Storymania - The Project (A Modern Romantic Comedy) by Yvette Masters

The Project (A Modern Romantic Comedy)
Yvette Masters

Julia had the management team in the palm of her hand. They sat around the board table, transfixed, as
she presented her business case. Julia had her PowerPoint presentation, her Gantt charts, and plenty of
supporting facts and figures. But more importantly, she knew how to subtly guide them towards the
outcome she wanted so that afterwards, they would think it was their idea. A black pencil skirt and
tailored jacket showed off her toned physique but also projected a very professional image. Julia knew
that many men let their guard down when confronted by an attractive woman. With this bunch of
stubborn, testosterone-filled businessmen the twenty-eight-year-old project manager needed every
advantage she could get.
Reading their expressions, Julia could tell they were about as receptive as they were ever going to be.
Well, except for the operations manager. Bob had a rather pained expression on his face but she
suspected that had more to do with his ulcer than her presentation. With perfect timing, she went for
the kill.
“So you see, we can meet our client’s needs and provide a healthy boost to the bottom line. All we need
is a few extra resources on this critical path,” she pointed at a red bar on the Gantt chart. She held her
breathe and waited for their reaction.
“What do you need?” asked the chief financial officer, frowning slightly. Considering that last week he
had threatened to axe a project that went over budget, Julia took this as a good sign.
“A ten-percent increase in developer hours will be sufficient,” Julia replied.
“Isn’t the R&D team already fully committed?” asked the marketing manager warily.
Derek, the R&D manager, sat up straight as he became the center of attention. He cleared his throat.
“Actually, my team is on target with their other projects. In fact, a couple of guys have asked if there will
be any overtime available this quarter…”
Julia hid a satisfied smile. She knew very well the developers were happy to do overtime. She had
casually asked a few of them just last week and suggested that they make their preferences known to
their manager.
“Well, that’s settled then. You and Derek can work out the details and then I’ll approve the budget
variation,” said the CFO. He then closed his leather-bound diary and the rest of the group took that as a
sign the meeting was adjourned.
Julia walked out of the meeting with her head held high. She allowed herself to savor the satisfaction for
a few moments. This was the biggest project she had ever been contracted to manage but so far she had
proven herself up to the task. The project involved upgrading billing and financial software which was
used by some of the largest companies in New Zealand. Her employer, Gensoft, was a software
development firm with approximately two hundred employees in Wellington. Sometimes it seemed a
daunting task but it was just a matter of keeping your eyes firmly on the goal and tackling the obstacles
one at a time.
She spotted a familiar head of frizzy blond hair waiting in the corridor. It was Steven, one of the younger
developers. “Hi Julia. Um…how’d it go in there?” he asked hesitantly.
“Very well, thank you. I got approval for the variation.” She grinned at him and noticed how he stood up
straighter and unconsciously returned her smile. He was in his early twenties and she’d heard he was
quite good at his job. His social skills weren’t very polished though, and his wardrobe seemed to be
limited to long-sleeved t-shirts and corduroy pants. He seemed like the harmless sort, a stereo-typical
computer geek.
“That’s great news,” Steven replied. “You’re really good - at doing business cases I mean.” He blushed
unexpectedly. Julia looked at him curiously, wondering whether he had been waiting for her or standing
there for some other reason. She often noticed he was nearby but he never talked to her before. Steven
wasn’t even on her project team, so it wasn’t like they had much reason to interact.
Steven started to look a little panicked, as if he didn’t know what to say next. Julia suddenly realized a
potential explanation for his odd behaviour. Perhaps the younger man had a crush on her. If that was
true it would be flattering but a little embarrassing. She didn’t really want to encourage his attention. He
wasn’t the kind of guy she would normally date, and there was also their age difference to consider. She
decided it would be best to limit contact with him.
She put on a professional, but disinterested, smile. “Thanks Steven. Well, I had better get back to work
now. Have a nice day,” she said brightly.
“Ok… you too,” he stammered. Julia walked away and hoped he wasn’t still watching her. She put a lot
of effort into earning respect and even admiration from her colleagues, but a crush was taking things a
bit too far.
Julia returned to her office. It was scarcely bigger than a supply closet but it was sufficient considering
she was a contractor and not a permanent employee. She had a couple of motivational posters on the
walls, a potted fern in the corner, and a door she could close when she needed to have a difficult
telephone conversation. Most of the building was open plan so she was quite lucky in that respect. She
sat down and started checking progress reports and scheduling meetings for tomorrow.

Julia arrived at her home in Kelburn a little after 6pm. She dumped her laptop, slipped off her heels and
padded into the kitchen to cook a quick healthy stir-fry for dinner. The phone rang just as she was
cleaning up the dishes.
“Hi babe. How are you doing?” asked a familiar masculine voice.
“Mark, hi. I’m fine thanks. How are things in Sydney?”
Mark was her boyfriend. Well, not exactly her boyfriend anymore. It was complicated. He had moved to
Sydney for a job six months ago. A successful corporate lawyer, he asked her to go with him but Julia
loved Wellington and didn’t want to leave. At first she had missed him terribly and flew across the
Tasman almost every weekend to be with him. But he kept making excuses for not visiting Wellington in
return. As months passed they met less frequently and sometimes weeks passed even between phone
calls. With a start, Julia realized she hadn’t even thought about him since the last call.
Mark rambled on about his current project arranging a merger between two companies and Julia had to
stifle a yawn. He was thirty years old, handsome and successful and everything she thought she wanted
in a man, but she just wasn’t willing to rearrange her life for him. Too independent for her own good, as
her mother would say.
She interrupted him as diplomatically as possible. “That’s great, Mark. How about we talk about it more
when you visit this weekend?”
There was an awkward silence on the phone and Julia had a sudden sense of déjà vu. “I don’t think I’ll
be able to fly over this weekend after all,” he said apologetically. “I need to meet with some
clients on Saturday afternoon. I hope you understand…”
“Don’t worry about it,” Julia said politely. “I guess I’ll see you when I see you.”
“You could come to Sydney instead. There’s a great new restaurant on the waterfront I’d like to show
you.”
“Maybe next month,” she replied. “I’ll check my calendar and get back to you.”
“I look forward to it. Take care, babe.”
As Julia put down the phone she realized she didn’t even feel disappointed or angry with him anymore.
There was just nothing left. It must be time to move on. She never asked him if he was seeing other
women in Sydney because she didn’t want to know. But it was highly likely that he was. Julia made a
resolution to get out and meet someone new. Just as soon as she had some spare time.
Julia changed into shorts and a dri-tech top exercise top and pulled her long hair into a pony-tail. She
needed to go out for a run while it was still light outside. She had a lot of stress to burn off and some
thinking to do.

Nine o’clock the next morning Julia sat in the R&D manager’s office. Derek, the R&D manager, was in his
early forties, with a receding hairline and glasses. He wasn’t an overbearing sort of man but managed to
keep the developers in line well enough. Perhaps because he used to be one himself. Julia knew from
experience that engineers didn’t tend to respect managers who didn’t understand their work, which was
why she made an effect to research the technical details of any project she was involved in. Technical
knowledge wasn’t necessary to manage a project but it certainly didn’t hurt.
Julia and Derek were discussing the additional resource requirements of her project. “Have you thought
about who else you could assign to my project?” she asked him.
“Yes, I have,” he cleared his throat. “Steven can help you.”
Julia wasn’t happy with the suggestion but she kept her face neutral. “Really? I thought one of the senior
developers would be more suitable. This is a high priority project and we have strict time constraints.”
Derek looked surprised at her disinclination. “That’s even more reason why you need Steven. He writes
very good code, and quickly. He’s also eager for the overtime since he’s saving for a trip to Asia. I know
he’s only two years out of college but he really is your best choice and he’s familiar with the product.
Let’s get him in here”
Julia didn’t really have a good reason to refuse so she sighed inwardly and waited for him to fetch
Steven. If he really was the best man for the job then she would just have deal with it and hope things
didn’t get too awkward.
When Steven appeared his hair looked even more unruly that yesterday, if that was possible. It was far
too long and her fingers itched to take to his blond curls with some anti-frizz balm. He wore a different
long-sleeved t-shirt to yesterday and the decidedly casual look was completed with a pair of scruffy
trainers. He paused and smiled hesitantly when he saw her and Derek had to push him through the
door.
“Have you two met before? Julia, this is Steven…”
“Yes, we’ve met,” Julia said politely. She stood up and shook Steven’s hand anyway. It felt very warm
and he looked to be in danger of blushing again.
“Derek said you might be interested in joining the project team,” she said to Steven.
“Uh, yes. I’m happy to help where I can,” he replied.
“Are you familiar with the details of the upgrade?”
“Yes, I’ve read the, uh, overview document.” He didn’t project confidence and Julia wondered at his
manager’s faith in him. She hoped he was more competent than he looked. But it wasn’t like she could
afford to be picky. If he could do the job, great. If not, she’d be back to put more pressure on Derek.
She pulled a thick document out of her folder. “We have a demo scheduled for next month but no-one
has had time to create the new interfaces yet. Here are the detailed specifications.” Julia handed it to
Steven. He immediately started scanning it.
“You don’t need to read it right now,” she said in amusement. “If you could get back to me on Monday
with a time estimate I would really appreciate it.”
“Of course,” said Steven. His seemed to have completely forget his shyness as he studied the document
intently. An intense frown of concentration appeared on his face.
“Excellent,” said Derek, clapping him on the back. “That’s sorted then. You two can meet on Monday
and let me know if you need any help.” He ushered the younger man out of the office.
“Thanks, Steven,” Julia called out. He walked away still reading the document and she realized he was
on a collision course for a large pot plant. “Watch out for the…” she tried to warn him. Steven bumped
into it and looked up in surprise. “…plant,” she finished. He glanced back at them and looked
embarrassed but continued on his way.
Derek turned to Julia with a rueful smile. “He’ll do a good job, I promise.”

