"Hi."

I sat there speechless staring across the room at the most captivating stranger I'd ever encountered. No words were uttered as a smile formed on my lips, and I saw them mirrored on his. A hand was raised in a gesture of acknowledgment and returned in turn as I took in his face. I let my eyes travel from his familiar blue eyes, down his sunkissed nose to the dimples piercing each cheek in turn. I'd noticed them before, but not like this. They were the same, yet different. An entity all their own, drawing your attention to his perfectly formed smile; one that radiated warmth and recognition, with the edges raised only enough to help elevate the smile back to his eyes.

As the silence continued I realized he was watching my scrutiny with mild amusement, and I immediately averted my eyes. Warmth crept up my neck and flushed my cheeks as my nerves started to give way. I quickly diverted my attention to my friend and her endless ramblings about her boyfriend and their perfect relationship. I forced a smile and gave my responses at the appropriate times, all while quickly glancing back in his direction. He now seemed preoccupied with his hair, and after noticing it, so was I. It was perfectly messy, landing with precision into a layered tangled mess no matter how many times his hands ran through it. The motions of his hands were mesmerizing as he flipped his dark blond hair from one side to the next, unaware of how ineffective his movements were from altering each strand from it's predestined home, and how effective they were instead of drawing my attention back to him. He looked up again noticing my gaze and held it.

"Hi." he spoke smiling, shocking me with the familiar voice I'd come to associate with warmth, security and friendship, "Hi." I grinned back nervously, "I've missed you."