Love Lines Volume 2
Published by Jayne Sykes at Smashwords
Copyright 2012 Jayne Sykes
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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“Are you getting on, love?”
Sonia blinked at the bus driver, vaguely aware of the impatient murmurs from the passengers on the bus and the curious stares from the people on the pavement behind her.
Was she getting on the bus just so that she could spend another miserable day at work? She tapped her foot. Did she have any another choice?
The bus driver shook his head and the doors swished shut seconds before he pulled out into the busy early morning traffic. Sonia took a step back into the bus shelter, mumbling apologies as she accidentally stepped onto someone’s toes.
Well, that was one more decision taken out of her hands she thought, pulling her jacket closer to her thin body. Although summer was fast approaching, the mornings were still quite chilly and she shivered, offering her fellow would be passengers a weak smile before shuffling to the end of the queue and sitting down on the cold, metal seat.
“I’ve missed it haven’t I?”
“Sorry?” Sonia looked up into the bluest eyes she had ever seen and knew that, at any other time, her tender heart would have skipped a beat.
Not today. She had no coy glances and blushes to offer. The best she could muster was a shrug, and even that was only half given. And that only made her feel more miserable than she already was.
In his dark suit, white shirt and pale blue tie, the man standing before her looked incredibly handsome. He definitely deserved more than the half-hearted attention she was willing to offer. He deserved more than a second glance, and Sonia could hardly bother with one.
“That was the 528?” The man asked breathlessly, and Sonia blinked and frowned up at him.
“Er… I…”
Honestly, she berated herself. Anyone would have thought he'd just asked her the meaning of life. He must be thinking she was deranged or stupid.
“Yes, mate,” affirmed the tall lanky man at the head of the queue, and the newcomer smiled his thanks.
“Oh well, no matter. I suppose there’ll be another one along soon enough.”
Sonia scowled as the stranger dropped onto the narrow seat beside her, his thigh inadvertently brushing her own. She stiffened, cursing the innocent old lady who was sitting on the other side of her, as she realised that she was now boxed in between them.
If it wasn't for the two bodies either side of her helping to protect her from the keen draughts blowing through the shelter, Sonia might have been tempted to stand up and move. As it was, she pulled the collar of her jacket up and gritted her teeth. Another bus would be along soon enough.
“Mint?” The man had pulled a packet of sweets from his pocket and was now holding it out to her.
Sonia bit back her anger. Why was it that every time she stepped anywhere near any form of public transport, her fellow travellers felt the need to try to engage her in aimless chatter? Did she really have the sort of face that invited conversation from all and sundry? Maybe that’s what Paul had meant when she had confronted him. He had called her “too sweet”.
“No thanks,” Sonia muttered, trying to ignore the man’s thigh pressing closer to her leg as he shifted his weight to put the mints back in his pocket.
“I wouldn’t mind one, dear.”
Sonia’s breath caught as the man obligingly pulled them back out of his pocket and leaned across her so that the old lady could take one. He smelled of mints and some musky cologne that made her senses tingle, and before she could stop herself, she had taken a deep breath.
“Thank you,” the old lady replied, and the man shrugged. He caught Sonia's eye and winked.
“No problem.” His face crinkled with a genuine smile and Sonia tried to ignore the tremor of awareness heating her blood. It was nothing. She was just sex starved and lonely, she tried to convince herself as she shifted closer to the old lady, and ignored her huffing.
“So, you off to work?” he asked, obviously not receiving her subtle hints to be left alone.
Sonia sighed. She could ignore him. Polite conversation wasn't on her list of daily chores. It hadn't been all week. However, she found herself casting him a sideways glance and answering, “Yes, I suppose.”
“Monday morning blues, eh?”
Sonia acknowledged the man’s cheeky, blue-eyed wink with a scowl.
More like every day of the week blues, she thought miserably and wished he’d just read a newspaper or something. The lanky man was tapping his feet to some tune on his ipod and Sonia played an imaginary game of trying to guess what he was listening to. He didn’t look the type to enjoy heavy metal. Maybe he was listening to that horrendous rap that her young nephew liked so much.
Sonia shivered.
“I’m James.”
