The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin Page 0,55
…’ She dithered for a moment.
‘Go on, live dangerously.’ Although he was teasing, there was a slight challenge in the words. Fiona wasn’t one for living dangerously. She had once. Before she kissed Gabe Burnett. Now she played safe. Always.
Suddenly she said, ‘I’ll have the salt and caramel,’ and ignored Gabe’s triumphant grin.
***
Down on the platform there was a hushed stillness as though they were in the presence of a great beast which was what the large white train put Fiona in mind of. Alongside each carriage doorway, painted lines on the platform made it clear where people were expected to queue. But Fiona was busy checking out the length of the train and all the carriages as the long white line stretched way down the platform. The sleek train had acquired almost mythical status in her head. With the promised magical speeds, it was going to be nothing like the little train that trundled into London from her Surrey village at home, which still had level crossings en route.
‘Do you mind if I go and take a few pictures?’
‘No, go ahead. We’re in carriage nine. I’ll get loaded up and you can come and find me.’
Fiona walked quickly as there was quite a distance to cover. She studied the smooth, aerodynamic lines of the carriages. The unusual, long, flat-nosed front of the train, so different from the ones at home – which, to be perfectly honest, she had zero interest in – reminded her of a snake, lethal and silent, lying in the grass, waiting to be fired up. She stared at the storm-trooper-like, glossy white finish, the distinctive shape jangling a memory. Kaa, that was it, the sneaky mesmerising snake in the original Jungle Book. Amused by her thoughts, she lifted her camera and took a few quick, basic shots, aware of a couple of other tourists around her snapping away with their phones, posing and taking selfies. In her pocket, her bloody phone buzzed again. She ignored it. She was working. Instead, she took note of a couple of serious trainspotters with serious cameras taking serious pictures. One of them, a middle-aged man with a baseball cap and a huge messenger bag, had delight written all over his face. He caught Fiona’s eye. ‘Isn’t she a beauty?’ he breathed, awe struck, in an American accent.
‘Yes, I guess she is,’ replied Fiona.
‘You know she can get up to speeds of 186 mph.’
Fiona nodded, watching his beaming face as he paused in silent, happy contemplation of the miracle before him.
‘Would you … would you mind if I took a couple of photos of you and …’ she nodded her head towards the train.
‘Me?’
‘Yes, act natural.’ She prayed he wouldn’t stiffen up and lose the unaffected joy that shone in his face. ‘Just take a couple of photos and write whatever you were writing. And keep seeing the magic,’ she added with a wink.
‘It is magic, isn’t it. What mankind can achieve?’ He beamed at her again. ‘And I’ll happily do that, if you’ll take a couple of pictures of me with my camera.’
‘Deal,’ said Fiona. ‘Pretend I’m not here.’ That, it appeared, as he went back to studying the train with the same previous passion, wasn’t very difficult. And there it was, the perfect shot, his head tilted, his whole body almost leaning forward as if he were drawn magnetically to the train. She crouched down, one knee brushing the dusty platform floor, to take the shot. That was it. Her heart did a little flip of delight. His dark tracksuit trousers with white stripes contrasted nicely with the white finish of the train. She fired off several shots, pleased with the way that the overhead lights bounced off the glossy surface. For a fanciful moment, she could almost imagine it rearing its head and taking a bite of any of the pesky tourists who didn’t keep a respectful distance.
‘Thank you, thank you,’ she said, unable to stop herself grinning at him. ‘Safe travels and thank you, again.’
***
There was a definite bounce in her own stride as she made her way to back along the platform to find Gabe.
‘You’re pleased with yourself,’ he said when she found him in the carriage, sitting in a big, wide seat like on airline … except for the fact there was plenty of legroom. She still couldn’t quite believe the change in him since they’d declared their truce; it was like being with a different man.