Excerpt from a book I'll never write

Excerpt Nine

On a cold metal bench, she sat, music flowed into her ears as she shook her head lightly to the beat silently humming along.

It wasn't busy, but it wasn't quiet either.The subway was always loux and noisy.

Looking around; watching those around her, out of the corner of her eye she watched as a tall slim man with wavy blonde curls pushed out of his eyes, appeared to hover next her, before taking a seat beside her.

Removing one of the ear plugs from her ears she turns slightly, facing the young man. "Sorry, did you say something"? She questioned, her broad English accent capturing the attention of the stranger beside her.
She had assumed from the way he sat slightly facing her, that he had spoken and was waiting on a reply.

"I didn't, no" He chuckled slightly weary, unsure of how to react to the upfront girl with the frizzy brown hair and captivating green eyes.

"Sorry, I must be hearing things again" She grinned a toothy grin shaking her head slightly, removing the other ear plug. "I'm Abby" the brunette offered, tucking a wild curl behind her ear and looking at him.

Shaking her head rather violently she quickly apologised for the second time within 38 seconds, "Sorry, I'm probably breaking some unspoken rule about no talking to strangers on the subway or something. Sorry" She chuckled, looking for a distraction before her eyes landed on her hands which had been locked together in her lap.

Alone and unfamiliar with her surroundings, the young women was unsure as to how she should go about increasing upon the current number of acquaintances she had, which currently stood at 0 in this new city.

"No no, I find it somewhat charming. It's rare that you find anyone willing enough to hold a door for you, let alone engage in conversation."

Out of pure awkwardness and lack of sleep, Abby took his response as a small confirmation that it was in fact ok for her to talk to the rather attractive stranger.

"I've not been here long. I'm still getting used to the do's and do nots of New York life." She chuckled going back to people watching.

"How long have you been here"? He questioned. He wasn't usually like this; for starters he wasn't what one would call a people person. He was rather quiet, yet self aware, but for some reason his curiosity was getting the best of him.

"Not long. Just over a week. I don't even know what I'm doing here." she sighed, her brows furrowing slightly.

"In New York"?

"In the US. I'd been traveling Europe these past few months and once I returned home it just didn't feel like home anymore. So I packed a bag, brought a ticket and here I am" Abby shrugged, almost as though it were no big deal.

"I take it you're been "breed born and raised" here"? She continued.

"That I have. Well, not here. I was born in San Francisco. Moved here a few years ago. It's a great place, the people not so much though" He nodded towards the direction of a rather gruff looking man with last week's stubble, a cigarette hanging from his lips as his blood shot eyes seemingly wandered without even acknowledging his surroundings.

She chuckled, a smile on her lips as she turned to the man beside her.

"He may very well be a lovely man." She objected, feeling the need to disagree with the blonde sat beside her. He appeared to have sparked something inside her, but she couldn't quite place it.

"Would you like to test that theory"? He challenged, cocking an eyebrow.

"I think I'll pass" She whispered, deciding against it. "I never got your name" She interjected, before he could challenge her any further.

"Cole" He hummed, a smile on his lips as he looked at her.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Cole" She chuckled, sticking her hand out between them, gesturing for him to take it.

"Likewise" He chuckled, again taken aback by her forwardness. It's an English thing, He thought, taking her small palm in his.

And as their hands connected, he looked at her and she looked at him and I swear that was the moment something sparked between them.

Something real.