Henry couldn't imagine a party anything like this happening back in Pittsburgh. His family house was modest, just big enough for the six of them with the girls and boys both sharing a room. They'd make spwace if there were family stragglers staying over with pull out beds and sofa cushions spread on the floor. His background was working class, the son of a steel mil worker and a nurse and he'd not known what it was like to have spare change with three younger siblings. Their parents had little savings and ploughed what little they had into funds for when their children were leaving home. His father was the local union rep very much campaigning for the voice of the workers to be heard and represented fairly, and had a prejudice against those with money who hadn't earned it for themselves.

Henry had fought his way tooth and nail through high school and studied relentlessly to get excellent grades, sometimes at the expense of doing normal teenage activities to achieve his successes. Now, at university he didn't want to let things slip, but his work was demanding in a different way. He went to lectures, studied reading material and then wrote papers on topics he was interested in. It just so happened to be lucky he was interested in his theology and world religions major. He was self-disciplined enough to manage his time so he could balance studying with having a little fun. Work hard, play hard as the saying went. He couldn't leave university after four years regretting the things he didn't do and miss the chance to get to make a new set of adult friends, who would be around for a significant part of his life.

His Pittsburgh friends would be amazed at the house he and Tom had just driven to; manicured flowerbeds and neat hedges decorated the front lawns leading up to a four-car garage, a front porch decked with white plaster columns and no less than three porch swings. He could almost smell the money, but tried not to let his father's attitude and distaste for wealth cloud his judgement. Not everyone had things handed to them on a silver platter, it wasn't that simple. There was no reason to think Andrew's parents hadn't worked hard to own their home. Maybe they'd started from humble beginnings as he was doing.

This was the kind of house Henry dreamed of having in ten or fifteen years' time, when hopefully he'd be married with small children and have his own family. He had hoped he would meet that special someone at UVA and was definitely open to the idea of trying a longer-term relationship again. He'd had a girlfriend for nine months in high school, and had enjoyed the companionship of dating as well as the intimacy, even if it was two teenagers fooling around trying to find out how you pleased someone sexually as well as making them laugh. He had known it probably wouldn't last the distance of him heading off to college but that didn't matter. He supposed that very few high school relationships did actually last the distance and was grateful his high school girlfriend had a similar temperament to him when it came to them ending the relationship. It was nice while it lasted but it definitely wasn't forever.

He knew eventually he'd want a family and want enough space for his kids to run around and throw a football, to set up a barbeque and a fire pit, maybe a small pool in the back. He wanted to have a successful career, maybe not be in the marines forever but certainly perform his duty and give to his country for a few years. Maybe afterwards when he had children he'd have a little more of a stable career. Maybe he could teach or train other marines instead. But he knew he wanted a wife to grow old with, share his life with and for them to learn things together. He smiled at the thought of it, feeling something of a sense of security in being so focused on that as his ultimate goal.

They approached the house over a winding gravel path that cut across the lawn and he was sad to see the place looking a wreck already. It was a little after eight thirty and people were already spilled outside, trash everywhere and empty bottles. He'd gone along to the party with Tom Hodges who had become a very good friend since he'd arrived at UVA. He was relaxed like Henry and had a good balance between studying, hanging out in their apartment and heading out to parties. Tom had a steady girlfriend, though she was a little eccentric and always performing in college productions. She balanced him though, even if she was a little louder than he was. They had arrived a little after eight thirty, and let themselves in through the open front door. Freshman lined up on the stairs drinking home-made punch, music blaring and there were bodies in the living room gyrating against each other. He and Tom had gone into this way too sober and gave each other a knowing look before finding any kind of booze as quickly as possible to take the edge off. He cracked open a couple of cheap beers and meandered through the crowds. Tom was off in search of his girlfriend whilst their buddy Dan clapped a hand firmly on his shoulder.

'McCord! Long time no see!'

'Dan! How you doing buddy?'

'I'm good I'm good. Lots of good looking girls here tonight I'm hoping to...' he weaved his hand through the air. Henry shook his head and rolled his eyes. His friend was full of bravado, but Henry knew him better than that. He had a good heart and an even better sense of humour and deep-down Henry knew he was really a little shy, just able to put on a decent enough act to show the contrary.

'You're single...'

'...and ready to mingle. You got it buddy!'

Henry perched on the edge of the window seat and downed his first beer as Dan passed him a second. They clinked their bottles together as Dan sat next to him and joined him.

'When did you break up with Tessa again?'

'A few months ago, why?'

'You met anyone new yet?'

