Car Two, 8:45
Across the aisle, Tim McGrath, dressed in his usual Urban Cowboy style, settles in next to a well dressed businessman.
"Hi there," he begins with an easy drawl, sticking out his hand. "Tim McGrath at your service."
The business man looks at the hand for a second as if he has been offered a three-day-old mackerel. He finally takes the hand. "Thurston Marcus."
"Pleasure to meet you, Thurston, where are you headed tonight."
"All the way, I'm afraid. I have a meeting in Boston."
"I'm going up to Providence. Never been this far north, myself."
A group of four burly men in fraternity baseball caps come into the car and hoist their four foot fraternity paddles up into the luggage rack. The train starts with a jolt and soon is up to speed.
Across the aisle, Tim has pulled out a pack of unfiltered Camels, and begun to smoke. One of the fraternity boys, a beefy guy, maybe 6'3", 270 pounds, turns around slowly.
"Excuse me sir, but there's no smoking allowed on the train," he says.
"I didn't realize. But don't tell me you mind. Here, have one," he says, offering the pack of cigarettes."
"I have athesma, and I don't smoke. Now, would you please put that out."
Tim mutters something under his breath that sounds a lot like "Sissy."
"Would you like to repeat that?"
"I said," Tim begin, looking the frat boy up and down, "I was just going to the cafe car. See if I can get a decent beer up here."
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