Matthew was late again. This was not unusual. He should make this his normal starting time and be done with it. But instead the morning sees him running around, trying to find a clean shirt as the clock reads 7.01am. He should be leaving now not combing his hair! He curses and complains while buttoning his shirt. He snatches up his tie, throws his shoes on, grabs his satchel and barrels out the door.

�Please let there be petrol!� He begs to the sky as he turns the key. �YES!� He calls triumphantly and hurls down the road in his beet red Holden Commodore station wagon.

�Ah peak hour traffic, don�t you just love it!� He comments in frustration to the bumper of the car in front of him. His own fault he thought for having that extra 15 minutes under the covers when he accidentally shut off the alarm instead of hitting the snooze button. He was stopped at one of the many sets of traffic lights along Nepean Hwy. He looked around, bored, trying to avoid thinking of the workday ahead. In the car next to him was a couple kissing. The girl pulled away laughing and tickled the guy, the guy starting laughing too. The car horn from behind them reminded him of what he was supposed to be doing. Matthew drove along and suddenly felt depressed. Matthew wished he had that. He had gone out with a couple of girls, but it was never serious, just a couple of dates here and there. He knew what he was looking for, he never thought it would be that hard to find that special someone but obviously it was. He didn�t think he wanted anything out of this world, or unthinkable. Just a nice girl, who he can talk to and feel comfortable around. She didn�t have to be gorgeous he wasn�t that superficial. He wanted someone that liked him for him. He knew in his heart that he would know it when he found her, he just had to find her.

As Matthew pulled up to yet another set of traffic lights, he saw a very nice looking car next to him. As he pulled up next to it he looked over and saw one of the prettiest girls he had ever seen. He couldn�t take his eyes off her. She looked over to him and just smiled. He expected some rude gesture or something, but it was just a nice smile. The lights changed, she turned left as he drove straight. He wanted to follow her but had to go straight. Because he was so late he decided to park across from his work in the more expensive carpark rather than parking at the cheaper Arts Centre carpark.

He stumbled into work, surprisingly only a few minutes late. No one noticed, of course. He could never figure out why he felt so guilty if he was late, when no one here really cared. The term unappreciated didn�t even begin to cover his situation at work. In fact no one in his department felt good about their position. But he felt as if nothing could be done about it. A staff meeting had been called for this morning his Outlook reminder informed him. He made his way into the conference room expecting the old �Come on guys we need to do this� and �Come on guys we need to do that� and of course the all important �We value your contribution to this organisation�. Meaning we are still not going to give you any respect or any more money, but we expect the same high level of work that other organisations are churning out. He just couldn�t be bothered.

Matthew got himself comfortable in the green cushy meeting room chairs, with the rest of the boys and settled in for the impending lecture. Rodge and Chris debated whether it was going to be about all the dirty e-mails that had been going around. Matthew just sat back with his feet stretched out in front of him, his hands clasped on his belly and thoughts of that girl running through his head. He couldn�t figure out why he couldn�t get her out of his head. He hardly saw her. He really noticed the car first. An impeccably kept antique convertible MG, black. Then he saw her. She was by no means stunning. But she had something about her, about the way she just smiled at him; it was so nice and inviting.

Geoff walked in and started talking. Matthew wasn�t even looking at him; instead he just doodled on the paper in front of him. �Boys, I wanted to start off this meeting by introducing someone. She will be starting with the Records Department, in the building section helping all you blokes out. Be nice to her, give her a break. Her name is Janna.� He motioned to the door for her to come in. �Janna this is the building guys, you will get introduced around to everyone later, guys this is Janna.�
At that point Matthew lifted his head to do the obligatory smile and �hi ya� to the poor new girl starting in Records. She waved her hand and shyly smiled at everyone. She looked a little overwhelmed. Matthew�s face looked as if he had been stunned. He couldn�t stop looking at her. It was only when Rodge leaned over and said �Wrighty close your mouth� that he realised he was gaping. It was her!! The MG girl, the smile. She was very pretty and quite tall, with a nice hour glass figure. Her hair was a light blonde colour, cut just above her shoulders. And that smile, it just brightened up her whole face. Matthew hadn�t heard anything Geoff had said after that. Janna smiled and said she looked forward to meeting them all and hoped she would live up to the standard set by this organisation, to which all the boys laughed and said that wouldn�t be hard. She laughed, a little uncomfortably and left.

