Haley had the morning off. Tuesday was less peaceful than Monday. She was drinking her tea, in another cashmere sweater looking out across Central Park when there was a knock at the door. It was Lillian. "Get dressed, we're going somewhere." Lillian said. "Its 8:00 in the morning! What are you thinking?" Haley protested. "Billy set this up. Breakfast is there. Let's go." Haley had barely buttoned her jeans before Lillian was pushing her out the door. They got into a cab and started down the road. They ended up at the hair salon where Billy worked. It didn't open until 10:00 so they had two hours all to themselves. There had been a mixed Couture fashion show the previous night so the adorable but unwanted articles of clothing were strewn about the floor. "Won't we get in trouble for this?" Haley asked. "No, my boss said if I had any girl friends they should come early and sift through this trash." Billy explained. "Now come here and let me do your hair." Haley sat down in the chair in front of Billy and began on her gourmet breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast and orange juice while he washed her hair. With her hair in large rollers, Lillian started on her make up. Full make up, but simple and not overdone. By the time they had finished with her, it was almost time to go. "I still don't understand why you did all of this! It's just an interview." Haley said as she slipped into the little black dress they had chosen for her. "This isn't just any interview. This is Nathan Scott. And for all you know, you could end up marrying him and having lots of babies." Lillian replied. Billy and Haley rolled their eyes. "Limo's here." Billy said from the door. "Ok, thank you guys again. I'll pay you back, I promise." Haley said, pushing the door open. "No you wont, you never do." Lillian yelled from the back room. The limo ride was long, but not long enough. Haley had just enough time to go over her notes five times, go through three bottles of water so her voice didn't crack during the interview, and make the driver stop three times so she could pee. She also had just enough time to freak herself out and go over all the things that could possibly go wrong. She didn't have enough time to calm herself down afterwards. He was waiting for her outside the restaurant. She stepped out of the limo with the help of the driver, tipped him generously and began walking towards Nathan Scott. God he's so gorgeous. Haley thought as she walked towards him. Nathan waited for fifteen minutes before leaving the table and walking outside. He knew it was a little cheesy, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to see her again so badly. He knew most girls got giddy when they saw him but there was something different about her. He knew it wasn't his fame or his looks, it was something else; something that happened in her past that he just couldn't take his mind off of. The way her hair smelled when he caught her, and how she knew who he was, but didn't make a big deal of it, how simple her smile and laugh was, it was enough to make him crazy. So, when the limo finally pulled up, his heart began to race. His tall bald driver stepped out of the limo, gave him a small nod, and opened the door for Haley James. God, she is so beautiful. Nathan thought. Haley neatly stepped over a large puddle of splashy mud and greeted Nathan. "Hello, Mr. Scott. Nice to meet you again." she said, doing her best to sound professional. "Ms. James, the pleasure is all mine." he kissed her hand and squeezed it before letting it drop. "Well," Haley took a sharp breath in and let it out slowly. "Should we go inside?" "Yes, but before we do, let me just say that you look-" and before he could finish his sentence, a cab drove right through the large puddle of mud which ended up spraying all over Haley and her extremely expensive clothes. She closed her eyes, begging God to rewind the world and skip that part. Please say it didn't happened, please, please. I'm dreaming. I have to be! But she wasn't. "-muddy." Nathan said finishing his sentence. "Oh my god." Haley said looking down. The back of her dress no doubt ruined, shoes to. "Screw lunch, we're going back to my place and getting you a shower and some clothes." "What about the interview?" "We can do it at my place." and before Haley could protest, he was ushering her into the limo again. Haley's head was leaned against the window as they rode in silence. She was willing herself to try teleporting. Maybe if she could just get out of this car she would be able to run away from Nathan Scott and never see him again in her life. She would be very okay with that. "Are you okay?" Nathan asked cautiously. Haley sighed and willed herself to look at him. "Yeah. Billy and Lillian are going to be so pissed." "Billy and Lillian?" Nathan asked, nervous for the answer. "My best friends. Billy works at this huge salon and hooked me up with all this stuff." Haley said sweeping her hands over her body. "Oh, you can call them if you want." Nathan offered, handing her his black Razor cell phone. Haley declined and