Gina arrived back at her apartment in a daze. She wasn't surprised by Paul's little confession about the turban, in fact she found it quite hilarious. What worried her was that for the first time a long time, she was letting down her guard.

          Gina had always found herself reluctant to show emotion of any kind. In some ways it went with the job, you had to be brutal and forthright and it had stuck more than it should. She hated to appear weak and needy and as much as she hated to admit it to herself, Paul was bringing out that side of her. She felt herself pushing down the unrelenting desire to be with him constantly. It didn't matter that they'd only know each other a few days, the truth was she was glad of the company, he was making her feel things that no man who'd ever bedded her had made her feel and Gina couldn't help but feel just a little scared. She hated the thought of needing someone, she was used to being alone and doing her own thing. What do you do when you're verging on addiction to another human being? Is there a known cure or nine times out of ten is it just a phase? And just what do you do when the most amazing person you've ever met after only one date says that he is essentially in love with you?

          She stood just inside the door and looked at the keys in her hand, then around her bare, lonely apartment and back at the keys in her hand.
          "Guess there's only one way to find out?" Gina said quietly and she turned right back around and walked back out of her apartment. She slid back into her car and turned up the radio as she headed back in the direction of Paul's apartment.

          You just walk in
          I make you smile
          It's cool but you don’t even know me
          You take an inch, I run a mile
          Can't win you're always right behind me
          And we know that you could go and find some other
          Take or leave it or just don't even bother
          Caught in a craze, it's just a phase
          Or will this be around forever
          Don't you know it's going to fast
          Racing so hard you know it won't last
          Don't you know, what can't you see
          Slow it down, read the sign, so you know just where you are going

          "Oh for god's sake, an omen in a Spice Girls song," Gina groaned and switched radio stations again. "If the next song to come on relates anyway to my life I'm find the nearest cliff and driving off it."

          "Stop right now, thankyou very much, I need somebody with the human touch. Hey you always on the run. Gotta slow it down baby, gotta have some fun." Paul sang as he bopped away in front of his easel. "Do, do, do, do, do…do, do, do, do, do…do, do, do, do, do…always be together. Ba, da, ba, ba…ba, da, ba, ba…ba, da, da, da…stay that way forever." He looked back at his half finished painting and realised that during his performance the paint brush had got swiped across the canvas and left a prominent green streak through everything. "Fucking Spice Girls, not only is that damn song gonna be stuck in my head for fucking days but they've ruined my masterpiece and all." He looked miserably at the ugly green streak and decided that he hadn't the patience to deal with it at that moment. If he was honest with himself, his mind hadn't been on doing the damn thing in the first place. In fact, he was feeling something between confusion, horror and elation and it was all starting to give him a headache and a strong desire to right himself off completely.

          He wiped his hands on a damp rag and headed to his bedroom, refusing to look back at the green streak that was now at the forefront of his mind and bothering him more than was probably healthy. It was that or he was looking for an excuse not to agonise about why Gina hadn't wanted to stay with him. He'd bared his soul to her, something he never did until about three months into a relationship and even then that was quite early. Yet she'd let him go, just like that, like a small boy to a Christian Brother. He kicked off his shoes and stripped to his boxers and t-shirt before crawling into bed. He tried to relax but just found himself glaring at the ceiling and listening to the neighbours having one of their god-awful parties, this time it was a Spice Girls party and if they didn’t stop soon he was going to show them what scary really was.

          Gina got nearly all the way to Paul's apartment block, before she turned off and found herself gripping the steering wheel in a vacant car park overlooking the beach. She sat just mulling things over in her mind until there was a knock on the window and a rather unsavoury looking man stood there drooling. She quickly started the engine and drove to Paul's apartment block where she found herself sitting, gripping the steering wheel again. Every time she felt she was ready to go up there and fall into his arms, she managed to talk herself out of it. What if he gets angry? What if someone else is there and I make a dick of myself? Maybe he doesn't like people turning up unannounced? Will he think I'm moving too fast? I'll give it a few more minutes. When Gina finally talked herself into getting out of the car it was nearly 3am. She locked the door behind her and decided it was now or never.