Since Mark had cancelled their weekend plans, Julia arranged to go out on Saturday night with a
girlfriend. She met Emily at a popular bar on Cuba street.
“Hey sweetie. I haven’t seen you in a while,” said Emily cheerfully. She wore a layered red top and tidy
jeans. Her dark hair was shorter than Julia remembered, and cut in a cute bob.
“Yeah, sorry. I’ve just been so busy with my new contract.” Julia perched on the bar stool beside her and
ordered a drink. “You work too hard, girl,” Emily complained, frowning. Julia rolled her eyes. “I’m here
now, aren’t I?” she replied.
They talked about work and other topics. Emily was an occupational therapist at the hospital and always
had an interesting story to tell. “How is that no-good boyfriend of yours,” she asked after a while.
“Mark?” Julia shrugged. “Haven’t seen him in ages. You were right, I should move on.” Emily looked at
her in surprised delight and gave her a quick hug. “Good few you, sweetie. There are a few hotties here
tonight,” she whispered conspiratorially. Julia glanced around and noticed more than one man trying to
catch her eye. “I see what you mean,” she whispered back.
It wasn’t long before someone took the seat next to Julia. She glanced over and decided she liked what
she saw. He was tall and well-dressed, clean shaven with short brown hair. Emily covertly poked her in
the side but Julia didn’t need much encouragement. She smiled at the stranger.
“Hi, I’m Ben,” he introduced himself. “Can I buy either of you ladies a drink?” Emily smiled and shook her
head. She already had a partner waiting at home so didn’t begrudge Julia the attention. “I’ve already got
one, thanks.” Julia lifted her half-full glass. “But I might need another, later.” Ben grinned and turned to
face her. “I’ll stick around in case you run out then,” he said graciously.
Julia talked with him for at least an hour. She made an effort to include Emily in the conversation but
Emily said she needed to get home to her partner. She winked conspiratorially at Julia and told her to
have fun.
Ben was charismatic and a good conversationalist but Julia started to get a little bored. She was also
getting a bit cold in her skimpy evening top. Ben noticed the goosebumps and stroked her arm slowly.
“Has anyone told you how gorgeous you are recently?” he whispered.
“Not recently, no,” she admitted. Ben smiled confidently. “Well, let me fix that for you. Come back to my
place for a while,” he offered.
Julia bit her lip. Ben was handsome and charming but for some reason she didn’t feel that much
attraction for him. Maybe she was just out of practice at dating. It wasn’t like she had anything else
more exciting to do tonight. “Ok,” she agreed.
They went outside to get a taxi and Ben put his arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. She sighed
in contentment and rested her head on his shoulder. It felt good to be held by someone again. Mark was
fading into a distant memory.
It was a short ride to Ben’s apartment. He opened the door and she caught a glimpse of a modern grey
interior but suddenly he was kissing her and she couldn’t see anything else. She was a little taken-aback
by his boldness but he was a good kisser. His mouth moved against hers gently but insistently. She
opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. Ben wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer and she could
feel the evidence of his desire. “You really are gorgeous,” he said, breaking off the kiss.
She looked up at his hungry smile. “You’re not bad yourself,” she replied. She kissed him again and
suddenly his hands were roaming everywhere, including under her top. He pulled her towards the
bedroom and she helped undo the buttons of his shirt.
Later, she lay naked in bed beside him as they recovered from their exertions. Ben’s arm rested on her
stomach and idly stroked up and down. “God that felt good, babe,” he said huskily. Julia felt a curious
sense of déjà-vu. Mark had called her babe, too. On the surface Ben and Mark were similar in many
ways; both handsome, educated and charismatic. But she really didn’t know much about Ben at all.
Maybe he would turn out to be different in some important way. Or maybe this would end up being a
one-night stand. She was surprised to realize she didn’t really mind one way or the other.
“Can I use your shower?” she asked. He pointed the way and she collected her clothes from the floor.
She showered and got dressed. When she emerged from the bathroom he was sitting up in bed, still
naked. “Leaving so soon?” he asked playfully.
She nodded and smiled apologetically. “I have things to do in the morning.” Ben called her a taxi and put
some pants on while they waited. He walked her to the door when it arrived. “I’ll call you,” he promised.
Julia nodded and gave him a quick kiss goodbye.

Julia arrived in the office bright and early on Monday morning. She opened Outlook and immediately
noticed a new email from Steven. It was time-stamped 10pm on Sunday. She frowned. Why was he
emailing her on Sunday night? She opened the email.
I’ve finished and submitted everything to the testers.
Confused, she typed a reply: What did you submit exactly? I’m expecting a time estimate from
you.
She hit the send button. The reply was almost immediate, Steven must have had his email open already.
I mean I finished developing the interfaces. I haven’t done my timesheet yet but it will be about 12
hours total.
Julia stared at the email. Surely he couldn’t have done it all in one weekend? She checked her watch; it
was still only ten to eight. When the testing team got to work she would check and find out what exactly
Steven sent them.

Julia approached Steven’s cubicle. He had headphones on and seemed to be completely engrossed in his
work. She stood there for a few moments, reluctant to disturb him. Faint sounds of music escaped from
the headphones. His hands flew over the keyboard and as he coded and compiled. The contents of the
screen changed so fast it made her head hurt just looking at it. Steven paused momentarily when an
progress bar appeared on the screen and she took the opportunity to tap him on the shoulder. He
jumped, startled, and pulled the headphones off.
“Sorry to disturb you.”
“No, it’s fine really,” he said, looking flushed.
Julia looked around for a spare chair and pulled it over so she could sit down. “I got your email this
morning.”
He swiveled around to face her and looked apprehensive. “Are you annoyed because I didn’t send you
the estimate before doing the work?”
She quickly shook her head to reassure him. “No, that’s fine. I just can’t believe you did it so quickly. It
was supposed to take a week at least,” she said in admiration. “The testers had the quick look and they
said it looks great.”
Steven seemed to be uncomfortable with the praise. “It wasn’t too hard,” he said modestly. “I just
followed the specification. Although, I did log a couple of small changes. I think there might be some
errors in the document. But if you really want it that way I can change it back easy enough…”
“I wouldn’t,” piped up an invisible voice from the other side of the partition. “Steven knows what he’s
doing.”
Julia smiled at the endorsement from his colleague. “I’ll get someone to have a look at it,” she promised
him. “Thanks for your help Steven, I really appreciate it.”
“Any time,” he offered, smiling back. Julia was suddenly struck by how blue his eyes were. He didn’t
make eye contact often, but when he did his gaze was very intense. He also had nice skin for a guy,
lightly tanned with a dusting of freckles. She gave herself a mental slap. Now was not the time to be
admiring a younger colleague’s physical attributes.
She went to stand up but he stopped her. “Actually, I was wondering if you could do me a favour,” he
asked in a rush. “Ok,” Julia said cautiously. She hoped he wasn’t about to ask her out. She had
considered how she could politely decline in such a situation but it would be easier if it didn’t come to
that.
“Well…um…I have an idea that I want to present to management but I’m not very good at public
speaking. I was wondering if you could listen to my presentation and give me some advice.”
He looked nervous as he made his request and Julia suddenly felt like an idiot for assuming he was
romantically attracted to her. The poor guy just needed some help, and she was probably the most
qualified person he knew to provide it. And she did owe him for saving her budget on the project.
“I would be happy to help,” she said graciously. She whipped out her Blackberry and checked her
schedule. “Would 5pm suit you?”
“Today? Uh, sure,” he said, looking pleased.
“Great. Come and find me in my office when you’re ready.” She patted his arm affectionately and then
left him to it.

The air-conditioning failed late that afternoon and Julia sweltered in her stuffy little office. She took her
suit jacket off and wore only a sleeveless chiffon blouse and skirt but was still sweating. Tendrils of long
auburn hair escaped her bun and hung in damp curls down her neck. She was just about to head home
early when she noticed someone hovering outside her office and remembered her promise to Steven.
Drat.
Julia called him in, hoping she didn’t look as disheveled as she felt. “It’s a bit warm down here, isn’t it,”
he remarked.
“Yes, I noticed,” she said shortly. Steven had changed into a short-sleeved t-shirt but didn’t seem to be
otherwise affected by the heat. He seemed to shrink back at the irritated tone of her voice. “If now is a
bad time, we could leave it for another day,” he offered apologetically.
Julia forced herself to stop grouching and be more helpful. It wasn’t his fault the air conditioning failed.
“No, it’s fine. Let’s see if the meeting rooms are a bit cooler.” She picked up her notebook and Steven
followed obligingly.
The meeting room on the South side of the floor was only slightly cooler, but it would have to do. She
took a seat at the end of the table and directed Steven to stand up the front. He connected his laptop to
the projector and opened PowerPoint.
“Ok, let’s see what you’ve got,” she encouraged him. “I’ll just listen the first time through and make
notes.”
“Um, now? Ok…” he cleared his voice and stood up straighter. “Good morning everyone. My name is
Steven Moore and I’m a software engineer here at GenSoft. I’m here today to tell you about some
software I developed which can convert images from a standard digital camera into a three-dimensional
model.” He clicked the mouse to start the PowerPoint presentation. Then he started talking
enthusiastically about polygonal mesh templates, terrestrial albedo, client-side presentation and
embedded flash code.
Julia was completely lost after the first ten seconds. She tried to take notes but soon realized it was
pointless. “Steven, stop a minute.”
He stopped and his face fell. “Was it that bad?” he asked dejectedly.
“No, you spoke very well,” she reassured him. “Your presentation would be great if you were delivering
it to a group of developers as knowledgeable as yourself.”
“But I’m not presenting to developers.”
“Exactly.”
Understanding dawned in his face. “So you’re saying I need to explain it in a way that managers will
understand.”
“Yes, that is important,” Julia agreed. “But the most important thing is to keep in mind what you hope to
achieve from this presentation. Is it your goal to educate management about 3d modeling?”
“It might help,” he suggestted uncertainly.
“But what is your primary goal?”
“Well…I want them to provide some funding and resources to develop my idea commercially.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere. If you want people to invest in something you need get inside their
heads and understand what motivates them. Most people don’t need to know the technical details, they
just need to know that you know the details.”
“Really?” he asked, looking unconvinced.
“Trust me. All you need is a smattering of technical phrases in the right places. For example, I’ve learned
that many people are impressed by the phrase ‘probability density function.’”
A smile tugged on the corner of his mouth. “I think I could work that in somehow,” he said agreeably.
“In your case I think the words ‘terrestrial albedo’ will work just as well,” she informed him.
“Won’t they need some kind of proof that my software can do what I say it can?”
“That’s what demos and technical reports are for. Now, I’m still not sure exactly what your software
does. Have you thought about the commercial applications and potential markets? That’s the kind of
thing management will want to know.”
Steven stared down at his notes. He looked disappointed. “I haven’t really thought too much about
that, I was more concerned with the technical issues.”
Julia felt a rush of admiration and sympathy for the young man. He was obviously very intelligent and
had a lot of emotional investment in this idea of his. He just needed a bit of help to take it to the next
stage. “Maybe I could help, if you show me what it does,” she offered.
He looked at her in surprise and gratitude. “You would do that for me? It’s all set up on my home
computer, so I would have to show you there.” Julia stood up and tried to peel her shirt away from her
sweating back. “Let’s go then. I can’t stand this heat any longer.”
“Uh…right now?” Steven asked nervously. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Julia laughed self-consciously. “It was a bit
rude inviting myself to your home wasn’t it? Your girlfriend is probably waiting for you to get home for
dinner.”
“Actually, I live alone,” he corrected her quickly. “Well, except for Sasha.”
“Sasha?”
“My cat,” he clarified, blushing a little. “You’re welcome to come over right now, I just assumed you
would have other plans already.”
“Fortunately, my evening is wide open” she replied cynically. Julia didn’t feel the need to explain that, in
recent months at least, she typically spent her evenings alone reading reports or doing work around the
house. That would completely ruin the sophisticated image she maintained.

