Pleasure Train (2 page)

“What? You want my bubble butt?” Willow wiggled her ass.

Sue frowned at her. “You know what I’m talking about. Round asses are in these days.” She placed the plate of toast on Willow’s tray. “Why don’t you ask them?”

Willow lifted the tray, balancing it on the palm of her right hand while steadying it with her left. “Which one?”

Sue’s hands flew to her hips. “Any of them.
All
of them. Just pick!”

“Don’t get all hissy on me,” Willow said. “I’ll think about it.” She made a
tsk
sound and started for the table of men.

“Okay, I’ve got some great food here, and I want to see you all lick your plates clean.” She began placing the food in front of them, the mingling aromas of the different dishes wafting up to her. Her tummy growled, letting her know that she hadn’t eaten yet.

“Sound like you need to have some breakfast yourself,” Jack said, taking his plate of French toast from her.

She opened her mouth to speak but stopped, her heart surging for three beats. With a strand of his shoulder-length, dark hair falling over his black-rimmed glasses, Willow could swear she saw something lurking in those creamy-brown eyes of his. Something smoky and hidden. A secret maybe. Then she blinked and the moment was gone. “Yeah,” she said, recovering. “I probably should grab a bite soon.”

Finished laying out their food, she straightened and held the tray against her chest. “Do you need anything else? More coffee?”

“Yes. Coffee.” Josh held up his cup, his intense eyes locked on her.

“I’ll be right back.”
Why am I so hot?
She turned away from the table and headed for the counter and the safety of distance. Slamming the tray down, she brushed her fingertips across her forehead, noticing how her hand was trembling slightly.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder.

Willow jumped, jerking away from the touch.

“Are you okay?” Sue frowned at her again.

“I’m sorry. I’m just…well, I don’t know what I am.” She took the coffee carafe from the coffeemaker. “Maybe I need a vacation.”

“Hmph. Maybe you need a date.”

Willow wrinkled her nose at Sue as she passed her on her way to the booth where the three men were. “Alrighty,” she said, refilling their coffee mugs. “How is everything? Good?”

There was a chorus of “mmm”s and “mm-hmm”s. All three of them nodded at her.

“I like to hear that.” She rested the carafe on the edge of the table. “Can I ask you boys something?”

“Sure,” Mikey said, the first of the three to swallow. “Ask us anything.” He smiled, his eyes sparkling and mischievous.

He’s definitely the joker of the group.
“You three look so different from each other. Can I ask how you know each other? I mean, what brought the three of you together?”

The men looked at each other then back at her. “We work together,” Jack said.

Hmm
. “Really? I mean, you all dress differently and everything. It doesn’t look like the three of you have anything in common at all.”

“We are computer techs,” Josh said, his voice deep and mellow. “Forever Systems hired us to completely install a full network in their company, whose main headquarters is here.”

“Huh.” Computer dudes. Which meant they were smart, but were they fun?

Jack chimed in. “The three of us met online and ended up forming our own tech company, J.J. & M. Large companies hire us to, well, to get them up to speed technically.”

Willow put her hand on her hip. “So, your jobs are temporary? Once you get whatever it is you do done, you move on to the next job?”

Mikey grinned at her. “Yep. We have our base in Chicago, but travelling is what we like best. Making money, doing a job we actually like, and seeing the country all at the same time.” He shrugged. “Where’s the bad?”

She didn’t see any “bad” in the scenario at all. “Geez, what I wouldn’t give to have a job like that. But what do your women say? I’ll bet they don’t like you being gone all the time.” She smiled.
There. I cast my line. Let’s see if I get a bite.

“We’re single,” Josh said then took a sip of coffee.

“We haven’t found a girl who could put up with all three of us.” Mikey leaned back, raking his fingers through his wayward curls. “We’re pretty close. Share a house and all that. If we hooked up with some girls, they’d have to respect that.”

Are they feeling me out here?
Willow raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “How could any woman not go for that situation? Three good-looking men who actually know what friendship means? You all sound like my kind of guys.”

The men exchanged glances then gave each other a quick nod.

“What?” Willow asked, feeling something pass between them.

Mikey leaned forward, parking his elbow on the table. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

It was a gorgeous October morning. The sun was shining, the sky that crisp blue color that came only at that time of year. Willow walked down the cobblestone sidewalk that ran through the historic section of town, her head held high and a smile on her face. She had a date this morning with not one, not two, but all three of her back-booth men.

They had invited her along on a scenic train ride they had booked, and though it didn’t sound all that exciting to her, she figured what the heck. At least it would get her on a personal level with them outside of the café, in the real world.

She approached the tiny train station, surprised to see it looked like something from a movie set. The train sat beside it, hugged up to the platform at the front of the period-style building, the engine rumbling low. It was a streamlined silver passenger train, straight out of the forties.

Willow passed by the engine, amazed at the size of it, and wondered why she hadn’t noticed it before. Even though she’d been there six months, she hadn’t seen everything the town had to offer. The scenic train had been hidden behind one of the large hotels, and the only way she had managed to find it was by the directions Jack had written down on a napkin at the café yesterday.

She walked up the wooden steps to the platform that was attached to the front of the building and headed straight for the front door. Stepping through the door that announced her arrival with a loud creak, Willow was blasted with a wave of heat. She untied the scarf she had woven around her neck. “Hello?” The place looked like a souvenir shop, but she didn’t see anyone at the cash register to the left of the front door.

“Did I hear someone come in?” a female voice asked from the back of the tiny store.

“Yes,” Willow answered, cutting through the shelves that contained coffee mugs, shot glasses, and miniature train replicas as she made her way toward the voice. “I’m here to take a ride on the train.”

