“Stop biting your fingernails.” Mia placed her hands in her lap, nervous.

“Excuse me?” The man sitting next to her turned his head.

Mia blushed, embarrassed at having said that out loud. She’d always talked to herself when she was anxious but she was usually better at hiding in front of other people. Especially when those people were, she realised, incredibly handsome.

“Uhh,” she stuttered, lost for words.

His smile widened; a sweet, slow thing that lit up his eyes. “Interviews always make me nervous. Doesn’t matter how many I’ve been to, I always panic and start rambling.” Mia’s breath hitched as their shoulders brushed, and her lungs filled with the warm scent of his cologne.

“Kind of like right now,” the man chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. Was it interview nerves or was he flirting with her?

“Are you here for the graphic designer role?” Mia asked, then immediately felt silly. Of course he was, that’s what she was for. It was like those times at the cinema when the usher said, “Enjoy the movie,” and she replied, “You too,” then wanted to crawl into a hole.

“Yes. I’ve been doing a lot of freelance work but when I saw this come up, I knew I had to apply. Who doesn’t want to work for the company that designs for Apple and BMW?”

“People who don’t have student debt.” Mia answered dryly, still a little miffed from having the same argument with her roommate this morning. Apparently, a real artist would never stoop so low as to work for “the man”, conveniently forgetting that a job like this was Mia’s ticket into her dream job.

The man’s laugh bubbled out of him, his head tipping back as Mia tried not to stare. Dressed in a navy sweater that hugged his broad shoulders and perfectly flattered his blue eyes, he was, what was the word her roommate used? A snack.

He held a hand out, “Steve Hayes, nice to meet you.”

“Mia Williams.” Her senses shorted out as soon as their hands touched, lightning buzzing under her skin even as she pulled away.

“Is that your portfolio?” He asked, his deep blue eyes kind and inviting. She could fall into those eyes.

Mia looked down at the folder she held in her lap, not the usual sleek black that most artists used, but a bright white that she’d hand printed with a line drawing of a group of dandelions, haloed by the three celestial bodies they represented: the sun, the moon, and the stars. She was immensely proud of it.

“Oh, yes. They are my favourite flower.”

“It’s beautiful. You’re very talented.”

Gosh, he really was flirting. Mia didn’t quite know how to respond besides, “Thank you.”

“Steve Hayes?” A voice called, and Mia suddenly didn’t want him to leave. What if she never saw him again?

“I guess I’m up. Um, good luck in there.” Steve paused, and Mia wondered if he might say more, but he simply smiled and stood, picking up his bag and walking away.

Dammit. I should have asked for his number.


Maybe she was destined to be single forever.

“Mia?”

She lifted her head to find Steve there, waiting.

“I’d really like to take you to dinner. If you’re interested.”

“I’d love that,” she said, and the smile he gave her made her brave, quickly getting a business card from her bag. “Call me?”

“Count on it.”

They celebrated her new job over pasta later that week.