          She stood outside his door and knocked, timidly at first and then slightly louder. She leaned forward gently and listened, there was movement and she stepped back as the door opened slightly. Paul was half-asleep, ruffled and his hair was doing something unnatural.
          "Genie," he croaked. "What you doing here?" he added, rubbing his eyes. Everything Gina had been planning to say just came out as; "I was just passing."
          "At 3am?" Paul gasped.
          "There's an all night chemist a block away I like to hang at when I have insomnia," Gina shrugged.
          "Is there a particular reason you woke me?" Paul yawned, propping himself up against the doorframe.
          "They have a sale on shampoo," Gina winced.
          "You woke me at 3am to tell me an all night chemist has a sale on shampoo?"
          "Bargain prices shouldn't be sniffed at," Gina mumbled as they heard voices emanating from the next apartment. The door opened and a group of people emerged, all dressed as various Spice Girls. "It was an omen."
          "What was an omen?" Paul asked still not entirely awake.
          "A Spice Girls song I heard on the way over," Gina smiled. "It's stupid I know."
          "I'm holding them personally responsible for the destruction of my art," Paul shrugged. "What song did you hear?" and then they both said at the same time "Stop."
          Paul gave a tired laugh as Gina looked bewildered, "That was kinda freaky," she mused.
          "So, before we're dragged into an orgy with Sporty, Ginger and Posh do you want to come in?" Paul smiled as he moved aside to let her in.
          "Oh, I've already woken you. I should just go," Gina breathed and shoved a hand in her pocket to hunt out her keys.
          "Don't be fucking stupid," Paul mused, grabbed her hand and pulled her into his apartment. It was pitch dark inside and Gina didn't let go of him for fear of running into and breaking anything valuable. She allowed herself to be led through the dark into the only room that had a dull light on, his bedroom. "Make yourself at home," Paul declared as he crawled back beneath the covers. Gina sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. This was weirder than she expected, being with Paul in a hotel room was fine but in his apartment, in his bed was downright scary.
          "That was pretty freaky about that song hey?" she piped up, trying to repress her nerves and taking in his room at the same time. The half-finished drawings and trinkets he'd picked up from around the world were fascinating. Although the plastic human body, like you're shown in Biology classes, was slightly disturbing.
          "Yeah," Paul mused and fell into the best television presenter voice he could muster at that hour. "Tonight on The Extraordinary, two people hear the same Spice Girls song at the same time. One thinks it's an omen, the other destroys a piece of art. On that same night, those same two people see the Spice Girls."
          "You're an idiot," Gina declared, relaxing slightly and swatting his leg.
          "So," Paul began. "Are you going to come to bed or just loiter on the edge of my bed until dawn?"
          "You sure it's ok?" Gina asked, reaching down to unzip her boots.
          "No, I've changed my mind, I hate you now, leave," Paul said sarcastically. "Really, do you even have to ask?"
          "Sorry," Gina mumbled as she slid off her jeans, decided against taking her t-shirt off and skilfully removed her bra from underneath.
          "That's a fucking skill you have," Paul yawned and switched off the light as she climbed beneath the covers. She didn't move closer to him, preferring to just lie there feeling weird.
          "Genie," Paul sighed rolling onto his side to look at her. "I'm sensing you're not comfortable and although it's late and I'd much rather be sleeping, what's wrong?"
          "I guess I'm just not used to this…"
          "What? Being in close proximity to another human being?"
          "No, this relationship thing. I mean, we are having a relationship aren't we?" Gina asked.
          "Well, that's what usually happens when two people who are attracted to each other hang out on a regular basis," Paul replied. "Do you need written confirmation or something?"
          "But we've only been on one proper date, we still barely know each other and it all just seems so serious so soon."
          "Genie, for fucks sake," Paul said with a tired laugh. "There's no rules on this shit. We're attracted to each other, we have a great time together and dammit if we want to be pathetic and spend every spare second together because for once in our lives we're actually happy does it really matter?"
          Gina turned over to face him; "I'm scared."
          "Scared? Scared of what?" Paul asked as he stifled a yawn.
          "I don't know. That you'll make me fall madly in love with you and then leave me or decide you'd rather be 'just friends.'"
          "If it’s any consolation I have a nagging fear you're going to run off with some tanned foreign correspondent," Paul breathed and reached over to caress her cheek. "We can't predict the future, all we can do is live for the moment. You're stressing way too much about, well everything. I say we enjoy what we have and see where it takes us. We might break up tomorrow, we might last a few years, Christ we get married and end up with five kids."
          "How can you be so rational at nearly 4am?" Gina said softly as she moved closer to him, her fingers slipping under his t-shirt and stroking the warm skin it concealed.
          "I have no idea," Paul smiled. "Are we cool? Can I go to sleep now safe in the knowledge that I won't wake to find you rocking in the corner?"
          "I have to get up in just over three hours," Gina mused before they shared a brief kiss. Paul switched out the light and they finally relaxed until the stereo next door was turned up.