Geoff continued discussing issues and talking about future meetings. Matthew had never wanted to leap out of his chair so much in his life. What was wrong with him? She could be a lunatic. She could be a mean and horrible woman, who has 3 kids and an ex husband that is out for her blood, because she cheated on him. But he didn�t care, he just wanted to talk to her.

The meeting ended and all the boys went back to their desks. Matthew found it hard to go straight back to his desk. Records was only around the corner; he could casually walk by and introduce himself. He paced around his desk nervously trying to find a way to start a conversation. He was about to walk around and see her when Joe came up and started talking about one of his notices. Matthew didn�t comprehend at all. He heard what Joe had said, he was looking straight at him, but he wasn�t really listening, he just had to see her again. Joe finished his spiel and Matthew walked around the corner with a perfectly prepared question for Jack whose desk would be right next to Janna�s. He was confronted with Jack and Sarah who both work in Records, but no Janna. His disappointment must have been obvious because Jack, in his thick Australian gravel of a voice said with a smile �Sorry mate, she�s down having training.� Matthew just laughed it off and sulked back to his desk.

Weeks had past, Janna settled into her job and Matthew plodded along with his. Matthew saw Janna everyday and they exchanged polite conversation regarding work and generic questions about weekend activities. Matthew had been trying to figure out if Janna had a boyfriend. He was almost positive she did, she had never mentioned anyone, but someone like her had to have a boyfriend.

Janna of course considered the same thing. She had noticed Matthew when she first started work. He looked sweet and seemed very nice. She noticed his dimples almost immediately, she loved dimples. He was about her height, which was good, with dark brown hair, cut short. She hated long hair on men. She also noticed that his eyes were the same colour as hers, sort of hazel with a green tint. She wasn�t looking for anyone, she had broken up with her boyfriend a few months before, but he seemed really nice and they seem to get along really well, and of course the face that he was really cute didn�t hurt. Janna wasn�t that superficial, she just like the way he looked. She was sure though that he had a girlfriend, the guys were always commenting about someone or other, especially some girl from Engineering, named Sally.

Janna tried to control her crush because she was positive she never stood a chance, especially when at the end of year ball, Janna watched Matthew dance all night with Sally from Engineering. They really seemed to enjoy each other�s company. She had brought her friend Dan along with her because she was too afraid to ask Matthew to the ball. After that night, her conversations became less and less frequent with Matthew because she convinced herself he was now with Sally. She became painfully professional with him and would often not answer him with anything other than a yes and no if she could help it. She wasn�t sure why she was so jealous, he never made a move, they just made polite conversation, and she should be able to just be friends with him. She finally admitted to herself that she had a little more than a crush. She felt pathetic. Janna really wasn�t sure how this was supposed to work, she had never just dated anyone and never someone from work, her last boyfriend she had had since high school. How would she even bring it up? There was no point, she would just have to forget the whole crazy idea. He worked around the corner so she would only have to see him if he needed something.

The weather had started to turn with the leaves, the air outside became crisp. Not that anyone who works inside an office could tell. It was a few weeks before Moomba. All the advertisements had started to penetrate the media and people with kids were talking about how much it is now and reminiscing about the days when you could ride for free and drinks and chips were less than $2. Matthew had wanted to ask Janna for a while now. He didn�t have the nerve to just ask her, so instead he wrote her an e-mail asking her about a property he had a notice on. At the end of it he casually asked her what she was doing for lunch.

Janna stared at the screen. She knew exactly where the file was, that was the easy part. However the end of the message, did he mean that he wanted to go with her, or was he just being curious? She watched the blinking cursor mock her, with her hands poised over the keyboard ready to type. But what was she going to say? It was a simple enough question and the answer was the same as it always was, she was having lunch by herself. But how to write that without sounding pathetic. She decided after a long deliberation with her conscious and her logic that she would ignore it. He was probably just making polite conversation and didn�t want anything else from her than that.

