Finally Monday was over. The subway train was almost empty with a few business-like people in their straight cut, dull attire carrying a variety of newspapers, briefcases and highlighted notes. I myself blended right in, painful pumps and a strict up-do. Most looked exhausted, some bored and others looked downright depressed. The dingy yellow lighting in the car reflected just how everyone was feeling. But then, then there was -him-. Standing at the same pole he always stood at, looking just as gorgeous as he had this morning. And I, standing on the opposite side of the car, peeking little glances over my own newspaper, smoothing my tightly pulled back hair, thinking this’ll be the day I talk to him. Somehow it never happens. But today, yes today it will. I take a deep breath, grab my briefcase from the floor, tuck the newspaper under my arm and take a little step towards the empty seat beside him and… the train lurches. I stumble to the floor in mid-step, knocking someone’s coffee all over the hand holding it and my new suit. I cringe and look up to the face belonging to the hand, “Sorry sir, I- the train-”1
“Don’t worry about it miss, it was cold anyway,” smiled a warm face down at me. I manage a half-smile back and rummage through my cheap briefcase for some napkins. Handing the man beside me one, I take the rest of the handful and dab at the suit I just -had- to buy yesterday. Thankfully, it was a dark coloured one, the coffee stains only showed on the grey pinstripes. I glance up, wondering if he saw my smooth move, but he’s not there. In fact, no one’s there. I can barely see my handful of coffee stained napkins in front of my face. I sigh, we’re stuck in the tunnel somewhere between 51st Ave. and my stop at 89th. Fumbling for my briefcase catch, a voice comes on overhead, nasally and tired sounding it announces we are, in fact, stuck and should be up and running in a couple of hours. A series of groans is heard around me, someone sitting takes out a laptop and it illuminates the space around him. 2
“Everyone alright?” laptop man calls out, instinctively, I nod then laugh a bit at myself and reply “Yeah” along with the rest of the car. Another laptop lights up and the car is pretty well lit, I manage to stuff the napkins back into the briefcase and my hand brushes against something. My penlight! Of course! Grinning at my little achievement, I turn it on, its little beam illuminating our car even more. Taking the hair band from around my wrist, I rig it up onto the overhead bar and the laptops are closed. “That’s much better, thank you miss…?” inquired laptop man #1.3
“Uh, Tess, just Tess,” I smile at the group, and before I even realized they had, my eyes darted over to -him-. A blush crept over my face and I turned to laptop guy, continuing, “And you are?”4
“Gary Frittur, nice to meet you Tess,” he smiled, extending a hand to shake. “Since we’re gonna be here for awhile, might as well make the best of it.” People around me nodded in agreement, and then laptop guy #2 spoke up.5
“Well I’m Mark Rollunk,” he smiled cheerfully, waving at the group of suits. The giggly brunette woman sitting next to him announced herself as “Mandy.”6
“Call me Rena,” called a beautiful African American woman from the other end of the car, standing behind an older white man, who introduced himself as “Kenny.” A tall blonde beside me told us to call her “Joan” and spilt-coffee man’s name was “Ron Danoly.” -His- name was Ryan. 7
Joan, wearing business-like pants, flopped down her newspaper and sat on it, apparently tired of standing in her killer stiletto heels. With a sigh of relief she pulled them off and massaged her pantyhose-d foot. “That looks so comfy!” beamed Rena, following suit, but pulling off her cream coloured blazer and draping it over her skirt first. 8
“Gonna join me Tess? Your shoes look just as uncomfortable,” grinned Mark, good-naturedly. I smiled gratefully, being a little too shy to just go and sit, but now I had reason to. Setting down my copy of today’s ‘Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata’ and sliding my black pumps off. 9
“Feels good don’t it?” grinned Joan, still massaging her right foot, as Ron sat down on her left, forming a little circle. 10
