"What are you grinning at?" Penny asked, looking curiously at Chris.
          He raised an eyebrow as he chalked the end of the cue. "I never took you as a woman with a bladder problem."
          "Huh? I drank too much coffee…Goes through me like you wouldn't believe," Penny mused while inside she felt her stomach lurch, "Yeah great one Pen, talk about pissing," she thought.
          Chris slid off the table and placed the chalk back in its container. "I was told you're one of the best in our field."
          "Really? Who said that? Had they been drinking?" Penny gasped.
          Chris smiled and Penny felt her cheeks redden. "That would be telling, let's just say it’s all good." He turned to lean over the table and take a shot, the balls cracked together but neither went in a pocket. He turned back to Penny. "Are you going to take a shot?"
          "Yeah, I'm just…" Penny shook her head "Nevermind." She gingerly approached Chris and took the cue from him, before she surveyed the table and lined up her shot.
          "Do I make you nervous?" Chris piped up. Penny lost her concentration and the ball ended up bouncing off the table and rolling under a chair.
          "Of course you don't," Penny declared somewhat feebly.
          "It's just, whenever I'm around you seem to get totally agitated and bugger things up."
          "Oh that's not you, I'm generally always like that," Penny nodded as Chris moved forward to take the cue from her. There was a brief moment where they locked eyes and then Chris made his way to the other side of the table.
          Penny closed her eyes and let out a long sigh as she heard the balls crack together. What was she thinking? This man was devastatingly handsome with buttocks that could crack walnuts. He would never be interested in her, she was dumpy, dimpled and her hair frizzed at the mere mention of moisture. She had long decided the only man she could possibly attain was Frank from ISP and he was the most loathed man in the whole organisation. No, Chris was far too good for her there was no use in even trying.

          Julia dumped the fixed accounts into the files and leaned back in her chair. Ross had left over an hour ago to prepare for his gig and the only people left in the office were Liam and Megan, who had spent most of their time eyeing each other off in a way that made Julia want to throw things. She hated being jealous and knew she was driving herself insane over Liam but something felt right about him. They had hit it off immediately and as she had reminded herself the entire afternoon, he hadn't complained about her kissing him. Unfortunately, Liam hadn't quite seen things as Julia had and instead had gone about making reservations for him and Megan at the plush Holfast Shores restaurant.
          "Jools, you get things finished?" Liam asked causing Julia to jump a mile as he interrupted her thoughts.
          "Finally," Julia replied as she took several breaths.
          "Are you ok? I mean you've just seemed really angry all day," Liam asked, leaning against the desk and crossing his arms.
          "I got dragged into this hole on my weekend, what did you expect, elation?"
          "Hey, it wasn't all bad," Liam mused. "That Ross fella was pretty funny and Megan agreed to go out with me."
          Julia who was writing the label for the floppy disk she'd used, snapped her pencil with one hand.
          "Why do you do that?"
          "Do what?"
          "Destroy stationary whenever I mention Megan."
          "Reflex action, I keep thinking it's her neck."
          Liam sniggered, "You need therapy."
          "I need a man, unfortunately they all want scrawny little bimbettes like Megan," Julia hissed.
          "Can't you just lay of Megan. If you stopped bitching about her you'd realise she's actually very nice and looks up to you a lot."
          "Maybe I'm just sick of the fact that I work my arse off and for what? That little bitch to flutter her eye lashes, open her mouth and get a pay rise."
          "I think you're just jealous," Liam sneered.
          "Well who asked you anyway?" Julia hissed as she grabbed her bag and stormed from the office.

