Somewhere In Sevenoakes Read online

  Releasing her wrists, James' hands traced their way down her body till he grabbed her waist. He turned himself onto his back, keeping Maddy steadily on top of him. Moving his hips rhythmically, Maddy knew what she had to do. Feeling more confident on top, she decided it was time to torture James in the same manner with which he had been tormenting her, by not succumbing immediately to their carnal urges.

  Straddling James, she lowered herself, arms on either side of James' head, dangling her breasts close to his mouth. His tongue darted out as he moved his head to catch one in his mouth, but Maddy ensured they remained out of his reach. His frustrated smile was endearing. She wasn't sure how long she'd last. Maddy rubbed her wet pussy against his shaft, hoping to elicit some audible encouragement from him, but he refused to make a sound.

  She figured the only way she was going to break James was to finally allow him to penetrate her. Legs on either side of him, she used her thighs to raise into a squat, enabling her to position herself on top of his proud prick. Closing her eyes she was ready to sink slowly onto James.

  Unfortunately, Maddy's bedside alarm sounded, snapping her out of the rather wonderful dream she was having about her commuter crush. She cursed to herself thinking another ten minutes in that particular dream was exactly what she needed to begin her week. Debating on whether or not to hit the snooze button, she resisted, then drew herself out of bed to get a shower. Dreaming about the sexy South Londoner didn't compare with actually sitting across him in the flesh for half an hour every morning and night. He was definitely worth missing a ten minute cat-nap for.

  James took his usual seat on his usual train. Having had a weekend without work commitments was a rare occurrence for him. It should have been a refreshing break, but he felt disconcerted as he boarded the train. Aware it was foolish, he couldn't quite shake off the feeling of disappointment he had on Friday night when her enigmatic beauty hadn't acknowledged his presence upon departing the train. He'd gone to follow her, hoping only to introduce himself. That she'd left the train without even recognising him, had cowardice replacing his bravery. Logically he knew she wasn't obligated to respond to his presence on the carriage, there was no reason why she should, but for reasons beyond his comprehension the absence of a smile that Friday had stung.

  As the train drew into her station, Orpington, he actively sought her out. His anxiety washed away immediately when he caught her eye and she smiled. James watched a blush creep up her neck as she sat down. He stretched out his legs, pleased she'd noticed him.

  Maddison was mortified at the pink blotches appearing on her neck. She'd shocked herself with the intense and vivid graphic dream involving the unnamed man opposite her. He'd clearly been playing on her mind all weekend. She hadn't expected to see him on the late train Friday night. The empty carriage had given her the perfect opportunity to finally initiate a conversation with him. Dazzled by his looks, her mind was unable to conjure a greeting; even if it had, she doubted her tongue would have been able to speak the words coherently. Her tummy had butterflies, when she'd boarded the doors and caught his blonde head seeking her. Maddy gave herself a reality check, realising he may not have actually been looking for her at all. Either way with his head lowered to read his phone, she had the next thirty minutes to daydream as to what kind of a boyfriend he'd make.

  As the train arrived at London Bridge she knew he would be heading to work or to the connection to take him to work. She watched as he stood. As per their unspoken ritual, he made eye contact with her, giving a brusque brief nod. As Maddy returned the smile she heard a voice yelp. The man sitting next to her had caught his foot on the strap of her handbag, placed neatly between her feet. He staggered and hopped, shaking himself out of the strap, trying desperately not to trip and land on his hands and knees. Surviving the hazardous handbag, he directed an evil glower towards Maddy as he dragged her bag down the carriage, ripping one end of the strap off it. All the contents in her handbag spilled onto the floor.

  She cursed to herself, scrambling from her seat to the carriage floor in a bid to retrieve the items. It was rush hour and Maddy saw her reading glasses, phone, emergency tampons and various bits of make up being kicked and trodden on by people desperate to get on and off the train.

  ”I managed to save these,” said a deep, rich voice, crouching next to her.

  Maddy turned her head to see the man of her dreams holding her lipstick, blusher, two crushed tampons and phone.

  ”You've missed your stop,” blurted Maddy.

  She wanted to slap her forehead. Of all the things to say to this considerate man who was happily ready to help a damsel in distress, she decided to state the obvious; flagging him to the fact that she was a stalker who was way too familiar with his train timetable. She heard him laugh softly, but not unkindly.

  ”It's okay. I can be late today. I think it's better we get you sorted out. Not exactly the chivalrous type was he?”

  James and Maddy watched the angry man shuffle off the train, cursing Maddy as the cause of his accident.

  ”He certainly wasn't and when a girl sees these,” she removed the squashed tampons from James' hand, ”on public display, she could really do with a little chivalry.”

  ”Glad I could be of service,” said James genuinely.

  The train stopped at Waterloo.

  ”This your stop?” he asked.

  Maddy shook her head.

  ”I'm at Charing Cross. End of the line. It's walking distance from there to get to work.”

