They met again two weeks later. He had spent every waking moment thinking about that kiss they had shared. Every sleeping moment was filled with dreams of her laughing, singing, filling his head with images of her hair, her eyes, and that smile of hers. He hadn't realised how obsessed he had become until the people around him noticed how distracted he was.

He was rather nervous about seeing her because he had no idea what to expect. They hadn't talked about the kiss or the ensuing phone conversation during the recording sessions they'd had, but then again they hadn't had the chance with all the sound engineers around. Tonight was the first chance they might have to be alone but he felt sure she would just want to put it all behind them. He wasn't sure what he wanted but he decided to act like he wanted the same as her. There was no point in causing her unnecessary grief.

So there he was at this party where there was a chance she might appear. He'd been there an hour and hadn't seen her. He was getting antsy and people were staying away from him because he was being so irritable. Then he caught a glimpse of her dark curly hair across the room. He hoped she would look over at him so he could nonchalantly nod his acceptance of her presence. She didn't look up though. Instead she turned away and walked into the next room.

Quickly, he dashed around so he could enter the room she was now in through another door. He stopped to catch his breath so he could saunter in casually and "accidentally" bump into her. There she was, standing serenely next to the buffet. He tapped her shoulder and prepared his best winning smile.

His jaw dopped as the woman turned. It wasn't her! How could he have been so foolish? "Hello?" the woman seemed genuinely concerned by his immobility. He wandered off without even apologising. His reaction to what he thought was her presence was more unsettling than the fact that it had turned out to not be her. He grabbed a beer and went outside to think about it.

Two hours later, he was no nearer a conclusion. All he knew was that he had to keep his cool when she showed up, if she showed up at all. "There you are!" He jumped as her familiar voice startled him from his thoughts. He turned to see that cheeky grin of hers.

"Oh. Yea. Hi." He wasn't so eager to see her as he had been earlier.

"Is something the matter?" She must have sensed his reticence. He paused before thinking of the best way to respond.

"I've just been thinking about things. I don't know what's between us, if anything at all and I don't want to complicate things further. Maybe it's just best if we don't."

She looked at him searchingly for a moment. "Very well." she said stiffly as she marched back inside.

Yet again, he had that feeling that he'd broken something inside her. He told himself it was for the best but as the evening wore on, the image of her walking away was still prominent in his mind.

He went to sleep that night uneasy but certain that he had done what was right. The next day, more of his doubts disappeared and he was utterly convinced that everyone was better off this way. He thought of her that day, and the next. He realised he missed her, even though nothing had really happened between them but that was ok. The next week she was still on his mind, but not quite overpoweringly so.

A full three weeks after the party, he found that hours went by without him thinking of her once. He was sure he didn't need her and maybe he never had. He was at the opening of a new hospital. It was a big charity event of which he was keen to support. Everyone's eyes were on the chairman giving his thanks to all the people who made generous donations, so he wouldn't expect anyone to pay any attention to him.

That's why he was so surprised to find that as he scanned the crowd not only was she there but she was staring straight at him. He found himself once again appreciating the beauty of her dark eyes but did not feel any regret. His mind wandered to the progress he'd made over the last three weeks. Looking back on it, he was able to see that he had in fact been obsessed but now he felt he was over that. He could quite comfortably look at her without feeling any pangs. Just to prove it he did look, only she wasn't there. He looked about expecting to see her face in the crowd.

"Looking for me?" Her voice came from right behind him. She smiled up at him and said "I've thought about what you said and you're wrong. I know you feel something you can't control. You only tried to distance me to stop yourself from getting hurt."

He started to deny it, but faltered. "N-no. That's not true." He was more surprised at her openness than at the content of her speech. She smiled, more widely this time.

"Aha. I knew I got to you. I always will." Where did this confidence of hers come from, he wondered. She wasn't like the shy girl she'd been after he'd kissed her. Maybe that's because she's figured you out at last, said a voice from the back of his head. Where did that come from? He was starting to feel uneasy and confused.

She continued, "It's quite simple really. Your attraction rules you without you knowing it and I'll prove it." She stepped forward till she was inches away from him. He wouldn't step back. That would be admitting that she got to him. She tilted her head upwards and advanced so that their bodies were touching. Her lips were so close to his he could feel them yet they hadn't made contact. She separated her lips slightly and as she did so a small breath escaped onto his lips.

He shuddered as the lusty feelings swept through his body. This was too much. Her hair was so silky. Her eyes, her nose, everything about her was perfectly attractive. He did need her.

She saw the recognition of the truth in his eyes and knew that she had made her point. Her lids drooped as she leant into him and their kiss was sweet and hard. She pulled back too soon however. She raised her eyebrows suggestively, smiled coyly, then turned and walked away.