Two: Cross-Country Train

The train station was teeming with people at mid-day. In addition to train and bus lines, South Station hosted an assortment of restaurants that did a booming business at lunchtime. Local businessmen in their suits and power ties, vied for seats on the concourse with students, travelers, and mothers bringing their kids into the city for the day. Stephanie and Gail found seats in the waiting area and sat while Jennifer approached the ticket window, and turned over her license.

“I have a reservation for Petruzzo,” she said to the ticket agent. Jen noted the ID badge hanging on a lanyard around the agent’s neck: Steve. “I have my reservation number right here, Steve.” She handed the email from Rich over to Steve.

“Thank you, Ms. Petruzzo,” Steve answered, grinning. He punched a few buttons on his keyboard and his smile widened. “I see special arrangements have been made for you in Chicago,” he said. “You will be meeting a second party and traveling together?”

Jen frowned. “Yeah,” she said, hesitantly. “What do you mean, ‘special arrangements’?”

“You have a deluxe sleeper berth on this ride,” he answered. “Quite comfortable.” He printed out her ticket and handed it, along with her license and itinerary, back to her. “Location ‘E’ on track seven. Do you have luggage?”

“Just my laptop and a duffel.”

“That’ll be fine. Once the train is underway, the steward will be by to take your lunch and dinner orders. Instructions on how to use the television and sound system will be in a pouch to the side of the sliding door. Anything else you need, there’s a call button for the steward on the wall above the sink.”

Jennifer was shaking her head. Leave it to Richie to find the most obnoxious accommodations on the train and get them for her. “Thanks, Steve. I’m sure it’ll be perfect.”

“Boarding in fifteen minutes. Location ‘E’. Track seven. Have a good trip.”

Jennifer rejoined her friends, holding up her ticket. “Richie reserved me a sleeper car,” she said, smiling.

“Yeah, like once he meets up with you in Chi-town, you’re gonna do any sleeping in that car,” Gail said, making Jennifer blush. “Oh don’t give me that blushing virgin shit, Jen, you know I‘m right.”

“Gail!” Jen protested.

Stephanie started laughing. “Oh get over it. You know you’re a huge slut when it comes to Richie.”

The fifteen minutes felt more like fifty, but soon, the announcement came over the public address system:

Good Morning, may I have your attention please. Now boarding on track seven is the 11:55am Lake Shore Limited. Station stops in Springfield, Mass., Pittsfield, Albany, New York, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Erie, Pennsylvania, Cleveland, Ohio, Sandusky, Toledo, Elkhard, Indiana, South Bend, final destination Chicago, Illinois, with several other intermediate stops. Club car is at location ‘B’, quiet car, location ‘H’. We thank you for traveling Amtrak, and wish you a pleasant journey to your destination.

“This is it,” Jennifer said to Stephanie and Gail. “Thank you so much for staying with me, and humoring me. You can fly home tomorrow, or stay at my place long as you want.”

“Are you sure it’s okay for us to fly?” Stephanie asked, hugging her friend.

“Yeah,” Jen answered, blushing. “It should be fine. Of course it will be fine. Thanks for humoring me. You guys are the absolute best.”

“Well we have to go home,” Gail said, “we ate everything Ma left for us.”

“If you’re in no hurry to leave, I’m sure she’d set you up,” Jen said, laughing.

“Yeah, she would,” Gail agreed. “I’ll let you know. I kinda like it here, may visit a bit longer.”

Jennifer hugged her English sister. “As long as you want. My house is your house.”

The trio of women turned heads as they made their way out to the platform. As the train approached the station, its headlight shining like a beacon, even in the bright noontime sun, Jennifer’s excitement grew. She was on her way to the future.

She boarded and quickly found her seat, laughing at the absolutely absurd compartment. It had a bunk that folded down from the wall, and had to have at least a queen-sized mattress. There were two plush chairs and a table, on rails on the floor. They’d slide back toward the wall and bolt into place when the bed was lowered. The décor was tasteful shades of cream and rose, and as she stowed her bag in the closet, someone stopped outside her open door.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Petruzzo,” the steward said. “I’m Chet, and I’ll be taking care of you on this leg of your trip. Anything you need, you just press the little button over the sink, and I’ll do my best to help you.”

“Thanks, Chet; I appreciate it. So, what do I do when I get to Chicago? I’m continuing on to LA, and need to change trains.”

“Not a problem,” he answered. “We’ll get in around ten tomorrow morning. You have several hours until the next leg, and I can recommend some area restaurants if you’re looking for some way to pass the time.”

Jen smiled. “I have someone meeting me in Chicago, and I’m sure he’s got something arranged already,” she said.

Chet returned the smile. “Alright then; before you disembark, we’ll let you know your connecting train information.” He consulted a timetable he pulled from his inside jacket pocket. “You’ll have about four hours from the time we arrive until the Empire Builder leaves for LA. You’ll travel for two days with a few short stops, and have a four hour break in Portland before heading out for the final leg.”

