I'm Not Your Husband!

Thanks for the replies. They keep me motivated.

Chapter 4

"You said nothing happened." Marvin accused, looking intently at a red faced Nathan.

"Nothing did happen!" He shrieked furious enough to track Haley James down and strangle her by her pretty little neck. She has some audacity to say something so embarrassing in front of Marvin! Jen could have heard her too!

"Why would she make up something like that?" Marvin continued to question.

"Dude, you know Haley! She doesn't have to have a reason." Nathan snipped. "We make out for a few minutes and she makes it sound like..."

"Made out! You kissed her?" Marvin asked forcefully, his eyes tightening." You just said there's nothing going on between the two of you."

" It was no big deal, just a little peck on the lips and she kissed me. It was something between friends for old times' sake." He was stretching the truth, but it was necessary.

While he was chatting, Nathan started stuffing his briefcase with paper work from his desk, much of it unneeded, but he wasn't paying that much attention. He slammed it shut catching a few fingers in the heavy leather holder. Jerking his right hand out, he sucked on the injured fingers.

"Enjoy your weekend," He said stiffly, not fully sure why he was even bothered by Marvin's reaction. "I'll see you on Monday." He stormed through the office, but pause in front of Haley as she left the sportswear division.

"You wanted something, Honey?" She cooed in a seductive voice, making sure to leave barely inches of space between their bodies.

"You, Haley James are scandalous!"

Haley appeared unhappy with his choice of adjectives." Don't you mean evil and mean?"

"That too." He grumped.

She grinned from ear to ear just as Nathan expected. "I like how you think."

Nathan chewed on an irate comeback. It wasn't wise to getting into a verbal debate with Haley James. She would hurl an insult back at him so fast he would start to stutter. Spasmodic, Nathan hoofed it to the elevators and stuck the button several times feverishly.

"I'll drop by later, sweetheart." Haley yelled to him just as the doors were closing, effectively stopping another fight.

She was playing with his head again. She had to be. No sane woman would expect him to invite her into his home after her latest gag, not even brazen Haley James.

Once home, Nathan took a long, serene shower. He dried off and dressed in basketball shorts and a Miami Heat jersey. Friday nights were more often than not quiet for him. He was chomping on some cheese puffs and scanning the minimal contents of his refrigerator when the door bell rang.

"That is not Haley!" He told himself.

It was Haley, juggling a six pack of beer in one hand and a large sack of food from the local Chinese restaurant in the other.

Nathan watched her, too floored by her daring to show up to speak.

"I come in peace." She proclaimed, swinging the food bag with more than a little ceremony.

"Listen here, you ... you nutcase! It's going to take a lot more than take out to get you off the hook for that prank you pulled this afternoon."

Haley pouted. "C'mon, Nate, relax a little."

"Relax! You ... You..."

"I think the word you're looking for is nutcase."

"You have some serious balls!"

"Actually I don't." She quipped with a bat of the eyes. "I could show ya."

"Haley!" He folded his arms across his chest, knowing he shouldn't have opened the door, but the food smelled so inviting it was difficult to maintain his rage.

"Okay. I might have gone a smidge overboard today. I admit it." Haley came clean her brown eyes self-condemnation.

She jostled the bag so that it became slightly ajar and the most luscious aroma floated out. She had his favorite, Nathan just knew it.

"Do you forgive me?" Haley raised the bag under Nathan's chin with big puppy dog eyes.

"Do I smell spring rolls and lemon chicken?" He was practically salivating.

"Honey lemon chicken." She taunted.

"You're forgiven."

He snatched the bag and led the way to the kitchen. After removing the many boxes containing a variety of dishes, he got two plates from the cupboard and collected the utensils they would need and he mentally reviewed his crimes.

"I still can't believe you said that." He muttered, shaking his head.

He set the table, not forgetting napkins or to pull a chair out for the lady after she finished washing her hands.

"At least tell me why you found it necessary to say those things in front of Jennifer. Marvin has already started interrogating me. Can you image what they both think now?"

Haley took the opener and removed the caps from two beers, setting one by each plate. "I've never been so humiliated in my life."

"Never?... Ever?" She prompted returning the bottle opener to it's rightful drawer.

Haley took a swig of her beer, giggling before she donned a Jamaican accent and sung, "Here's a little song I wrote, ... You might want to sing it note for note ... Don't worry... Be happy!... Don't worry, Be happy!" She belted loudly in perfect pitch to Nathan's aggravation.

