Find me in the evening [attn: Owen]

"Can we take it really slow and just see where it goes? No pressure from either of us?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't know," Owen said softly and honestly, but more to himself than Lynne. "I mean, we were just kids when she--" His gaze shot up to Lynne. "Everytime I see you, I think of her, but I don't want to. I want to be-- spend time with you, not her. I need... I can't... I just..."

Owen collapsed on the stool, head in his hands.

"I mean, we were just kids when she--" His gaze shot up to Lynne. "Everytime I see you, I think of her, but I don't want to. I want to be-- spend time with you, not her. I need... I can't... I just..."

Lynne watched as Owen dropped down onto the stool taking his head in his hands. She closed her eyes and wet her lips before leaning forward, takins his face in her hands and guiding him to look up at her. She pressed her lips against his forehead and looked him in the eye. "Owen, if you see me and think of her, you're in the same place I am," she said knowingly.

"I'm not Katie and I never will be; same as you're not Matthew and you never will be. That's why I'm saying we should take it slow.

"I'm not saying let's not kiss anymore or we shouldn't fuck before we go to bed, you know? I'm saying...let's not go rushing into calling each other girlfriend and boyfriend, yet. That's all. Having that title scares me, right now, but not I'm not afraid of you and I'm not afraid of trying again. I'm just afraid of failing..." she said gently.

"But this thing we have going here?" she went on, sitting back again. "It's a good thing, I think, for both of us. I don't want to stop seeing you, Owen. I don't want to stop talking to you on the phone and having you over...holding your hand when we're in your car; kissing you when I see you again. I don't want to stop any of that. I just...am not really ready for the title. Does that make any sense...?"

Owen didn't mean to break down, but if he was going to, he'd prefer it be in front of her. He leaned forward and hugged her again, trying very hard to recompose himself. After a few moments he leaned back and looked at her. "God, we don't start meals well," he laughed nervously.

Owen hugged her and Lynne felt relief wash over her. He hadn't gotten up and walked out the door; he understood. She closed her eyes, resting her chin on his shoulder as he hugged her and she inhaled the intermingling scents of his cologne and shampoo. She could definitely get used to this...it just might take a while to trust him, through no fault of his own.

Then, he pulled away and looked back at her.

"God, we don't start meals well," he laughed nervously.

"We really don't," Lynne laughed. "And I'm starving...so, shall we?" she asked, a genuine smile appearing on her face as she looked back at him.

"We really don't," Lynne laughed. "And I'm starving...so, shall we?"

"Yes, please," he said, handing her a box, "I haven't had anything to eat since lunch."

"How difficult d'you think it'd be to already be eating whenever we see each other from now on?" he joked.

Lynne laughed and, after opening her box, picked up her chopsticks and wasted no time gathering some lo mein noodles on them. "Oh, you might be sorry, eating with me all the time, once I get really comfortable and start eating like the hog that I really am," she joked back. She paused, noticing the other set of chopsticks. "...you know how to use 'em, too?" she asked, impressed. It was seldom she met someone who could properly use a pair of chopsticks without making a hideous mess and if Owen could, that was just one more thing on her list of things she lov---really liked about him.

"...you know how to use 'em, too?" she asked, impressed.

"Yeah, my boss made us all learn... Said we should embrace the diversity of our home planet, or something like that... I don't really know what he's talking about half of the time..." He smiled at her jokingly. "In fact, about two years ago, he tried to have us eat a different cultures native food every day, but there was almost a coup after about a week."

"Yeah, my boss made us all learn... Said we should embrace the diversity of our home planet, or something like that... I don't really know what he's talking about half of the time..."

"Your home planet?" Lynne laughed. "In a doctor's office in Cardiff? He sounds a bit weird to me, but I suppose he's not wrong about embracing diversity..." she paused and grinned. "You should tell him you're dating an American and ask if that's good enough to suffice," she joked.

"Yeah, he's a bit... spacey sometimes. A nice bloke and all, but a bit... you know," Owen replied.

Owen ignored the statement about working in a doctor's office.

"You should tell him you're dating an American and ask if that's good enough to suffice,"

"It might be, except he's an American, too," he shook his head in joking concern. "I have not met my diversity quota for the week... I wonder if Chinese food counts?" He grinned.