Steven lived only a few blocks away in a terraced apartment so he usually walked to work. Julia had
caught the bus that morning so she didn’t have a car to worry about and walked home with him. They
chatted along the way and Julia was pleased to discovered that he became a much better
conversationalist once he relaxed a bit. She learned that he grew up in Taupo and had a younger sister
who was studying at Auckland university.
Julia didn’t know what to expect of his apartment, some kind of computer-geek bachelor pad, perhaps.
She was pleasantly surprised when he opened the door and found it was light, roomy, and attractively
furnished. The apartment was fairly modern, with clean lines and a neutral colour scheme. There was a
large oriental rug in the lounge which provided an splash of crimson and gold to contrast with the cream
leather sofa.
“This is a nice place you’ve got,” she commented. It had a comfortable, welcoming feel.
“Thanks,” he said shyly. “It’s nice and convenient for work. Look, there’s Sasha.”
A grey tabby cat strutted out of the bedroom to greet her owner. Or, perhaps more likely, to demand
her dinner. She had the lanky look of a young cat not long out of kitten-hood. “She’s a bit stand-offish
with strangers,” Steven warned Julia.
Sasha sniffed cautiously and then proceeded to rub up against Julia’s ankles, purring loudly. “You don’t
say?” Julia raised an eyebrow.
“Well she usually is,” he asserted, watching his cat in bemusement. “Would you um, like a cold
drink?”
“God yes,” she replied gratefully.
He fetched her a glass of ice cold water while she patted Sasha. Soon the cat was rolling around on the
tile floor in ecstasy, offering her tummy for a rub. “Your cat is shameless,” Julia said teasingly.
“Well, you can’t blame me for that. She didn’t exactly have a high-society upbringing before I adopted
her from the shelter.” he said with a straight face. Julia grinned as he handed her the glass of water. She
hadn’t really expected him to have a sense of humour.
She drank all the water in a few gulps, and soon felt a bit cooler. “So, where is your project set up?” Julia
asked. Steven led her into a small room off the lounge. It was furnished as a home office.
“What a beautiful desk,” Julia exclaimed. The large desk took up almost half the room. It was executive-
style, mahogany with leather top and carved detail around the edges and drawers. It was set up as a
computer workstation with a desktop box and 22 inch screen at one end. Beside it was a matching
mahogany bookcase with DVDs and books stacked tidily on the shelves.
“It’s an antique,” Steven said proudly. “My dad helped me restore it when I was nineteen.”
Julia looked at him and tried to fit this new piece of information with the preconceived image she had of
him. It didn’t fit at all. She realized her preconceived image might need a bit of an overhaul.
“What is the blue sheet for?” she asked curiously. It was hanging from the end wall and didn’t really fit
with the rest of the décor. “Oh, that’s my blue screen,” he explained. “I use it as a background when I
take pictures so it’s easier to isolate the object I want to model. Look, I’ll show you.”
There was a small table in front of the wall, also covered in bright blue cloth. He took a small wooden
bowl down the shelf and placed it on the table. Then he got a digital camera and took pictures of the
bowl from several different angles.
“Now I’ll use my software to mesh create a three-dimensional model out of these images.” He turned on
the computer. “Um, would you like the chair?” he offered courteously.
Julia declined since he would need to sit down to use the computer. She was happy to stand and watch.
He plugged in the camera and downloaded the images. The he opened the program he had developed.
“My object-recognition algorithms detect the shape of the object from each image,” he explained. “I just
need to tell it which angle I took each picture from so it can put them together to create the model.”
He preceded to do as he described. Julia noticed the interface for the software was pretty rough and the
process seemed to involve a lot of tweaking of the source code. Now she understood why it needed
more work to make it ready for commercial use.
Steven clicked a button and an hourglass appeared. “I’m creating the model now. It doesn’t usually get it
quite right the first time but I have a few tricks to improve it.”
An image finally appeared on the screen. Julia leaned over his shoulder to get a better look. “What the
hell is that?” she asked. The object looked vaguely wooden in texture but it had odd spikes and angles
and looked nothing like the original bowl.
“Um. Yes.” Steven looked embarrassed. “This is the albedo problem I mentioned earlier. Reflections
confuse the software. But I can fix it by constraining it to a basic mesh shaped like the object.”
He selected something which looked like the wire outline of a bowl and processed the image again. This
time, the resulting image looked almost exactly like the original bowl.
“Hey, that’s pretty cool,” Julia said. “But what is the advantage of that image over the original photos
you took?”
“You can’t do this with a photo.” Steven demonstrated by rotating the virtual bowl to show it
from different angles.
Julia suddenly realised the possibilities. “Oh wow, you could use this to make a model of something you
wanted to sell on TradeMe or Ebay. Potential buyers then view it from any angle they wanted,” she
breathed.
“Exactly. That’s where you’d use the embedded flash I was talking about. It could be useful for any
online retailer” he said eagerly.
“And people could use it to create virtual objects for games,” she added.
Steven turned to face her and Julia suddenly realised how close they were. She had her hand on his
shoulder and their faces were so close his hair tickled her cheek. He must have realized at the same
moment because he suddenly turned bright pink.
Julia stood up hurriedly and stopped invading his personal space. She kept talking and pretended she
hadn’t noticed his embarrassment. “I think that’s the angle you need to go for, Steven. Use your
presentation to show management how useful this would be for online retailers and they’ll be beating
down your door to fund it.”
Steven nodded and the color slowly faded from his cheeks. “Thanks, that’s really good advice. Of course,
I’ll have to redo my presentation from scratch.”
“You do that, and let me know when you’re ready to go over it again,” she smiled at him. “Now, can we
try modeling something else?”
“Ok, what did you have in mind?”
“How about this book?” She picked a dictionary up off the shelf.
“I already did it,” he replied. He opened a folder with dozens of pictures in it and showed her model of
the book. “I’ve done pretty much every object in my apartment.”
“Even Sasha?” she asked with a smile.
Steven shook his head and sighed. “I tried but the little minx won’t sit still.”
“Hmm. How about people. Could you do me?”
“You?” Steven looked surprised but considered it. “I don’t have a person-shaped mesh yet but we could
try it anyway.”
Julia moved the little table out of the way and stood in front of the blue sheet. She struck a pose and
pouted like a model in a magazine. “Ok, I’m ready!”
Steven laughed out loud and captured the ridiculous pose on camera. He checked the image on the
camera screen and looked thoughtful. “I don’t think your white top is going to work very well. It’s very
reflective,” he observed.
“Are you trying to get me to take to my top off, Steven?” She frowned in mock seriousness.
“No, I would never…that’s not what I meant,” he stammered. He seemed alarmed at the accusation.
Julia debated whether or not to make him sweat for a while longer but then felt sorry for him. “Relax,
I’m just pulling your leg,” she grinned.
Steven sighed in exasperation. “Well stop fooling around, or I won’t make a 3d model of you!” He held
up the camera and sternly instructed her to turn ninety degrees. “Yes, sir!” she said obediently. She
turned side-on and repeated the pose. He barely managed to take another photo before they both
succumbed to helpless laughter again.
Eventually they got photos of her in the same pose from every angle. “Now I need one from the top
down,” said Steven. He stood on a chair and took a picture of the top of her head. Then she watched as
he downloaded the pictures to his computer. “Good god, my hair looks terrible,” she said, mortified. It
had gone all frizzy in the damp heat. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Don’t be silly, you look beautiful,” he said automatically. Then he did a double-take. “I mean, uh, in a
professional kind of way…” He looked like he was about to blush again.
“Thanks Steven, you’re really sweet. But I’m still deleting the evidence before I leave.”
“If you like,” he said amicably. He set up the images in the appropriate order and ran his program. Julia
held her breath and waited for the model to appear.
She burst out laughing. “I look like I’m wearing a Madonna outfit drawn by Picasso!”
Steven looked a bit hurt. “I did say the white wouldn’t work very well. Maybe you should have taken it
off, after all.” He fiddled around with the software and somehow pushed parts of the model into the
correct shape and removed the spikes.
“That looks lot better,” Julia said charitably. “You could have left those a bit bigger though.” She pointed
at her avatar’s breasts. Steven drew in a sharp breath. “Let’s not go there,” he said firmly.
“Fine.” She pouted. “But at least make my butt smaller.”
“For the love of…” He slumped back in his chair in exasperation. “Are you always this demanding?”
She shrugged. “Probably. My last boyfriend moved to Sydney to get away from me.” Julia suddenly
realised what she’d just said and was completely mortified. How did that come out? She barely knew
Steven but was acting like a complete air-head and telling him far too much about her private life.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. His blue eyes were full of sympathy.
“Don’t be,” she said shortly. “I’m over it.”
“Even so, he must have been a total moron,” Steven declared.
Julia decided a change of topic was in order. She gazed at the little 3d representation of herself on his
screen. “Your software does seem to work just as well on people. It still needs a bit of work but there’s
another application for you.”
“What, narcissism?”
“No,” she laughed. “Online clothes shopping. People can upload their avatar with some measurements
and dress it up to find clothes that suit them.”
They discussed the possibilities for a while before Julia’s stomach reminded her it was dinner time.
Steven, reading her mind or perhaps hearing her stomach rumble, offered to call for some Chinese
takeout. The steaming boxes of noodles were delivered within fifteen minutes and they sat on the couch
to eat. Sasha was terribly curious about the delicious-smelling boxes and Steven had to scold her when
she jumped up on the couch. She stayed on the floor after that but she still watched them intently.
“You’ve got a good view here,” Julia noted, looking out the large window. Downtown Wellington was
light up with brilliant reflections of the setting sun. “I guess that’s one advantage of living in such a hilly
city,” Steven mused. “There are a lot of places with nice views.”
Julia finished her noodles and Sasha took that as an invitation to jump on her lap. “Oh,” she exclaimed.
Sasha turned around a few times and then settled down, purring happily. “Sorry,” said Steven. “Just
push her off if you like.”
“No she’s fine.” Julia stroked the cat, who purred even louder. But her phone rang suddenly and Sasha
jumped off in alarm. Julia took it out of her bag and checked the caller id. It was Ben. “Sorry, this won’t
take long,” she told Steven. He nodded quickly and she took the call.
“Hi Julia. It’s Ben”
“Hi Ben. How are you?” she asked politely.
“I’m good. Really good. I’ve been thinking about you,” he replied.
Julia glanced at Steven and saw he was still busy eating. “Yes, I had a good time too,” she told Ben.
“Are you busy later in the week? We could grab dinner and a show or something.”
Julia didn’t need to ask what he meant by ‘or something’. She felt a bit guilty about talking with him in
front of Steven though. “I’m with a colleague at the moment,” she informed him. “How about I call you
back later?”
“Working late, huh? I’ll wait for your call then. Goodnight, babe.”
“Goodnight.” She closed her phone. “Sorry about that,” she said to Steven. “I don’t mind, really,” he
reassured her. He looked curious but she didn’t volunteer any information about Ben. She wasn’t really
sure how to refer to him at this stage, since one date hardly qualified him as her boyfriend.
Julia thought some more about the original topic of Steven’s presentation. “Have you thought about
what you’re going to wear?” she asked. Steven finished his box of noodles and put in down. “Wear?” he
asked, confused at the abrupt change of topic.
“When you’re giving your presentation to management,” she explained. “You should really wear
something a bit more professional-looking than your usual clothes.”
“What’s wrong with my usual clothes?” He sounded a bit hurt. “Nothing is wrong with them,” she
explained gently. “You just need to tailor your wardrobe to the audience, just like you tailor your
content to the audience.”
He looked down at his t-shirt as understanding dawned. “Oh,” he said. “I don’t think I have anything
better I can wear.”
“Come on, you must have something nice,” she replied impatiently. “What do you wear when
you go out on a date?” Steven looked rather uncomfortable at that line of questioning. “I haven’t really
had many dates,” he said eventually. “I guess I would just wear my favourite t-shirt.”
Julia sighed. “Let me see what’s in your wardrobe.”Steven led her to his bedroom with a worried frown.
She belatedly realised she should have asked before going into his bedroom. Luckily it was tidy, with no
dirty laundry or anything embarrassing in sight. Steven was remarkably well house-trained for a young
man.
His closet, however, was not so impressive. It contained of dozens of t-shirts and an old black suit which
looked like it hadn’t been worn in years. “You’re right. You really don’t have anything else.” She
made a snap decision. “Alright, I’m taking you shopping. Lunchtime tomorrow, ok?”
“You’re taking me shopping?” he asked in bewilderment. “Yes,” she insisted. “You do want the executive
management team to take you seriously, right?”
“Yes, I guess so,” he reluctantly conceded. “But surely you have better things to do with your lunch
break than go shopping with me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I love shopping,” she said with a smile. “One of my favourite pastimes as a little girl
was dressing up Barbie in new outfits.”
Steven stared at her in dismay. “I am not one of your Barbie dolls,” he insisted. “Of course not.”
She grinned mischievously. “You can be Ken.” He groaned and Julia patted his arm comfortingly. ”Don’t
worry, I’ll find you stuff to try on but you can dress yourself.”
They wandered back into the living room and Julia checked her watch. “I’d better go before it gets much
darker out there.” If Steven looked a bit disappointed he didn’t try to convince her to stay. “Sure, um, I’ll
drive you home if you like.”
“Don’t worry about it, I live close enough to walk,” she said. He looked like he wanted to argue but
thought the better of it. “At least let me walk with you,” he suggested. “It wouldn’t be right to let you go
alone”
“My hero,” she teased. She picked up her bag and jacket waited outside the door while he locked up.
The suburb of Kelburn was a winding maze of narrow roads and parks and alleyways with steps cut into
the hillside. But Julia knew it as well as the back of her hand. She led the way confidently up the hill.
She paused at the top of a particularly steep climb and was surprised to find Steven still right behind her.
He didn’t even look out of breath. Definitely not a typical computer nerd – if there even was such a
thing. “Nearly there,” she promised. “My house is just further down this street.”
They walked down the tree-lined street. It was one of the older suburbs in Wellington and had a variety
of character homes from every decade. She stopped at her gate and Steven stared at the house in
surprise. “This is your place?”
Julia felt a sudden twinge of embarrassment at the peeling paint on the weatherboards and the
rambling roses which were long overdue for a prune. “Yes, I bought it as a do-up project. Obviously it
still needs a lot of work but I’m making progress.”
“It’s nice,” said Steven. “I like old villas. Is it turn-of-the-century?”
“Nineteen-oh-six,” she replied proudly. “I started renovating the inside first because I couldn’t bear the
poky old bathroom and kitchen. Obviously the exterior will need to be completely sand blasted before I
can repaint.”
“You’re doing it yourself?” He asked in surprise.
“Of course I am. Women can do anything, don’t you know.”
“Right, of course they can,” he said quickly. “I just…uh…you’re different to how I expected, is all.” He
stared at his shoes and Julia couldn’t really tell in the twilight but she expected he was blushing again.
She’d never met a grown man who blushed so easily. It was funny but kind of endearing as well.
“You mean I’m not the smart, sophisticated businesswoman I appear to be at work?” She prompted
him.
“No. Well, yes, of course you are but…” he stammered.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s part of my job to project a certain type of image in the office. I need people to
take me seriously and have confidence in me. Outside of work it’s different.”
“I don’t think I could do that,” he lamented. “Pretend to be someone different, I mean.”
“It’s not about being someone else. It’s about concentrating on the qualities you already have that best
fit the situation, and projecting that part of you,” she explained seriously. Steven thought about that for
a few moments. “How did you get to be so wise,” he asked curiously. “You’re not much older than me,
surely.”
“I’m twenty-eight,” she replied with a smile. “See, only four years! It’s not fair,” he grumbled, kicking a
stone on the pavement. “You’ll do just fine,” she promised him. Julia got her keys out of her bag and
prepared to go inside. “Thanks for walking me home.”
“No problem. Thanks for all your help” he said earnestly. He looked as if he was going to say something
else but then changed his mind. “Goodnight.”
Julia watched him walk away in the growing darkness. She was oddly disappointed. Usually her home
was a welcome refuge but tonight it felt like a lonely place to be. Maybe she should have invited Steven
in. Then she remembered she was supposed to call Ben.

