Chapter 5: Solitude Derailed

What happened to Cassi, after she left for downstate? This chapter turns its attention to her.

In honor of the anniversary of the Steve Goodman song "City of New Orleans," Amtrak added one Superliner Roomette coach to each of its trains originating from Goodman's hometown, Chicago. Cassi treated herself and booked a semi-private. In the best case with low traffic, she'd have it to herself. In the worst case, she'd have another woman to commiserate with, perhaps in a less formal way than she had with Dr. Fine. Roomettes had two sleeping bunks, so passengers would need to be of the same gender.

A pleasant conductor assisted Cassi with her suitcase after he checked her ticket, lifting it up to her after she climbed the steps into the car. The hallway was narrow, and several times Cassi had to plaster herself against the side to allow others to pass. Finally, she reached number eleven. She opened the closed door and thrust the suitcase in first before entering. The picture window showed the side of another train, with dimly lit silhouetted passengers. In her compartment, sitting on the padded seat that converted into half of the lower bunk bed platforms was a man.

"Hello?" Cassi leaned forward, careful not to startle him. His head was down, as if asleep or in some deep meditation. Cassi stepped closer. "Hello? Excuse me, but this is my room."

He lifted his head. His eyes were red and puffy. "Okay. I guess we're sharing."

Cassi was confused. How could they both have this roomette? "By the rules, I'm supposed to have a female companion."

He contemplated her words, then sprung from the seat and threw up his hands. "Oh no! Not again."

Had this guy gotten paired up on previous train rides? Cassi peeked out into the hallway. She asked a passenger who was walking by, "Could you please find a conductor? There's been some kind of -"

The passer-by nodded and grunted.

Cassi stood in the doorway, alternatively watching for a conductor and peeking at the young man. His body returned to the seat and his head returned to its facedown attitude. His pinstriped slacks didn't match his rugby polo shirt.

The kindly conductor who'd hefted Cassi's bags interrupted her mental fashion critique. "What's the problem?"

"There must be some mistake. There's a man in my roomette." Cassi handed him her ticket. The young man revived, leaned over and handed Cassi his.

The conductor eyed both slips. "Hmm. You've got 11A. And he's got 11B. Tammy McHale."

The young man stood, as if hoisted by a marionette master. "It's Tamini, not Tammy. Why do people always get that wrong?"

His voice was a whine, not at all pleasant to Cassi's ear. She'd never heard the name 'Tamini' before.

"Tammy, Timpani, makes no difference." The conductor handed Cassi both slips. "You'll be sharing this space. It's a short trip, not like an overnighter."

Sharing confined quarters with a man for over four hours was precisely what she didn't need. Cassi tried to plead her case. "But-"

"The train is full up. Not a seat available. Make a new friend, ma'am. Have a nice trip, folks." The conductor walked away.

Cassi opened a small closet and forced her suitcase inside, on end. Towels and linens were stacked neatly on a top shelf. Tamini, gasping for air, grabbed Cassi's attention. He grabbed an inhaler from his backpack and took a gulp. His wheezing trailed off as he huddled into a ball in the corner of the furthest reclining seat next to the window. Cassi stayed near the door and gave him plenty of room. "Are you okay?"

"I know why you don't want to share this compartment." He lifted his head and stared at her. "It's me."

He was right, because he was a 'he'. "No, not at all." Cassi raised her arms. "I just wanted some privacy, and-"

"And I'm not wanted. I get it." Tam dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief he whipped from his pants pocket.

"Please, you're making this into a bigger deal than-"

Tamini cried out loud, sobbing. "Big deal. Very funny. Did Veronica tell you? Oh God, you know everything, don't you?"

Cassi pressed her back against the door, stabilizing herself from a lurch of the train. They were underway, and she was paired up with a deranged passenger. "I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about."

Tamini took a few deep breaths on his own. "Sorry. I'm not thinking clearly. You couldn't know Veronica." His breaths were ragged. Cassi was afraid he'd fall back into a weeping fit or have another asthma attack. "I was engaged to her, and even I didn't know her."

Cassi thought that if she acted calmly and reassured Tamini, he'd behave for the hours they'd share. She sat down in the neighboring seat and touched his hand, which lay still on the surface between them. "It'll be okay."

"It will?" There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

A bodiless voice announced departure, followed by a sudden jerk as the train switched tracks. The train struggled to gain momentum, finally emerging from the covered station. The lights of the city barely lit their shared space.