"It might be, except he's an American, too,"

Lynne smirked and pointed a chopstick at Owen. "Yes, but are you sleeping with him?" she joked. "Maybe the Chinese will do it...beats French cuisine. I took a French course back in high school and we had to all bring in a French dish...half of it was completely disgusting, let me just tell you," she said. "Avoid their seafood, if you can help it," she advised with mock seriousness.

This is so much better. We're both relaxed and having fun again. There's plenty of time to get to where I think we both, on some level, want to be. For now...this is good. she thought to herself pleasantly. Somewhere, deep down, she really did want to be Owen's girlfriend, but having just met him, she was a bit afraid that she'd manage to muck it up before he got to know her well enough to decipher what she meant out of the stupid way she tended to say things.

"And, hey, I'm sorry I kind of look, you know..." Lynne made a face and a sound of indifference. "I thought it'd take you longer, so I took my time and never got to finish getting ready."

"Yes, but are you sleeping with him?"

"No, but I don't think he'd be entirely opposed to the idea," Owen replied, cocking an eyebrow and looking mildly confused.

"And, hey, I'm sorry I kind of look, you know..." Lynne made a face and a sound of indifference. "I thought it'd take you longer, so I took my time and never got to finish getting ready."

"What? No," he said, smiling at her genuinely, "Don't pull that on me, you look gorgeous."

"No, but I don't think he'd be entirely opposed to the idea," Owen replied, cocking an eyebrow and looking mildly confused.

Lynne grinned. "Well, I should think not; you're fairly amazing in the sack. But what I'd meant was..." she paused and shook her head. "I'm such shit at wording myself. Never mind. Was totally more amusing in my head," she laughed.

"What? No," he said, smiling at her genuinely, "Don't pull that on me, you look gorgeous."

Lynne blushed a little and looked down. "I really, really don't, but thank you," she said softly, looking back up at him sheepishly. "So what's next on the list of plans? I hadn't really thought this out when I invited you over," she admitted. "I just wanted to spend more time with you. I'm not very good at all this, am I?" she laughed, blushing harder.

Owen couldn't help but smile at her when she blushed and looked away. "That, right there, is adorable, so I don't know what you're talking about."

"So what's next on the list of plans? I hadn't really thought this out when I invited you over,"

"I don't... I don't really know," Owen said, checking his watch. It was still early. "We could... watch a film, perhaps, or, I don't know," a mischievous grin grew across his face, "...relax..." He cocked an eyebrow playfully.

"That, right there, is adorable, so I don't know what you're talking about."

Lynne could only blush harder and look away again for a moment before looking back. "If you say so..." she giggled.

"I don't... I don't really know," Owen said, checking his watch. It was still early. "We could... watch a film, perhaps, or, I don't know," a mischievous grin grew across his face, "...relax..." He cocked an eyebrow playfully.

Lynne raised her eyebrows at him and smirked. "I could use some relaxation..." she replied coyly. She paused before leaning over and kissing him. Pulling away, only ever so slightly, Lynne moved her lips to his ear, letting them brush against his skin as she whispered, "and now I'm suddenly not all that hungry, anymore..."

Owen smiled and leaned back enough to kiss Lynne full on the lips, one hand resting itself on her hip as the other held the back of her neck. He stood them up and leaned her against the counter, the hand that was on her hip moving to her back.

The breakfast bar dug into her back as Owen leaned her against it, kissing her. She broke the kiss just long enough to boost herself up onto the counter, spreading her knees enough to pull Owen to her and crush her mouth back onto his. One of her hands threaded itself into the short hairs at the nape of his neck while she cupped his jaw with the other.

Owen let out a small moan when Lynne backed out of their kiss. She hopped up on the counter and pulled him back in. Owen returned the kiss in full force, one hand bunching her shirt on her back, the other tracing up her leg. He released himself from her lips and started kissing and nipping at her neck and jawline, moving his hips against her.

Lynne let out a soft sigh and let her head drop back as Owen moved his lips to her neck. She felt his hips move against hers and she tightened her knees around them to stop him. "Bedroom," she breathed. The counter was not the most comfortable place to be sitting, as it turned out...

She gently pushed him away and hopped off the counter, kissing him again, before fisting his shirt and walking backward out of the kitchen and toward her room, dragging him along with her, all without breaking the kiss.