For Michael it was love at first sight. It was always love at first sight. He met June at a conference for work, she smiled politely and held out her hand to shake. The moment their fingers touched Michael felt electricity course through his body. He nearly let out a little involuntary sigh, but managed to clamp his mouth closed. She appeared unaffected as she maintained friendly eye contact, but he knew that couldn’t be the case. She was feeling it too.

A week later he saw her again, this time in his office. Their companies were partnering on a project and June was assigned to support them. He’d already told his closest colleagues about her, this encounter told him that it was not chance, this was fate. The stars had aligned and they were to be together. Dave had told him not to build a girl up based on a thirty second conversation, but what did he know about love. His wife was older than him.

The next day Michael spotted her talking to Jared by the water cooler. He couldn’t help himself, he was so angry, how could she. He spent the next three days deliberately being short with them, or avoiding them outright. It seemed to cause some tension within the wider team, but he wasn’t in the wrong so he didn’t let it bother him.

A few days after he sat down with June at lunch. Her smile was perfect, her eyes sparkled, her hair was so shiny, he knew it’d be soft as cotton. He almost licked his lips in anticipation. Michael made sure he maintained eye contact to show her he was interested, his penetrating gaze mysterious and enticing. June had to leave shortly after to finish building a slide deck for a meeting next week, but he knew he’d made his mark. She was intimidated by the chemistry between them, it was understandable.

He started drawing pictures of her in his spare time, the process helped her come alive to him in even a more significant way than real life. It was like she was a real anime character now, innocent and yielding, needing of a brave knight such as he to keep her safe. He dreamt of rescuing her from a jock, in his dreams he stood up for her and she was grateful.

In the office their relationship was not going so well. She spoke more to Jared, she didn’t understand she was fated to be Michael’s. She was scared of it. He couldn’t help making snide comments, if only she’d treat him the way he deserved. Women never went for the nice guys. It was always the Jared’s of this world who got the girl.

One day he’d show her, when she was old and dried up, when she finally wanted a nice guy. Then he’d turn her down, he wouldn’t need her when he was rich and she was old and used up. He’d have his pick of the hot girls then. Women didn’t know what was best for them.