I’ve experienced strong mutual attraction that quickly turned into a loving relationship. You could use the expression “love at first sight”, but only in hindsight, after it has turned to love. You could say that you were both smitten right from the start. It’s really just infatuation, but it can turn into love.

I’ve also had times where I was really attracted to them, but them not to me and the other way around. Some of those times, we did date, but they did not turn into loving relationships.

So, for me, without the mutually attraction aspect, it did not become love. I know plenty of other people disagree and say they were friends first. But I never had that.