In Transit, Sarah Boone [the speed reading book .TXT] 📗

sum of cash that had fallen out of her pocket and scattered to the floor. The train stopped and a man in ripped jeans and a beanie grabbed handfuls of her fallen money before dashing out the door.
“See,” Bobby said to Lisa, still holding her up, “that woman is a prostitute.”
Like every woman in a new place, like every woman ever in any place, Lisa wasn't fond of being touched. Especially not by strangers. But when Bobby snatched her from gravity's pull, she didn't spaz out as expected. She was comforted, even soothed by his touch. She'd never had such a connection with a stranger before, never been able to talk or examine other people or feel comfortable in the grasp of someone she knew nothing about. But she trusted him, though she wasn't sure why.
“Why didn't anyone stop that guy?” Lisa asked. “He just took her money!”
Bobby lifted her upright all the way, almost like an animal by the scruff of it's neck so he could look at her directly. “How new in town are you?”
“I moved here three weeks ago.”
“I knew it. Graduated from college last May?”
“Yes.”
“Not a city kid.”
“I'm trying.”
He let her go. She took a step back, allowing stagnant air to come between them.
“For your own safety,” he said, “let me give you a crash course on living in the city. Any city. You can't trust anyone, not completely. There's lots of good people, especially in this city, but you can't assume that their good on the spot. There's crime everywhere in the city. Rate has nothing to do with it. Statistics have nothing to do with it. Time of day has nothing to do with it. It happens. All over. All the time. You have to be vigilant, got it?”
Lisa said, “Thanks for the advice, but I'm not as naive as I look.” Her voice had grown weary and agitated.
The train's loudspeaker announced the next stop, “West Portal Station.”
She moved past him to the main car. “This is where I get off. Hope your day gets better.” She let the compartment door slide closed before he had the chance to reply.
Bobby grimaced when he realized he'd crossed a line. He stared at the door for a moment, at the small window through which he could see Lisa weave through the people in the car. Then he pushed it aside.
“Hey! Hey, Lisa!”
She turned in front of the exit door, her eyes emitting an irritated, “What is it?”
“Look, I'm sorry if I offended you. I have this jackass habit of assuming I'm always right about everything.”
“Forgiven.” The door opened and she stepped out. “Good bye.”
He pushed through the incoming people like a salmon upstream. “Lisa! Hold on a minute.” Bobby wedged himself between the car doors so the train couldn't move.
She turned around again. “What?”
“I was thinking about what you said earlier, about people meeting each other in transit and never bothering to make a connection, and I was wondering if – I mean – you're new in town – you must not know that many people...”
The train driver struck her head out the window at the front of the first car. “Excuse me, sir! I need you to move.”
“For better or worse, Lisa, I'm a good friend to have. If you're single, well that's not what I meant, but I was hoping that, uh...”
“Hey!” yelled the guy behind Bobby. “You're either in or you're out, douche bag.”
“Do you have a phone number, a way that I can reach you?”
Bearing the same reserved smile that had caught his attention before, Lisa reached into her pockets. “I have a card somewhere. Hold on.” She turned them out two by two: cell phone, keys, tape recorder. “Shit, my wallet's gone!” She looked up, mouth agape. “My wallet's gone!”
More angry shouts erupted from the train.
“We all have somewhere to be, pal!”
“Come on, dude! Move it!”
Lisa's mouth grew even wider at the sight of her open wallet in his hand. In the other hand he held one of the business cards that she had stashed in the sorely empty cash compartment.
“Got it.” Grinning, he tossed the wallet over to her. “Don't look at me like that. I was just trying to make a point. You might want to close your mouth before you hyper-extend your jaw. And about my day, you said 'hope it gets better?' Well it did. Because of you.”
Her mouth snapped shut. Sparing him one last conflicted glance, she turned and wandered off the platform, her wallet still clutched in her hand.
He watched her go, then went back inside the train. Time to go see Uncle Vince. Every city thief had to pay his due.


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Publication Date: 03-16-2010

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