William’s head was spinning.

He had walked into Colleen’s house expecting nothing more than a quick visit. She had asked him to call in, and he had assumed there was something she wanted to discuss. He certainly hadn’t expected to find her standing in front of her bedroom mirror dressed like this.

Colleen looked at herself from one angle, then another, smoothing the fabric of the dress over her waist.

“Well?” she asked, smiling at him through the mirror. “You’ve gone very quiet.”

William gave a nervous laugh.

“I’m trying to find the right words.”

Colleen turned around.

“That bad?”

“No,” William said quickly. “Quite the opposite.”

She laughed.

“You’re very sweet, Will.”

The way she said his name made something stir inside him. Until that moment, she had always called him William. Hearing “Will” from her felt strangely intimate, as though some invisible distance between them had suddenly disappeared.

Colleen turned back towards the mirror.

“I wasn’t sure about the dress. I thought perhaps I was being a bit silly.”

“You’re not being silly.”

She looked at him again.

“Honestly?”

“Honestly.”

William took a breath.

“You look incredible, Colleen. And no, you’re definitely not too old for a dress like that.”

She smiled, seemingly reassured.

“Well, that’s good to hear.”

Then she turned her back towards him.

“Would you mind doing the zip up for me?”

William froze for half a second.

“Of course.”

He stepped closer.

His hands felt strangely unsteady as he reached for the zip. He was suddenly conscious of how close he was standing to her, and the faint scent of her perfume seemed to fill the room.

“There,” he said quietly when he had finished.

Colleen looked at him through the mirror.

“Thank you.”

Their eyes met.

For a moment neither of them said anything.

Then Colleen smiled, breaking the tension.

“You really are nervous, aren’t you?”

William laughed awkwardly.

“A little.”

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“You haven’t.”

She studied his face.

“You’re sure?”

William nodded.

“Absolutely.”

Colleen turned back towards the mirror and adjusted one of her earrings.

“Well, I’m glad. I was beginning to think I’d frightened you away.”

William smiled.

“You’d have to do a lot more than wear a beautiful dress to frighten me away.”

Colleen laughed.

“Careful, Will. You’ll have me believing all these compliments.”

“I mean every word.”

She looked at him again, and this time her smile lingered.

William suddenly realised that the woman standing in front of him wasn’t simply someone he found attractive. There was something deeper happening inside him. Something he hadn’t been prepared for.

He had come here because Colleen had asked him to.

Now he was standing in her bedroom, watching her prepare for an evening out, and trying desperately not to let her see just how much the sight of her had affected him.

Colleen picked up her handbag from the bed.

“Well, I suppose I’d better get going soon.”

William nodded.

“I’m sure you’ll have a great night.”

She smiled.

“I hope so.”

Then, almost casually, she added,

“You’ve made me feel much better about the dress.”

William looked at her.

“You didn’t need me to tell you that you looked good.”

“Perhaps not,” she replied. “But it was nice hearing it from you.”

William felt his heart race again.

Colleen walked past him towards the bedroom door.

“Come on, Will. I’ll make us a coffee before you go.”

William followed her down the hallway, his mind still trying to make sense of what had just happened.