You finished unpacking the box with a sigh of relief. It had taken about 3 weeks, but that was your final moving box. You broke it up for recycling, dusted off your hands and stood back, admiring your handiwork. Your new place was finally coming together. It was not a tough decision to up and move out to California. Your life had called for a fresh start. You hadn't really known where to go, truth be told; your decision being purely random. Life was getting old and stale. Nothing really to stay behind for, you bought a one-way ticket to Pasadena, packed up what little possessions you had & off you went.

You were not the sentimental or emotional type; you certainly didn't get too attached to things or places too easily. Nowhere really felt like home; perhaps that's why it was easy for you to move around when the urge called.

Tired from unpacking & sorting out your new apartment, you considered ordering a pizza in, but it was still early and already feeling sleepy, you didn't want to end up asleep on the sofa, knowing it'd mean you'd be up through the night. So you decided to go for a walk downtown. You'd seen some nice eateries; you'd have a stroll and see if anything caught your attention, you decided. Grabbing your wallet and keys, you pulled the door shut behind you. No need for a jacket; the evening had a warmth in the air.

You strolled along downtown taking in the sights and sounds of your new home. You felt positive; life was going to be good here, you just knew it. You spotted a "Cheesecake Factory" and with your stomach growling already, you decided to go in. The glorious smell of meat cooking hit your nostrils as you entered the building, fueling your hunger.

An attractive blonde woman wearing a tight black body-con dress met you with a warm smile.

"Good evening, Sir! Table for one?" she stood behind a small desk. Ah... the hostess.

"Yes please" you responded, following her.

She led you to a small booth in a quiet corner, and handing you a menu, she informed you of the specials and that your waitress would be with you shortly. You settled comfortably. The temperature in the restaurant was pleasant; not too hot or cold. You began eyeing the menu. Another flash of blonde hair whizzed past, carrying a tray of drinks. You noted the short skirts the waitresses had to wear. She served her customers with a wide smile, then spun back in your direction.

"Jackass!" she proclaimed, zipping by. Gorgeous girl you thought... sucky attitude though. You hoped she wasn't going to be your waitress. You carried on with your menu, getting lost in the descriptions, when you heard a chirpy voice above you.

"Good evening, Sir!" you looked up to find yet ANOTHER stunning blonde standing before you (did the manager only hire attractive blonde girls? Hey, you weren't complaining; she was absolutely mesmerizing).

"My name's Bernadette & I'll be taking care of you tonight. Can I get you started off with any drinks or appetizers?"

Your breath caught in your throat as you took in the sight before you. Time had stopped as you took in every detail of the girl standing before you. Her soft strawberry blonde hair fell in two long plaits at either side of her head, her smile was wide and infectious, her soft pert lips lifting to meet incredibly cute dimples, rosy cheeks, bright piercing blue eyes and to top it all off - ridiculously sexy librarian-style glasses.

Your mind went completely blank as you surveyed this beautiful creature. You were sure you were supposed to be saying something, but you couldn't for the life of you think what! You didn't know how to focus on anything else right in this moment. Her heavy bosom moved in time with her breathing; which was just mere inches from your face. Your mouth went dry.

You still had not uttered a single word to this woman and you now felt yourself completely intoxicated by her.

"Sir?" you snapped back to earth. You realized you'd entered some kind of trance and had just been STARING at this woman, mouth practically hanging open. As you came back to reality, you tried to recover.

"Yes! Hi... uh, sorry... can I get a water please?" Your mouth now felt like the Sahara desert.

"Water.. sure. Are you ready to order?"

"Yes, please! I'll take the buffalo wings, and the Smokehouse BBQ burger"

"Sure."

"Oh and can I get a beer as well, please?"

"A beer... sure thing." you saw her jotting down some short-hand into her notepad. "So that's; the buffalo wings, the Smokehouse BBQ burger, a water and a beer? Is that all for you, sir?"

You broke into a smile. "Yes, perfect, thank you!" - luckily you'd half made up your mind before you stupidly began ogling the waitress.

"You're welcome" she replied, with another bright smile, gathering your menu as you watched her walk away. And watch her you did. You weren't normally so brazen with women, but lets face it; it had been a long time since you'd been with a woman. Plus, you couldn't believe these gorgeous women were waitresses, when half of them could be models. At least this one was charming, unlike the other rude waitress you'd spotted earlier.

As she walked away, you noticed how short she was. Her petite frame seemed to dance away from you, as you caught a glimpse of her legs out of the corner of your eye. Man, she was cute.

She was the first woman you'd actually spoken to in a long time, albeit she was just the damn waitress taking your food order. But when she so carefully delivered your meal and checked to see if everything was OK, you couldn't help but feel she truly cared you were satisfied. That she really cared if you were happy or not. She had an innate ability to make you feel like you were the only one; the only one she cared to please in this moment. She cracked a few jokes with you, fetched you more BBQ sauce without hesitation, and continuously flashed that smile of hers.

You felt as though she were flirting with you; she flicked her hair, fluttered her soft eyelashes, asked you about yourself, your move to town, where you were from, all while very subtly biting on her lower lip, looking at you intently. You connected over a love of music and guitars. You told her you owned a few; she told you she was partial to a bit of bass and that she used to play in an all-girl band during her college days. This girl impressed you. Every new thing you discovered of her drew you closer to her. You continued chatting long after you had finished your meal. You knew waitresses worked hard for tips, but you started to feel that there was something between you two.

"Is there anything else I can get you at all?" She asked eventually. You realized you'd been there for going on 3 hours. Suddenly, guilt hit you; you'd occupied a table she could have turned over twice already, essentially costing her money.

