Cara scanned the next order as she walked to the office with the problem. A new employee had been given his or her accounts and passwords just the day before. The order only said that the computer wouldn't start, giving no further details. Cara could guess what had happened. The employee had probably wasted no time installing some incompatible or virus-laden game – solitaire, first-person-shooter, whatever – and now she'd have to play bad guy and uninstall it, confiscate it, and give a lecture, only to be ignored and come back next week to find the games on the computer anyway. She thought several disparaging remarks about the general ineptitude, stupidity, and disregard of rules that new employees had. The rules never applied to them.

She reached the office and found the door open, so she walked straight in and said, "I'm from computer support. What's the problem?" as she scanned the order for the name of the employee. When she could not find it, she looked up and a pair of brilliant green eyes and a welcoming smile confronted her. This new employee happened to be the man Maddie had pointed out to her yesterday. If Cara didn't know better, she would have suspected that Maddie had gotten into her work orders.

"I'm so glad you're here. I'm afraid I can't do a thing with the computer. Usually I have no problem with them, but this morning when I came in I couldn't get it to start." He grinned sheepishly and moved away from his desk to allow her access to the computer. "I even checked to see that it was plugged in – did that once, called in a technician to plug the cord in for me. I haven't even had time to install contraband on it," he added as she approached the machine.

Cara tried it for herself and just as he had said, it would not even turn on. She checked the cable connections, but they were all secure. She opened it up and found a simple loose wire connection for the switch inside. After reattaching it, she replaced the cover and tried turning it on again. This time it started with a reassuring beep and revving of the drive.

"Looks like that did it for you. Try it out and see if there are any other problems while I'm here."

He sat in front of the computer and logged on and off a few applications to test it. As she waited for him to finish, Cara started her write-up for the work order.

"I need your name for my report. It's not on the work order."

"It's Hadrian O'Keefe," he told her and spelled it for her, watching her as she wrote it on the sheet. "And whom do I have to thank for rescuing me in my extremity?"

"Cara Nithiananda. And it wasn't as dire as all that."

"Oh, but it was. I have my first report due today and the notes were held hostage by that machine. My promising career would have been cut short by a short circuit."

"I'm sure it would have survived." The dramatics annoyed and at the same time amused her. Or did her amusement annoy her? "Does everything work now?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll go save someone else's career."

"Ah, before you go, I have one more question for you."

"What's that?"

"Where does one go to eat around here? I'm new to the area."

"There's a bunch of restaurants around here, just down the street. Fast food, Chinese, Italian."

"I see. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

.….

"I found out his name," Maddie announced.

"Whose name?" Cara asked as she picked at her turkey sandwich.

"The new consultant's. It's O'Keefe, Hadrian O'Keefe," she said smugly.

"I know," Cara said, popping Maddie's bubble casually as she picked up her can of soda to take a drink.

"You know? What do you mean you know? How?"

"I fixed his computer this morning," Cara replied once she had swallowed and set her can down.

"So? Tell me what you think."

"I think Sue was right. He pours on the charm. I think it might be annoying after a while."

"Annoying? How can a man who looks like that and is charming be annoying?"

"Too much of anything can be annoying." Cara snapped off a bite of carrot and chewed.

"What else?"

Cara shrugged. "Nothing."

"Well, then what did he say?"

"He wanted me to fix his computer. It wouldn't turn on. He said he had even checked to make sure it was plugged in." Cara rolled her eyes. "A wire was loose. I fixed it. He thanked me overdramatically and then asked me where people go to eat lunch. I told him there were restaurants down the street. That's it."

"He asked you where to eat lunch and you didn't take advantage of it?" Maddie asked incredulously.

"Take advantage of what?"

"Going out to lunch with him, of course. That's obviously what he was hinting at."

"No, I didn't. I brought my lunch again today. I have to get rid of the leftover turkey somehow."

"You can eat leftover turkey any time. You should have gone with him. There's no telling where you could have gotten him to take you. Maybe that fancy new place on First."

"That place would cost a lot of money. I can't afford that."

"Guys like that pay for your lunch for you, Cara."

"I prefer to pay for my own, that way you don't owe them anything."

"You're never going to get a date –"

"Here we go again," thought Cara and let Maddie ramble on with only half an ear listening to her.

"– for the Christmas party if you don't go out. What am I going to do with you?"

"Absolutely nothing?" Cara wondered idly to herself what Maddie would do if she ever let any of these retorts slip out. "Probably think I'm joking and go right on with her spiel."

.….

The next day Cara found herself in the same seat, listening to the same conversation with Maddie, eating the same turkey sandwich. She felt as if she had never left the break room.

"Maybe Maddie was right. Maybe I should have gone out to lunch yesterday. I'm certainly getting tired of this turkey," she thought as she peeked between the slices of bread. "The conversation had to have been better."

A kachunk from the drink machine across the room caught her attention and she glanced in that direction. Someone – a man – had just bought a canned soda. Maddie sat with her back to the door and the vending machines and had not noticed the other person yet. The man heard Maddie's voice and turned around to see who else was in the room. Cara recognized the face of Hadrian O'Keefe.

"If he comes over here, I'll never hear the end of it. Maddie will never be happy until I'm hanging off his arm like some bimbo. Just turn around and walk out the door. There's no one you want to talk to over here," she willed him desperately.

Instead he started walking toward them, smiling. Cara groaned inwardly and felt like crawling under the table. She really did not feel up to being put on display by Maddie. Something must have shown on her face, because Maddie paused mid-spiel to ask her what was wrong. By that time he had nearly reached the table so Cara didn't bother answering her.

"Hello. It's Ms. Nithiananda, isn't it? I hope I have your name right?"

"Yes, that's right. This is my friend Maddie Wright. Maddie, this is Hadrian O'Keefe. That's right, isn't it?"

"Yes. Pleased to meet you Ms. Wright."

Maddie, for once speechless, merely nodded.

"Maybe this won't be so bad after all," Cara thought then said, "Would you like to sit with us Mr. O'Keefe?"

"No, thank you. I just came to get a drink, but please call me Hadrian."

Thankfully Maddie found her tongue at that point, because Cara had no desire to get on first name terms with him at this point.

"That's an unusual name. Where does it come from?"

"It's a family name." He turned to address Cara again. "Thank you again for fixing my computer and giving me the information about the restaurants. Perhaps you could join me sometime?" Seeing the look on Cara's face he added, "Both of you?"

Before Cara could refuse, Maddie spoke up. "We'd love to. Thank you for the offer."

"Wonderful. I have a meeting tomorrow, but what about Friday?"

"That should be perfect," Maddie answered again as Cara opened her mouth.

"Fine. I'll meet you in the lobby at noon," he said and left.

They watched him walk out and then Cara turned to Maddie and kicked her under the table. "What was that? I don't want to go to lunch with him and you know it!"

"Well, I do. You wouldn't want to deprive me would you?" Maddie asked, all innocence.

"At this point, yes." Cara glared at her. "You owe me big time for this."

"We'll see about that. He likes you. You may be thanking me later," she said smugly.