Jen smiled. “Fantastic.” She shut the closet door and turned to Chet. “When does the club car open? I’d like to get some lunch.”

“I’ll be happy to take your order and bring you something when the train gets underway,” Chet said.

Jennifer gave her order and closed the sliding door behind him. She tested the small color television that was built into the wall, then turned it off, sat in one of the deep green chairs, and called Richie.

“Hey, darlin’,” Richie said when he answered the phone.

“Hey yourself,” Jen answered. “Could you find a more obnoxious seat for me?”

He just laughed. “Hey, that was the best I could do on short notice. Anyway, I need you to be well rested when we meet up in Chicago, baby. Can’t have you all tired. That’s just like being loopy and I know how you feel about that.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jen said. “Anyway, I’m going to be more than comfortable.” She sat by the window and looked out at the people hustling up and down the platform. “I can’t wait to see you. Thank you for humoring me with the flying thing. The guys stayed on the ground too, right?”

“Yes they did. Is the moratorium lifted?” He hoped to hell it was, as he was at the airport, waiting for his flight to Chicago.

Jen chuckled. “Yeah, I don’t have any of those weird hinky feelings anymore. I still can’t believe there was something wrong with that plane.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about it; you’re safely on the ground.”

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. “Rich, that’s Chet with my lunch. Can I call you back in a little while?”

“Like you have to ask. I love you,” he said.

“I love you more,” Jen answered, rising to answer the door.

“Impossible,” Richie said. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“You bet. Bye.”

She opened the slider and Chet brought a tray into her berth, setting it on the table.

“Can I get you anything else?” he asked as he straightened from the table.

“No, that’ll do it.”

“Fine. When you’re ready to have the tray collected, just flip the little switch here by the door,” he showed her an unobtrusive toggle. “That’ll ring in the club car, and someone will be right down. Same if you need anything else from there.”

“Thank you, Chet,” Jen said, salivating at the smells coming from under the silvery dome on her table. She must be starving; train food just wasn’t that good.

When the steward had left, and Jen had settled into her chair, she lifted the lid, inhaling the aroma of a lovely beef stew. The French bread alongside the bowl was hot and smelled fresh, and a small crock of whipped butter all but beckoned to be spread on the skinny loaf. She looked out the window while she ate, watching the scenery pass her by. In a little under 20 hours, she’d be in Richie’s arms again.

She spent a peaceful afternoon reading, talking with Richie and her girlfriends, and assuring her mother for the hundredth time that she really was okay. Dinner was just as good as lunch was, and the subtle back-and-forth motion of the train on its tracks had her sleepy long before she was ready to retire. She didn’t want to go to bed too early, or she’d be up far too early in the morning. Still, Jennifer wanted to make sure she was well-rested for when she met up with Richie, so maybe bed wasn’t the worst thing. She smiled, wondering how he planned for them to spend the nearly four hours they’d have together between trains.

Jennifer used the small fold-down sink in her berth to brush her teeth, and used the shared restroom at the end of the car before returning to her compartment. After struggling with the furniture, getting it bolted properly, she folded down the bed and climbed in. Sighing against the pillows, she reached for her phone.

“Hey there,” Richie said, smiling when he saw the number come up. He was propped up on the bed in his hotel room, waiting for her call. The hotel he had chosen was only about ten minutes from the station. He wanted to spend about an hour just holding her, and making sure she was really alright, then the rest of the time he wanted her naked and horizontal. He also didn’t want them to miss their train. He had another surprise in store for his Jennifer.

“Hey yourself,” Jen said stretching. “Whatcha doing?”

“Missing you,” Richie answered. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

“Me either. You know we have a long time between the time I get in, and the time we have to leave, right?”

“Baby, I already have plans for each and every one of those minutes.” His voice lowered, and the timbre of it sent shivers through Jen’s body.

“Ooh, I’ll just bet you do,” Jen agreed. She lowered her own voice to a mere rasp. “Care to share any of those plans with me? You know, to make sure I agree with what you want to do?”

Richie chuckled. “I suppose I could share a thing or two with you.” He slid down a little further on the mattress. “But I guarantee you’ll be totally on board.”

“Mmmm,” Jen purred. “Arrogant tease. So give me a for instance. Make sure I approve.”

“Oh you’ll approve.” He sighed contentedly. “But first, I need to just hold you. I have to see for myself that you’re okay.”

Tears pooled in Jen’s eyes. That wasn’t what she was expecting at all. “Oh, Rich, I’m alright. I’ll be better when I’m with you tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that...but I’m fine. I promise.”

“Tell me what you’re wearing tomorrow.”

Jen laughed. “Why? You forget what I look like already, you gotta find me by my clothes?”

“No, I need to plan how to strip them off of you.”