Carbon Dating

A young man spends his solitary late-night shift in an office not seeking sales and bookings but on trawling dating sites – looking for the girl of his dreams. Even a strange sound and a fleeting shadow beyond the row of unoccupied desks barely distract him. Having failed he collects up his things, heads for the lift. A shadow from under a desk reveals a beautiful, dishevelled, shivering young woman hiding under there. With her evidently unable to speak English, he offers her the remnants of his tea and sandwiches. He watches her slurping and gobbling them down. He reaches towards her and unbuttons her wrongly buttoned-up cardigan, and eyes across the perfect figure that had been concealed. She looks fearful. He buttons the cardie up correctly. She takes him by wrist to the photocopier, spreads her fingers on the plate, and encourages him to do likewise with his fingers. She gives him the resultant photocopy. He leaves on his desk. She smiles. Side-by-side, awaiting the arrival of the lift, their hands briefly graze. (Contained. Two characters. Dialogue free)