoulders drooped and I hung my head. "I guess not. . ." I muttered.
Movement caught my eye and I watched him stand. He slung his bag over one shoulder and stretched an arm towards me. His hand brushed against my cheek and he looked into my eyes. "It's fine. I've slept in worse places, and at least I'll get food until midnight."
Before I could object he swept past and opened the doors. Rob paused on the threshold and glanced over his shoulder. He gave me a wink and a smile. "If you feel like a sandwich join me in my compartment for a bite." He stepped into the noisy hall and closed the doors behind him.
I was finally alone as I always wanted, but I felt miserable. The man had been the epitome of a gentleman and I'd acted like a spoiled brat. I slid into the couch, clutched my head in one hand and groaned. "Great one, Stephanie. You managed to scare off a handsome rich guy who acted like he really liked you. . ." I muttered.
His final words echoed in my thoughts. Join me. I raised my head and stiffened my jaw. I knew what I had to do, and that would involve swallowing my pride, and maybe a sandwich.
I jumped to my feet, clutched my backpack to my chest, and left the compartment. The excitement at the start of the ride was already wore off most of the other passengers, and few crowded the windows. Rob was nowhere in sight. I wound my way through the few remaining scenery watchers and into the first car. That was the dining car. The right side was filled on one side by booths with plump seats and shiny clean tabletops. On the left was a small diner, and at the far back beyond that lay the bar. The lunch hour was past, but a few people still ate, both in groups and alone.
I found my target just settling down in the farthest booth, the one that sat in the corner. In the cushioned seat opposite him was his duffel bag. Now was my chance to make amends. I walked over, and he noticed me when I left the doorway to the car.
"I forget something?" he asked me as I came up to the table.
I nodded at his duffel bag. "You forgot to save a seat for me." Apologizing wasn't my strong-suit, and that was as close as I could m
uster.
He smiled, leaned over the table and pushed his bag against the wall below the window. "I accept the apology," he commented as I slid into the seat.
I shifted in my seat. "Maybe I was a little mean back there," I admitted. He raised an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes. "Okay, okay, I was more than a little mean, but it's only because this is my first vacation in four years and I wanted it to start off on the wrong foot. This happens and I get the feeling it started out on the wrong body, much less the wrong foot."
He smiled and leaned over the table. "Any way I can make up for it?"
I sighed and jerked my head back to the car entrance. "You can get your butt back in that compartment and I can sit here for the night. I don't mind."
"But I do, so you can have keep the compartment for the night. I'm also getting off at the beach," he insisted.
I raised my eyes and frowned at him. "I'm offering your expensive tush a better place to sit for the night than here."
"My expensive tush can a tough seat, but my mind won't feel at ease unless I know your vacation is as great as you want it to be," he persisted.
I narrowed my eyes and leaned over the table. "Take the damn compartment."
"I insist you take it."
"You take it."
"No, you take it."
"You take it!"
My last outburst attracted the attention of the rest of the dining car. Everyone stopped their talking and turned their heads towards our table, even the waiter behind the dining counter. I cringed and slipped down my seat in the hopes the table would swallow the rest of me.
Eventually the people looked away, and Rob leaned over the table. His voice was barely above a whisper. "If we keep arguing there's just going to be a perfectly good, and perfectly empty, compartment waiting for nobody. Why don't we make the best of things and both take the compartment? I packed light, and judging by your bag so did you." He held out his hand for me to shake. "What do you say? Truce?"
I sighed, but took his hand and gave it a shake. "Truce, but I call the couch."
He chuckled and rescinded his hand. "Damn, and here I was hoping to wake up with a crick in my neck as a sign of my gallantry."
I stood and snatched both our bags. "Hasn't anyone told you chivalry is dead?" I teased.
He shrugged. "I heard it was, but I like to consider myself a very endangered species. The male who wants to hold open the door for the ladies, even if they don't want it." He turned his attention to the diner and nodded at the railway employee. "And speaking of doing things for lovely ladies, care for a snack before we head back?"
I opened my mouth to reply, but my stomach did the talking for both of us. A loud grumble rumbled in my gut. "No thanks," I told him.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me back into my seat. His hand was warm to the touch, and I almost regretted when he let me go. Almost. "Your stomach says yes, so we eat. I bet you raced from your work to the station, right?"
"Almost. I made a pit stop at my apartment," I admitted.
"A fine establishment, I hope?"
"If you aspire to teach cockroaches how to tap dance."
"I see. I suppose the doorman has Sundays off?"
"Yes, and every other day that ends in 'y.'"
He leaned back and studied me. Like before, his roaming eyes scrutinized me with a strange glint in them. I blushed and felt my body heat up from his attentions. I hadn't forgotten how handsome he was, and how many compliments he'd already given me.
"I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're not exactly the CEO of a business," he mused.
I snorted. "I'm one step above a CJO."
"'CJO?'"
"Chief Janitor Officer."
He chuckled. I was starting to like that sound. "I see. Well, if that's the case then I demand I pay for dinner." He motioned for one of the servers to come to our table.
I leaned one elbow on the table and scowled at him. "I may not be a rich playboy, but I can keep care of myself," I insisted.
"If that's what you wish," he replied as the server came to our table. He turned his attention to her. "How much does the sandwich cost?"
