3

An Unexpected Encounter

The Following Takes Place Between Day 3 and Day 4

Bill Buchanan slowly buttoned up his shirt because his hands were shaking so much. He looked at himself in the mirror and made a face. Rubbing the grey growing in at his temples, he grimaced. Why did he have to grow old? He sighed, put on his watch, and glanced down at the gold wedding ring on his left ring finger. Bill took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling of his bedroom. Did he really have a chance with her? He closed his eyes, took another deep breath, and moved the ring over to his right hand. He opened his eyes and jumped three feet in the air when his cell phone vibrated in his pocket.

"Buchanan."

"Hey Bill, its Michelle."

Bill smiled and tried to calm his racing heart. "Hi Michelle. How are you?"

There was a pause. "I could be better actually. I just finished signing the official divorce papers."

Bill's smile disappeared. "Oh…I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"

He heard a slight chuckle. "No. Unless you could turn back time and fix this whole mess."

Bill wished he could tell Michelle that he'd do anything for her... "Umm…well…would you like to go out for dinner with me after my meeting?"

"Oh I completely forgot about that! I'm sorry; I shouldn't have called you with my own issues you must be worried out of your mind!"

Bill laughed. "Don't worry its fine. It's just a little transfer, no big deal."

Michelle must have heard the false confidence in his voice. "Bill, this would be such a great promotion for you. Seattle to L.A.? That's HUGE!"

Bill sighed again. "I know. It would be a great opportunity."

"Bill!" Michelle sounded exasperated. "Regional Director! You know how many people in Seattle wanted to kill you?! This is a turning point in your career!"

Bill chuckled. "I know. And I am excited and nervous, but I feel like if I act confident then I will impress them more."

"That's true. Well, I better let you go. Good luck!"

"Thanks, that really means a lot Michelle. So…can you join me for dinner tonight?"

"Oh yeah…well…sure. I guess. I think I'm free."

She sounded unsure and Bill's spirits sunk. "I mean…if you don't want to that's fine…"

"No, no, no!" He heard Michelle pause on the other side. "I do want to go out, I really do. It's just…kinda hard right now; you understand."

"I do." Bill looked down at his wedding ring. "I will call you after the meeting."

"Okay, talk to you later."

"Bye." Bill put his phone back in his pocket and ran out the door.

Bill got out of his car and looked up at L.A. Division building and felt his heart spring to his throat. He was SO nervous. He had never been this nervous before…except when he proposed to his wife, Mary. He walked into the building, went through security, and found himself in a waiting room.

A man he recognized as Carl Leachman came out of an office and shook Bill's hand. "Bill? I'm Carl, West Coast Director of Division."

Bill smiled. "Bill Buchanan, nice to meet you."

Carl led Bill into an office. "In attendance at this meeting will be the current Regional Director of Division, Marsha Stevens, as well as Regional Director of C.T.U. Wallace King, West Coast Director of C.T.U. Bob Jacobs, Department of Defense West Coast coordinator Christopher Laurence, and Director of Homeland Security West Coast Karen Hayes."

Bill took a seat and twiddled his thumbs nervously.

Carl smiled at Bill. "Don't be so nervous. I've already proofed your file, you're flawless. Expect the best."

Bill smiled. "Thank you Carl."

Just then the door opened and the rest of the directors filed into the room and sat down. Bill looked around at all of them and started sweating. Carl was the only one who looked even remotely amused; impatience, annoyance, and boredom met him.

Carl stood up. "Okay, I say we make this go as quickly as possible. Now I presume you have all looked at Bill's file? Does anything jump out at you?"

"Yes." Christopher Laurence stood up. "It says here that a suspected terrorist by the name of Abu Fayed was released a few months ago. Can you confirm this for me please?"

Bill stood up and wiped his hands on his pants. "Yes…well…we captured Abu Fayed but did not have enough evidence to hold him at the present time. We have blue coded his file and stored it in Homeland Security temporarily in case he is recaptured or involved in any more suspicious activity."

Marsha piped up. "I'm not sure this convinces me Mr. Buchanan."