It was nearly midday. The air conditioning had been fixed and Julia had a productive morning in her
office. She put down the report she’d been reading with a sigh of relief. She typed a quick email to
Steven.
Hi, are you ready to shop until you drop?
She received a reply thirty seconds later.
You didn’t warn me about the “drop” part. But I’m ready whenever you are.”
She met him downstairs a few minutes later. He smiled automatically when he saw her. “So, where are
we going?”
“I have a couple of menswear stores in mind. Let’s get going, Ken.”
He glared at her. “If you’re going to call me Ken I get to call you Barbie.”
“Fair enough,” she laughed. They left the building together and walked the two blocks to the nearest
retail area. It was fairly windy outside, typical of Wellington. But the sun was shining and the sidewalks
were crowded with office workers on their lunch breaks.
They arrived at the first menswear shop and went inside. Julia scanned the store and zeroed in on the
business shirts. She pick out a dark blue shirt with vertical stripes. “How about something like this,” she
suggested, holding it up to him in front of the mirror.
“I guess,” he said hesitantly.
“You don’t like stripes?” she asked.
“No, stripes are fine,” he stammered.
“Good, why don’t you try this on. What’s your shirt size?”
“Um…I don’t know.”
She frowned and examined him with an analytical eye. He was lean, with a flat stomach, but not overly
skinny. “Take a forty and a forty-two,” she said finally. She passed him the shirts.
A sales assistant approached with a determined glint in his eye, as if he could smell an imminent sale.
“Can I help you with anything?” he asked in a condescending tone. “Yes, he would like to try these on
please,” she replied. “And can you measure him for pants?”
“What?” Steven asked, startled. She turned to him and raised one eyebrow. “Would you rather I do it?”
“Uh, no, that’s all right,” he said quickly.
The sales assistant led him towards the fitting rooms. “Your girlfriend obviously has good taste,” he
commented loudly. She didn’t hear Steven’s reply but it was probably an embarrassed denial about the
girlfriend part.
Julia hung around outside the fitting rooms while Steven tried on the clothes. “Let me see when you’ve
got them on,” she instructed. “Ok, I’m ready,” he called out.
She went into the fitting room and found him wearing the blue shirt and tidy black pants. He looked ill-
at-ease but the transformation was startling. The shirt made his shoulders look broader and the trousers
molded to his narrow hips.
“Very nice,” she said appreciatively. “But you’re supposed to leave the top button undone.” She reached
up and undid the button and smoothed his collar back. Her hands lingered on his chest. “This is good
quality fabric. It won’t fade or pill or anything…”
Julia stroked the soft fabric as she talked and was surprised at how warm his skin felt through the shirt.
She could feel his heart beating, fast. She hadn’t really noticed before but he was a good six inches taller
than her. Her eyes were level with his chin and there was the barest hint of blond stubble on it. He
smelled like Imperial Leather soap and some other scent she didn’t recognise. Unexpectedly, she felt a
sudden wave of desire. She looked up in surprise and found he was staring down her. There was a
strange expression on his face and his eyes looked a darker blue than normal. He reached up and put his
hand over hers, which was still on his chest. She drew in a sharp breath.
The sales assistant chose that moment to bustle in and asked if everything was to their liking. Julia
removed her hand so fast it was as if it burned. She stepped backwards and Steven turned away from
her, blushing furiously.
“Everything is fine, thanks,” she told the assistant. She escaped back to the main area of the shop and
leaned against a counter, breathing fast. What the hell had gotten into her? She wasn’t type of woman
to let hormones take control. Steven might be becoming a friend, but he was still a younger colleague
who looked up to her and he was not a suitable or appropriate romantic partner for her. She had to
control her impulses for both their sakes.
By the time Steven emerged from the fitting room she was calm and composed again. He looked
apprehensive but she pretended nothing had happened. “What do you think of the clothes?” she asked
cheerfully.
“They’re comfortable enough. If you think they are appropriate I guess I’ll buy them,” he said.
“Great,” she replied, pleased. “The shirt is on sale but the pants aren’t. We should check the next store
are see if they have anything cheaper.”
The sales assistant, however, wasn’t having any of that. He offered a good discount if they bought the
shirt, pants and belt together. Steven gratefully accepted and they walked out of the store a few
minutes later with his new outfit.
“That was a quick shopping trip,” he observed. “We’re not finished yet,” Julia objected. “Do you have
any black shoes?” “Actually, I do,” said Steven. “I haven’t worn them since graduation but they look
fine.”
“Very good,” Julia replied. “Then the only thing left to consider is your hair.” “My hair?” Steven touched
it self-consciously.
“Yes. You have nice hair for a guy but it needs a trim and some styling product to keep it under control.
Look, there’s a barber right across the street.” If Steven minded being bossed around he didn’t show it
outwardly. He just shrugged and followed her across the road to the barber.
Afterwards they had lunch at an outdoor café. Julia ordered a chicken salad and Steven had a grilled
Turkish sandwich. She couldn’t stop looking at his hair. “What?” asked Steven, noticing her staring at
him again.
“Oh, nothing,” she replied, smiling. “Your hair looks much better.” It was a little bit shorter and no
longer reached his neck. His tight curls were now better defined and not so frizzy. She wished she could
run her hands through them and see if his hair was as soft as it looked.
“Thanks,” he said bashfully.
Julia finished her salad and rested her chin on one hand, still observing him. “Maybe you’ll have better
luck with the girls with this new look,” she said casually.
“Wha…what?” he asked, his forked paused halfway to his mouth. “Or guys, if that’s what you prefer,”
she continued with a sly smile.
“I’m not gay,” he insisted hotly. “Ok, just checking,” she said soothingly. “I just can’t understand
why a nice guy like you is still single.” Inwardly, Julia wondered what on earth possessed her to start this
conversation. It was really none of her business why he was single. But on the other hand, maybe she
could help him. She never could pass up an interesting challenge.
“Yes. Well.” Steven stabbed his sandwich and avoided making eye contact. “I was kind of the fat kid at
school. Plus I was a total nerd,” he said eventually.
Julia stared at him in disbelief. “You’re not overweight at all,” she objected. She didn’t comment on the
nerd thing because obviously he did have nerd-like traits. But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“I lost weight after college when I started swimming three times a week,” he explained.
“But…you have had a girlfriend, right?” She asked carefully. She didn’t want him to think there
was something wrong but being a virgin but she just had to know.
“Yes, in college,” he said. She breathed a sigh of relief. “But it didn’t work out. But I still can’t seem to
talk to girls I like.”
Julia smiled at his ironic statement. “You’re talking to me now. I’m a girl,” she pointed out. He looked up
at her curiously. “You’re right. But you’re easy to talk to, so this doesn’t count.”
“Steven,” she laughed. “Good conversation skills don’t always come naturally. There are techniques you
can practice which will make it much easier.”
“Yeah? Like what?” he asked curiously. “Like active listening, for example. Have you heard of that?” He
shook his head so she explained it. “Active listening involves listening to what the other person says and
then paraphrasing it or asking clarifying questions.”
“Ok…” he said dubiously. Julia decided a demonstration was in order. “Here, let me show you. I’ll start a
conversation and then actively listen to you.” She paused and thought for a moment. “Tell me about this
trip to Asia you’re saving up for.”
“Ok. I’m, uh, hoping to go to Indonesia later this year,” he said self-consciously.
“Indonesia, huh? Have you been there before?”
“No, it will be my first real trip overseas.”
“That sounds exciting. What are you planning to do there?” Julia asked.
“I want to see the rainforest and national parks and the water villages. And I’ve read the markets are
really amazing too.”
“Oh, I love Asian markets. Are you looking to buy something in particular?”
“Something in particular? No, not really. But they do make a lot of carved teak furniture over there, so I
might find something nice to ship back home.” Steven was smiling now. He was obviously looking
forward to the trip.
“So you like teak furniture then?”
“Yes, I think it looks much better than the boring old pine you find in New Zealand stores.”
Julia couldn’t agree more. She almost forgot she was supposed to be teaching him about active listening.
She could have sat there talking about travel or decorating for hours. “Did you notice what I was doing,
Steven?” He frowned in concentration. “Yes, I think I understand.”
“How did it make you feel?” she asked.
“Feel? Um…I guess I felt like you were really interested in what I was saying.” He looked at her curiously.
“You were interested, right?”
“Yes, I was,” she reassured him, “but even if you were talking about something completely boring, it
would still seem like I was interested if I used this technique.”
“Ok, I think I could do that,” he said confidently.
“It does take a bit of effort sometimes,” she warned him. “Why don’t you try it now. Ask me what I did
last weekend.”
“Ok, what did you do last weekend?”
She leaned back in the chair and feigned a bored expression. “I washed my hair,” she said simply.
“You…washed your hair?” he repeated. His brow crinkled.
“Yep,” she nodded.
Steven look at her expectantly but she didn’t offer anything else. “Um…what did you wash it with?” he
asked finally.
Julia leaned forward as if she were confiding a secret in him. “I used Garnier Organic Coconut Cream
shampoo and conditioner.”
“Organic coconut cream?”
“Yes, it’s a brand new product range and it makes my hair so soft and shiny,” she exclaimed
girlishly.
Steven started grinning as he caught on to her little game. “I can see how shiny it is. Where did you find
these new products?”
“Oh, my personal stylist recommended them for me. I only use the very best, don’t you know.”
He thought for a while about that statement. “What other products do you use?” he asked finally.
“Well let’s see. I use a super-antioxidant exfoliating scrub from the Body Shop. It has, like, a hundred
different essential vitamins.”
“A hundred different vitamins, wow. And here I was thinking there were only thirteen.”
“They created new vitamins for this product,” she insisted seriously.
Steven couldn’t take any more. He started laughing at her. Julia tried to keep a straight face but couldn’t
help grinning too. “See, you’re pretty good already at active listening,” she said.
“I guess it’s not too hard,” he conceded. “I just hope I don’t meet a girl who really is as ditzy as you were
pretending to be.”
“Hey, for all you know I did spend the entire weekend washing my hair,” she indignantly.
“Yeah, right,” he grinned. “I know for a fact you were working on your renovations.”
“Oh really. How would you know that?” she challenged. Her smile faltered for a moment as she
considered the possibility that he might have been stalking her. But that was ridiculous, he didn’t even
know where she lived until last night. Did he?
Steven was oblivious to the thoughts running through her head. “You had flecks of green paint in your
hair yesterday,” he said simply.
Julia instinctively reached up and touched her hair. “Oh god, really? How embarrassing.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t think anyone else could have seen it,” he said.
After they finished lunch they walked back to the office. Julia was pleased to notice the receptionist did
a double-take when she saw Steven’s new hair cut. Just wait until they see him in his new shirt, she
thought proudly.