Janna grabbed the Peel Street file from its hiding place in the shelves and walked around the corner to Matthew�s desk. She was intent on simply dropping it off and to keep walking. She prepared herself, standing up tall and putting on her smile. She walked by and placed the file on his desk, slowly. "Keep walking you idiot� her head screamed. Matthew looked at her and smiled. She could have melted. But she didn�t, she just said, �Uh, here is the Peel Street file you requested� and started to walk off. Matthew jumped out of his seat and stood in front of her. He looked nervous, but then so was she so she couldn�t really tell if he was nervous or if it was all her.

�Did you want something else?� She asked, a faint smile hinting at the corners of her mouth.
�I just wanted to know what we were doing for lunch.�
�We, as in you and me?� She looked surprised.
�Yes�
�Oh, well, um� She shifted nervously �I don�t know, what did you have in mind?�
�Oh, um, well� He wouldn�t be surprised if she could hear his heart beating out of his ears right at this second. He looked more nervous and the colour had started to rise in his cheeks.
�I thought I would go to Australia on Collins, would you like to join me?� Please let her say yes he thought.
�I�d love to!� She said just a little to eagerly. If fact she would not have been surprised if she had jumped out of her skin right then and there. Janna was so glad no one else was around to witness this exchange. As sweet and very innocent as it was, they were both so nervous it would have been painful to watch. �Did you want to go now?� She asked.
�Um, I just have to finish something, it won�t take long, is 1 o�clock ok?� He looked worried, she thought he looked adorable.
�1 o�clock is fine� She answered smiling. Wow she has a nice smile he thought. �I will just come back around here, or do you want me to meet you there?�
�No, no here is fine.� He replied smiling nervously and fidgeting.

Janna nodded smiling and turned to walk back around to her desk. When she rounded the corner she relaxed, took a deep breath and if she had been alone she would have leaped into the air. Instead she smiled and walked back to her desk with a new spring in her step. Matthew watched her walk around the corner, took a deep breath and as he fell back into his chair he punched the air with a triumphant but soft �YES!�

Their lunches became more frequent. Each time they discussed different things, told stories, they found out they were both unattached and that they had a lot in common. But mostly they laughed, they always laughed. The lunches were always at Australia on Collins. The walk down there was almost the best part. They both walked slowly purposely bumping into each other�s shoulder softly so they could touch. They always sat across from each other so they could look into each others eyes. Matthew felt comfortable with her, Janna felt like she could tell him anything. Janna didn�t want to make the first move, but she was really anxious to see him outside of work. She knew it was silly, she was a new age modern woman, but she still wanted him to ask just in case he rejected her or just thought this whole process was them becoming friends. She was pretty sure he felt something but she wasn�t positive.

Matthew had been dying to ask Janna out since their first lunch, but something always stopped him. One Friday he got up the nerve to ask her and chickened out at the last minute and then the next two Fridays she had something on. He had to do something. Moomba was coming up very soon, and he knew that would be perfect.

Matt had agonised for ages on how exactly to ask Janna out. He hated seeing her every Monday morning when she would invariably ask how his weekend was. He tried to ask her out one Friday, in a round about way by asking her to come out with everyone for drinks after work. �Oh no I can�t� she replied �I am having dinner with friends tonight, maybe next week.� Matt felt his heart sink. He was sick of waiting.

Monday came around again. Matt was waiting at his desk, waiting for Janna to come around the corner to ask him how his weekend went. He tried to busy himself while keeping an eye out for her. At morning tea she had still not appeared. He walked around to Records to see if she was at her desk. She wasn�t there, her computer wasn�t even on.
�Bummer!� he said allowed as he walked back to his desk. �She must have an RDO � he thought. However Tuesday and Wednesday she wasn�t at work either. He started to worry. Maybe she was sick, or had been hurt or maybe worse, she had gone off on holiday and didn�t tell him!

