EFFIE BATEMAN | BRISBANE| CONTACT
A local woman’s early morning commute has become all the more interesting, with the arrival of a handsome stranger in the quiet carriage, it’s reported.
As Anita Phillips hyped herself up for yet another day of doing the mental equivalent of rolling a boulder up a mountain, she’d begun to question if working five days a week was really worth the paycheck, or if she was better off being poor and free with an easy cafe job.
Her 40-minute commute was usually a time spent mindlessly scrolling through social media, or coming up with Wattpad-like fantasies as a refuge from her tedious life. A life she swore she’d never choose again, considering the societal pressure to work your way up the career ladder isn’t exactly enriching for the soul, or worth the misery.
Considering she long ago gave up reading romantic novels once she was hit with a heavy dose of reality – namely that, no, there were no handsome, heavily tattooed mafia bosses in Betoota Heights – she’s had to make do with what she has in front of her.
Which for the time being, is a rather good-looking guy doused in what appears to be some sort of Dior cologne.
Imagining that she was the protagonist in an indie movie and actually had the guts to strike up a conversation with the guy, Anita’s little reverie includes some snappy dialogue and flirtatious looks, and an impulsive decision to run away together and board a train to nowhere in particular.
Not that there were many places to go in her town, but the sentiment was nice.
Ideally, her fake beau would be a charming rogue with a British accent, and an inability to connect deeply with women – except her of course, she’s special.
A bad boy with a soft spot just for her.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and as the train slowly comes to a stop, Anita shoots one last furtive look in the handsome stranger’s direction, before briefly wondering the minimum amount of injury she’d need to obtain from getting gently hit by a car so she doesn’t have to go to work.
More to come.
