Friden had been on my list of "maybe date" for a long time -- if he could ever be serious enough to not tease me for two minutes! He was attractive, though his nose was slightly too big, but if that was his worst fault then surely one could overlook his nose. We'd probably bump noses when we kissed though.
"Hey, Ameline!" he called as he arrived at the fancy party hosted by our boss. "You were supposed to dress up!"
"What, like the clown that you are?" I retorted.
"I just mean not in work clothes!"
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I asked.
"Nothing... except that you will turn every head in the room!"
"You mean they're going to puke? That's not very nice."
"That's not what I meant and you know it!" he drew closer picking up an abandoned drink. "But maybe I'll have to make you change." He pretended to spill the drink down my black top.
"This is black, you know... It's not going to stain."
"Maybe not... and I don't really want everyone to see your wet shirt clinging to your every delicious curve."
"Have you been drinking?" I asked, wondering about the change in tone of his teasing. Normally, he restricted his teasing to my work tasks or something relatively innocuous, but tonight, he was hinting at something much deeper.
"Only enough to make me stupid around you."
"Like normal?" I jabbed back, unable to resist the chance to one-up him.
He stepped closer. Placing his hands on my cheeks, he suddenly kissed me, a full-on, possessive kiss! Then he stepped back and wandered off as if he'd done nothing more significant than shaking my hand!
"Whoa, Ameline!" our coworker Avis said as she joined me. "I already knew Friden had a massive crush on you, but..."
"What?! He teases everyone all the time, not just me!"
"But he teases you most of all. He undresses you with his eyes, have you never noticed?"
"That's ridiculous! He doesn't want me."
"He wants you all right... in bed!" Avis insisted. "He's a good catch, really, so maybe you should give in... it will make office politics so much more interesting!"
"Bad reason!" I replied, still thinking about the kiss and feeling the tingles going down my body at the very thought of him now. Damn, but I wanted more!