          Hasta manana, always be mine
          Viva forever, I'll be waiting
          Everlasting like the sun
          Live forever, for the moment
          Ever searching, for the one

          "Fucking Spice Girls," Paul groaned.
          "Hon, you almost quoted a Spice Girls song to me?" Gina giggled.
          Paul's eyes flew open and he sat bolt upright and screamed. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
          "Oh yeah, that worked," Gina sighed as the music was turned up louder.

          "…And that's the news headlines for this hour, it's 10:05 and you're listening to Triple J…."
          Gina gave a contented groan as she turned over and came nearly face to face with Paul. She sleepily smiled and pressed her lips against his. He equally sleepily responded as her hands moved over his bare torso, his t-shirt had become discarded sometime during the night.
          "Your hands are cold," Paul breathed.
          "Sorry," Gina giggled as Paul's hands slid through her hair and pulled her closer for another kiss.
          "This is a fantastic way to wake up," he declared with a half-asleep grin. "What time is it."
          Gina grabbed his wrist and rubbed her eyes as she checked the time on his watch, "10:15, oh shit, I'm late for work."
          "Ah well, no point in going in now," Paul sighed and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Might as well stay here with me."
          Gina laughed as she reluctantly sat up. "As tempting as that sounds, I need my pay packet."
          "I'll pay you," Paul offered as he sat up. His hair was even worse than when she'd arrived at 3am and he looked like he was having an aneurism as he tried to make his eyes stay open.
          "Oh thanks, I'll be officially a hooker."
          "Ah but what a hooker," Paul giggled and kissed her cheek.
          "You are so lucky I like you," Gina said narrowing her eyes. "I better go have a shower."
          "Well, then I should apologise now for my lack of girlie cleaning products. I mean the closest you're gonna get to something that smells nice is the shampoo."
          "Oh you're missing out. Once you've had strawberry shower gel rubbed into your skin you never look back," Gina teased as she got out of bed and straightened her t-shirt.
          "Well if you're offering I can pop round to that all night chemist you were on about," Paul said, trying desperately to keep a straight face but ended up giggling as Gina shook her head and left the room.

          Paul's bathroom was pretty much how she expected it, bare of anything even remotely useful to a women. There was one towel draped precariously over the towel rack, a well used looking razor, shaving foam, a selection of aftershaves that had obviously been bought for him by older relatives. A couple of different hair products, comb, a dilapidated toothbrush and nearly squeezed to death tube of toothpaste, some horrendous smelling guy shampoo and a tub of 'age defying' moisturiser.
          "Interesting," Gina shrugged as she stripped off and slid beneath the hot water. She was risking using the guy shampoo to wash her hair and humming a tune she wasn't even sure was a song when she felt cold air on her bare skin. Gina turned with her hair still half shampooed to see that Paul had joined her in the shower.
          "Do I get some hot water too?" he asked. Gina was speechless and pondering what to cover first. "What? It's my apartment and if I want to save on water bills I will."
          Gina started to stress but quickly pushed it aside. She was butt naked in the shower with an incredibly sexy man, were there really any issues there? "You're exactly right," she cooed guiding him under the water making sure to press her bare, wet flesh against his.
          "Wish I had some strawberry shower gel," Paul breathed as their lips edged closer.
          "I bet you do," Gina mumbled as she found herself buried in his mouth again. "I'm gonna be so late for work."
          "You're already late, who cares?" Paul gasped, his hands caressing her damp skin as hers became tangled in his dark hair.

