Chapter 4 - off the rails

Logan wasn’t worrying as Danielle didn’t arrive on the train for a week in late August. She was probably taking a holiday, he reasoned casually. But then one week turned into two, and then three. It was probably for the best, he tried to think, as his mind was able to concentrate more on his upcoming one-year review. But as that had passed, a deep disappointment filled his heart. Four weeks on this train and no sign of the sexy, chubby girl.

The summer was over and it was a cold, grey and drizzly morning in mid-September when the trains decided to mess up. It wasn’t uncommon it seemed, here in the UK, but Logan was going to be late for work, for sure. He plodded up and down the platform, making calls to push back meetings and joining the queue to get a coffee whilst he became more and more frustrated.

“Sorry, your card has been declined,” said the young girl to someone two people in front of Logan in the queue. “Do you have another card you can use?”

Logan heard the beep and decline of two other cards before he looked up from his cell phone to see who was having the problem. His eyes took her in with absolute joy. It was Danielle, here at his own station! “I’m sorry,” he heard the lady say in a sweet, but strong tone that Logan realised he had never actually heard before; a sexy voice with slight, but undeniable traits of the London area accent. Then she muttered under her breath, “I can’t believe he did this!” apologising at once for not explaining herself, in a typically British way. “My husband and I are divorcing. He must have frozen all of the accounts or something. I don’t know what I’m going to do!” she mumbled, a little panic rising in her voice. "I guess I'll have to leave it," she finished, regretfully.

Slipping out of his place, and surprised that no one else had beaten him to it, Logan jumped to the front of the line. “Here,” he said, sliding his card onto the machine and hearing the beep of acceptance. “Have the coffee,” he smiled. “I hate to hear when someone is having a rough time.” Then, as quickly as he had arrived, he slipped back to his place in the queue, getting the little eye rolls from the people behind him as he nudged his way back in. The British seemed to take their queuing very seriously it seemed.