"And bribing me with Chinese is not the cure all for all the antics you're pulled, Haley James." He insisted.

"I'll be good." She promised her eyes bright and innocent like a five year old.

She bounced over to the counter and retrieved the bottle opener and popped the top on two more beers.

Nathan started dishes a sample of each dish on to both of their plates. "Did Jenn say anything after I left?"

"About what?" Haley went behind him, adding more of each item to her servings.

"D'uh about me." He growled.

Haley handed him one of the beers. "Not really."

Nathan stopped and let his eyes meet hers. "Not really? What does that mean?"

"It means, she didn't say much about you."

Haley was baiting him, hanging bits and pieces of information just to watch him squirm. He should have known not to trust her. But he was so anxious to know what Jennifer said so he ignored his pride. "Quote everything she said." He demanded. "Now, Haley."

The playful blonde had stuffed her pie hole with vegetable lo mein and Nathan was left to wait several moments as she chewed and then swallowed. "She said you told her we had a past, that we're old friends."

Nathan sat up, too curious to act nonchalant. "Did she look upset? Jealous?"

"Jennifer Lindley?... No, if anything she looked bored out of her ever loving mind."

"Bored." He repeated. His shoulders slumped with failure." Do I have come to work and walk around all day in my birthday suit to get that woman to notice me?"

"Oooo good idea. I bet that will work. Maybe you should try it out at home first, get into the swing of things." She burst out laughing. "Oops, that was a Freudian slip... I would be willing to be your test audience if you're serious." She sounded completely casual, as he'd been suggesting switching his long distance carrier. "I mean that's what friends are for? Do you need help with that drawstring?" She tilted back in her seat to check out his low hanging shorts.

Nathan took a gulp of his beer, hiding his amusement. Haley hadn't changed in twelve years. She was still funny, adventurous and a big flirt. Ha ha, Hales."

"I'm serious as a stroke. I'll pretend I'm Jennifer and "she licked her lips.

"You promised to be good." He warned.

She flipped her shiny mane over her shoulder, so it spilled down her back. "Oh I'm going to be real good. Just you wait Nathan Scott."

Bashfully, he lowered his head to his plate. "Haley, c'mon. You're embarrassing me again. Cut it out... It makes me look like a loser." He took a big bite out of one of his spring rolls, chewing pensively. "I don't get you. Every time I think I have you figured out, you switch up on me."

"Like what?"

"Like yesterday you ask me to dinner, but I never assumed you would choose some place as upscale as Bovinity. You were a lady all evening and today you're so..."

"Evil and mean?"

"Exactly." He agreed. "One minute you're the poster child for style and grace and the next you're hounding me with your wisecracks."

"I'm a tease, remember?"

"But I can't handle you if I don't know what to expect."

"That's the beauty which is Haley." She reached for a fortune cookie. "It's all part of my hotness. Women are supposed to keep men on their toes."

"Not this man." He informed immediately. "I need to know where I stand with you."

"Behind me or I can't see."

Haley, please, I'm not kidding. I can't have you pulling stunts like you did today. I have always lived a model life. A couple days with you and my reputation with the company is ruined. I can't walk proudly into the office any longer. I hear people gossiping and see the stares and I know they are talking about me."

"Us." She corrected. "They're talking about us."

"That's even worse! If they want to talk about me and a woman, I would prefer it be Jennifer. Just how much longer is this restructuring going to go on anyway?"

As far as Nate was concerned, the sooner Haley and her band of brownies were out of the office, the faster his life would return to normal. He hated change.

"We're almost done."

"At the rate you're going, I'll be retiring and getting a gold watch before you finish."

She kept ignoring his dramatics. "It will be finished before the end of the year."

"Yes, but how dependable is your word?"

"I'm behaving aren't I?"

"I suppose," He conceded rudely, snatching a stack of unopened mail he had left on the table and Haley was sifting through.

"What's this?" Haley vexed, rescuing a piece of notebook paper from the pile before it fell to the floor.

"It's for the gaming promotion my department is having at the mall tomorrow, you're suggestion by the way. It has the times my employees are schedule for, what games we're promoting and giveaways we're providing... I'm going to have the morning shift."