On Thursday evening Julia worked until six and then waited outside for Ben to pick her up. He was taking
her out to dinner. Steven walked out of the office and stopped when he saw her. She was pleased to
notice he was wearing the new shirt. “Hi Julia,” he said in surprise.
“Hi Steven. Working late again?” she asked him with a smile.
“Not too late. You…look really nice,” he said.
Julia had changed into a form-fitting black dress and let her hair down. It fell in soft waves around her
face. Julia knew her hair was one of her best features, and she preferred to wear it loose when not in
the office. She graciously accepted the compliment.
A moment later Ben pulled up in his silver BMW. Julia waved at him. “Here’s my ride,” she said to
Steven. He wished her a good evening and watched her get into the car with Ben. As they drove off she
could see him in the side mirror. He was still standing there, rather forlornly she thought.
“Who’s the kid?” Ben asked.
Julia resented him calling Steven a kid but she kept her annoyance in check. “He’s a software engineer.
And a really nice man,” she said pointedly. “Ok,” Ben replied. His disinterest was obvious.
They ate at a popular Japanese restaurant and Julia made polite conversation all evening. Ben told her
about his job as a property developer and she told him about some her recent contracts with various
firms. By nine o’clock she was quite tired and asked Ben to take her home. He was disappointed but did
as she asked.
“This is your house?” he asked as they pulled up outside. Julia smiled as he unknowingly echoed
Steven’s reaction. “Yes, it’s my little renovation project,” she explained sheepishly. He stared at her
home with a critical eye. “It looks like quite a large section. If you removed that old house you could get
a row of units on there, easy,” he commented.
Julia was horrified at the idea. “No, I’m restoring it,” she said primly. She couldn’t believe Ben would just
bulldoze a historic villa. But, she supposed, that’s what property developers did.
Ben shrugged, not too bothered by her reaction. “It’s your house I guess.” He walked her up to the front
door. She intended to escape with a quick goodnight kiss but he pulled her close and kissed her deeply.
“How about I come in for a little while,” he suggested huskily. Julia could feel his arousal pressing against
her hip and she knew what would happen if she let him inside. But for some reason, it just didn’t appeal
to her anymore.
“Actually, I am really tired,” she apologised, disentangling herself from his body.
“Are you sure?” he asked in disbelief. Julia suspected he was used to getting his way. But she was
suddenly adamant she didn’t want him in her home. “Maybe some other time,” she said non-
committally.
He acquiesced to her wishes and left, driving off into the night. He didn’t promise to call and Julia
suspected he probably wouldn’t. But that was fine by her.