          "I've been thinking," Chris announced as he sauntered, redressed, back into the lab. Penny was collecting her things together after they had spent the afternoon playing pool and she had wiped the floor with him.
          "Didn't sprain anything did you?" she mused, her jitters greatly reduced by their bonding session.
          "No, but I did pop a shoulder trying to get changed in the stationary cupboard," Chris chuckled.
          "Why were you getting changed in the stationary cupboard?"
          "Cleaners locked the toilets."
          "Ahh, so what were you thinking about anyway?" Penny asked, slipping her bag over her shoulder.
          "Well, we still haven't really got those calculations right and I was thinking, if you wanted we could get together at my place and work on them," Chris perked.
          Penny reached back to hold onto a workbench to steady herself, what he'd suggested was almost a date. "Sure, why not."
          "Great, we can order in pizza or something," Chris smiled as he handed Penny a piece of paper. "My Address, come whenever you want."
          "Thanks," Penny said, taking the paper. "I've got a few things to do and I'll be right there."

          Julia arrived home to find Kirsty dusting a series of picture frames. She dropped her bag onto the couch and crossed her arms.
          "What are you doing?" Julia asked, tilting her head to the side.
          "Cleaning," Kirsty replied, inspected the last frame and put it back on the mantle.
          "Yes, I can see that, but this is above and beyond the call of duty."
          "I was bored, very bored," Kirsty shrugged. "What's with the twenty questions anyway?"
          "Sorry, I had a shit day," Julia sighed and joined her bag on the couch.
          "Ross didn't drive you up the wall did he?" Kirsty mused.
          "Nah, he was actually quite helpful," Julia sighed. "I had a fight with Liam."
          "And?"
          "And? And? This is the man I must have and now I've gone and fucked it up."
          "Jools, don't take the wrong way but he hasn't shown any interest in you, has he?
          "That's hardly the point you know."
          "Then what is?"
          "That…He…He didn't stop me kissing him."
          "He was probably in shock. You're lucky he isn't holding a sexual harassment case against you."
          "You know, for a best friend you can be such a bitch sometimes."
          "Aw, hey look at it this way," Kirsty mused and began polishing Julia's glasses. "With any luck one date with Megan and he'll realise what a stupid bitch she is and he'll be right back on the market."
          "And if he doesn't?"
          "Then I'll buy you the blow up alternative for Christmas," Kirsty sniggered.
          Julia sunk down on the couch and let out a heavy sigh, she was going to have to drink and drink a lot at that. Kirsty moved on to mopping the kitchen floor when the front door flew open and Penny hurried in looking a cross between excited and sheer panic.
          "He's asked me to his place," she announced.
          "He did what?" Kirsty gasped, poking her head out of the kitchen.
          "Who did? Julia chimed in.
          "Chris, we're going to work on our calculations together, at his place, tonight, alone." Penny smiled.
          "Well you did grab his groin today, it’s hardly surprising," Kirsty shrugged.
          "I'm sorry, she did what?" Julia laughed.
          "They got naked," Kirsty added with a grin.
          "It wasn't like that," Penny huffed. "We sort of got a bit muddy and had to change into some spare flight suits"
          "How did you get muddy?" Julia asked curiously.
          "When we were testing the rocket…."
          "So that's what you call it now huh?" Kirsty teased.
          Penny pursed her lips. "Fine, I'm saying no more…I'm going to use your shower," she disappeared down the hallway as Julia looked to Kirsty.
          "So tell me the groin thing."
          "Pool cue incident."
          Julia cracked up. "I really, really want to make a joke about balls." Kirsty cracked up as well, until Penny's head appeared from the bathroom.
          "We're not friends anymore."
          "Good, I never liked you anyway," Julia called and was narrowly missed by a soaking sponge, which instead collided with Kirsty's cat, sending him flying off the back of an armchair.

