This is for Melissa, the chapter was her idea!

Please review!3

Kevin's mouth opened in astonishment. He felt like his heart had been ripped out and shoved down his throat. What? I thought she loves me. The cheeky sideways glances she gives me when Gill's not looking, the taps on the back she always gives me when she walks past my desk, the kisses at the end of her text messages. The interstitial cheese and pickle sandwich she made for me the other day, for God's sake! Kevin's eyes were welling up and he used all of his strength to try and stop any tears from falling.

"Are you okay, Kev?" Pete asked, concerned about his colleague.

"Yep. I'm fine. I just need to…" Kevin pointed to the door and grabbed his coat from the stand that was near his desk. A little brown box fell out of the pocket.

"Oh, I think you've dropped something," Mitch said, picking it up. He looked at the box. "Is this a ring?"

"Give it back!" Kevin snatched the box from Mitch and tried to hide it in his pocket.

"Are you going to give that to a girl?!" You could clearly hear the disbelief in Janet's question. Kevin never had a girlfriend.

"Jeez! It's like the whole office is getting engaged today!" Gill joined in.

"So who's the lucky lady, Kevin?" Rachel asked.

Kevin went bright red and ran out of the door and down the stairs. Everyone turned to look at Rachel.

"I didn't mean to upset him!" Rachel protested. "I'll go see if he's okay."

As Rachel left, something clicked inside Janet's brain. "Oh my!" Janet turned to Gill. "Kevin was going to ask Rachel to marry him!"

"What?! You are ridiculous. Goodbye." Gill turned and went back into her office, closing the door behind her. Kevin can't ask Rachel to marry him, she'd never say yes. She'd break his heart and then he really would be useless!

Rachel found Kevin in the canteen, sitting alone. There was no one else there, it was still only 7:30. She sat down opposite him.

"I'm sorry, Kevin. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's not that." Kevin looked at his lap, unable to look into Rachel's eyes.

"So what is it?" Kevin looked sheepish. "Come on, I'm your friend, you can tell me." That was it. Rachel was Kevin's friend, nothing more.

"Okay, you've got to promise not to interrupt. There's something I need to tell you."

"I promise," Rachel replied.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Ke-" Kevin put his finger on Rachel's lips.

"Ssh! You promised." Rachel closed her mouth. "I mean I LOVE you, Rachel Bailey. Ever since you walked through that door 18 months ago, I've felt a special connection between us, you must have felt it too. Every time you touch me or smile at me, my insides feel like jelly, and I normally answer you with a stupid reply, and you think that it's because I'm thick, but it's not. It's because when you look at me, my brain doesn't function properly, the case doesn't matter anymore, all I can think about is me and you together. I love everything about you: your clothes, your hair, your smile. I just think you're beautiful. I don't think that I could love anyone as much as I love you because there's no one prettier than you or more fun to be with. When you have the day off work, I long to see you. At the weekend, my heart aches for you. When I see you with Nick, it feels like my heart has been ripped out. You don't want to marry a hot-shot barrister like him, I know you don't. We could have it all, Rach. A big house, kids, a dog if you want! Just tell me you love me too and I'll be the happiest man alive."

"But obviously you love someone more that you love me, Kev. You bought a ring for them, you were going to ask them to marry you."

"I bought that ring for you, Rach." Kevin looked away again, as if he was embarrassed about it.

Rachel gasped. He was going to propose to me?

Rachel got up out of the plastic canteen chair and leaned over to kiss Kevin on the forehead. As she went to kiss him, Kevin looked up, curious as to what Rachel was doing. Their lips met and it was like a thousand fireworks had been let off inside Kevin's mind. He thought it wasn't possible but he loved Rachel even more now.

Rachel was the one to pull away first, horrified at what had just happened. She knelt down so that she was looking up at Kevin.

"Kevin, this is the nicest, cutest thing that anyone has ever done for me. I wish I could say yes, but I don't love you, I love Nick. I think you're sweet and one day you're gonna make a girl really happy, but that girl won't be me."

Kevin nodded.

Rachel stood up and walked back to the office. A single tear fell down her face.