  James passed her the relevant personal pieces he'd collected as she rescued her much sought after seat to repack the bag on her lap.

  ”Thanks for all your help,” she said as the train came into Charing Cross.

  ”Not at all. No one wants that kind of a start to their week.”

  ”I don't know,” quipped Maddy. ”Despite the ruined handbag, standing here now, I don't think it's been a bad start to the week at all.”

  James liked what she said and liked that she was too shy to say it directly to his face. This woman seemed to be studying something outside the train, rendering her incapable of delivering the flirtatious line as boldly as it sounded.

  ”Are you in a rush to get to work?” he asked as they got off the train together.

  ”Afraid so,” her voice was apologetic. ”Are you okay heading back to London Bridge?”

  ”I'm fine for a minute or two,” said James. ”I wondered though if you might tell me your name. That way maybe I could say hi when I see you on the train, rather than the impersonal cursory nod. Oh, and my name's James by the way.”

  James knew his speech was clumsy and awkward. He was trained to be confident and well-spoken. Certainly he'd never had a problem with talking to women in the past. To his own ears, he sounded young and inexperienced. He didn't dare say more, because he suspected further conversation would have him blustering even more like an idiot, when he was keen to come across as smooth, suave and sophisticated; the type of man he knew women preferred.

  Maddison offered her hand for him to shake.

  ”My name's Maddy; well, Maddison, but people call me Maddy. It doesn't matter, either one is fine with me. Maddy, Maddison, whatever. It's great to finally know your name.”

  James shook her hand gently but firmly. The electric tingles as their hands made contact shocked Maddy, directing her mind away from the overpowering thought that she was portraying herself as a ditzy woman unable to conduct a normal conversation with the one man she was keen to impress.

  ”Well Maddy,” said James, unable to release her hand from his, ”I suppose I should let you get on your way to work.”

  ”I suppose so,” she replied, unwilling to remove her hand from James' grip. ”Will you be on the 7.53pm tonight?”

  The words slipped from her mouth before she could stop them. She was certain she sounded like a stalker having been able to recall, without hesitation, the time James' evening train left London Bridge. If the man had any sense he'd change his rout
e immediately. The way Maddy was talking, she wouldn't have blamed James if he had wild misconceptions about her bedroom wall at home being plastered with black and white photographs of him pinned all over it; most likely pictures she'd taken in secret from her phone over the past six months of travelling together. Thinking about her potential psycho behaviour made her giggle. James was inexplicably handsome. If she really had gone 'Fatal Attraction' on him, he wouldn't have been able to fault her taste in men.

  ”Don't worry I'm not crazy,” promised Maddy. ”I guess when you commute if you don't have a good book to read or work to get on with, you tend to observe everything going on around you. I find it all very mundane and tedious. That I know the time you usually come on the train isn't a result of me being mad or anything. It means I'm bored on those constant long journeys back and forth, day in, day out.”

  ”It's fine,” assured James, finally able to release her hand. ”As long as you don't have loads of pictures of me on your bedroom wall, I don't think you're any different from anyone else around here. After all, I know you live in Orpington.”

  Maddy laughed, managing to relax enough to realise that James was down to earth and friendly. She was comfortable in his presence.

  ”I'll take the pictures down from my wall tonight,” she jested.

  ”Is that the hint of an invite to your bedroom at some point in the future if I ask you out on a date?” asked James, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

  Maddy's heart skipped a beat. The way James phrased the question was confident without being arrogant or presumptuous. She went over in her mind the best way to respond, not wanting to come across as eager or slutty.

  ”You won't find out until you ask.”

  Maddy turned to walk off, her dark hair bouncing as she went. Having reached the gates, she spun around to give James a wave, mouthing 'Thank you' at him. He raised a hand in a salute, then headed towards the nearest departing train.

  The excitement from the morning's interaction had Maddy's day flying by. She was in good spirits, racing through her own work, leaving her willing and able to lend a hand where required elsewhere in the department. Although work generally finished at 6.30pm, she tended to stay late to double check figures and ensure everyone was up to date with their individual workloads. Her final hour dragged, although she was pleased to report to her boss that the company's income remained in a gradual growth period. When the clock reached 7.30pm, Maddy found herself out of the office promptly, heading straight for the station.

  She took her seat on the train. In an effort not to be disappointed, Maddy reminded herself that James hadn't made any promises. It would be foolish to start investing in a man that had yet to ask her out on a date. As she attempted to be realistic about the situation, it crossed her mind that James may already have a girlfriend. She'd clocked he didn't wear a wedding ring but not all men did. The absence of a ring didn't automatically make James available, for all Maddy knew he may be in a long term relationship.

  When the train stopped at London Bridge she was beginning to feel ill with nerves. James strode purposefully on to take his seat opposite Maddy.

  ”Good day at work, Maddison?” he asked, his blue eyes staring directly at her.