Matt went to work Thursday feeling dejected. It had been really lonely at work without her there. He missed her e-mail jokes and her good mornings. She had really taken hold of him. Matt sat down at his desk and turned his computer on. He slumped down in his chair and wasn�t paying any attention when he heard a happy �Good morning Matthew.� It was Janna smiling at him as she walked past. He stood up with a jolt and yelled �Where have you been?!�. He realised how abrupt he sounded when Janna started and checked himself before continuing.
�I mean� Matt cleared his throat nervously �have you been on leave?�
�No, I was on a course for 3 days, did you miss me did you?� She replied, giving him a cheeky smile.
He blushed and asked her how it was, she started to reply by was interrupted by Matt�s phone. She didn�t want it to look like she was hanging around, so she left. When Janna returned to her desk there was an e-mail from Matt asking her what she was doing for lunch. She replied saying she was free and was 1 o�clock ok. She sent the message determined that today would be the day, she would just ask him out. Moomba was on that weekend, it would be the perfect place to go.

They sat at lunch, talking about general things. Matt, summonsing all his courage asked what Janna was doing on the weekend. �Well actually I�m going to Moomba� His heart sank. �With my housemate and her boyfriend. I hate being the third wheel, but I really want to go and I have no one else to go with.� He saw his chance.
�Go with me! I hate being the third wheel too, so I�ll go with you.� His heart was trying to break out of his chest. She couldn�t stop twisting her napkin round and round and she was suddenly to shy to look him in the eye.
�You would go, with me?� She just wanted to clarify, make sure she wasn�t missing anything.
�Yes you and me� he paused smiling, �Oh and Mel and her boyfriend.�
�That sounds fantastic.� They both just sat there beaming, inside and out.

That Friday at work neither of them could keep a smile from their faces. They were almost giddy with excitement. Every time Janna walked by Matt�s desk she would try to surpress a grin. Five o�clock finally rolled around, it seemed like an eternity and they still had to wait till the next day to see each other. As Janna was packing up her things to go home Matthew came up to her with a nervous shuffle.

�So I�ll see you tomorrow then, I�ll pick you up at about 7.30 right?�
�Yeah I�ll see you then�
Matt smiled and turned to walk away.
�Uh, Matt?�
He turned back grinning, happy that she had called him back, he didn�t really want to leave.
�Yeah?� He replied.
�Don�t you want my address?� She said trying to keep the giggle that was mounting at bay.
�Oh yeah that would be handy� He suddenly felt like an idiot.

Janna wrote her address and phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to him, purposely brushing her fingers across his. �Call me if you have any problems finding it�
�Ok, see you tomorrow then� He fled with his tail between his leg. She let out a giggle and shook her head thinking how adorable his dimples were when he smiled.

�Melissa have you seen my red shirt?? I can�t find it anywhere!� Janna called down the hallway.

�Andy where did you put my green shirt?� Matt yelled at his brother.

�Oh, my hair isn�t sitting right!� Janna grimaced at her reflection in the bathroom mirror while brushing furiously at her blonde locks. �Of all the nights to look totally disgusting, you choose tonight� She lamented to her unsympathetic mirror. She brushed her hair through one more time till it looked decent enough for her, threw down the brush, threw up her arms and putting her hands on her hips poked her tongue out at herself.

Matt plunged through his wardrobe to try and find the elusive green shirt. Now he had to decide what to wear on his feet. Black was to formal and runners were a bit to casual. He would wear his brown lace ups, they looked good with jeans. He ran around the house like a man possessed. A thought suddenly shot into his mind that he hadn�t considered before. �I wonder if I should get her flowers?� He stopped dead in front of his bedroom door, leaning with one hand against the frame. He couldn�t decide but if he saw some place on the way he would stop and get her some.

�Well how do I look?� She twirled for Melissa facing her expectantly.
�You look nervous� Melissa saw the worried look on Janna�s face, �but in a good way� she said reassuringly.

�Well how do I look?� Matt asked his brother who was trying to plow his way into the bathroom. Matt pulled on the bottom of his shirt and put his arms out waiting for his little brother to say something. Andy pulled back from brushing his teeth, surveyed his brother and said �You�ll do.�

Janna walked to the front door after the second ring, she didn�t want to appear to eager. She opened the door to see Matt, roses (her favourite flower) in hand. She opened the security door to allow him to come in.
�Hi� He said beaming.
�Hi� She replied grinning from ear to ear.

And so the first date began.