"If I could interject." The entire table turned to Karen Hayes. "I signed off on that document, and proofed it myself. It is clean; Myra Mock can testify to this as well, she signed the document with me. I can assure you that there is nothing dirty here."

Bill looked at Karen gratefully but she had already turned her head back to her paper and was scribbling.

Carl smiled. "Well…then. Does anyone else have anything to add?"

"Is there a specific reason you wish to be Regional Director?" King asked.

Bill nodded. "It would be a wonderful step up in my career. Of course the pay is great too!" Bill and Carl chuckled but were met with blank stares by the rest.

"I think he would be an excellent addition." Jacobs concluded and put his pen down. There was a murmur of agreement.

"Congratulations, Bill." Carl grinned and shook his hand. "Welcome to the team."

Marsha also came over to shake Bill's hand. "Congratulations Bill. I feel like I can resign knowing that my position will be well covered."

"Thank you." Bill nodded and turned to find Karen, but she had already disappeared up the steps into an office. Frowning, Bill finished shaking hands with the others and walked up the steps. He stopped outside of the door and heard shouting… through the sound proof wall.

"Rob I told you I want to get this over with now!!" Her voice was rising. "No, I don't care, it's been a year now, just sign the damn papers and it will be official!" There was another pause. "What?! Are you kidding me? No, I want a divorce!!" There was another pause and then he heard a sarcastic chuckle. "Really? Now you say you're sorry? HA." He heard the phone clamp shut.

He took a deep breath and knocked.

"Who is it! Come in!" Karen's voice was shrill and Bill poked his head in. "Can I speak to you for a second?"

Karen looked up, rolled her eyes and ushered him in with her hand. She put her pen down, clamped her hands together, and looked at him expectantly. "I'm very busy make it quick please."

"Um…I just wanted to thank you for sticking up for me in there. You were the reason I got the promotion, thank you."

Karen blinked a couple of times. "Is that all?"

Bill frowned. "What do you mean 'is that all?' I'm offering you thanks for helping me."

Karen looked down at her paper and began writing again. "I didn't help you, I told the truth. I wasn't going to leave out the truth. If that's all I really need to get back to work."

Bill opened his mouth and shut it. What a rude woman. He turned to go and then turned back to stop. "What gives you free license to act that way?"

Karen put her pen down and looked up at Bill. "EXCUSE me?"

Bill walked back over to her desk. "I came up here to thank you and you're giving me this 'I need to work' B.S. The least you could say is your welcome."

Karen's eyes widened and turned into slits and her nostrils flared out angrily. "I can always withdraw my consent to your promotion if you'd like."

Bill took a deep breath and pressed his lips together. Bill turned to leave and then stopped again. "And I'm sorry about your divorce."

Karen slammed her pen down and stood up suddenly. She walked over to Bill and stood directly in his face. "Why are you so interested in MY business?" She asked.

"Why don't you care about anyone else's??!" Bill and Karen glared and then made eye contact at the same instant. Bill's heart stopped in his chest. He took a sharp breath in and looked away. His heart started back up again but a much quicker pace than normal. He glanced back up and saw a flustered, blushing Karen hurriedly sitting back in her seat. She brushed a piece of hair that had fallen from her bun. "That will be all Mr. Buchanan."

Bill nodded. "I'm sorry. I was outta line. I shouldn't have said those things; I don't know what came over me."

Karen didn't look up but waved her hand. "Just leave please." Her voice sounded a little disoriented, like she had just been smacked.

Bill went and opened the door, nearly running into a weasley looking man. "The conference call with the SecDef will begin in five minutes Karen."

"Thank you Miles."

Bill walked past Miles and hurried down the steps. He was almost at the door, when he felt he was being watched. He whirled around and looked up at the office, and noticed Karen watching him leave the building with a confused, contemplative face.

Bill turned back around and exited the building quickly. He got into his car and sat there for a minute confused about his brief meeting with the bureaucratic Karen Hayes. That had been the weirdest feeling he'd experienced in a while. Why had he reacted that way? He shook his head and tried to clear the meeting from his brain. What was the big deal? The odds of their meeting again were highly unlikely, so Bill decided to put it out of his mind. He picked up his cell to call Michelle and tell her the good news about his promotion.