“Boy does it ever,” I sighed, glad I wore pants today. Eventually the rest of car 12 sat down to complete the circle. Computer guys Mark and Gary sat on my left, with Rena on my right. Across from me sat Kenny, chatting with Ryan. I smiled sheepishly, glancing at him, his light brown hair was done conservatively, chocolate-y brown eyes twinkling and a smile playing across his face… Sigh. 11
“Tess?” called someone on my right. I blinked a couple times, and smiled turning to Rena.12
“Yeah sorry, just spaced out for a second there,” unintentionally I blush.13
“Don’t worry about it,” she grins, leaning in close, whispering “He is pretty cute.” Giggling I turn my attention back to the circle, where Mark is addressing the group.14
“Well guys, we have about an hour to sit here, me n Gary thought it might be a good idea to go around in the circle and everyone tells us what they do for a living and where they‘re from. Here, I’ll start. I’m from a little town just south of Naples and I’m up here in Verona working as a lawyer.”15
“As you know I’m Gary, I’m a business student and I’m from around here.” Next Mandy spoke up, a student too from overseas, like me, originally from New Jersey. Kenny cleared his throat and told us he worked as a detective in the Verona Police Department, but didn’t tell us where he was from.16
“I’m a journalist, sports journalist actually with the Verona Times and I’m originally from Lucerne,” smiled Ryan before looking over to Joan for her background. She’s a fashion photographer and just got some pictures into Vogue, which she was really excited about and from the province of Chianti. Next to her sat Ron, an accountant, a very good looking accountant with a major manufacturing company. Rena is a secretary to an up and coming fashion designer, born in England. Then it was my turn.17
“Well um… I’m an Art & Culture Critic with The Verona Daily and I’m originally from Alberta, Canada.” 18
“So that’s why you have a bit of an accent!” exclaimed Mark, “Your Italian is really good though,” he smiled, “where’d ya learn?”19
“I sort of picked it up I guess. I’ve been living here for maybe 4 years?” I was pretty proud of myself actually. But getting rather embarrassed, I picked imaginary lint off my pinstriped pants and the conversation moved onto something and someone else. 20
Forty minutes later, a pile of blankets with denim legs appeared at the car door. “You’ll need these, won’t be up and running until the morning, something wrong with the chip, damn computers.” Mumbled, I’m guessing the driver, as he dropped about 6 blankets onto a seat along with 2 packets of emergency food. Then he disappeared, reappeared with more blankets, but just walked through our car into the next to deliver his grim news. All 9 of us looked at each other, then 7 pulled out cell phones. 21
“Don’t you have someone to call?” piped up Mandy, her big doe-like blue eyes looking at me curiously.22
“Not unless I want to leave a message for my cat,” I joked. “I live alone and there’s no point calling my family overseas.” 23
“I know what ya mean, my roommate won’t even notice I’m gone.” She smiles sympathetically then digs into her purse and pulls out a breakfast croissant. “I thought maybe we could pool our snacks together..? Got anything?”24
“I just might…” I flip open my briefcase and hold up 2 sesame crackers, shrugging. By then, Kenny was off the phone and un-pocketed 3 sucking candies and a mint. Joan came up with an energy bar and a restaurant packet of jam, Mark and Gary didn’t have anything, neither did Ryan, but Ron had a package of 2 cookies and a bit of puffed wheat. 25
“Slim picking’s huh?” Kenny mumbled at our measly pile of food.26
“Well let’s see what the emergency food gives us,” replied Gary,27
pulling the blankets and food into the middle of our circle. Opening those up gave us a package of stale crackers and a can of peaches. “Alright I guess just dig in guys, have a big breakfast tomorrow.” Grabbing half the croissant and a sucking candy I sat back and looked around the circle. Mark on my left was young, maybe mid 30’s, a stereotypical Italian with dark hair and eyes. He had kind of a lanky build, but still had that lawyer-y look to him. Sitting next to him, Gary looked much the same, dark curly hair and deep brown eyes, but he filled out his suit much better. Mandy was hardly into her 20’s and the least formally dressed out of all of us. She had on a cute pink halter top underneath a simple dark blazer and jeans, her deep brown shoulder length hair made her look almost Italian, even though she was an American. Beside her sat Kenny, maybe into his late 