i`d been so busy wondering what he was going to do and expecting him to do something, that i`d completely forgotten to do anything myself. i felt like an idiot and this made me smile and i hadn`t wanted to. he smiled back, his blue eyes crinkling right up to the grey hair at his ears and making him look ... nice. then there was a slap. my book hit the floor. i bent down and so did he, and we bashed heads. at that moment, the lift shuddered to a stop and the doors seemed to fling themselves wide open. i was so embarrassed, i marched out of the lift, straight towards the queue at the counter. i ordered without looking at the menu and took my tray to a table where there was only one empty seat. i breathed a sigh of relief and began to eat. but the salad stuck in my throat when i noticed that everyone else at the table had already finished lunch and they were getting up to go. i glanced over at the counter. he was paying and in a second, his eyes would scan the room to find me. i ducked my head. waited. any minute now he`d sit down with his tray.

　　short stories from australasia. my book appeared in front of my eyes. his fingers were the longest i`d seen and his nails were manicured. i hadn`t thought he`d bother.

　　"you left it in the lift," he said. "may i sit down?"

　　his voice was soft. cultivated. what could i say? the tables were all pretty full so i nodded. he said bon app