          "Where the hell have you been?" Danny scorned as Gina rushed to her desk.
          "I slept in," she replied dropping her bag on the floor and grabbing the top sheet from her inbox.

          "Gina it's nearly lunch time," Danny gasped.
          "My alarm's broken."
          "Your shirt buttons are done up wrong."
          "I was rushing and you shouldn't be looking there."
          "It's inside out too."
          "I'm so glad you're so concerned about the state of my shirt but I think work is slightly more important," Gina huffed as the phone rang on her desk. She picked it up and was told by Amanda to go to her office pronto.
          "Well?" Danny asked raising an eyebrow.
          "Amanda wants to see me," Gina sighed.
          "Great, I'll just write your article on that press conference I went to for you this morning shall I?" Danny scowled.
          "Oh would you Dan, thanks," Gina babbled as she hurried along the corridor to Amanda's office.

          When she got there Amanda was berating one of the entertainment journalists.
          "That's all you got from the interview?" Amanda spat. The journalist nodded miserably. "You should be ashamed, that's pathetic it won’t go to print and you can explain to his publicist why it didn't." The journalist gave a sniff and dashed from Amanda's office.
          "You rang," Gina sighed, closing the door behind her.
          "Oh hi Gina," Amanda perked. "She's a new girl, straight out of uni, no idea whatsoever."
          "So I gathered," Gina nodded.
          "Why is your shirt inside out?"
          "I slept in."
          Amanda raised an eyebrow as Gina righted her shirt. "So, how'd the big date go?"
          "What big date?" Gina asked, doing up the last button on the shirt and then falling into a chair.
          "Don't play coy with me," Amanda scorned. "You promised details."
          "I think you'll find you promised details."
          "Gina."
          "Fine, I met him at a bar and he was drunk."
          "Oh no!"
          "He confessed to wanting to have my children and kissed me."
          "What? Just like that? Just kissed you?"
          "Yeah, pretty much," Gina nodded. "Then we had cake and went dancing. We got back to my place at like 5am or something and we crashed on my bed."
          "He spent the night with you?" Amanda gasped as her phone rang. She picked up the receiver and stuck it on hold.
          "Nothing happened. Then I had to back to Adelaide for bloody Tina's party."
          "Was it as bad as you imagined."
          "No, Paul, sorta kinda showed up."
          Amanda's mouth fell open. "After one date he followed you to Adelaide."
          "Yeah, insane isn't it? Anyway to cut a long story short we ended up having sex on his hotel room floor."
          "You fucked him!"
          "A bit, well a lot actually," Gina sniggered as Amanda looked like she was about to pass out from shock. "Then yesterday he met my parents who adored him."
          "This is so not fair," Amanda pouted.
          "There's more," Gina perked. "He told me I make him feel naked an vulnerable."
          "Oh, that's so sweet."
          "He told me I make him happy."
          "Aw!"
          "Oh yeah, and we did it in the shower this morning."
          "I officially hate you," Amanda gasped. "I thought you'd meet him, babble a bit, get all embarrassed and tell me what a dick you made of yourself. You weren't supposed to have him fall in love with you and screw each others brains out."
          "You want to know what else?" Gina smiled.
          "What?" Amanda half-laughed.
          "I think I'm falling in love with him," Gina blushed.
          "About time," Amanda nodded, grabbing the receiver she'd abandoned. "While I'm thoroughly jealous. You deserve that rosy glow that's on your cheeks. My god, Gina Coleman is in love, this could be the end of the world as we know it."