“I’m in the back. Come on to the ticket window.”

Coming to the end of the long shelf, she saw a small window cut into the wall. It was open, with a ledge at the bottom front and a pleasant, gray-haired woman smiling at her from the other side.

“You must be Willow,” the woman said.

Willow placed one hand, palm down, on the protruding ledge. “How in the world do you know my name?”

“The boys told me you would be coming along on this trip.” She reached below the window and came up with a rectangular piece of paper about four inches long. “Here’s your ticket, although I don’t know why you need one.”

Willow took the slip of paper she handed through the window and shoved it in the pocket of her coat. She reached into her purse which was slung over her shoulder, digging for her wallet. “What do I owe you?”

“Oh nothing, hon. Your passage has already been paid for.”

Willow looked up. “Who?”

“The boys, of course.” The woman smoothed back her hair, a wistful look in her eyes. “Those boys are really something. Well behaved, polite, and neat.” She pointed a finger at Willow. “We never have to pick up after them like we do for all the others. Never have found even a gum wrapper left on the train after they ride.” She nodded seriously.

Willow reached into her coat pocket, fingering the smooth slip of paper that was the ticket. “Do they…ride the train often?” This was really strange. The woman acted like the three men rode the train every day or something. And it was obvious the lady had a major crush on them.

“Why, Jack, Josh, and Mikey ride every Saturday morning.” The woman’s pale-blue eyes were wide with what looked like awe. “They book the whole train from ten in the morning until two in the afternoon.” She leaned forward through the window and crooked a finger at Willow, beckoning her to come closer. “The usual round-trip lasts two hours, but the boys like to park it at the end of the line for a couple of hours then make the return trip.”

“Why do they do that?” Curiosity was nipping at her like a little dog.

“I’m not sure why. Maybe they like to relax that way or talk business. All I know is this will be their fourth Saturday in a row and they’ve already booked the next four.” She clasped her hands together and straightened, grinning. Willow could tell that she must have been pretty when she was young. Her grin sparkled, lighting up her face. “All I know,” she continued, “is George and I are happy to have them. We don’t get that many tourists this time of year, and besides, we like the boys.”

“George is your husband?”

She nodded. “Goodness, I forgot. My name is Grace. George is my husband, and he’s also the engineer. He likes taking the boys. All they ask is that he doesn’t come into the last three cars while they’re on board. Suits him fine. When they do their two-hour stop, George gets his morning nap.” Grace tilted her head. “You’re the first person they’ve ever invited to go along.”

Willow adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder. Yesterday, after she had told Sue about meeting the three men today, Sue had acted concerned. She had told Willow that maybe it wasn’t a good idea to meet all three of them at once after all. A girl had to be careful these days. Willow had shrugged it off. What could possibly happen in Forever? Jack, Josh, and Mikey came into the café every day, so it wasn’t like they were strangers. And, if the truth be told, Willow could use a little excitement in her life. Wasn’t that why she had left Kenny? And it wasn’t as if she were riding a train that wasn’t going to come back to its starting point. Still, she should be a little careful.
Okay, this is different, but I’ll go along for the ride and see what happens.
“Guess I’d better step outside and wait for them,” she said, turning away from the window.

“Oh, dear, I guess I should have told you.”

“Told me what?” She stopped and looked back over her shoulder.

“They’re waiting for you. They’re already on board.”

“I’d better get a move on then.” Willow smiled and gave her a wave then headed for the door.

Hurrying across the platform, she approached an open door on the first car behind the engine. When she reached up to grab the handrail just inside the door so she could climb the three steps into the car, a hand appeared, reaching for her from inside the car. She hesitated for a moment then shrugged and grabbed the proffered hand up.

“Whoa!” she yelped when she was almost pulled off her feet. She skipped the middle step and was suddenly inside the car.

“Sorry,” Josh said, flashing a quick smile, releasing his hold on her.

Willow reached out and placed her hand on his bicep, squeezing. “Got a lot of muscle there, Josh. You should warn me when you feel like using it.” Oh, how she wanted to leave her hand on the bulging bicep. It was so tight, she could almost feel his blood pulsing just beneath the skin. Letting her gaze roam from his bicep to his chest before meeting his eyes, she thanked the stars for the thin, white, formfitting T-shirt he wore and no jacket in sight.

“I’ll try to give you a heads-up next time.” He took her hand from where it still rested on his upper arm and guided her toward a bench seat just across from the stairs. “Have a seat while we get underway.”

Willow looked into his intense green eyes, and a shiver ran up her spine. She swallowed. The thought of him using some of that barely controlled strength while manhandling her made her throat tighten and her blood heat. She sat down and pulled her scarf completely off then shrugged out of her coat. “Wow, it just got really hot in here.”

Josh was leaning down into the stairway reaching for the door. He glanced over his shoulder at her comment then turned back to the business of securing the door.

Did he just grin?
Willow clasped her hands together in her lap and waited for him to give her a hint of what she should do next.

The door secured, he came back up the steps and stood in front of her. He was so big he seemed to fill the small space. He reached behind her and grabbed the receiver to a phone she hadn’t realized was there on the wall until then. He punched a button on the phone base and waited, still leaning over her.

Willow took the opportunity to look him over. She liked his blond buzz cut and the way it accented his squinty, intense eyes and solid, square jaw. Somewhere in his late twenties, he was tan, a nice toasty color, and she caught a glimpse of some ink on his left shoulder peeking from the edge of his shirt sleeve. His stomach looked rock hard, and the front of his jeans seemed well weighted. This man was the whole package, and she wouldn’t mind unwrapping it.