50’s, I had the feeling that even though he looked very grandfatherly now, he could probably look as mean as ever if he wanted to. Next to him was Ryan. I already knew his face, we always shared the same train to and from work, maybe because we’re both journalists. He was so gorgeous, but I doubt he’d ever be interested in someone like me. He probably already has a girlfriend or even a wife. Looking next to Ryan is Joan, tall blonde and maybe into her 40’s, but in denial about it. She has that no-frills look and probably is a workaholic. Ron was tall, taller than any of the us in car 12, dark red, auburn I guess, hair and always a nice smile. And then on my right Rena was nibbling on a sesame cracker, I loved the way she looked. Big full lips, high cheekbones and that hair! She had it done all in these perfect square-like kinks, she was beautiful, like something out of a magazine. When Gary was finished his handful of peaches, he stood up and grabbed a blanket, leaning against the cars door and wrapping it around him. “Might as well get comfortable.” A few others grabbed a blanket as well, soon they were gone and 3 of us, Rena, Mark and I were left without one. 28
“Come on ladies,” smirked Mark, “we can huddle together for warmth.” Jokingly he pulled us on either side of him, which only made Rena and I crack up. 29
“Here Mark, you and Rena can share this one,” suggested Ron, handing them the olive green blanket, “I’ve got my big trench coat, which is more than warm.”30
“And Tess can come bunk with me!” smiled Mandy, “I’m sure we’re both a bit homesick.” I smiled, touched that she offered to share her little blanket. We both curled up in a little corner, between 2 benches facing each other, our heads together.31
“So what brings you to Italy,” I ask, a bit awkwardly.32
“Well… um… actually I just needed to get away from home. Far away.” She smiled, kind of a sad smile, the kind of smile that makes you want to wrap your arms around someone and never let go until they smile properly. 33
“Oh. And how old are you?” I figured maybe 21, 22.34
“18 in September,” she smiled. I was shocked! Only 17 and living on her own in Verona. “I graduated early back in the States and then I … then I got pregnant.” She looked down at the blanket covering us. I could hear the tears in her voice and unconsciously slid an arm around her shoulder. “My boyfriend made me get an abortion, but I… I wanted to keep the baby,” she sobbed quietly, “T-That baby, I’m never going to get it back…” Reaching into my jacket pocket, I pulled out a slightly-used tissue, handing it to Mandy. “But he- he said he didn’t want to pay for it. The government would make him pay me money for the baby and he didn’t want to… so he made me get the abortion.” She broke down into tears, her head on my shoulder now, gently I rubbed her back, the way my mother used to when I cried. And boy did Mandy deserve to cry. Only 17!35
“Don’t worry Mandy, you’ll find a great guy and have as many kids as you want, but right now I think you should just y’know concentrate on school, having fun, being almost 18. You won’t be young forever.” I smiled at her when she sat up again, “You’ll be alright.” Slowly she nodded.36
“Thanks Tess, you don’t know how long I’ve kept that a secret. I can’t believe it just came tumbling out like that…” 37
“Don’t worry about it, I won’t tell anyone.” I smiled, laying my head down on my arms, as she followed suit. 38
I was awakened when a cold draft blew across a bit of exposed skin on my back. Mandy had pulled all the blankets for herself, I smiled softly, feeling rather matronly, as if she were my daughter or something. Not wanting to wake her, I quietly stood up walking to the entrance door, the car was lit up with just the soft blue of the tunnel lights, someone must’ve turned out the penlight. My eyes had adjusted to the dark long ago. I could see Mark and Rena, cuddled together under their blanket. Tall Ron underneath his trench coat in a seat. Joan was next to Kenny in their own separate blankets and Gary was still up against the door, no longer sitting though. Deep breathing of sleep was all around me, I couldn’t help but shudder as another draft ran through our car. Wrapping my arms around me, I smiled to myself, but wait, where had Ryan got to? My smile disappeared, replaced with a curious frown. 39