He shook his head. Things with Tessa had been fine, but that was it. She was pretty, brunette, a biology major and they'd met at the campus coffee shop. They'd dated, seen each their once or twice a week and got along, had a few things in common. But the spark between them just wasn't enough for Henry. Things had just faded out and they'd seen each other less and less. He'd taken her out and told her face to face how he felt, wanting to do things properly and not just end things over the phone. And like everything else in their short-lived relationship, she had seemed fine with it and thanked him for his honesty. He'd heard from Tom that it hadn't been long before some guy in her biochem class had taken advantage of the opportunity and asked her out. He felt no animosity to either of them, in fact he hadn't really felt much at all which had brought home to him that he'd done the right thing.

'It just didn't work out?'

'It just wasn't right for either of us. I think we both found dating each other distinctly average.'

'You know she's moved on, right?'

'You said. I really don't mind all that much.'

'So. Anyone here caught your eye yet?'

Dan drained the last of his beer and Henry got up heading for the kitchen to get some more. They were playing a game of catch-up with their drinks and both beginning to get a bit of a buzz. At least he could relax a bit more at the same time feeling a little smug that he was still one of the sober guys at the party. It always paid to have that as an advantage on this campus, news travelled insanely fast between the forms and student residences.

'I'm not really here for that... just...'

Henry rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks next to the breakfast bar. Dan followed his line of sight and clocked what had caught his eye. Or more correctly, who had caught his friends eye.

'You were saying, bud?'

'Yeah I was saying. But maybe a guy can change his mind?'

'Right! That's the spirit.' Dan looped an arm round his shoulders, lowering his voice. 'I believe that's Becky, kinda crazy but also crazy hot. And her room-mate Elizabeth. Math geek. Beers then introductions?'

Henry nodded, somehow incapable of speech. His eyes didn't lose focus on her for one second as he tracked her movements across the room to where she went to sit at the kitchen table, joining some friends. She was tall, slim, with long blonde wavy hair and even in the dim light he could see the twinkling of her baby blue eyes. She carried herself with poise and grace, looking so comfortable in her own skin and in the company of her girlfriends as they sat and laughed, drinking that damn punch from plastic cups. She wasn't like the other girls that were here, she was dressed simply in high-waisted jeans and a belt, navy sweater and some tatty white converse. Henry scouted around trying to see if there was a guy lurking who might be her boyfriend, but though the room was crowded, he and Dan seemed to be the only ones there who weren't coupled up next to someone or sat with a group of friends.

Dan boldly sat at the end of the table and saved Henry a space next to him, sliding him another bottle of beer. 'Hey girls, mind if we join you? It's Becky, right?'

The girls stopped laughing and Henry watched as Dan held his hand out to Becky. She was pretty enough, but not beautiful like Elizabeth. Infact the two of them couldn't have been more polar opposite. Becky had dyed auburn hair piled on top of her head with green eyes and was petite, wearing a tight black dress.

'Hi Dan, you're Andrew's friend, right? Oh my god. You know what I think I've seen you around before. It's really cool to meet you.'

God, she was loud. Loud and probably Californian and possibly a little drunk as she lowered her eyes and giggled at Dan. This was only ending one way tonight if Dan had his way. She was exactly his type, he always seemed to be drawn to petite women, though usually brunettes with their own little eccentricities who liked a drink.

'I'm sorry, you are…?' He snapped out of his thoughts as Becky peered around Dan to scope Henry out who had made himself comfortable next to her.

'Sorry, I'm Henry. Nice to meet you,' he extended his hand and she briefly took it in his as she regarded him.

'Henry. Nice to meet you. Wait you're Tom Hodges' best friend right?'

He smiled and nodded. 'The very same! We share an apartment.' Not much seemed to get past this girl and he wondered for a second how she knew both Tom and Dan when she was clearly a couple of years younger than they were. Women talked, he supposed. Tom and Dan were quite used to female attention around campus and he guessed he must be mentioned as an afterthought.

Henry locked eyes with Elizabeth across the table from him and tried to form words, instead just opening and closing his mouth, pretty certain he looked like a goldfish. She looked at him, blue eyes locked onto hazel then forced herself to look away. Henry's gaze had moved nowhere as he heard the other girls laughing with Dan. If he didn't say something soon he'd look like he was staring, which he was, but that would just be weird. Dan and Becky's voices faded to insignificance as Henry built himself up to say hi, or hey, maybe just hello. But which greeting? He'd spent too long pondering and Elizabeth extracted herself from her seat and got up to leave the table. He shot out of his seat clumsily, beer spilling down his shirt tails as he rushed to follow her and she shot him a confused look over her shoulder.