returned to people watching. After a few minutes, Nathan broke the silence in a very strange way. "A, Manhattan." "What?" Haley asked, clearly very confused. "Its the alphabet game. Didn't you play when you a kid? My brother and I used to get in huge fights about it during road trips." "Really? No way! My sister and I used to gang up on my mom when ever we were in the car." Haley replied. "Up for a challenge?" "It depends, up for getting your ass kicked by a girl?" "Cocky are we?" Nathan laughed. "A, Armani Factory Store. B, Barney's Department. C, Sandy's Coffee. Better hurry Scott." Haley burst out. They spent the rest of the car ride playing their favorite childhood games. They stopped in front of a rich looking apartment building and had to cease their game. "Wow, you live here?" Haley asked, forgetting who she was with for a moment. "Um, yea." Nathan said, giving her a strange look. "Right." Nathan led her into the elevator and pressed the button for the 23rd floor. When they got to his apartment, he showed her to the bathroom and set out his smallest pair of sweatpants and an old Abercrombie football shirt for her to wear after. Haley stepped out into a steamy bathroom smelling like Old Spice body wash and a very expensive looking shampoo. She touched up her make up and returned to the bedroom where she found the clothes waiting for her. The t-shirt fit just like a boyfriend's-t-shirt-that-you-wear-to-bed shirt would. The sweatpants were large on her but incredibly comfortable. Nathan was waiting for her in the living room. "Nathan, thank you so much." Haley said joining him on the couch. "Any time." Nathan couldn't take his eyes off her when he first saw her, thinking no woman could look better than this. But now, she had entered a completely different level of beauty. Sensing him staring at her, Haley cleared her throat. "Well, should we get on with this interview?" She suggested. After about an hour of questions and answers, Haley stopped the tape and closed her eyes. This interview would probably get her an incredible raise. When Haley opened her eyes, they fell on a football resting in the corner. "I need a break." She said, and got up to get the ball. "Think fast." Haley said and chucked the ball at Nathan, thinking he wasn't ready. He snatched the ball right out of the air. "Oh, football player also. You're just the whole package, aren't you." Haley mocked. Nathan stood up, brushed past her, and went to the far end of the apartment. As he walked by, Haley got a whiff of his Armani Black Code cologne. The commercials were right. Cologne really can make you want a man more. No. No, no no. You cannot get involved with a client. Let alone this client. This was Nathan Scott. No, no, no. Haley snapped out of it when the football nearly hit her straight in the face. "Wake up, James. Its on." Haley rolled her eyes and fetched the ball. They played one-on-one for half an hour. "Go long! Go long!" Nathan yelled. Haley ran far across the room holding her hands up to catch the ball. Nathan threw it right into Haley's hands. Haley began to run back towards him for a touch down between two chairs but he caught her in mid stride and lifted her off the ground. They fell onto the couch, Nathan pinning Haley down. "This must be the most informal interview you've ever had." Nathan said huskily. "Yeah. Its also going to give me a great raise." Haley joked. Nathan laughed and looked into her eyes, really for the first time. He began to lower his head, but stopped after going ten percent. Haley's heart fluttered with bliss and she got closer another thirty percent. Finally, in one soaring moment, their lips touched in the sweetest kiss either of them had ever had. Neither of them could end it. While staying in Nathan's arms, Haley tried to think of a feeling better than this. No guy had ever brought her this comfort before. Being on top of the tallest mountain in the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado was pretty amazing, but that was more a feeling of accomplishment. Gymnastics...no. Dance. Nailing her first performance was incredible, seeing her name in the newspaper, watching her performance on ESPN, all that was- dance! "Shit!" Haley said pulling away. "What's wrong?" Nathan asked. Haley looked at her watch. She had fifteen minutes to get to her rehearsal on the other side of town, and it was rush hour. "I have rehearsal right now!" Haley jumped up. "Wait, slow down. What?" "I can't! I'm a dancer, I have rehearsal, in fifteen minutes!" "I'll take you." Nathan offered, not ready to say goodbye. "I'll never make it." "Look who your driving with. Take a second to wonder why I'm never late." Nathan smirked. Haley gathered her things and they ran out of the door. Impossibly, they arrived only five minutes late for her rehearsal. Nathan walked her to her studio and pulled her close for one last kiss before she left. Haley didn't know what this meant, but she spent the better part of her four hour rehearsal day dreaming about the events of that day. Even her beautiful mud covered clothes seemed easier to deal with.