she played me like a violin.
but she had me on our third date.
i played hard to get.
or so i thought.
on the second date i held my own.
it was her smile on the third that told me i was done for.
she could have had me on the second.
my tough talk was just that.

she laughed and rubbed my freshly shaved head.
incidental contact, every chance she got.
she was training me to respond to her touch.
it worked.
she would touch my arm and look into my eyes and smile.
she should have had a license for that thing.
her aim was impeccable.

she would leave right after.
every night for two weeks.
she would lean in and kiss me until i couldn’t breathe.
a growl in the back of my throat.
i told her i would do anything for her.
begged her to stay the night.
she smiled and got dressed and left anyway.

then one night she didn’t.
just wrapped her arm around me and lay with her head on my chest.
i lay perfectly still.
afraid that i would spook her.
i didn’t sleep that night.
not one minute.
just tried to memorize every minute.

i was in love.
she never came back.
part of me knew this would be the case.
some nights i lay there staring at the ceiling.
remembering.
the feel of her breath on my skin.
her scent in my head.