'Hey,' he croaked. His palms were sweaty, his fingertips prickling. His voice was hoarse and his heart was hammering in his chest. He'd never had such a strong reaction to just meeting someone as he had with her. He was drawn to her and he was feeling something he couldn't quite explain. Maybe these were the sparks that had been missing before with Tessa. Maybe this is what it felt like to really meet someone and fall for them, he didn't know. But he didn't have time to dwell on it as she moved away from him towards the bowl of punch.

A guy carrying a football shot out in front of both of them and forced her to come to a stop, and Henry found himself side by side with the first person he could recall that had rendered him completely speechless.

'Elizabeth?'

Her name slipped off his tongue, sounding revenant in his mind. My God she was even more beautiful closer up, high cheek bones, a pink hue in her cheeks, gorgeous honey-coloured hair in waves down her back and those eyes, like a stormy grey sky with a touch of blue sea and a sparkle. He held out his hand towards her, hoping she'd miss the small tremor that had developed there.

'I'm Henry, Henry McCord.'

She looked down at his outstretched hand, still looking baffled but took his fingertips into her palm and shook his hand gently. And there they were. He felt them. Sparks. Neurones fired all the way up his arm as blood fizzed in his chest. He managed a small smile and she seemed to soften a little.

'Elizabeth, but I guess you knew that,' she replied. Her voice had a smooth, low, baritone husk to it and Henry was not in the least bit surprised to find she sounded as beautiful as she looked.

'I... I noticed you before and I wanted to... Um... To introduce myself. Properly that is.'

'You noticed me?'

'It's just... you looked comfortable, happy, there with your friends and Dan and I didn't mean to intrude but... I just... I wanted to come and talk to you...'

He'd blown this, whatever this protracted and painful introduction was. He could feel the blush spreading up from his neck to his cheeks, was certain his face was beetroot red as she continued to look incredulously at him.

'To talk to me?'

'Yes. Maybe... maybe get to know you a little.'

She squinted her eyes at him, her expression completely and utterly unreadable. The seconds ticked by as she looked at him, and he truly wasn't sure what to do with himself. He had to rescue this somehow or Elizabeth would think he was even more of a fruit loop.

'Listen I'm sorry. Maybe I've crossed a line or you have a boyfriend and I've spoken out of turn. I'm sorry. I don't exactly make a habit of doing this and...'

He trailed off as he felt her hand softly clamp over his forearm. Her face had softened somewhat, maybe she'd been charmed by his nervous, endless rambling. She lifted her hand away and pointed to the window seat he and Dan had occupied earlier, and he followed her over there.

She sat up on the window seat, drawing her legs to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. He slid in opposite her, back against the wall of the window seat and his hand with a beer casually hanging from the window.

'I'm sorry if I seemed… a little frosty back there.'

'It's ok. It's um, it's difficult to ask to talk to someone without seeming like you have an ulterior motive.'

'And do you?'

'Do I what?'

'Have an ulterior motive?'

He shook his head as she regarded him, finding his expression entirely open and honest. Maybe she should give him the benefit of the doubt, but it was hard for her given that any guy who ever came to speak to her wanted to know about two things, was her room-mate Becky single and if so could they have her number.

'Does it seem like I do?'

'Guys usually speak to me as an indirect route to Becky,' she nodded towards her friend sat at the table, now embroiled in animated conversation with Dan, them both smiling with hands gesticulating wildly. 'I don't exactly relish being a third wheel.'

He held her gaze. 'My motive most definitely was to speak to you.'

He could have sworn he saw her blush as she smiled shyly and looked out the window towards the garden. 'Well then, it's nice to speak to you, Henry.'

'So you're in your second semester here?'

'I am. My major is math, though I'm sure you knew that.'

'Dan had mentioned it….'

'It's okay. 'That's Becky and her math geek room-mate.' I'm used to it!'

'There's nothing wrong with having passion for a subject, especially if you happen to have a natural aptitude for it.'

She smiled over at Henry, relaxing her posture a little so her legs were crossed one over the other, mirroring Henry opposite her. Where on earth had this guy come from? He was charming, but charming without a motive? Did guys like that even exist outside of Jane Austen novels? Though she had never considered herself ugly, she knew that there was plenty to put a guy off her. She felt she was too tall, guys preferred petite women like Becky. A tall woman could seem intimidating and she knew it put guys off. Though she had a maturity with spoken words, she felt she hadn't grown into her figure as a woman, if her hips would just change to give her some curves she'd feel a little more satisfied with her reflection. All things considered though, Henry was still sat opposite her in the confines of a window seat and it seemed like this was too good an opportunity to waste, given that he was one of the best-looking guys she'd met since arriving at UVA.

'I like to think so too. So what's your subject passion?'

'Theology with contemporary religious studies.'

