For the next few days all Duncan could think about was Miss Courtney Fey. When he walked down the street, he swore he saw her curvy figure, but of course he never really did. Sometimes he swore he heard her alluring voice, but was disappointed each time when it was just the wind or him mistaking someone else for her. Her elusive words rung over and over in his mind. It seemed she had taken playing hard to get to a whole new level. He had seen chicks do it time and time again and it never fazed him. Never made him sweat. But he just couldn't figure her out.

She kissed him and it was way hot.

She punched him and it hurt like hell.

He wondered was he missing some piece of the puzzle that would make the answer clear. Yes, he decided; he was missing Courtney Fey.

If he ever wanted to figure the enigmatic woman out, he had to catch her again.

Unfortunately, that might be harder than he thought. After spending all day loitering outside of the Starbucks, he hadn't seen her once. And yet and still, the owner got pretty suspicious of the young man with spiky green and black hair, piercings and a spike collar hanging around the establishment.

"Young man, you do know it's against the law to loiter, right? There's a sign right there." The old man pointed at the sign which clearly stated that.

"Of course, I know. I can read smartass!" is what Duncan would have normally said. But now that he was out for answers he figured the place to begin was with the owner of the store. If so it would be best not to piss him off before he asked his questions.

Deciding honesty would most likely be the best course of action, Duncan sighed and brushed the green locks of hair out of his face. Giving the guy a desperate look, he began, "Look, sir, I'm sorry for loitering, okay? I'm looking for this girl…she's driving me crazy….but she won't give me the time of day." He looked away, mentally counting off the seconds in his head. 1…2…3…come on, you old geezer.

"Kids these days…What did she look like?",the old man asked.

Duncan walked away with all the info he needed. Well maybe not all of it, but it was a start. All in all it hadn't been that hard, after all Duncan had a gift. He was a good actor. He could play people like a violin, twisting their emotions with a few choice words and a simple change of expression. It had gotten him out of trouble numerous times.

Maybe that was why he was obsessing over this one chick. She not only resisted him, but she played him just as well, if not better. It was mind-boggling. He had no idea whether she even remembered his name, but he remembered hers and much more.

He remembered her beautiful gray eyes. He remembered her voice, which now that he thought about it had a slight French accent. He remembered the freckles dotting her nose. Was it six or seven?

The point was that she had caught his attention in a way he hadn't quite experienced before.

He had to find her.

So with little more than the knowledge that she was a book lover and seemed to attend the coffee shop each week, he set off to find the very vexing Miss Courtney Fey.

Man, did that name have a ring to it.

He searched Borders. He tried Walden's. He looked in about 3 Barnes and Nobles. Every day for a week he made it a point to stop by at least one bookstore. He was afraid that those attempts were useless though.

He couldn't help but feel like the task of catching the woman of his interest was just a failure in the works. Seriously, what if she was at the Starbucks, while he was at the Borders? What if she was at the Barnes and Noble on Third Street, while he was in the one at Covington Avenue?

With the end of the week approaching, Duncan was beginning to finally admit the absurdity of it all. There were like how many people in this town, no, in the world? She could've caught a flight on some 747 right after leaving the Starbucks. She could possibly be in another state. In another country. In another continent. Heck, for all he knew, she could be a man! (He was seriously doubting that one, and for the sake of his sanity, hoping he was wrong...) She could be dead…probably not, but it wasn't uncommon to get hit by a stray taxi once or twice when in New York.

All in all, there were a million possibilities and the odds seemed to be against him.

After all, just what were the chances of one guy finding a chick he'd only met once in his life in the Big Apple?

Deciding that he'd had enough of riding his motorcycle from bookstore to bookstore all day, (You didn't think he was going to walk did you? Hell, no!) He decided to loiter around in Central Park. What better way to get rid of the nagging feels of stupidity and dejection? Plus it was actually legal, so no cops hauling him in on any charges. His record had enough as it was.

He'd left his stuff in his apartment, except for his iPod and cell of course and was currently drowning out all those stupid feelings with deafening music, when it hit him.

Literally.

Some snot nose brat with bad aim had hit him right upside the forehead with a frisbee. This was one of those moments when he hated those damn athletically challenged kids who just had to "try". Just do the world a favor, accept that you suck and or fail and move on with your nerdy little life.

He had just gotten back to his feet, when his eyes met a wonderful sight. It was a bench, dark green, with metal curving arms and paint chipping off in places from old age and long exposure to the elements. Nothing new or special in any way, shape or form…except for the person sitting on it, that was.

That was a whole other story.

Long, curly golden hair. Freckles on the bridge of her nose. And an hourglass figure. Every part of his mind screamed that he had found her. If only he could see her eyes, that gray silvery color, that seemed to pull you in. Unfortunately, the woman reading her book on the bench was also sporting a pair of sunglasses.

Fashionable? Yes.

Pissing Duncan off, because he couldn't see her eyes? Undoubtedly.

Again he looked at the odds. Meeting the same woman he'd only bumped into once? Not very high. But meeting her exact body double in the same week and general vicinity? Probably not very high either.

Remembering his last encounter with the volatile, young woman, he winced. Maybe he'd go around the back and tap her on the shoulder instead. That chick had a good arm and lethal fists. Just because he didn't want any kids, didn't mean he wanted his equipment damaged. Taking one last look at her, noticed something gleaming in the light on her hand that held her book. Most likely a ring…yep, he didn't want to get punched in the nuts today.

Of course, the best made plans have the tendency to fail. Duncan quietly slipped behind the bushes and silently walked around the statues. He put to use every bit of knowledge he had about stealth as he walked up behind her. He gently tapped the young woman on her shoulder, saying, "Courtney is that you?"

He got the answer to that question as the woman in question grabbed his wrist in an iron grip and promptly flipped him over her shoulder.

As his back connected with the ground and he looked up at the woman's amused smirking he asked, "Did you have to body slam me, Courtney?"

"You were trying to sneak up on me, you cretin. What did you think was going to happen? I was going to jump into your arms, kiss you and say take me, I'm yours? Please as if.", she scoffed as if the very idea was ludicrous and he was an idiot if he thought so.

That would be nice, but really he had expected something more along the line of what just happened.

"You call it sneaking. I call it protecting my manhood, Princess."

Putting her book down, she asked, "How long were you going to stalk me?"

"It wasn't stalking! Just asking around.", he replied sheepishly as he sat down next to her on the weathered bench.

"You've been to every bookstore in a five mile radius asking about me. I'm certain that's the legal definition of stalking."

"If you'd give me your number, then I could quit."

"If you could take a hint, then I could back to my favorite coffee shop in peace.",she said as she threw her book in a Louise Vuitton purse and got up to leave him once more.

"Look, would it kill you to go on one date with me?",he asked, grabbing her thin wrist.

"It might kill you."

Lifting her sunglasses up and finally looking him in the eye, she sighed. "You're quite persistent aren't you?"

Watching him nod his head, she gave him a resigned look and started riffling her purse. Pulling out a pen she grabbed his hand and scribbled an address on his palm and the popped the top back on the pen with a click. With that she turned and walked off only to look back and call, "7:30, Don't be late. And come looking nice."

"I always do!",he shouted, not being able to hold back the triumphant grin on his face.

Stopping in her tracks, she looked back at him with the sweetest of smiles gracing her soft features.

"Nice to know, I'll see then Mr. Maggiano."

And with that the two parted ways.