"I should have know you couldn't wing that either." She sounded mildly insulting.

"I've been organized all my life. It's not like to change now."

"That's why I want you to chill a little." She continued to study his list. "What time are you going?"

"Everything will be set up in the malls courtyard before it opens at 9 am. I'll be there on time."

"So you wrote down everyone's job description, but you're going to be there by yourself until 12 to give out hints to improve players' games and to hand out prizes after patrons play against each other?"

"Yes."

"Makes sense." Her remark surprised him. "Want me I come?" She withdrew a pen from her purse and wrote her name beside his and a job description.

"No!" He snatched the paper.

"Why not?" She scowled offended.

He read aloud what she wrote. "Maybe because of this!"

Haley's job description:

She'll be looking hot to attract teenaged boys and their dads. She'll sweet talk them into buying more of Nathan's video games.

He finished. "I can't believe you wrote that!"

"Oh please, I bet I could sell more than you could and you invented the damn games." Haley challenged.

Nathan knew sex sells, hell some beautiful model enticed him to buy some bullsh!t more often than he liked to admit, and Haley James was certainly sexy.

"Uh…." Nathan hadn't planned on her being there, but he could object sense it was for the good of the company and she behaved herself. "You have to promise no tricks, no little gags like you did today and absolutely no teasing me. If you tell anyone we're married I'm walking away from you and that's a promise."

"Deal!" She crossed her heart before clapping her hands giddly.

"You didn't heart it, your oath with Nikki." Nathan demanded realizing he caught up he had gotten in Haley's games. "Nevermind."

Her eyes were dancing as she stood to bring her plate to the sink. "Damn, it's a shame your in love with Jennifer," She told him. "If I'm not careful, I could fall for you myself." With that, she kissed him on the pulse point of his neck and let herself out the front door.

Rubbing his fingers along his neck, Nathan sighed after hearing the door close. Only then did he let his body quiver with delight.

"Oh, Hales." He whispered.

That last thing he wanted was for Haley to fall in love with him. Not that she wasn't gorgeous, kind, and terrific. Their personalities didn't mesh; Haley was unpredictable, always doing the unexpected, whereas Nathan's life ran like clockwork. He liked Haley. He almost wished he didn't, but he couldn't help himself. However, an overload of her pranks would have him in a straight jacket before he knew it.

Standing, Nathan put the leftovers in storage bins and neatly placed them on the second shelf in his refrigerator. He filled the sink with hot soapy water and put the dirty dishes in when the phone rang. He quickly wiped his hands off and took the cordless from its wall stand near the back door.

"Hello?"

"Nathan... Hi, it's Jenn."

He was so shocked his hand let go of the receiver and the telephone fell into the bubbling water with a loud Plop! He pulled it out, only to find it dripping with water.

He tossed it on the counter and in is bare feet; he made a dash for the telephone in the living room only to slip on the water that splashed from the sink onto the floor when he dropped the other phone. He busted his butt. He rubbed his hip as he struggled to his feet and ran down the hall to pick up the phone in the living room.

"Sorry. Sorry." He cried once the receiver was by his ear. "Jennifer? Are you still there?"

"Yes. I'm here. Is this a bad time? I could call back later. You don't have company do you? I don't want to interrupt a party or anything." She rambled.

"Oh, now is fine. I didn't know you had my home number ….. But apparently you do. After all you've been my boss for 4years." Nine months and 27 days, not that he was counting or anything. "Naturally you would have it in the human resources department. "

She hesitated and Nathan stroked the damp and bruised area of his hip he had hurt when he landed flat on his ass. But it was a small price to pay to get a call from Jennifer Lindley!

"The reason I'm calling…."

"Yes, Jennifer," He prompted when she didn't immediately continue.

The silence lengthened before she blurted out, "I just wanted to thank you for those statistics on soccer cleats. I know they're going to help improve our products. It was thoughtful of you and I appreciate it."

"I have some others on football cleats and track spikes I think you'll find interesting too. If you like, I'll bring them in next week."

"Sure. That will be fine. Thanks again, Nathan. Goodbye."

The line disconnected before Nathan could say anything else. He was left holding the receiver. A smirk came slow and confident, with a husky "Yes!" in triumph. He tossed the receiver in the air, but it hit him in the head when he tried to catch it. He put it back on the mount, rubbing his forehead with his other hand.

Pamela