Hob Knobs.

The shrinking morning shadows made a steamed silhouette out of the Roman Baths. Annabel perched on a bench to admire the scene. Business men and women opening the local cafe, a mother walks her two squabbling children to school. The foggy air numbs her fingers as she pokes her bag looking for her tobacco. She has sympathy for the two girls in mini skirts stumbling their way through the awakening streets. She licks the sweet glue from the top of the cigarette paper and sparks her handmade creation. She sits idle for a moment blowing out a cloud of smoke. Her sensitive nerves are tried as the grand clock drones eight times, making her jump. She pulls on her rucksack and makes for the station, weaving, winding and dodging around the slow moving pensioners making their way uphill towards the post office. “Excuse me” she spoke in a thin voice that was ignored by the old man with a stick in the middle of the pavement, every time she went to the left of him he would extended his walking stick to block her way. Annabelle gave a gentle cough and took a bold step right almost dodging him but not quite, “Sorry” she winced as she bumbled into the drafty limestone station.

She stood at the back of the snake trailed queue watching two school boys push in at the front. What a nerve, she thought to herself wishing that she had the balls to do the same. She waited patiently, fumbling through her bag for her railcard and purse.

Tickets in her clammy grasp and six minutes till her train’s departure she made her habitual B line towards ‘Snaky Stop’. Her upper body stiff and short legs moving in fast forward. She zoomed in on a packet of chocolate Hob-Nobs, the special nutty edition, then quickly to the coffee stand for a cup of Earl Grey. She saw no sacrifice in leaving herself only three quid for lunch as she had invested in her favourite breakfast.  She placed the Hob-Nobs in her bag with care and made for the platform in the hope of a quick fag.

An amorous couple blocked her from passing. The tall leggy Bambi like lady would push the tall lean rugged man, who looked like he could be in a Levi’s advert.  He’d sway left and she would grab him, they’d sway right, lock lips in the middle before the process started again. I’m never going to get my fag she thought to herself behind the two love bunnies, “Excuse me” she said in a meek voice and was ignored. She side stepped right; the girl’s long black pony tail swished, smacked and stung Annabel’s cheek.  “Excuse me” she repeated louder before pushing past them, bloody couples. One of them, probably carries a disease the other is unaware of, she thought sliding onto the train.

She shuffled down the half empty carriages before spotting a cluster of unoccupied seats with a table. She slid into the window seat and put her feet up, she’d like to watch the frosted December fields smear past the window. She sat and slipped off her knitted bobble hat allowing her wheat blonde hair to tumble down past her shoulders. She pulled off her heavy duffle coat and took a scolding sip of tea. Her eyes filled with tears from the heat biting the tip of her tongue. She smudged the tear away as a young business man sat opposite her. Disappointed with the newly seated presence, she picked up yesterday’s copy of the ‘Sun’, unfolded it and read across the paper wall. Blocking eye contact with the other passenger, she reached for a Hob-Nob. To her utter shock and dismay the packet of special edition Hobnobs had been opened and the man opposite was tenderly nibbling the soggy side of the biscuit. For a moment she even wondered if it had been her tea he had dipped it in. She saw his coffee sitting gingerly next to hers.  What a weirdo, how strange? She thought running her eyes along the landscape of his grey suit. He wore no shirt but a black t-shirt and no shoes but bright white sneakers, he’s attractive…she thought, and again he extended his large wide finger and stole another…you little bastard, she thought. She took another Hobnob in an attempt to claim them then quickly retreated behind the newspaper, nibbling and peeking over the page, his almond eyes alert and shiny and green as the passing fields. He caught her narrow eyes, held her stare and pinched another biscuit. To break contact she found herself looking at two enlarged breasts on page three, there is no need she thought; disgusted by both the paper and the ignorance of her fellow passenger. She plucked another cookie from the packet. The man smiled at her, he sat back in his seat and stretched his long toned arms towards the cookies. Don’t you dare…she thought as she watched him swoop them up like a hawk. He drew three cookies from the pack. She jumped in her seat and let out a meek wince of shock as the man’s mobile phone began to vibrate and ring the theme tune of Neighbours, “I just got on at Bath” he spoke with a cockney accent and a voice rough as gravel. He smiled at the girl sat opposite him. Annabelle’s eyes opened like two daisies on a sunny day, frozen on the shrivelling pack of biscuits. She seized the moment and claimed not two but three biscuits, holding two in one hand she devoured the third. You want to eat my cookies? She thought staring at the crumbs nested in the cracks of his chapped lips you’d better get them quick she thought taking another sip of tea and grabbing a fourth cookie. She crunched and savoured the delicious biscuit, the hazelnut chunks, and the chocolate crispies. She smiled smug and dismissed him, turning her attentions to the window. “Bye.” the man put down his phone and picked up the almost empty packet. He inspected it, plucked another from the hollow wrapper then he placed them back again. She could see him looking at her from the corner of her eye but ignored him. She watched the familiar landmarks smudge past the window as they approached Bristol Temple Meads, the old cinemas, the frail looking homes on the council estates… hey…her focus was drawn back to the almost empty hobnob packet laying twisted and crinkled before her. There was one left. The man opposite sat rooted and charged. He rubbed the back of his hand up the dark stubble on his cheek. It made a sound of sandpaper against skin. It raised the hackles on her neck. His hand broad square shoulders curved. His defined jaw dropped. He reached for the last Hob-Nob. I don’t bloody believe it, she thought. He snapped it in half and offered it to her with a half smile and a shaky hand. She snatched it from him.  Trying hard to conceal her burning cheeks she pulled on her hat. She scratched at her neck against the wooliness of her scarf as the train shuddered into the station. She looked at her deflated packet, narrowed her eyes at the man what a nerve. Damn rude. What an arsehole. she thought putting on her rucksack, taking the broken cookie and exiting the train.

Sifting through her bag of rolling tobacco and rizlas she heard a rustling from deep inside her bag, digging down with wiggling, inquisitive fingers she pulled a fresh pack of chocolate Hob-Nobs the special nutty edition, from her bag. She looked back through the train window. The man with the wide green eyes and sexy stubble gave a nod that made Annabel blush. She smiled back, waved her packet of Hob-Nobs in the air and mouthed “Sorry”. The man shrugged his shoulder. He raised his head in silent laughter, looked up and blew her a kiss as the train pulled forward.

Chloe Firetto-Toomey