When autumn comes, it doesnt ask.
It just walks in, where it left you last.
And you never know, when it starts
Until there's fog inside the glass around your summer heart:
Cara's eyes met Hayden's in a look of complete and utter surprise.
"Hayden! Tove!" Melissa jumped up to greet them. "I want you to meet the newest addition to personnel! Hayden, Tove Christensen, this is Cara Swanson. She will be assisting me here in the production office. This is her first day with us."
Cara had walked over and extended her hand to Tove, "It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, welcome to the team," Tove replied with a smile.
She then turned to Hayden, "hello," she said shaking his hand.
"Yeah, it's nice to meet you," Hayden said with a non-chalant tone that shocked Cara.
To her great surprise, she could feel her cheeks flushing with anger.
"Yes, you too," she replied, struggling to maintain a friendly tone in Tove and Melissa's presence.
"Well, we're using Conference Room 1 Melissa. If you can show the reps from Wagner in when they arrive? They should be here shortly."
"Certainly, will do!" Melissa said brightly.
Tove and Hayden walked through the office to Conference Room and shut the door.
Melissa rushed over to Cara's desk. "I'm sure you know who those guys are....but they started this company -- they're the head honchos around here. If they need anything, we go and get it done...no matter what."
Cara shook her head.
How was it possible everyone had failed to mention this minor detail before now??
"I didn't even realize Hayden Christensen was involved with the company," Cara replied.
"Yeah, that's a detail we leave out of the interview process," Melissa had read Cara's mind. "It allows us to screen people -- we don't need any crazed fans in here just wanting to meet Hayden. We need people who really want to work. That's why I thought you'd be perfect. They were both at the party the other night, I'm surprised you didn't meet them. I'm sorry I didn't get to introduce you."
Cara nodded, a sick knot forming in her stomach. She'd done more than try to get Hayden's autograph, that was for sure. Now he was her boss - and he had acted like he'd never met her before....that pompous, arrogant -- Cara stopped thinking about it. She couldn't think about it anymore, it made her nauseous. Could things get any worse?
~~~~~~~~~~~
Hayden and Tove sat in the conference room.
"That girl, Cara, she looks familiar," Tove said. "I think I saw her at the party the other night."
"Yeah, she was there," Hayden said, his eyes never leaving the script he was holding.
"So, you met her before today?" Tove asked, curiously.
Hayden sighed, "so what if I did?"
Tove's eyebrows raised. "No matter....you just acted like you'd never met her before."
Hayden sighed and looked up at Tove. "Alright, I'm going to tell you something. You have to swear, this never leaves this room....and it doesn't affect her or her job."
"What? What is it?" Tove asked with interest.
"She's the one from Saturday night....she's who you heard leaving early Sunday morning."
Tove's eyes widened. "Oh my God! Hayden!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Hayden said in a low voice.
"Dammit! You didn't even wait for her to actually even start the job! You got to her before her first day!!"
"Stop! I didn't even know she worked here. It never occurred to me to ask what she was doing at the party," Hayden replied. "I thought she was there socially with friends."
"You know this isn't good at all," Tove said.
"Listen, it won't matter, alright? We're professional...we just acted professional in there."
"You are so clueless," Tove said, looking at the wall.
"It won't be a factor...remember...she's the one who bailed that morning, not me."
"...that's because she beat you to the punch," Tove said dryly.
Those biting words got to Hayden. He knew that his behavior toward women had been dubious at times. He knew that pretending to have never met Cara before this morning was dubious. It wasn't something he was exactly proud of....but that previous morning- waking up alone.....it had really struck a nerve. This girl had gotten under his skin.