Mark grinned, flashing his annoyingly perfect white teeth. "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 she likes 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.