Donna often struck up conversations with strangers, and on a hot, humid day, she found herself doing so once again. George had been sitting alone when Donna joined him on the bench in the square, and the notable weather became the topic she used to start their exchange. "People always seem to celebrate hot weather, but it makes me uncomfortable and worry about what's the least amount of clothes I can wear without scaring...

With heavy traffic causing everything to come to a standstill, the poor ventilation on the bus made the trip even more uncomfortable than Brian had expected. The suspension of train services that weekend had forced everyone onto alternative transport, and Brian's bus journey was making him bored and frustrated. He needed some form of escape, and it was safe to say that the woman sitting beside him provided it. "I'm sure t...

As Tom and Becky sat down, they tried to make sense of the drama they had experienced. When Becky was approached in the bustling streets of the capital, she lost her concentration, and only Tom's intervention prevented her from having her purse stolen from her bag. When Tom noticed that the man distracting Becky had an accomplice trying to take her purse, he shouted a warning and quickly approached the scene. The would-be...

My family had decided to spend the holidays in North Wales, and of course, I had to go with them as I was home from uni. Not really my thing, all the outdoorsy things, but I do like the occasional walk here and there. Anyway, bored on a Sunday, I was made aware of a 'lovely little wood you could go for a walk in'. It was a dry and mild day, and I just decided on the spur of the moment not to wear any panties to let my rec...

As Kat wrestled with the awning for her stall, she cursed how exposed her allocated space was in the square. Packing up was supposed to be the easy part, but the wind that had appeared out of nowhere made everything a struggle. Mark walked across the square toward Kat's pitch. As he did so, a sudden gust lifted Kat's awning into the air, and it was halted when it made contact with Mark in a glancing, but thankfully harmle...

As Tracey listened to Ian finish his story, she smiled and laughed in a way that her instinct suggested he would understand. The conversation started when she asked him if he knew the location of the temporary bus stop, but it had taken an unexpected turn, or at least that was true from Ian's point of view. "I'm glad that people come to live here from all over the world, just as we did, but encountering someone who isn't...

"I think we deserve a special prize for that," Gemma said, laughing with Colin. Although Colin found it slightly odd to complete the stranger's dating questionnaire, he understood that Gemma was helping a friend establish a locally focused meetup group. He believed it was the kind of enterprise worth encouraging and aimed to put a positive spin on the results of his and Gemma's responses. "Scoring zero is fantastic," Coli...

"I'll be down as soon as I can," Brian said, hearing the voice on the intercom mention that she needed a signature for this particular item. Jenny reflected on her last day working for the couriers while she waited for Brian to come down the stairs from his flat. The contract had served its purpose. It was her final drop, and all she wanted was to relax. Brian smiled as he signed the document, though he was surprised to h...

As Jack led Emma to the station's night exit, she thanked him for helping out a confused stranger. It hadn't occurred to her that returning to her hotel would require more than re-tracing her outward steps, and she felt relieved. "I only live a minute away, so I'm used to steering people in the right direction when the trains run all night at the weekend," Jack explained. "Don't let that kind of information slip. I'll be...

"He's called Albert," Kat said to Andy with a smile. The ease with which Kat chatted with Andy after meeting in the park was a pleasant surprise. When she suggested leaving the bench and walking to continue their discussion, Kat amazed herself by doing so. Telling Andy that her 'elephant in the room' even had a name was something she had never expected to do within an hour of their first meeting, though Kat was eager for...

It wasn't like the scene she had played out in her imagination so many times, but that didn't matter. There was no moonlight or sound of gently lapping waves. No chiselled jaw, sharp suit, or well-spoken smooth talking. They were irrelevant. He was not the craftsman of erotic endeavour who appeared in her dreams and idle thoughts and had done so repeatedly when pleasuring herself alone. She wasn't concerned in the slighte...

As Bob offered his apologies, Jill scooped up her belongings, which had fallen from her handbag onto the floor due to the accidental collision. "If I weren't such a cheapskate, I'd get the zipper fixed or buy a new one," Jill said, putting down her shopping to gather what had fallen from her bag onto the floor. Bob was often quite clumsy, so he watched with sympathy as Jill struggled to put her carrier bag on the floor, c...

Dormitory life helped John to stretch out his limited finances while travelling, and he knew disrupted sleep was a price he had to pay. Staying in budget hostels was something he had become accustomed to, and the boisterous behaviour of others simply reminded him of his youth and the dangers of hypocrisy. By nine in the evening, John was ready to rest before the night owls returned. Experience had taught him that a few ho...