Her gaze flicked back to the insistent stranger and her annoyance turned up a notch when she realised that she was actually beginning to blush. Was this man flirting with her on a cool Monday morning in a damp and crowded bus shelter? Sonia almost laughed.
Instead she reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear and, for the briefest of seconds, wished that she had washed it last night instead of drowning her sorrows in a bottle of cheap red wine, a pizza and a tub of chocolate chip ice cream.
“Sonia,” she offered. Then silently cursed.
“You’re not very chatty. It makes the wait a lot shorter, you know." The man nudged her and smiled. Sonia wanted to scream.
"No," she replied instead, her eyes taking in his perfect aquiline nose and gorgeous high cheekbones. His blond hair was short and tidy and he had an honest face.
Well, so had Paul and look where that had got her, she chided, fresh anger filling her. She didn't want to be chatted up. She wanted to hide away, sulk and rant at the world instead of giving it the benefit of the doubt and her usual thumbs up.
“I suppose we could always chat about how all men are liars and cheats.”
The old lady's audible gasp told Sonia that she had finally managed to shock her audience and James’s smile slipped. Sonia took quiet comfort in the fact. Maybe now he would take the hint and leave her in peace.
She glanced up the road, wondering how long it would be before the next bus came along.
“So, who’s the stupid guy who broke your heart and replaced it with steel?”
Sonia really didn’t want to talk about this with a total stranger. She hadn’t even wanted to talk about it with her mum or best friend either. Only, they had sat her down, thrust a box of tissues into her hand and forced her to tell all.
It had been a week since she had discovered that Paul liked a little variety in his love life. Seven whole days since she had flung his engagement ring back at him and ordered him out of her flat and her life and, just like that, the past five years of her existence had been relegated to being nothing more than a big waste of time.
Since then, she had existed on autopilot, drifting through the hours in a daze. She supposed she should be glad she had found out now, rather than after they had tied the knot. Sonia could draw some comfort from that. Still, it would help if they didn’t work in the same office.
She had made up her mind to ask for a transfer to another call centre. Timbuktu would be just great. Then, last night, she had changed her mind. Her life had been turned upside down enough and she was stronger than that. She wouldn’t let him see that he had destroyed her.
“You don’t know him,” she answered quietly. “Lucky for you.”
James met her gaze and sighed. “And I’m glad I don’t, Sonia. I might have felt the need to give him a piece of my mind.”
“I don’t think-” Sonia was shocked by the vehemence of his statement, and she made to get up. He was quicker than her, and reached to place a gentle hand on her arm, his eyes pleading with her to stay beside him.
“I’m not a liar and a cheat.”
The old lady nudged her elbow. “He’s very handsome, dear,” she whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, apart from the lanky man with his ipod.
Sonia blushed.
“I didn't mean you," Sonia defended, and lifted her defiant chin, embarrassed to see James’s mouth twitching in amusement as the old lady turned her attention back to watching for the next bus.
“You said all men were liars and cheats earlier.”
“All the men I’ve ever known are,” she blurted, once more cursing him for making her reveal something she rarely admitted to herself, let alone anyone else.
Her dad had walked out of her life when she was fourteen, leaving her mother and three sisters to look after each other as best they could. It hadn’t been easy to let Paul into her life on a level far deeper than anyone else she had dated. His infidelity had destroyed all her confidence and obliterated what little faith she had in the opposite sex.
“You know, I usually catch the 528 three stops back. I sit at the back of the bus just so that I can see your pretty smile every morning.”
“You do?” Sonia gasped in surprise, trying to recall if she had ever seen him before, whilst praying that he wasn’t some lunatic stalker.
“Hmm. In fact, the first time I saw you, it was just before Christmas. Remember the first day it snowed?”
Sonia nodded. Then, “Oh my god! I’d slept late. I slipped when I was running for the bus. I was so embarrassed.” She'd also been mad as hell that she'd scuffed a new pair of boots and laddered her tights.
“Well, you held your head high. A bit like you’re doing now. Your cheeks were crimson but it didn’t matter. You looked all natural and perfect.”
Sonia's hand involuntarily reached up to touch one flaming cheek, and she chewed her bottom lip, wondering if James was for real.
“So, who’s the guy who took that smile away from me?” James asked softly, and Sonia forced her head up to meet his gaze.