She was nestled in his embrace. The rain in her eyes had her vision blurred for a moment. The guy still held her. He was tall and muscular. His chest and shoulders were defined in his wet t-shirt. He had dark hair. "Hey, Anne," he said. His voice was deep and mellow. There was mirth in it. He was still holding her close.
"How do you know my name?" Anne was rubbing her eyes. "And put me down!"
The guy placed her upon her feet. He wiped his wet hair back with a big hand. "I asked that old guy-the caretaker dude."
Anne recognised her new neighbour, remembering that he had asked about her. His upper body was amazing as he shook his hair back, raking it and then meeting Anne's eyes. Her vision had cleared. She experienced a shock that set her heart fluttering. His eyes were beautifully green; grey/green in fact. They were so familiar to her.
"So, I was wondering if you were busy one night soon. Maybe I could take you to dinner?"
"Me?" Anne asked, blushing. Her heart was still fluttering.
"Yeah, the guy said he thought you were-um-you know, not seeing anyone at the moment."
Anne swallowed. "No-I mean yes! I mean no I'm not seeing anyone, and yes."
"Yes, to dinner?" the guy asked, grinning.
Those eyes! Anne knew those eyes! She nodded, biting her lip.
His expression changed. There was a doubt or something, maybe a question. "Have we met before? I know that's cheesy, but I don't mean it as a line. I just haven't been able to stop thinking about you since the first time you ignored me on the stairs last week." He shook his head, chuckling. "Yeah, that sounds like a line too."
"No it doesn't," Anne assured him, finding her voice. "You look familiar to me too, but I don't think we've met."
"Oh-seen each other somewhere before but not having actually met, eh?"
"Hmm-maybe," Anne said, edging closer. "Thanks for saving me."
He leant against the wall, edging closer too. "Any time."
His hand moved. He deliberately stopped himself from smoothing hair from her face. He frowned in confusion. "Sorry. I um-"
Anne just smiled up at him. "I'm free tonight. Like, right now."
"Yeah? Okay. Great. I'm Andrew-Drew," he said. "Do you know of a place to eat around here? Somewhere we'll get in without a reservation?"
Anne touched his stomach. She didn't know what she was doing. She would never do something like that. She peered up coyly. "I could cook for us."
He touched her face very deliberately that time, smoothing wet hair aside. His eyes intensified, drilling into her, making her lips part. He bent to her. The kiss was soft. "Sorry," he said, whispering the word, and he bent to her again, pressing his lips to hers and drawing a moan from her mouth.