  She couldn't tamper the smile on her face. He was as warm and welcoming as he had been that morning.

  ”Busy and fruitful. That constitutes a good day of work in my humble opinion.”

  ”Do you mind me asking what you do Maddy?”

  His voice had her queasy with anticipation. He sounded as good as he looked - she could only hope his character was as idyllic as his appearance.

  ”I'm an accountant. I work for a firm of chartered surveyors in the West End. I've been with the company since I was eighteen. I love it there,” she said simply.

  ”I can see that. Your face lights up when you talk about it.”

  Maddy blushed.

  ”Should I ask what you do?”

  James smiled at her tentative question.

  ”I'm a lawyer. Don't get excited though because it isn't criminal law. There's no white wigs involved. Funnily enough it's business-related. On occasion I need my accounting cap on. It helps for me to have a good understanding of numbers.”

  They discussed their respective jobs until Maddy's stop approached. It was surface talk, nothing too detailed, but it allowed her to get a feel for James as a person. He was committed to work but not in an obsessive way. He radiated a sincere interest in people which probably worked in his favour as a lawyer dealing with merging businesses and having to cut employees when required.

  ”We're coming up to Orpington now,” he said, pointing out the relevant landmarks.

  James interrupted the flow of his own words, discussing work and the pros and cons of being based in the City of London, rather than the West End where Maddy was located.

  ”I don't want to come across as overbearing or bold, but given it's taken me six months to find out your name, I thought I better continue on because there's every chance my courageous mood may diminish at any point. I had hoped, Maddison, that I might be able to take you for a drink tomorrow night. We can stay in town or go local if you want. There's a new bar near here which I'm told is worth checking out. Is that something you might want to do?”

  James heard the tiniest quiver in his own voice.

  ”That is, if you aren't already seeing someone,” he added, offering her a get-out clause that wouldn't bruise his ego too much if she rejected his suggestion.

  The train stopped at Oprington.

  ”That sounds great James. I think I know the place you're talking about, I've heard it's great. I'll see you in the morning. We can talk about it then. Tomorrow night is great for me though.”

  Maddy hopped off the train before the door closed. Thrilled at the opportunity to get to know James better, she grimaced, wondering how many more times she could've squeezed the word 'great' into her acceptance of James' offer of a date. She hoped he hadn't perceived her as a silly girl unable to string a sentence together. He seemed bright and thoughtful but clearly wanted a woman who could hold her own in the professional circles he moved in. Maddy knew she'd need to up her game to keep up with his intellectual prowess.

  CHAPTER 3

  It was unusual for James to leave work early, but for the first time ever he actually left on time that Tuesday evening. Having asked Maddison out for a drink Monday evening, he'd felt quietly confident about their date when she'd readily agreed to see him. However, he'd been completely thrown that morning when Maddison stepped on the train looking like she'd stepped off the cover of Vogue magazine.

  He was a man not necessarily overly observant when it came to women, but was sure Maddy had done something different with her appearance that day. Unable to pinpoint precisely what it was, he left work early to have a quick beer for Dutch courage to deal with the date ahead. James wasn't a fool. He knew he was good-looking and took care of his appearance. He regularly went to the gym. His wage and profession demanded his suits were well-tailored and he was consistently well turned out. Having seen Maddison earlier, he was in awe of her striking appearance. A rare wave of insecurity washed over him. He couldn't rival her distinct, eye-catching yet tasteful style. Few women could look both glamorous and under-stated in their work outfits, yet Maddy had managed off effortlessly.

  As he saw the train head to the platform, he reminded himself that Maddy didn't come across as shallow or fixated on appearances. James had no doubt everyone in the bar would have their eyes glued on Maddy, but if he played his cards right, he hoped people would assume she was his girlfriend. He wasn't used to competing for women. If anything, James spent the majority of his time fending off unwanted advances from love-struck secretaries or career-hungry lawyers wanting to use him and his reputation to get ahead in the game.

  ”This is a bit weird,” he confessed, sitting opposite her.

  ”I know,” smiled Maddy nervously, ”if it all goes horribly wrong we'll have to decide who has to
change their train times.”

  James leaned forward from his seat to catch her hands in his.

  ”I'm kind of hoping it's not going to come down to that Maddy.”

  His eyes seemed to bore through to her soul. James came out with the right thing to say at the times when she was at her most vulnerable. From a distance he'd been great to fantasize about but the reality of actually dating him, seeing if there was the potential for a relationship between the two of them was overwhelming. Maddy hadn't dated in two years. She hadn't even kissed a guy. Her ex-fiancé Rick, had burnt her badly. She'd been glad to lose herself in work. The situation ahead tonight should have been a normal, exciting time for Maddy, but at that moment she felt out of her comfort zone; unsure as to whether she'd cope or not. Cancelling would have been a viable option. However something deep within had insisted she carry on with the date.