Leaning forward, I caught her eyes. Staring deep into the depths of them, I searched for something, an answer to a question I didn't know.

"What are you doing?" She asked, breaking my concentration. One eyebrow arched, she was the picture of amused suspicion.

"Oh, nothing. Just trying to creep you out. Elementary, really." I shrugged gamely. Grinning mischievously at her, I reached a hand out, snaked it across her face, and flicked her nose.

Laughing maniacally, I danced away, capturing the memory of her expression of stunned denial. Sitting there in her pencil skirt and a formal suit, surrounded by mountains of paperwork and files, she was a picture of professionalism, a woman who had climbed the rough terrains to reach her dream.

I was something of a glitch, an unexpected twist of fate that unsettled her when she least expected it.

"Hey, wait! I called you in here to review your performance this year, not to flick my nose or ogle at me. Come right back and sit in that chair this instant." She sat up straight, trying to hide her ruffled feathers.

I hid my smile behind an expression of innocent sincerity, and trotted back to her obediently, mocking chastisement.

Sadly for her, she knew I was mocking her. She growled under her breath, exhaled forcefully, almost breathing fire.

"What do you want?" Her voice turned gruff with aggravation. She shut the door behind her and walked around her desk, grumbling to herself. I didn't mind. It was better than that monotonous business tone.

"A date. You, me, a table of food, maybe some conversation." I grinned at her red face, memorizing this expression.

She scoffed in my face.

"In your dreams, Casanova. Can we just discuss your yearly review? I have other things I should be doing."

"You are stunning, you know? One look at you and my heart pops right out of my chest without so much as a two weeks' notice and falls at your feet." I gaze at her with wide doe-eyes, pouting like a child.

"That is adorable. Maybe I should send you to the advertising department. Let's talk about your performance." Her eyes challenged me to provoke her again, and a part of me couldn't resist.

"Let me guess. Spectacular work, outstanding performance, almost indispensable? You are welcome. It is a pleasure working under a beautiful woman like you. I mean, wow. Beauty and brains? And they say the combination doesn't exist." I said offhandedly.

"Actually, few of your projects were less than satisfactory." Her ice was back, and that eyebrow shot back up. I noticed how she completely disregarded the compliments, and neatly ignored the glowing reports I also had.

"Just two in a list of twenty three. That last one got our department a lot of recognition from the Powers That Be. A nice success rate, if you are good at math. You topped that subject in school, didn't you? You are that smart type." I leaned on the desk, resting my face on my elbows.

She looked less than impressed.

"Actually, I barely scraped through. Thank you for your contribution, Mr Pai. That will be all." She stood up, tall and confident, and walked in those skyscraper heels like a professional. I knew she practiced that walk everyday.

"You know you love me!" I said over my back, strolling away confidently. I could feel her eyes glaring into the back of my head. I smiled to myself.

I waited for her to react, loving how I could get a reaction out of her, no matter what.

Alarms blared throughout the building, startling everyone. Everyone made a mad dash for the exits, but I knew that the only one leaving, would be her.

Sure enough, she began to fade into the air, pulled away to another world. Her world.

I grabbed for her, instinctively, but my hands met with nothingness, and I settled for the sweet agony.

Even as the clocks ticked and fans creaked overhead, I waited patiently for her to return. She would be out there, yawning and stretching, the dream half forgotten, getting ready for the day ahead. She would smile to herself on the way to her college, and wonder what would have happened next. But in the end, she will have to sleep, and I will be there, waiting to pick up where we left off.

I was the man of her dreams, and she was the centre of my reality.

A/n:
Another birthday dedication. To those born on the eleventh of March, you are all probably charming and funny, because my friend definitely is, and you share the same birthday!
Hope you love this story, it is my idea of a faraway birthday gift.
Toodles, my readers!