'Wow.'

He laughed at her reaction. 'You'd have never guessed, right?'

'I'd have gone with English lit as a major maybe. A man of words.'

'I definitely have my moments when I can get my point across without using words.'

He was surprised at himself, the beers had clearly loosened his tongue and he was acting bolder than he felt. Elizabeth met his gaze and shivered imperceptibly. He was looking at her with nothing short of a smoulder, his hazel eyes taking on a dark hue. She'd always enjoyed a bit of flirting, but this was starting to make her hot under the collar and she was glad she was sat in a window.

'I think it pays to be articulate in more than one medium.'

'I'm inclined to agree.'

The banter between them flowed easily, and she found herself opening up to him as they sat in their own little world at the party. He'd asked her about her classes, her favourite foods as she'd munched through the chips, pizza, chicken and then chocolate that he brought her. He'd told her about his family and growing up in a mad house. They'd been interrupted just as he had asked about hers, and she was glad the topic didn't have to come up in conversation, at least not yet. Henry was funny, quick witted but also warm and considerate, making sure she was alright if it seemed like she was gaining unwanted attention. It was actually hard to shut them both up, and they hadn't stopped talking for hours. They hadn't really socialized with anyone else at all, but neither of them had wanted to and time had passed them by. What else was a party for if not for getting to know new people? It didn't matter that people happened to refer to just one person. They were jolted out of conversation by a rather tipsy-looking Becky with Dan's arm draped around her waist and a casual beer hanging from his other hand.

'McCord! Where have you been all night? I was about to turn into a pumpkin looking for you! We gotta take these girls home.'

Elizabeth blushed and hauled herself up off the window seat, smoothing out the creases in her jeans and sticking her hands in her back pockets. Becky looked pretty buzzed and her eyes widened as she caught sight of Elizabeth's face. She had tried to ask Elizabeth if they'd kissed using the world's most obvious sign language and a whisper that really was more of a shout. Becky was not a quiet one and Elizabeth hoped to God if anything was going to happen it would be back at Dan's place and not in her own dorm.

'Dan. Buddy, let's go.'

Dan and Becky led the way with Elizabeth and Henry following shortly behind them. Fitzgerald House was about a twenty minute up-hill amble from the party and Dan and Becky made no secret of the effort it was taking them to walk home. Cries of 'it's so far' and 'my legs hurt' echoed round the tree-lined street making Elizabeth and Henry laugh. They walked side by side in a straighter line than their friends, both with their hands stuffed awkwardly in pockets, watching as Becky and Dan's arms were slung all over each other in front.

'He's a good guy, right?' Elizabeth asked, nodding ahead at the couple in front of her.

'Sure. He's a good friend of mine. And he probably will just walk her home, walk himself home and pass out, panicking the next morning that he's lost her number.'

Elizabeth nodded. 'And what about you?'

'Me? I like to think I'm one of the good ones.'

She slowed her step slightly, turning towards him and smiling. She nudged his elbow with hers as she picked up her pace again. 'I like to think so too.'

The houses either side of them petered out, replaced by the multi-storey university buildings and concrete office blocks of the UVA campus. Fitzgerald house was to the right of a fountain which was lit up at night, the water appearing a bright electric blue in the dark of the parking lot. Elizabeth had always found the sound of it calming if she left her window open at night, the coins of students from past years who had made wishes for grades were twinkling in the moonlight. Little did she know, Henry was making a silent wish next to her that she'd say yes to his question.

'Elizabeth. I'd like it if I could see you again sometime?'

It was a statement as well as a question and he wiped his hands on his jeans nervously as they reached the front steps of her accommodation, waiting for an answer. If he'd not read the situation entirely wrong tonight she liked him too, and he hoped she didn't think he was coming on too strongly and being too presumptive.

She smiled shyly at him. 'I'd really like that too.'

The wind blew in fierce gusts around them and she shivered at the biting cold air, folding her arms across her body to keep her warm as her hair flew around her face. She tucked it behind her ears wondering if he'd be bold enough to make any kind of a move tonight, but she wasn't sure he would. It wasn't that he didn't like her, she had realized, just he really wasn't that kind of guy.

'I'd better…' she pointed a thumb at the hall of residence behind her and watched as he nodded back at her.

He ran a hand down her upper arm, squeezing just above the elbow. 'I'll see you soon,' his eyes looking directly into hers. She laid her hand on top of his but before she knew it, he removed his and turned to walk away.

'Bye, Henry,' she whispered, her words just about audible. She entered the front door and leant against the wood, shaking her head as she closed her eyes. This really had been quite a night and she wondered just how soon was soon, looking forward to seeing Henry again already.