"Would it be rude of me to ask for your phone number?" Your bravery came out of nowhere. You almost surprised yourself. You really liked the idea of seeing her again, outside of this setting and getting to know her better. If nothing else, you needed to hear that adorable laugh again.

She looked away, clearly feeling shy and embarrassed, all of a sudden. For a split second, you panicked, thinking you should have just asked for the check. She probably had guys hitting on her all the time. How annoying. All she was trying to do was earn a living, enduring creeps who always took it to mean far more than it really was. You suddenly felt like one of those creeps. A ridiculous idiot. Your cheeks flushed as you began to look away yourself, ready to retract, request the bill, throw down the money and get the hell out of there.

Just then, those sultry blue eyes looked up to meet yours. "Not at all." - her cute dimples rose as she pursed her lips together in a smile which looked desperate to be let out. She was pleased! You couldn't believe it! You hadn't gotten it wrong after all. Your stomach flipped and a deep heat spread through you as she quickly scribbled down a number on a scrap piece of paper and thrust it into your hand. You tingled as her touch left its mark on you. You stood up and realized just how much taller than her you were. You knew she was short, but the height difference was more noticeable now you were standing. She looked up at you.

"I finish at 11...call me then." You tried to remain composed as you breathed her in; she smelt so sweet.

She scrambled away, you threw some money down and left. Checking the time on your watch, you saw it was 10:15. You raced home. She was keen to see you...tonight! Your heart did double beats. She wanted to meet up tonight..was this a date? How was this going to play out? Upon entering your apartment, you did a quick tidy up, and hopped into the shower, scrubbing up and making yourself smell irresistible. Before you knew it, it was time to call her. You didn't wanna seem too keen, but you were desperate to see this girl. And she had asked you to call at 11. You checked the time again; 11:03pm. You decided to give it another few minutes. You didn't want her to think you had been clock watching, even if you had been!

At 11:07 you were on the phone dialing her number. It rang several times before she answered. She informed you that she was getting changed and just about to leave from work. Where should she meet you? There were plenty of late night cafes around, you figured one of them would do.

"Would you like to meet at Zephyr, on East Colorado Boulevard?" you offered. 15 minutes later, you stood in the doorway of the 24-hour cafe awaiting her. Your heart was in your throat again, as you saw her coming towards you. She had changed into a cute little flowery dress, with a sky blue cardigan over the top, and grey tights, with flat shoes. Her hair was down now, flowing around her shoulders, wavy due to the pigtails she'd had earlier.

"Hi" she smiled.

"Hey" you returned, and broke into a nervous smile yourself. "I wasn't sure if you would come" you said.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, i just figured you must get this sort of thing all the time... with guys"

She let out a ridiculous laugh, almost snorting. "Uh, no, I can assure you I don't"

"Shut up.. a pretty girl like you" you said. She blushed and looked down at her feet. You beamed at her. She was so ridiculously cute when she blushed and acted all shy.

"Honestly... mostly I just have to deal with middle aged rich guy types, who think they can grab my ass whenever it suits them. Its humiliating. Its so nice to actually meet someone who wants to talk to me!"

You'd thought of yourself as a bit of a nuisance earlier in the restaurant and that you were the only one who'd got anything out of talking to her. Now you were finding out that she'd genuinely enjoyed getting to know you. That warm feeling was back. The pair of you chatted over coffee, laughing and joking well into the night. She seemed really interested in all aspects of your life. You didn't want this to end.

"Hey..um..Bernadette... any chance you're not quite ready to go home yet?" you looked at her intently, barely blinking, feeling nervous, your legs trembling. She stared at you with a coy smile, and began blushing once more. Those dimples! You felt a gentle pulsating rising up within you, travelling through your thighs, your groin, your abdomen. She stood.

"Um..." she hesitated. You knew she didn't want to go just yet, that she was having a good time. But was obviously conflicted.

"I really like you, Bernadette" you confessed.

"I like you too" she admitted.

You approached her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I don't want you to go". She looked up at you, breathing becoming heavier, her very being beginning to tremble. You caught her scent again; which refueled that fire in you. You wanted her. You moved one hand up to her face, stroking her cheek, never breaking eye contact. Her skin felt hot. The tension mounting between you was something neither of you could ignore.

"I'm scared." she said.

"What of?" you inquired.

"I've been hurt before.." she trailed off. "...I don't normally do this sort of thing." you listened and continued to look at her as your thumb stroked its way over her lips. Her eyes closed and her breath hitched. There was a vulnerability about her. Her lips were delectable; you really wanted to kiss her. You moved your hand into her soft golden hair, stroking it as she let out a small satisfying moan; "Mmmm". You responded by moving your body closer to hers. You pressed against her as you continued stroking through her hair.

You were both caught up in the moment. She looked up at you again. You leaned even closer; if that was possible. You were in your own little bubble as the world around you stopped. You moved your face closer to hers now, lips mere inches from one another; both becoming increasingly intoxicated with one another, how the other one smelled, how your bodies felt against each other. You could feel the warmth of her breath teasing against your lips. You were dying to kiss her; you were still unsure whether that would be the right move or not.

Her arms were wrapped around you, holding onto your back. You felt as though she were leaning on you, relying solely on you for support, as though she may buckle at any moment. You felt strong and masculine, holding this delicate petite flower in your arms. You began to lean in closer now to her lips. She reached up, her lips moving past yours towards your ear. "Lets go to yours" she whispered.

Excitement flared within you. "Are you sure?" you asked her. She began a slow nod. You stroked her cheek again, then took her hand as you walked back to your apartment. Once inside, you closed the door and turned around. She was faced away from you, surveying your apartment. She looked around, then turned to face you once more. You stood and stared at one another for the longest time. The air grew thick with tension. You wanted to finish where you left off at the cafe.