          Kirsty and Julia arrived at Laughing Gas a little after seven and after handing over the tickets made their way inside. Julia headed for the bar and sat herself on a barstool.
          "Bundy and coke," she declared to the barman who quickly poured her drink. Kirsty waved the barman off, she was too nervous to even consider the intake of anything but oxygen.
          "Will you calm down?" Julia mused as she sipped her drink and noticed Kirsty check her watch for the millionth time.
          "Sorry, I'm not used to…um this really," Kirsty shrugged.
          "What do you mean? You've seen loads of stand up," Julia countered. "Oh you mean the fact that it’s Ross and you're obsessed with him."
          "I am not obsessed with Ross," Kirsty spat.
          "Why not?" Ross piped up, as he appeared on the other side of Kirsty, she hadn't noticed and nearly fell off the barstool.
          "For Christ's sake, don't sneak up on me," she scorned, trying to steady her breathing.
          "Sorry, thought you’d noticed," Ross mused, resting a hand on her back. Kirsty shirked away a little. Julia noticed and made a mental note to question her about it later.
          "Ross, you ready to go on?" piped up a Laughing Gas employee.
          "Huh? Oh yeah, be right there," Ross nodded and then turned back to Kirsty. "I'd better go."
          "Right, good luck then," Kirsty half smiled.
          Ross looked slightly taken aback. "What, that's it?"
          "What did you expect, dancing girls and a pinata?" Kirsty exclaimed.
          "No…But I…" Ross dug his hands deep into his pockets. "Nevermind," he added and headed to the off stage area.
          "That's right, crush the man," Julia sighed, sipping her third Bundy and coke.
          "You think I upset him?"
          "Of course you upset him," Julia scorned. "This morning you couldn't keep your hands off him now you won't even go near him."
          "Crap, I don't mean to," Kirsty breathed. "I just think things are moving a bit fast is all."
          "Oh please, since when did you care," Julia scorned.
          "Are you trying to infer something?"
          "I don't have to infer babe."
          "We are so not friends anymore."
          "Shut up, he's starting," Julia mused and elbowed Kirsty who gave her daggers and then turned to the stage.

          Penny's second hand, bright yellow Torana coughed its way up the deserted road, that although it was just out of town seemed more like the middle of nowhere. She noticed a well lit driveway come into view, saw the number on the letterbox and turned into it. She stalled the car the second she caught sight of Chris's house, it was modern and literally huge. Penny felt so pathetic in her second hand car that she was tempted to turn right around. That was until Chris appeared on the front verandah and waved as Penny pulled her car to a stop. She slid out of the front seat and grabbed her folder of notes and calculations.
          "You found the place ok?" Chris perked appearing beside her.
          "Yeah, surprisingly," Penny mused, "thought the car was going to die though, bloody shit heap."
          "What's the problem?"
          "No idea," Penny laughed.
          "Well if you remind me, I'll take a look at it before you go."
          "You know about cars?"
          "I'm a man, of course I know about cars."
          "Just because you have balls doesn't make you an automotive expert you know?"
          "Hey, if you remember I nearly didn't have balls thanks to you," Chris chirped as he grabbed Penny's folder and led the way into his house. Penny smiled to herself and followed him inside. Chris dropped Penny's folder on the coffee table and grabbed the cordless phone from beside it.
          "So, what type of pizza would you like?" he asked.
          Penny shrugged. "I'm easy."
          Chris raised an eyebrow. "I'm not touching that."
          "Men, you're all the same," Penny laughed as she flopped into one of the two padded sofas that adorned the living room.
          "Hey, there are times I don't think with my dick you know," Chris mused as he held the phone to his ear. "Like when I'm designing rockets."
          "They're phallic, they don't count," Penny sneered.
          Chris narrowed his eyes and then began reciting his order down the phone.

