Gazing across the room, my eyes alight on you, singling you out immediately in the throng that surrounds us. People talking, laughing, drinking, enjoying themselves and each others' company β but now the only company I wish to enjoy is yours. There is something dangerously entrancing about you, that I cannot quite place β your beautiful little red dress, your laugh, the way you toss your hair, your innocent smile with just a suspicion of wickedness behind it β or perhaps it is all of these, combined into the enticing woman that you are.
I make my way over to you, attempting to integrate myself into your group. I introduce myself, and you give me a vague sort of smile. Taking care not to make my attentions too marked, I talk and laugh with you and your friends, always watching you out of the corner of my eye. You are quieter than when I was watching you earlier; you suspect, perhaps, the reason I have come over. I begin, by degrees, to look your way more often, and to address myself to you, but your responses are brief and disinterested. But I do not doubt for a second that a woman such as yourself is yet worth pursuing.
You excuse yourself, dodging away from your group; a minute later, I do the same and follow you, but I do not see where you have gone. I see you with another group; you meet my eye briefly, smiling at me, but then dodging away again. I ask if anyone has seen where you went, but none of the new group even knows who you were.
I search yet more, until finally I find you sitting on the stairs, drinking alone.
"You again?" you say, sighing. "Well, I suppose you're as good for company as any of those other fools."
"I suppose I am," I say, seating myself on the step above you.
"We shall see," you say, taking another swig from the bottle you hold. "So tell me, why are you here?"
I laugh. "To meet you, of course," I say, winking at you, and you groan. "Oh my god, too corny."
"Apologies," I say, laughing. "But in truth I was rather bored myself until I saw you."
"Oh, because I look like such an exciting person?"
"Well, I think so," I say, helping myself to a sip from your bottle and wincing at the unexpected strength of the contents.