Steven’s meeting with the senior managers was scheduled for the following Friday. Julia met him a
couple of times to practice his new presentation. He wasn’t the world’s most confident speaker but she
thought he would be fine so long as he remembered not to talk too fast. As she expected, his new look
caused a bit of a stir. She made sure he didn’t tell anyone she took him shopping though, that would
provide far too much fuel for rumors.
Julia wasn’t invited to the management meeting on Friday, seeing as how she wasn’t one of them. She
waited impatiently in her office to find out how it went.
“They liked it!” Steven appeared in her doorway grinning broadly.
“Of course they did,” she replied happily. She stood up and gave him a hug. He stiffened in surprise but
then hugged her back. “Congratulations.”
“They want me to do a demo in two weeks, and the marketing manager said it has real potential.”
“Hmm. You’ll want a contract for the IP before you get too much further.”
“IP?” he asked curiously.
“Intellectual property. Your idea might turn out to be quite valuable and you don’t want to just give all
the rights to the Gensoft.”
“Oh. I’m not sure how that works.” He looked concerned and Julia felt bad for bursting the bubble of his
success.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said quickly. “I know some good lawyers. We should go out and celebrate
first!”
“Great idea,” he said happily.
Julia offered to take him to a good bar she knew, later that evening. It was one of the places Mark used
to take her. There had a tasteful atmosphere and usually a good crowd of patrons.
She got home from work around six, then had a shower and tried to decide what to wear. She was tired
of the restrictive skirt suits she wore to work and wanted something a bit more feminine and floaty.
Fifteen minutes later the entire contents of her wardrobe were dumped on the bed. Julia finally found
what she wanted, a green chiffon dress. It came to just above her knees and swished pleasingly. She
added a sleeveless cardigan in case it got cold. Having second thoughts, she switched it for a cardigan
with sleeves. Having more second thoughts, she grabbed a cashmere jacket instead. Wellington weather
was notoriously unpredictable even in late summer.
Julia was in the middle of straightening her hair when the doorbell rang. She dashed down the hall to
open the door. “Hi Steven. I’m not quite ready but come in if you like.” She rushed back to the bedroom
without waiting for his reply. “I like your dress,” he called out.
Several minutes later she had her hair under control. She touched up her make-up, put on a pair of
heels, and found some greenstone earrings to match the dress. She also put on her favourite perfume.
When she emerged from the bedroom Steven was waiting patiently in the lounge.
“Hi,” he said shyly. “You look…amazing.”
“Thanks. It must be those eighty-seven extra vitamins I told you about,” she joked self-consciously.
“How about you – isn’t that a new shirt?”
He was wearing a blue shirt but it wasn’t the one he bought with her. “Yeah, I couldn’t keep wearing the
same shirt every day so I went back and got another one.”
“Well, it was a good choice.”
Steven looked around the interior of her home with interest. “You did a really good job with the
renovations. It looks much better than the outside.”
Julia showed him around her kitchen and open-plan living area. The new joinery was a rich, dark wood
grain to match the original wooden floorboards, which she had sanded and polished herself. “I got a
builder to do the kitchen but I was able to do most of the cosmetic work,” she said modestly.
“Yes, I recognise that green paint from your hair.”
“You’re not going to let that go, are you?” she said in mock exasperation.
He just smiled and shook his head. His eyes roamed the room and came to rest on a Victorian sideboard.
“You like antique furniture too?” he asked casually.
“Of course,” she replied. “It wouldn’t look right to have modern furniture in a Victorian cottage.
Although, I made an exception for the dishwasher.”
It took Julia a while but she finally managed to tear him away from admiring her handiwork. It was a nice
evening so they decided to walk to town rather than call a taxi. Downtown Wellington was already quite
crowded and there was music coming from several bars and nightclubs. She put her arm through
Steven’s and his pleased smile grew wider.
They found the bar she was looking for and it didn’t seem to have changed much since she was last
there. There were wide open windows facing the street and it looked busy but not too crowded. It was
warm enough inside that Julia could take her jacket off. She found seats for them at the bar.
“This place seems alright,” Steven said appraisingly. The place was intimately lit with hanging wire
sculptures as chandeliers and decorated in with a modern, slightly funky theme. The music was also
modern, but not overpowering.
“What do you like to drink?” Julia asked. Steven stared at the huge variety of liquor bottles on display
above the bar. “Oh, I don’t know. Whatever you’re having,” he replied.
Julia ordered a couple of bourbon-and-diet-cokes. She raised her glass to him. “Here’s to you and your
algorithms, Steven. I hope you enjoy the success you deserve.”
“Thanks,” he said appreciatively. “It would be great if they paid my way to Indonesia.”
Julia frowned. “You need to start thinking a bit bigger, Steven. Visualize your success, you know? Repeat
after me, I am the next Mark Zuckerburg…”
He almost choked on his bourbon. “I’m not repeating that,” he exclaimed. “It’s sacrilegious.”
She rolled her eyes. “He’s just a person, Steven. How about the next Sam Morgan, then?”
“No,” he said firmly. “I think I’d rather just be me.”
Julia stared at him for a while. “Maybe you’re wiser than you thought,” she said. She looked around the
room as she drank her bourbon and coke. Suddenly she paused and leaned in closer to Steven. “Don’t
look now, but there’s a girl checking you out.”
“What? Who?” Steven whispered. Oddly enough, he looked terrified.
“Blond hair, polka-dot dress. She looks about your age,” she said quietly. When he just stared at Julia
she gave him a gentle shove. “Why don’t you go talk to her?”
“What if she doesn’t want to talk?” he said in a panicked voice.
“Steven,” she said sternly. “Even if it doesn’t go well, you’ve lost nothing by trying. And I’ll still be here
for you”. Her words seemed to have the desired effect because he visibly relaxed. Julia stood up and
took his arm. She led him to the other end of the bar where the blond girl stood.
“Excuse me,” said Julia. “My friend here was wondering if he could buy you a drink.” She pushed Steven
in front of her. The girl looked him up and down and apparently decided she like what she saw. “Sure,”
she smiled. Satisfied, Julia let go of Steven and left him to fend for himself.
She sat across the room and watched them covertly. He seemed to be doing alright. He ordered a drink
for the girl and didn’t look too nervous. She was doing most of the talking but he nodded and responded
every so often. Julia wished she could hear what they were talking about and hoped it wasn’t shampoo.
At one point the girl laughed at something Steven said and put her hand on his shoulder. Julia’s eyes
narrowed. Blondie was coming a bit strong, wasn’t she?
She barely noticed when a man sat down beside her. “Hi there,” said a deep voice with an English
accent. Julia looked up in surprise. The owner of the voice a ruggedly handsome man with auburn hair
and clear green eyes. “I couldn’t help noticing you seem to be on your own. I was wondering if you’d like
some company.”
“Actually, I came with a friend,” she informed him, pointing at Steven. “But he does seem to be
otherwise occupied.” Julia figured it couldn’t hurt to pass the time with a bit of conversation. She had
always been fond of English accents, after all. “Have you been in New Zealand long?” she asked.
Julia made small talk with her new companion for a while but her heart wasn’t really in it. She kept
looking over to see how Steven was doing. He seemed to be really hitting it off with blondie. Then, the
next time she looked up, he was sitting at the bar alone. She looked around in surprise but the girl in
the polka-dot dress was nowhere to be seen.
“Excuse me,” she said to the English man. “But I need to go now.” He looked disappointed. “Can I at
least get your number?” he asked plaintively. Julia wasn’t really that interested but just in case she
changed her mind later, took his number instead. Then she wended her way through the growing crowd
to get to Steven.
He looked up in surprise when she sat down beside him. “Oh, hi. I didn’t want to interrupt your
conversation over there,” he explained.
“I wouldn’t have minded. How did it go?” she asked. He seemed a bit disappointed and she suspected
that meant it didn’t go too well.
“I don’t know,” he said simply.
“You don’t know?” she repeated.
“Well, she had to leave when her friend showed up. But I don’t know whether she like me or not.” He
leaned on the bar and fidgeted with his glass.
Julia was beginning to feel a bit claustrophobic from all the people pressed up around them so she took
Steven by the hand and led him outside into a courtyard, where it was a cooler and quieter. They sat
down on a wooden seat and she continued the conversation. “Tell me more,” she insisted. “From what I
could see of her body language she seemed to like you well enough.”
He looked at her curiously. “You could read her body language? That sounds useful. But what do you
look for?” he asked.
She thought for a moment. “Well, if she’s smiling, that’s a good start. And if she touches you, it’s a very
good sign.” Julia demonstrated by touching him gently on the arm.
Understanding dawned in his eyes. “Oh, she did do that,” he said, a little embarrassed.
“Yes, I noticed,” Julia smirked.
“She was probably waiting for you to flirt back.” Julia leaned closer to him. “Do you want to know how
to tell if she wants you to kiss her?” she whispered.
Steven looked nervous, but eager too. “How?” he asked.
“Like this.” Julia leaned even closer and put her hand on his shoulder. She concentrated on his mouth
and slowly closed the gap between them. He took a startled breath. At the last possible moment he
turned his head away, blushing furiously. Julia felt a bit miffed, but his reaction served to illustrate her
point. “You see what you did there? If someone backs away instead of leaning in, that’s a strong signal
not to kiss them,” she explained.
Steven stared at his shoes and she couldn’t really see his expression in the dim light. “But, couldn’t it
mean the person does want to kiss you, but is just afraid to?” he asked plaintively. Julia considered this
idea. “I suppose that could be a possibility,” she admitted. “But even then, it would mean ‘not yet’
rather than ‘yes’ ”.
“It’s all so complicated,” he complained. Julia smiled understandingly. “Tell me about it. Let’s have
another drink,” she suggested.
They talked some more about the potential future for Steven’s software. Julia was pleased to discover
she actually understood how it work, after he spent a while explaining it. She had never done any
computer programming but found it interesting nonetheless. As the night wore on she had lost track of
how much alcohol she’d had and was definitely starting to feel the effects. Steven must have noticed
the unfocussed look in her eyes because he looked at her in concern. “Hey, maybe we should call it a
night,” he suggested.
Julia stretched and felt a curious sense of dislocation from the rest of her body. The edges of reality felt
fuzzy, as if in a dream. “Oh god, I really have had too much to drink,” she said in embarrassment. She
looked at him accusingly. “You drank just as much but you seem to be fine.”
“Yes, well I am a bit bigger than you,” he pointed out.
“Yes, you are,” she said admiringly. She pinched his upper arm and was pleasantly surprised at how
muscular it felt.
Steven ignored her behavior and held out a hand to help her up. “Come on, let’s get you in a taxi,” he
said awkwardly. Julia stood up and was relieved to discover she didn’t feel dizzy at all. “I would rather
walk,” she insisted. “It would help clear my head.” He looked concerned but then nodded.
She put on her jacket and they walked down the brightly-lit main streets and soon the crowds and music
faded. The stiff breeze and the exertion of walking up the hill towards Kelburn did make Julia feel more
alert. Steven stopped at the top of the steps. “Look,” he said softly. Julia turned around and saw the
panorama of city lights below. The hillsides on the other side of the bay were also draped with lights,
like a distant Christmas tree.
“It’s pretty, isn’t it,” she said. “I’m glad I didn’t move to Sydney.” The wind was a lot strong at the top of
the hill, and her hair whipped around her face. She shivered. The jacket wasn’t really warm enough.
Steven noticed and took her hand. “Hey, you’re freezing,” he exclaimed. “Come here.”
He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her in the darkness. Julia gratefully rested her cold
cheek on his chest. He was so warm and smelled so good. The beating of his heart was hypnotic in its
intensity. Eventually her alcohol-impaired brain became aware of something. She was pressed tightly
against him and through their clothes she could feel unmistakable evidence of his arousal.
Suddenly, she wasn’t hugging a friend anymore, but a man. A funny, sweet, desirable man. So what if he
was too young for her, and she was technically his superior at work. At that moment she wanted him
more than she’d ever wanted anything.
Steven released her and stepped back. “We had better get you home,” he said awkwardly. Feeling the
chill of the night air again, Julia had to agree it was a sensible suggestion. She needed time to figure out
how to seduce him, anyway. He was so shy that she might scare him away if she came on too strong.
When they got to her house she asked him in for a coffee. She didn’t really give him the opportunity to
refuse, but at least she was polite about it. Julia turned on her espresso machine and filled two cups.
The device was the best two thousand dollars she ever spent, and provided perfect café-quality coffee
time after time.
Julia sat on the couch with Steven as they drank their cappuccinos. Everything still felt a bit unreal and
when she looked at Steven she couldn’t think about anything else. She leaned closer and smiled in what
she hoped was a flirtatious, rather than predatory manner. “Are you disappointed you didn’t get that
girl’s phone number?”
Steven shrugged. “Not really. I don’t think she was really my type,” he said.
Julia feigned indifference. “Really? So what is your type then?” she asked coyly.
Steven shied away from her gaze and didn’t seem too keen on answering the question. “So, how is your
boyfriend?” he deflected.
“My boyfriend?” Julia asked in confusion.
“The guy who picked you up from work the other day,” he clarified. “Ben, was it?”
Her alcohol-fogged brain had to concentrate for a moment to work out what he was talking about. “Oh,
he’s not my boyfriend,” she said quickly. “I only went out with him twice and I don’t intend to see him
again.”
Steven looked unexpectedly pleased at her explanation. She suddenly realized the reason for his
frustrating reticence. “Is that why you didn’t kiss me?” she asked in delight. “You thought I had a
boyfriend?”
He stubbornly looked at the floor. “Maybe,” he admitted finally. His blond curls fell over his eyes but
they couldn’t hide the unmistakable pink tinge to his cheeks
Julia laughed and put her arm affectionately around his shoulders. “It’s so easy to make you blush,” she
teased.
“I know,” he said miserably. “You must think I’m really pathetic.”
“No!” she exclaimed. “Steven, look at me. You’re not pathetic, you’re…adorable.” Julia smiled when he
was blushed even harder. She realized the best way to show him how she felt was a physical
demonstration. She crawled onto his lap and pinned him down with both hands on his shoulders. His
eyes widened but he didn’t try to get away.
She quickly lowered her lips to his and kissed him soundly. His lips were soft and warm. At first he
seemed afraid to move but she insistently moved her lips against his and broke down his resistance. He
put his arms around her and kissed her back with equal passion. Julia moved her hands and ran her
fingers through his gorgeous blond curls just as she’d always wanted to do. His grip on her back
tightened.
Eventually, they had to come up for air. Julia leaned back and gave him a satisfied smile. Steven was
breathing hard and his mouth hung open in shock. “Wow,” he whispered. Julia suddenly realized the
significance of what she’d done. She scuttled backwards off his lap. “Oh my god, I’m taking advantage of
you. I’m a cougar,” she wailed.
“What?” Steven exclaimed. He firmly grasped her arm to stop her escaping. “You are not a cougar,” he
said in exasperation. “There are only four years between us. And you’re not taking advantage of me.”
“Really?” she sniffed.
“Really,” he promised. “I’ve wanted to do that since the first day I met you and it was wonderful.”
“Oh,” Julia said happily. “Well, in that case…” she reached for him again. But he held her down with both
arms. “Wait a minute. You’re not a cougar, but you are intoxicated,” he said cautiously.
“I’m not intox…intoxicated,” she said indignantly. Steven raised an eyebrow quizzically but didn’t
comment. “Ok, I guess I am,” she admitted sheepishly. “But that doesn’t change anything.”
Steven shook his head and continued to hold her at arm’s length. “It means I should leave you alone to
sleep it off,” he said firmly.
“You’re leaving?” she asked in dismay. He gently removed her hands from his shirt and stood up. “If you
still want this tomorrow, I’ll be waiting,” he promised.
“I will still want you tomorrow,” she assured him. She got up and showed him to the door. “Do I
at least get a goodnight kiss?” she asked coyly. Steven leaned over to give her a quick peck on the cheek
but she wasn’t having any of that. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against
his to give him a real kiss. The thin fabric of her dress didn’t obscure much and she knew he would feel
her breasts pressed against him. She could feel the heat radiating from him and his desire obviously
hadn’t decreased one little bit.
“Do you still want to go?” she asked mischievously.
Steven groaned. “Please don’t make this any more difficult than it already is,” he begged. Julia
reluctantly let him go. She said goodbye and watched him leave, yet again. Then she stripped off her
dress and collapsed on the bed, smiling to herself. Tomorrow, she repeated silently.