Cassi was wary of turning on any lights in their room lest she upset her companion. She patted his hand. "Of course. Relationships are difficult. They require attention and energy and patience-"

Tam pulled his hand away, to make an open palm gesture. "But I did all of those things, and Veronica appreciated them. And me."

"Would you feel better, talking about it?" Cassi felt like Dr. Fine, gently probing for private details.

"Oh, may I? I'm struggling to deal with- Wait. Let me start from the beginning. Victoria and I were friends at school. DePaul. It started slowly, a few classes together, running into her at the library. We had the same interests, liked the same foods, laughed at each other's jokes, and not just to be polite. As we got to know each other better, we grew together. She's the perfect one for me, I know it, and I'm the one for her."

"It sounds wonderful." Cassi remembered how she and Dick were a matched pair. Quite familiar.

"We even took the physical aspect of our relationship at a pace she demanded."

Cassi's pussy throbbed. How long had it been since she'd had sex with Rod? It felt like too long ago. Was it proper to ask for more details? Cassi couldn't help herself. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we started with kissing. That was nice. Then we'd park in her car - I don't have one - and we'd make out. You know, touching, but only above the waist, like Veronica wanted. She has nice breasts." Tamini stopped and shied his head away. "Do you want to hear the rest?" Tam's eyes were slits.

Cassi swallowed hard. Against her better judgment, her horniness demanded the most intimate details. "Yes, if it'll help."

"Thank you. Could you close the blinds, on the window?" Tam pointed at the coverings on their door.

"All right." Cassi stood and adjusted the slats shut.

"Tickets" came a voice in the corridor.

Cassi opened the door and handed the conductor both of their tickets, still in her hand. She adjusted her blouse and straightened her skirt. When she turned around, Tam was standing there with his pants around his ankles. "What are you doing? Pull those up!"

Tam's lips quivered. He looked at her with puppy dog eyes. He sniffed, and then broke loose into sobbing that shook his body.

"My God, what's wrong?" Cassi closed the distance, threw her arms around the young man and hugged him tight. What had she done to unnerve him so?

Soon, he was struggling to breathe. He fumbled for his inhaler. Cassi heard the hiss. It took longer for the spray to work this time.

She stoked his hair. "There, there. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

Tam pushed at Cassi, to loosen her hold. "You did the same thing Veronica did. You made fun of me. Of my-"

"No, no, I didn't mean to make fun. You surprised me, that's all. After talking about taking things slow, I didn't expect you to drop trou."

"So you'll help me, like you said?" His eyes were pleading for an affirmative answer.

"Yes. Yes, I'll help." Cassi looked at his Sponge Bob Squarepants boxers. "Must you have your pants down?"

"How else will you give me a second opinion?" Tam retreated from the remnants of her hug. "See?" He pulled a stubby little penis through the front fly.

Cassi was mortified. The last thing she wanted was male companionship. So what happens? She gets a male companion who can't keep his penis in his pants. "Yes, I see." But she didn't believe the small size.

"We were parked in our usual spot, the rear lot behind a local grammar school. She lets me drive on our dates. Anyway, we'd been necking for a while and Veronica said that she was ready to take the next step in our physical relationship. She took off her skirt and told me to take off my pants. Then she told me we could touch each other's private areas. I went first. Her panties were damp, I guess because she was excited."

Cassi's panties were moist. The story supplemented by show-and-tell was turning her on. She just had to maintain control, despite Tam's little cock. "And what did she do?" Cassi knew, but wanted Tam to say it.

"She put her hand on me, down there." He glanced down at the little prick. "And she chuckled. And then she laughed. Out loud. So hard, she was holding her sides, rocking back and forth on the front seat."

Tam's cock was quite small, but she assessed Victoria's behavior as harsh. Cassi was no psychologist, but from her one visit to Dr. Fine, she was confident that such a response could have a deleterious affect on a young man. Given his lack of confidence, Tam was a perfect candidate for STRIP. The series of sex sessions with her son flooded her consciousness. Although her behavior had been unconstrained, it was for Rod's good. She admitted to herself that she gained pleasure as well, but the core motivation was Rod's emotional well being. She moved her hand closer to Tam's cock. "Did she touch it? I mean, inside your skivvies?"

Tam shook his head. "I was so embarrassed, I pulled up my pants and drove to my dorm. Why, she was still laughing so hard, she couldn't pull away from the curb smoothly. Her car jerked away from the curb, like it was laughing at me, too."

The STRIP program was all about building confidence in young people. Desperate situations, like the one Tam faced, called for extreme measures. Why couldn't she do for Tam what she did for Rod - build his confidence? "So where are you going?" She stood close, casually rubbing his upper arm.