It was her habit to arrive suddenly. She seemed to take a special joy in creeping up unobserved. It meant that he spent more time than he would have watching for her but usually she would still catch him by surprise.

One day, as she'd advanced across the grass towards him, he observed:

"You've had your hair cut. I liked it before but shorter it somehow seems to make your face softer."

She threw one of her characteristically lightning quick sideways smiles.

"And the best of it is that the short haircut shows off my new ears."

"New as in Birthday New, by any chance?"

She inclined her head so that the spring light shimmered off the earrings. "You remembered!"

"I did." He reached into his briefcase. "And, since it's your birthday, I reckon you should have a birthday present from me."

He smiled urbanely, proud that he had picked up the oblique reference to her imminent birthday a week ago. He handed her a cashmere scarf still in its store wrapping paper but very Knightsbridge, very chic.

Sarah wrapped it round her neck and twirled around to see the material fly.

"Well I don't know what to say. Such a fine gift would normally entitle you to a thank you kiss - if you weren't somebody I had just recently met in the park."

She looked up at him now – demure – eyes gazing downward from under her new fringe. Hands placed together in the fashion of a Japanese geisha.

"Just a little one might do no harm, perhaps?" he'd said - his pulse quickening.

"Just a teeny one - and you must stay perfectly still. That's an order!"

She leaned forward to deliver the kiss revealing glimpses that her well buttoned jacket and blouse would normally hide. Instinctively, he felt that she didn't mind.

"There", she said, "How was that?"

Her lips were strawberry flavoured and her breath freshly scented with a hint of a glass of wine.

"Fine, except you have just doubled my pulse rate", he said fanning air onto his face. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

To his surprise, she had left her face close to his and now with lips curved into a cheeky smile, she was surveying his embarrassment minutely from close up.

"Are you normally so much a tease on your birthday", he said, drinking in the twinkle in her blue eyes.

"Tell me to stop then", she challenged. She still hadn't moved away.

He responded theatrically. "Be gone vile temptress - away to your word processor, your bits and bytes". He gestured vaguely and unconvincingly with his hand.

He saw her eyes flash in the sunlight. They were filled with the prospect of adventure.

"Not likely. My bits are having a birthday and right now it's not my sandwich I want to bite. OK so it's against the rules but why not? What's wrong with a bit of fun on my birthday before I go back to the usual boring routine of cooking and doing for the squawking hordes!"

He started to reply but his response was muffled as her lips closed over his again - not just a polite birthday kiss this time.

As soon as he got over his surprise, Sarah felt him respond and return her kiss.