          "What did you think then?" Julia asked, grinning at her friend.
          "He was brilliant," Kirsty gushed. "I thought he might have a few good lines but I wasn't expecting…Well that."
          Both girls had spent the entire time Ross was on stage giggling hysterically. He'd made jokes about everything, nothing seemed taboo, and he brought several audiences members to their knees with ridicule. All in all it'd been one hell of a show and certainly up there with some of the better stand up they'd witnessed.
          "So, what are we going to do now?" Kirsty asked as they headed back to the bar.
          "I'm going to pee, you are going to get cornered by Ross," Julia mused as she headed for the ladies toilets. Kirsty turned as Ross sidled up to her.
          "What did you think?" he asked as several women pushed their way closer to him.
          "Brilliant," Kirsty smiled as she was stepped in front of. Ross signed a couple of autographs and then motioned to the door. Kirsty took the hint and a few minutes later they'd escaped into the street.
          "My, aren’t we the big star," she mused.
          "When I can be bothered," Ross shrugged. "Have I done something to upset you?"
          "No, why?"
          "The snub earlier."
          "Oh that, I didn't mean to snub you. I just, I think we're moving too fast. I mean 48 hours ago I was a single woman and now I'm…Well…" Kirsty stopped herself from babbling and scratched her head.
          "I agree and usually I'd adhere to that, but for some reason I can't explain, it feels right," Ross declared. "The fast movement thing."
          "Be that as it may, I'd rather we slowed things down a little."
          "You're absolutely right," Ross agreed as he slid his arms around her waist, his lips trailing kisses over her neck.
          "I mean, I'd hate to rush into something," Kirsty peeped.
          "And you shouldn't," Ross mumbled as he barely moved his lips.
          "I really don't think I'm ready for a serious relationship," Kirsty breathed as Ross lifted his head to look at her.
          "No?"
          "Uh huh," she whispered, before they fell into a passionate kiss, her arms wrapping around him tightly.

          Julia stepped out of the club and rolled her eyes. "Oh please. Do I need to have you two surgically parted?" she sighed. Kirsty and Ross pulled away from each other looking slightly embarrassed.
          "So, ahem…what are we going to do now?" Kirsty asked.
          "Well it’s pretty obvious what you guys are going to do," Julia mused. "I might head home."
          "Jools, don't go…we can at least go for a drink," Kirsty exclaimed.
          "No thanks. I'd rather not watch you two suck face," Julia teased. "You two kids go and snog away in a café booth somewhere," Julia demanded as she started heading toward the bus stop. She'd walked a short way before realising she really didn't feel like going home and decided to have a couple more drink in a nearby pub. She slid onto a vacant barstool and ordered a Bundy and coke. As it was a Saturday night the pub was a hype of activity, on a far table were a bunch of Uni students on a pub-crawl. At another table were two couples who looked like they were double dating and as she peered over at the booths she notice a familiar face. Liam was mulling over a beer looking miserable as sin. Julia slid off the barstool and swaggered over to Liam. She fell into the booth opposite him.
          "Why the long face?" she asked.
          Liam looked up surprised. "Jools, what the fuck are you doing here?"
          "A mission of mercy," Julia replied. "So?"
          "Megan decided to take off with the waiter, his name was Craig," Liam huffed and downed some of his beer.
          "Really? The skank," Julia spat. "I bet she waited until after dinner."
          Liam nodded. "Looks like you were right."
          "Yes, well…I wasn't going to be the one to say it," Julia nodded as she drank half her Bundy.
          "So that's my excuse for drinking alone, what's yours?"
          "I'm fucking miserable, next question."
          Liam gave her a sympathetic smile. "Want another?"
          "Sure, why not," Julia shrugged as Liam disappeared to the bar, he returned a few moments later and placed a drink in front of each of them.
          "Thankyou my good man," Julia giggled.
          "I'm not good, I'm a bad ass," Liam smirked.
          "No your arse is very good," Julia nodded and burst into giggles again.
          Liam shook his head and laughed too. "I don't think you need anymore to drink."
          "I think you're right," Julia nodded slowly. "How am I going to get home?"
          "I'll roll you into a cab."
          "Aw, you're a sweetie," Julia cooed, poked his nose and cracked up laughing again.
          "You're exceptionally drunk aren’t you?"
          "'Septionally," Julia nodded.
          Liam pondered a moment, then leaned over the table and surprised her by kissing her on the lips. He lingered there a moment then sunk back into his seat. Julia looked like a stunned bunny.
          "Bet you won't remember that tomorrow," he chuckled.