Julia woke early the next morning with a pounding head. She staggered into the bathroom to get a glass
of water and some aspirin, then went back to bed. Several hours later she woke up again. From the
angle of the sun streaming in the window she knew it was late morning without even looking at the
clock. She still felt groggy but at least the headache was gone. Julia had a nagging feeling she had
something important to do today, even though it was Saturday. She sat bolt-upright. “Oh God,” she
groaned as the memories flooded in.
She remembered flinging herself at Steven like a shameless hussy. Briefly, she wondered if there was a
chance he might not remember. But he hadn’t been as drunk as her, so that was a long shot. She was
going to have to explain that her behaviour was due to the alcohol. He was going to be crushed.
Julia padded into the kitchen and found her phone on the counter. It displayed three missed calls, from
Mark, Ben and Steven. God, when did her life get so complicated? She had a shower and then some
breakfast and then couldn’t put off making the call any longer.
She dialed Steven’s number. “Hi, it’s Julia,” she said, probably unnecessarily.
“Good morning,” he said cheerfully. “How are you feeling?”
“I had a headache earlier but I’m better now, thanks,” she replied.
“That’s good. Hey, I was wondering if you were planning to go to the antique expo in Upper Hutt this
weekend.”
“Antique expo?” Julia asked.
“You must have heard about it. It’s supposed to be the biggest collection of antiques for sale in
Wellington.”
“Oh, yes I remember reading about it weeks ago. I thought about going but forgot until now,” she
admitted.
“How about we go together, this afternoon,” he suggested enthusiastically.
Julia hesitated. She did want to see the antiques but was worried things might be weird with Steven.
“I’m not sure,” she said finally.
The phone was silent for a while. Julia hoped he wasn’t taking her reluctance too hard. She wished she
could see his face.
“Come on, just as friends? We can still be friends, can’t we?” he said hopefully.
“Of course we can,” she reassured him. She made a snap decision then not to let what happened last
night spoil things. He was a good friend, damn it. “Actually, I think that’s a great idea. How about I pick
you up at two?” she said.
“Great! But, uh, I was going to offer to drive.”
“Do you have a hybrid?” she asked.
“No, I guess not,” he conceded.
“Then we’re taking my car,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Ok then.” Julia could hear the amusement in his voice. Still, he must be used to her controlling
nature by now. She said goodbye and put down her phone in a much better mood.
Julia dressed in jeans and a casual top and left home a few hours later. She was so used to walking that
she forgot it would be much quicker by car, and arrived at Steven’s apartment at least fifteen minutes
earlier than she said she would be. She parked on the curb and went and knocked on the door.
There was no response. “Hello?” she called out. A moment later Steven opened the door, breathless. He
was dripping wet and wore only a towel around his waist. Julia’s jaw dropped. He looked totally hot. His
chest was muscular and lightly tanned. She suddenly remembered him saying he went swimming three
times a week. It showed, he definitely had a swimmer’s body. His abs were similarly well defined and a
trail of dark blond hair disappeared beneath the towel.
She stared, unable to think of anything to say. “You’re a bit earlier than I expected,” he said
apologetically. Julia nodded. “Um…yes. Sorry,” she added. “Take your time though.” He looked at her
oddly but invited her inside. Julia decided to sit on the couch while he finished getting ready. He had a
nice butt, too, she thought as he walked into his bedroom.
Julia finally admitted to herself that her attraction to him hadn’t been caused by the alcohol at all. She
wasn’t sure how long it hard been there, but it was definitely there. And she didn’t know what to do
about it. He obviously wasn’t a one-night-stand kind of guy but she wasn’t sure she could give him more
than that.
Sasha appeared and jumped up on her lap. “Hey, sweetie,” Julia said affectionately. Steven had the right
idea getting a cat, she thought as she stroked Sasha. Cats were much less complicated than humans.
Steven emerged a few minutes later. “I hope you don’t mind if I wear a t-shirt, since it’s the weekend,”
he said. Julia laughed. “Am I really such a control freak? I told you there’s nothing wrong with your t-
shirts.”
“Ok, just checking,” he said with an embarrassed smile. “Are you ready to go? Or would you rather stay
and play with Sasha?” She smiled at the cat on her lap but pushed her off gently. “Sasha is cute,
but I think I’d rather go with you.”
Julia drove them to the event center in Upper Hutt where the antique show was being held. What
happened last night was like an elephant sitting in the car with them, but Steven didn’t bring it up and
she wasn’t going to either.
The parking lot was crowded. Most of the other people there were at least twenty years older than her
and Steven but she didn’t care. They paid the entry fee and wandered around checking out the vendors.
There were a few food stalls as well and Steven bought a bag of candied nuts to share (guaranteed non-
antique). It felt completely natural so Julia linked her arm with Steven’s as they walked. She discovered
he wasn’t really that knowledgeable about antiques, but seemed interested in learning more. She
pointed out some of the periods and styles she recognised.
“Hey, that looks pretty cool,” he said, pointing at a console table. Julia stopped and admired the marble-
topped piece. It had ornately carved serpentine legs. “It’s beautiful,” she agreed. She checked the price
tag and found it was surprisingly affordable as well. Apparently the marble top wasn’t original but she
didn’t care. “I want it,” she declared enthusiastically.
“You’re going to buy it?” Steven asked, slightly disappointed.
“Oh, were you thinking of buying it yourself?” Julia asked in surprise. “Aren’t you saving for your trip?”
“Well, yes,” he admitted sheepishly. “But this wouldn’t set me back too far.”
“How about we toss a coin for it,” Julia suggested diplomatically. But Steven shook his head. “No, I want
you to have it,” he insisted.
“Are you sure?” she checked. He nodded vigorously. “Alright but you can come and see it in my house
any time you like, ok?”
They both grinned at the idea of visitation rights for a piece of furniture. Julia tracked down the vendor
and put down a deposit to secure the piece. Then they carried on walking. “We should find something
for you now,” she suggested. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”
Steven shrugged. “I have space for a coffee table or a side table but I don’t have anything particular in
mind, no.”
Julia spied something a hidden behind a pile of antique tools. “How about this?” she said. It was a small
marble-topped side-table. “Actually, it would go well with the console table I just bought,” she mused.
Steven groaned. “Don’t tell me you want this one as well.”
“No, no,” she patted his arm. “You can have this one. Assuming you actually like it,” she amended.
“Yes, I do like it,” he said happily. “And you can come and see it any time, too.”
Steven bought the side table and since it was small enough to fit in the car, they took it home with
them. On the drive home Julia reflected on how easy it was just being with Steven. The way his
emotions showed on his face meant she never had to guess how he felt, and that was refreshing. She
was starting to realise that she really didn’t have any good reason not to get romantically involved with
him, except for her irrational prejudice against younger men.
She parked the car outside his apartment and turned to look him. “Um, thanks for the ride,” Steven said.
He fidgeted in his seat but didn’t get out.
“No problem,” she smiled and patted his knee. Her touch was deliberately imbued with meaning. Steven
looked down at the hand on his leg and she could see the wheels turning in his mind. “Yes, I am touching
you,” she thought silently. He must have understood the non-verbal signal because he leaned a little
closer. Julia leaned closer too. She stared into his blue eyes and smiled encouragingly.
Steven kissed her on the lips. It was sweet and gentle and made Julia yearn for more, but at the same
time she didn’t want to rush and miss out on anything. He broke off the kiss and smiled shyly. “So, what
now?” he asked softly.
She stared into his eyes and had difficulty thinking any further ahead than the here and now. Julia
needed an excuse to spend more time with him. “How about you come to my place for dinner later?”
she suggested finally.
Steven quickly accepted and agreed to be there at seven o’clock. She helped him get his antique table
out of the car and then they parted, if only for a couple of hours.

