Chapter One
“Haley, I’d like to see you in my office now please.”
Haley James made a face at her phone as her boss’s voice boomed through it’s built-in intercom. Grabbing her notepad and pen, she got up from her chair and walked into his office.
“Yes, Mr Scott, what can I do for you?” She asked him pleasantly.
Looking up at her from where he was seated at his desk, Nathan couldn’t help staring at his PA. From the very first day he had met her, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of her. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen what with her long auburn hair that fell in waves around her shoulders, her rich chocolate brown eyes that seemed to endlessly sparkle and her full, plump lips.
Okay, granted, he hadn’t actually seen her with her hair down at her interview or during working hours for that matter. In the office Haley was always well turned out and smartly dressed, her hair tied back and her make-up understated. However, one evening when she had obviously been running late for something, she had gotten ready in the office’s restroom and when she came out she had literally taken his breath away. She had untied her hair and he couldn’t help remembering how it had hung down around her shoulders, its red highlights shimmering in the artificial light of the room. The smoky make-up she had applied simply accentuated her large expressive eyes and whatever she had put on her lips made them appear incredibly glossy.
He remembered how at her interview he had actually considered hiring someone else because of the attraction he felt towards the young woman, but as she fitted his requirement of a qualified and experienced personal assistant, he had no choice but to give her the job. He had since tried to deny the fact that he had hired her simply so he would get to see her every day.
“Um, are you okay, Mr Scott? You seem to have spaced out there for a sec.”
He couldn’t help but love the way she insisted on being all formal in the office, calling him Mr Scott instead of using his first name. Her tuneful voice brought him back to the present and he forced himself to answer her. “Sorry...I was working late again last night and it seems to be catching up with me. Actually that brings me to why I asked you in here. The Wilson job has to be finished tonight which also means the final report needs to be typed up as soon as I’ve dictated it. I hate to ask but you know what my typing is like so would you...”
Haley interrupted him. “It’s okay. I’ll stay behind and as soon as you’ve got it down on tape I’ll type it up. I know what a pain in the ass that case has been and, believe me, it’ll be a relief for it to be finally over.”
“Tell me about it. If Andrew Wilson wasn’t such an influential man around here I’d have refused to take on his case but if he gives us a good recommendation, then hopefully we’ll get a lot more business coming in.” Running a hand through his mussed hair, he smiled at her. “Anyway, I’m really grateful for the extra hours you put in and you know they’ll be covered in your next pay check.”
“Yeah, I know but that’s not why I always agree to stay late.” She quickly lowered her eyes as she mentally berated herself for her slip up. She said a silent prayer that he hadn’t picked up on what she’d said. Coughing to clear her throat, she then asked, “Hey, since we’re both staying late how about I pop across the street and get us some snacks and sodas while you’re dictating that report? I don’t know about you but I’m feeling kinda hungry.”
“Sure, that’d be great.” He started to take his wallet out but she held up her hand to stop him. “This one’s on me, okay?”
“Okay, thanks.”
Smiling at him one last time, Haley turned to leave his office but before she had reached his door, Nathan called out to her.
“Haley, wait. I’ve got an idea. If you want to, when we finish up here we could go out and get something decent to eat. It’ll be my treat, you know to thank you for all your help.” Scratching his eyebrow nervously, he waited for her response while all the time wondering what the hell he was doing. He knew mixing business with pleasure was never a good thing but he just couldn’t seem to help himself.
“Oh, uh, I don’t know, Mr Scott. It’ll probably be really late by the time I finish up so maybe we could take a rain-check.”
Nathan tried not to show his disappointment and merely shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, that’d be good. Listen, I’d better get on with finishing the report.”
Nodding at him, Haley exited his office and closed the door behind her. Picking up her bag from under the desk she left the office and made her way over to the 7/11 across the street, having a mental argument with herself the whole way there. Why the hell did I say no, huh? He’s a total hottie and I say no to dinner. How dumb am I?
Entering the store she picked up a few packets of potato chips, some candy bars and a couple of cans of soda before heading over to the cashier.
“Hey Louise, how are you?”
Looking up from her magazine, the young redhead smiled at her. “Oh, hey Haley, I’m fine, thanks. How are things with you?” She asked while ringing up the items on the till.
“Not too bad. I’m working late again tonight so I thought I’d pick up some snacks to keep me going.”
“I don’t know how you can eat this junk without putting on any weight. I only have to look at it for the pounds to pile on,” Louise said laughing.
“I guess I’m just lucky. Oh wait, no. It’s probably all the time I spend down at the gym working it off that keeps me from putting on any weight. That and running around after Nathan Scott.”
“Well at least you have a total honey as your boss unlike me. I have to put up with Keller's sleazy son squeezing past me at every opportunity when he's here helping out.”
“Well, next time he does it wait until he’s just standing behind you and then just give him a good dig with your elbows and pretend you didn’t know he was behind you, or when he’s in earshot pretend his girlfriend is on the phone and let him hear you tell her what a dirty little pervert he is. That should have an effect on him,” Haley offered.
“Well, I’ve only got another couple of weeks before I leave so I just might try that on my last shift with him. I’d love to see the look on his face when he goes home to his girlfriend and tries to explain and she won’t have a clue what he’s yammering on about.”
The two young women couldn’t help laughing at the thought of that happening. “I’d better be getting back, Nathan’s probably wondered where I’ve got to.” She handed over her money and grabbed the bag containing her purchases off the counter. “I’ll see you later, okay.”
“Yeah, bye Haley,” Louise replied as she started to serve another customer.
* * * * *
Nathan finished dictating the report and after he had taken the tape out of his dictaphone he got up from his seat and walked out of his office and over to Haley’s desk in order to give it to her to type up. As he approached her desk, she came rushing in through the door and promptly collided with him.
“OW!!” Haley exclaimed as she landed on her ass on the hardwood floor.
“Oh my God! Haley, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” Nathan rushed over and helped her to her feet. “What were you doing running in here so fast anyway?” He asked her as he picked up the items she had dropped while she straightened her clothes.
“I know, I know. I shouldn’t have been running. It’s totally my fault. I got talking to Louise, the cashier over at the 7/11, and she was telling me about her pervert of a boss and then I remembered that you had probably finished dictating the report and that you had probably wondered where I’d gotten to and...”
Without thinking, Nathan suddenly leaned forward and kissed Haley hard on the lips intending to calm her down and stop her babbling. After a few moments had passed he broke the kiss but didn’t move away from her. Their eyes remained locked on each other for what seemed like hours but, in reality, was probably only a minute before they both moved forward and kissed hungrily.