"That depends on what kind you want," she replied.
"How much is the cheapest?"
"Fifteen dollars."
The color drained from my face. That was a lot of money for a little snack, and a little outside my spending budget for food. I gulped down my unease and turned to the server. "How much is a ham with cheese?" I asked her.
"Twenty dollars, and twenty-five if you'd like a soft drink with it," she told me.
Rob leaned over the table and grinned at me. He gestured with one hand towards the server. "Care to order first? We can put these on separate tabs."
I slunk down in my chair, crossed my arms over my chest, and turned my face towards the window. "I'm suddenly not very hungry."
"I'm famished, so I'll take two hams with drinks," he told the server.
"Would you like to add this to your tab or pay separately?"
"Tab. The name is Robert Train," he replied.
"I'll be right back with your meal, Mr. Train."
She left, and I chanced a glance at Rob. He leaned against the back of his seat and grinned at me. I scowled at him. "I know what you're trying to do."
"And what is that?"
"Get me to eat it, but I'm not eating it."
"And I won't force you."
CHAPTER 4
Turns out he didn't need to force me. My stomach made all the decisions for me. The server came back with the two sandwiches and drinks and set them both before Rob. She left, and he picked up one of the tasty treats and took a bite into it.
"You sure you won't have one?" he asked through a mouthful of food. My stomach gurgled. I bit my lip. He smiled and pushed a plate over to me. "I won't tell your pride if you don't," he promised.
That broke my willpower. I dove into the sandwich like one possessed by a very hungry ghost, and soon the sandwich was finished. Only crumbs remained of the valiant soldier. It put up a good fight, but I overpowered it. When I was finished I leaned back and sighed. That's when I noticed him looking at me with that peculiar smile on his face and his half-eaten sandwich in front of him.
"What?" I asked him.
"You're very stubborn," he mused.
I shrugged. "It helps me get along."
"Has it helped you land a boyfriend?"
I snorted. "Those are a different catch altogether."
"I see. So the position is unfilled?"
"Probably indefinitely. Maybe I'll get a cat as a junior partner instead."
He leaned across the table and caught my eyes with his. For the first time I noticed they held a strange, heated passion in them. "Any way I can fill that position?"
I blinked at him. "Are you. . .are you asking to be my boyfriend?"
"I prefer the title of lover, but boyfriend will do."
"Are you insane?"
"Eccentric."
"Do you propose a relationship to all the girls you meet on trains?"
"Only the lovely ones."
"So you've got a scrapbook full of them?"
"On the contrary, there's only one entry."
"A past love?"
"No, this one. That is, if you'll accept my offer."
"You make this sound like it's a business transaction."
He reached across the table and grasped my hand in his. His fingers were warm to the touch, and that warmth swept up my arm and heated all of my body. I looked up and saw his eyes stared at me with a fire that lit me aflame with its glow. "I know I'm doing this very badly, but from the first I saw something in you that attracted me. After speaking with you I can see it was your-"
"Stubbornness?"
"Your vitality."
"You're not going to drain my blood, are you?"
He chuckled. "Only if you're into that sort of thing."
"Um, no."
"Good, neither am I, but as I was saying, my proposal is perfectly seriou
s."
"This is a little fast. I. . .I think I need to go lay down," I told him.
A little bit of that happy light left his eyes. "I see. I think I've been a little bit too forward. Sorry about that. Maybe it's the ham sandwich." He slipped his hand away from me, but unconsciously I stretched out mine and caught him.
I didn't know what I was saying, but I knew I wanted that light back in his eyes. "Maybe. . .maybe we can both go back to the room?" I suggested.
His eyebrows raised and a devilish smile slipped onto his luscious lips. "That sounds like an intriguing suggestion." He stood and lifted me out of my seat. Not an easy feat with my heft. He reached past me, snatched our bags from my seat, and held out the crook of his arm to me. "If you would allow me to escort you."
I rolled my eyes, but latched onto his arm. "I suppose you can have that honor."
He led me through the dining car and back to our own little abode. My key opened the doors, and he deposited our bags in a small compartment above the couch. Rob turned to me and his eyes swept over my body. I blushed and looked away. He stepped up and grasped my upper arms. I couldn't help but look into his eyes. They gazed at me with such a look of need, longing and respect that I melted in his hold.
"You're sure you want to share your vacation with me? I'm a little eccentric," he teased.
A sly grin slid onto my lips and I wrapped my chubby arms around his neck. "You can carry my lounge chair to the beach, and I did have a little fantasy of a handsome guy serving me a strawberry daiquiri."
He leaned towards me and his voice lowered to a sultry whisper. "My pleasure," he whispered before our lips touched.
He embraced me in a passionate kiss that left me gasping and needing more. Each press of our lips against each other heightened the dormant volcano of lust inside me. It was then I realized I never wanted to be alone on this trip. I just wanted to be with someone who I could enjoy the company, and who wanted my company in return.
His hands traveled over my clothed body to the bottom of my shirt. He slipped his fingers beneath the hem and teased my skin with his warm touches. I groaned into our kiss. He broke apart and looked at me with such lust and admiration that I shuddered. He reached up and brushed the back of his hand against my cheek. I leaned into his touch, and he smiled.