          Paul was sauntering through the ABC carpark when he noticed Mikey getting out of his girlfriend's car. He stopped and waited for him to catch up, an unshakeable smile on his face.
          "Good afternoon Michael," Paul perked and patted Mikey on the back.
          "Afternoon and what illegal substances are you on?" Mikey asked as they made their way into the foyer.
          "Absolutory nothing but life mate."
          "Excuse me?" Mikey said almost unbelieving as they both waved at the security guard and headed for the elevator.
          "What? Aren't I allowed a good mood?"
          "Sure, I've just never seen one on you before."
          "Get fucked," Paul said half-heartedly as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Want to know why?"
          Mikey rolled his eyes, "Fine, why are you in a good mood?"
          Paul grinned broadly, "Genie."
          "What? You rubbed an old vase and a genie appeared and granted you three wishes?" Mikey said bewildered. "Didn't ask for a never ending packet of TimTams did you?"
          Paul's face fell. "No you idiot, Gina, the hot little journalist I told you about."
          "So you fucked her?" Mikey said bluntly.
          "Mikey, it’s more than that mate. This woman she, she makes me feel things that I never feel," Paul gushed.
          "What? Less simian?" Mikey chided.
          Paul shot Mikey an annoyed look, "I'm serious, I think I'm in love with her."
          "But you slept with her right?"
          Paul floundered a moment, "Yes, but it's more than that."
          "Of course it is little fella," Mikey mused and slapped Paul on the back as the elevator doors opened.
          "You don't believe me do you?" Paul grumbled as they headed to the boardroom for the meeting they'd been called too.
          "I might had I not heard it a million times before mate. No offence but you're not exactly Mr Monogamous."
          "But I do love her," Paul mumbled, stopping and grabbing Mikey's arm. "I'd do anything for her from buying strawberry scented shower gel to staying home to watch bad British detective shows on Friday night."
          Mikey's eyes went wide, "Shit, you have got it bad."
          "Told you I did," Paul pouted.
          "Afternoon boys," Julie McCrossin, the other team captain on Good News Week perked as she walked up behind them. They both greeted her. "What are you talking about?" she asked as they headed for the boardroom door.
          "Paul's in love," Mikey said bluntly as he opened the door.
          "Not again," Julie chuckled.
          "Hey!" Paul whined and closed the door behind him.

          By late afternoon Gina was staring blankly at her monitor. Her brain had been turned to mush and the only article she'd managed to churn out was about a woman who'd fallen in love with a convicted killer. They wanted to marry even though his life sentence for the murder of 18 women would mean he'd never get out of gaol and after a brief phone interview with the woman Gina had decided it was an injustice and had written the story with that angle. Her editor had wondered if she'd lost the plot completely and she'd been force to re-write it.
          "You're driving me insane," Danny announced.
          "Hey? What?" Gina mumbled as she focussed her attention on him.
          "You, you're pathetic woman," he teased.
          "You know Dan, ever since I graduated I wanted to work at this paper and I worked damn hard to get here. The day I got the job I thought I was happy and you know what, I was so wrong."
          "You're not about to up and leave me are you?" Danny gasped.
          "Nah, but I think I'm entitled to live a little."
          "I agree," Danny smiled. "Go on, go home, go and have more sex and I'll finish your bloody article."
          "I can't get you to do that. You've already done everything else for me today."
          "Yeah I can, go before I change my mind," Danny ordered.
          "You are too nice for your own good Daniel," Gina smiled as she grabbed her bag. "I owe you big time," she added and gave him a peck on the cheek.
          "Get off me and go home," Danny chided and pushed her away.
          "Going," Gina giggled all the way to the elevator.

          Gina got to her car and happily fell into the driver's seat. She tapped the steering wheel a moment and then grabbed her cell phone and called Paul.
          "Do you know how hard it is to disguise the colour green?"
          "I like green."
          "What are you a leprechaun?"
          "I might be? Why? Do you have a kinky midget fetish?"
          "Well since you ask…sorry, I've dragged you off on a tangent. Why'd you call babe?"
          "Well, I've been away from you for four hours and I miss you. How sad is that?"
          "Just pathetic. How soon can we meet up I'm dying here without you?"
          Gina giggled, "Well, I've got a couple of things to do first but if you get to my place at say six, I'll make you dinner."
          "Ohh dare I ask what's for dessert?"
          "I haven't decided. Maybe I'll enact that chocolate sauce fantasy of mine."
          "In that case can we skip dinner and go straight for the kinky stuff?"
          "So, are you coming or what?"
          "Well…" Paul cackled as Gina groaned at the realisation of what she'd just said. "No, seriously, I'll be there at six. Want me to bring anything?"
          "Chapstick," Gina replied instantly.
          Paul let out a low growl; "I hope that's for some lurid act and not dinner."
          "Guess you'll have to wait and see huh?" Gina smirked as she ended the call and chucked her phone onto the passenger seat. "He's so bad for me."