“Can’t sleep either?” came a deep voice from the seats behind me. I jumped, surprised to hear a voice, “sorry I didn’t mean to scare you, Tess…” Slowly I turned around and sure enough there -he- was. Sitting in a plastic seat, legs resting on the seat across from him, blanket draped across his lap. 40
“Oh its alright, and no I um… can’t sleep, Mandy stole the blanket,” I smiled at him, awkwardly, reaching up to feel my up-do fuzzy now from sleep. 41
“Come sit with me, I can’t sleep either,” he patted the plastic seat beside him, offering the blanket. Shyly I sit next to him, god he smelled good! He threw half the blanket over my lap and leaned close to whisper. “So you’ve been in Italy 4 years you said?”42
“Yeah, I graduated and came here to see if I could get a job, I ended up just roaming the museums and happened to bump into an art critic. So I applied to every newspaper, even if they didn’t have an opening. One did and I got the job.” I smiled, leaving out the part where I actually physically tripped over the art critic. “What about you, what brings you into Italy?”43
“Well I was at a Swiss paper, but I got a job offer with The Verona Times and well it paid better, so I switched,” he shrugged, “Although I do kind of miss my home country and language, but its only a train ride away, not like your country, Canada right?” I nod.44
“I miss my country sometimes too, but I love it here, its such a change from the Prairies and English isn’t that hard to find I suppose.” We both sat in a silence for awhile, kind of an uncomfortable one too. “Um… do you have the time?” He presses the indigo button on his watch and shows me its 4 a.m. I’d be getting up for work in just 3 hours. A jolt in the train catches us both off guard, instinctively his arm goes around me, my arm going out to the seat to brace myself. Letting out our held breath, we both waited to see if anyone woke up, it sounded like Gary did, at the other end of the car, but I think he just rolled over and fell back asleep. “Has that happened before?”45
“No, first time for that,” he smiles, “Maybe we’ll be out of here sooner than we think.” Mentally I hoped not, he still had his arm around my shoulders, but he’d relaxed a bit, and so did I. Quietly we sat, waiting for another jolt, but it never came. I stifled a yawn, which only made him yawn too. “Well if you’re tired you can have my blanket? Or we could share it or something…” he trailed off sounding kind of nervous.46
“I usually don’t share blankets on the first date,” I grin, and then a little less sure of myself, “but in this circumstance I think its ok….” Oh stupid stupid me, now he’s going to think that I think that this is a date! But he just smiled and tried to cover us both with it, even though the blanket was too small. 47
“How are your feet?”48
“Cold, yours?”49
“I’ve got shoes on, wait I’ve got an idea. Here swing your legs over my lap,” gently he grabbed my ankles, placing them on the other side of him, under the blanket. “How’s that?”50
“Better, thanks,” I smiled gratefully, resting my head on his shoulder. His arm was still wrapped around me, holding me closer. And mmm he smelled even better up close. 51
I woke up again when the train started moving. By Ryan’s watch it was 6:23 a.m. I’d have 2 hours for breakfast before I had to be in for work. Maybe I should stop home and change my clothes, might look kind of suspicious if I showed up for work wearing what I wore yesterday. Ryan was still sleeping, but Mandy, Gary, Kenny and Joan were up, all sitting in the seats or holding poles just like they did everyday. 52
“Have a good sleep?” grinned Mandy.53
“You bet,” I yawned and stretched a bit, trying not to wake him. He woke up anyway, the lights in the car were bright. 54
“Good morning,” he began sleepily, stretching as well. I swung my legs back down to the floor, slipped on my heels again, gathered up my penlight, briefcase and newspaper before sitting back down beside him and waiting for my stop. Slowly Mark and Rena woke up, Ron followed a good 2 minutes later. Kenny’s stomach growled, to which Mark replied “I second that! I’m starving!” to bouts of laughter from the whole car.55
“Hey Tess, how bout some breakfast?” Ryan asked, smiling at me, how could I refuse?56
Author notes
The emphasis on "He" and "him" at the start would normally be in italics, but I can't do those on my type of membership. Sorry its kind of long... Not about me of course, just a character that kinda happened.
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