Julia stopped off at the grocery store to pick up some salmon steaks and fresh vegetables for dinner.
Then she spent half an hour pouring over the contents of her wardrobe again. Not that Steven would
really care what she was wearing. But she wanted to set the right mood anyway. She finally settled on a
deep red stretch-knit dress. Then she put on some soft music and lit an incense candle.
At quarter-to-seven the salmon steaks were baking and she was just tossing the salad when there was a
knock at the door. She smiled, thinking Steven was giving her fair return for being early herself. When
she opened the door, however, it wasn’t Steven.
She stared in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Hi, babe,” said her visitor. “I was in the neighbourhood and thought I would stop by and see if you were
home.” He was tall, with strong, masculine features and a confident smile. Julia, however, was not
impressed.
“You were in the neighbourhood? ” she repeated incredulously.
His smile faltered. “Well, not exactly. I tried to call a few times but you never answered. So I caught the
first available flight and here I am. I missed you,” he explained sheepishly.
Julia was surprised at the effort he’d made, but also annoyed at his presumption. She was about to give
him a piece of mind when he moved closer and touched her face affectionately. She couldn’t even move
away because the door frame was right behind her. At that very moment, she saw Steven walking up the
front path. He stopped when he noticed the other man in her doorway. “Um…hi,” he said uncertainly.
The other man’s eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Steven. “Why are you bringing flowers to my
girlfriend?” he demanded.
“Mark!” Julia hissed angrily.
But it was too late. Steven gasped in shock. “I’m sorry,” he stammered. He dropped the roses on the
path and ran away.
Mark watched him leave in bemusement. “Well, that was weird,” he said to Julia. However, he was not
expecting her furious reaction. She shoved him backwards. “Mark, I am not your girlfriend,” she
scolded. “You left me to go live in Sydney and you can’t just turn up here whenever you feel like it. I’ve
moved on.”
“With him?” he asked in disbelief.
“Yes, with him,” she snapped. “Now, please leave.”
“Ok, ok,” he held his hands up in submission. “If you’re sure…”
“Mark, I told you on the phone two weeks ago it’s over,” she reminded him.
“I know,” he said simply. “I just didn’t really believe it until now. I hope you’re happy with…whoever that
was.”
Julia softened as she remembered the good times she’d had with Mark. He wasn’t right for her, she
knew that now. But she still cared for him at little. “I think I will be happy,” she said in answer to his
question. “I hope you find happiness too.”
Mark grinned. “You know me, nothing sets me back for long. Goodbye, Julia.”
As Julia watched him leave she felt as if a chapter of her life was ending. But a new one was waiting for
her. She picked up the roses and took them inside to put in a vase. Then she turn off the oven, blew out
the candle, and grabbed her handbag.
When Julia got to Steven’s apartment the lights were off and he wasn’t home. So she sat down on the
front doorstep to wait for him. Sasha appeared after a while and started winding around her legs
affectionately.
“I think she likes you better than me,” said a gloomy voice.
Julia looked up at Steven. “Hey, we were getting worried about you,” she said.
Steven didn’t smile but just stared at her with his arms crossed. “I really don’t know what you want from
me,” he said coldly.
Julia got to her feet, desperate to explain. “Look, despite what he might have said, I’m not with Mark
and haven’t been for a while. He just turned up out of the blue.”
Steven considered her explanation and nodded slowly. “Ok, I believe you.”
She noticed he still wasn’t smiling. “Then…what’s wrong?” she asked hesitantly.
“I just can’t understand why you would be interested in a geek like me,” he said. “I mean, you could
have anyone you wanted. Like mister perfect in that silver BMW,” he added as an afterthought.
Julia moved closer and put her arms around him. “Steven, in case you haven’t noticed, geeks have taken
over the world in recent years. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. And I don’t want any other guy, just you.
You’re sweet and funny and smart…and have you looked in a mirror lately? You’re hot
too.”
Steven started to blush. “Really?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said matter-of-factly. “You have beautiful blue eyes, gorgeous hair, and very nice abs.
And don’t even get me started on your cute little butt.”
“Stop, I believe you,” he exclaimed, turning an even deeper red.
“I’m not sure if you do,” she said dubiously. “I think you need more proof.” She kissed him. He
responded immediately and drew her closer. She deepened the kiss and her hands sneaked up under his
shirt to explore his deliciously toned torso. He gasped and released her mouth so she started trailing
kisses down his neck.
“Get a room!” yelled a teenager cycling past.
They sprang apart, both a little embarrassed. “I think that might be a good idea,” Julia said with a smile.
“Sure, um…your place or mine?” he said hesitantly.
Julia looked down rather pointedly. “I don’t think you should be out in public view in your current
condition. We’d better stay here,” she said seriously. Steven was mortified and covered his groin with
his hands. “I’m beginning to think you secretly enjoy embarrassing me,” he said in exasperation.
“Well I think you secretly enjoy it too,” she said smugly. “Now, are you going to invite me inside or not?”
Steven unlocked the door and they went inside. He offered Julia a drink but she shook her head. She
kept her arms around his neck. “Thank you for the roses,” she said softly.
“You’re welcome.” He kissed her forehead.
“You know what red roses symbolize, don’t you?” she prompted him.
“Um…passion?” he guessed.
“That’s right. The roses were effectively a promise, and I intend to collect,” she said in a sultry voice.
“Oh,” he swallowed nervously. Then she kissed him again. She was too impatient to hold back this time.
She undid his shirt buttons one by one as they kissed. Then she smoothed it back from his shoulders and
started trailing kisses down his chest. His skin was hot and smooth and smelled absolutely delicious.
“Oh god,” he said when she got down to his belt. She smiled and stood up to kiss him on the
mouth again. Then she took hold of his belt and pulled him down on to the couch on top of her. He
adjusted to the new position and began to kiss the soft skin of her collarbone. His blond curls tickled her
face but she didn’t mind. Steven’s hand hesitantly cupped her breast through the thin material of her
dress. “Is this ok,” he asked huskily.
Julia smiled at his consideration. “Yes, that’s very ok,” she murmured. She kissed him again and
pulled him close, enjoying the weight of his larger body on hers.
Steven all but drove her to distraction with his gentle touch and enthusiastic kisses. Julia began to feel
an unbearable ache in the base of her stomach and she needed him to touch her, now. She lifted
a knee and her dress fell back, exposing a long length of thigh. She gently took his hand and placed it
under the dress, on the waistband of her panties. Steven stared into her eyes and slowly explored the
new territory.
His hand dipped between her legs and stroked her through the flimsy lace of her panties. Julia gasped in
pleasure. She put slid her hands down his stomach but was frustrated to find his belt restricted her
access.
“Steven,” she said, trying to get his attention. He stopped what he was doing and quickly pulled his
hands away. “Yes?” he asked nervously.
“Do you have any…um…” Julia was unsure how to complete the question without embarrassing him.
Luckily he understood what she wanted.
“In my pocket,” he replied huskily.
Julia reached into his pocket and found a condom. She raised her eyebrows. “Looks like someone was
planning to get lucky tonight.” Steven hung his head sheepishly. “I just wanted to be prepared for
anything. You were very…affectionate last night. Not that I’m complaining, mind you,” he added quickly.
“If you think that was affectionate, just wait until you find out what I have in store for you next,”
she whispered in his ear. Steven’s eyes widened and breathed faster. “Let’s move into the bedroom,”
Julia suggested. “Before we destroy Sasha’s innocence.”
Steven glanced guiltily at the cat, who was staring at them from the kitchen. He helped Julia up and led
her to bedroom. He paused to close the door and then stood there, uncertainly. “Are you ok?” Julia
asked gently. He nodded quickly. “I’m great. It’s just…I might need a bit of direction.”
Julia smiled. “luckily I’m very good at giving directions,” she said. She approached him slowly until their
bodies were almost touching. She gently undid his belt and then the button and zipper of his pants. They
fell to the floor with a whisper of silky fabric. He was wearing white cotton briefs underneath. The fabric
was straining to contain the impressive bulge of his erection.
She tugged the waistband of his briefs out and down and then he was completely uncovered. “Very
nice,” she said admiringly. Steven gasped and his erection twitched eagerly as she stroked it. He reached
for her but she stepped backward and eluded his arms. She lifted her own dress over her head with one
swift movement. Her bra and panties followed moments later.
Julia looked up to find Steven staring at her. “You’re so beautiful,” he said dreamily. She returned to his
arms and there were no longer any physical barriers between them . His body was hot, hard, and
delightfully responsive.

4 months later
Alcohol flowed freely and catering was top-quality at the party thrown by Gensoft. The whole company
celebrated the completion of the big upgrade. The CEO gave a short speech and personally thanked Julia
for managing the project.
“I’m very pleased to announce the project came in on-time and under budget,” he stated. The
project team cheered but that was probably more due to the alcohol than any particular love of
budgets. Then a DJ took over from the CEO and the party really started.
Julia mingled with the Gensoft employees. She was glad that the project was finished, but also a bit sad
that it was over. She had got to know the rest of the team quite well. When she wasn’t chasing them
down for status updates they were generally a good bunch of people.
Steven appeared at her side, holding her drink. He looked good in jeans and a smart black shirt. Smiling,
she took the drink from him. “You know,” she said softly, “as at this moment I am no longer employed
by Gensoft. Do you know what that means?”
He looked somewhat confused. “No, what does it mean?”
“It means I can now do this in front of your colleagues.” She pulled his head down and kissed him.
At first, no-one noticed. But then he wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. She heard a
couple of wolf-whistles and the conversation around them stopped. When they finally broke apart
Steven grinned at all the astonished expressions.
One of the other developers approached Julia. “Hey, I logged more hours on the project than Steven.
Do I get a kiss too?” he teased.
“Get lost Richard, she’s mine,” Steven growled good-naturedly.
The only person who didn’t seem surprised was Derek. When Julia talked with him later in the evening
she asked how long he had known. “Oh, you were very discreet,” he reassured her. “But when he
stopped following you around like a lost puppy and started looking so damn happy all the time I
figured something must have changed.”
“Oh,” was all she could manage in reply.
“I’m happy for you both,” Derek added. “Don’t be a stranger now, we expect to see you at the company
Christmas party if not earlier.”
Julia smiled and gave him a friendly hug. Then she went to find her boyfriend. She suspected she’s find
him engrossed in conversation with the other developers about his modeling software again. They were
just starting user-acceptance testing of the beta version and everyone was really excited about it.

The moving van arrived at Julia’s house late the next morning. She and Steven watched as the men
moved everything he owned into her house. The desk went in the spare bedroom, which was to be his
new study. They’d had to compromise on some things, since it wasn’t possible to fit everything in one
house. And Julia did compromise, a fact which she was rather proud of. Surprisingly enough it had been
the easiest decision in the world to ask Steven to move in with her.
Steven unwrapped his antique side-table and placed it beside the marble-topped console table. “See,
they do look very good together,” he observed.
Julia grinned. “Ah, so you discovered the real reason I asked you to move in. So I could have your
table,” she teased him.
“And my cat,” he added with a grin. Sasha was walking around sniffing the furniture with feline disdain
and acting like she owned the place already.
Julia watched her get comfortable on the couch. The process consisted of turning around several times
and giving it a tentative scratch. Julia winced. The couch was going to need a protective covering. “Poor
Sasha,” she commented. “She’s only going to have a week to get used to her new home before we leave
for Indonesia”.
“She’ll be fine in the cattery for a couple of weeks,” Steven reassured her. He picked up one of his boxes
and took it into the bedroom. “I’m going to need a bit more space in the wardrobe,” he called out.
Julia pouted. “I already gave you a whole quarter,” she complained. He appeared in the doorway and
just stared at her reproachfully. “Alright, I’ll clear out a bit more,” she relented. “But a third is as high as
I’m willing to go”.
She followed him into the bedroom and started pulling clothes out of the wardrobe. “How about you
help me decide what to give away, and what to keep?” she suggested.
“I could do that,” he said amicably. “But you’ll have to model them for me. Starting with this” Steven
held up something which looked like a scrap of pink satin trimmed with fake fur.
“Oh god,” Julia said in embarrassment, snatching it out of his hands. “Where did you find this?”
Steven just laughed and put his arms around her affectionately. “I love you.” He kissed her on the
forehead
It wasn’t the first time he’d said those words but they still made Julia feel weak at the knees. “I love you
too,” she replied. Then she whacked him on the backside with her satin panties. “Now, get your clothes
off the bed,” she ordered.
“Why?” Steven asked mildly.
“So they won’t get creased when I have my wicked way with you, of course.” She smiled at him and
started undoing the buttons of her shirt seductively.
Steven responded with a startled grin and swept all the clothes onto the floor. He jumped onto the bed
and held his arms out for her. “Ready when you are,” he declared.