The room was spinning, and Maddie was glad she was sat down. "Oh my God!"

Evan laughed, crinkles appearing around his eyes as he did, "it’s kind of you to say that, but I’m not that good!"

She shook her head, still bewildered and completely missing his quick wit, "Mark called you Gordon..." Mark was the manager of the bar she’d worked in, and he’d organised the night out on the previous Saturday, he’d not mentioned that his brother was this semi famous chef. Then she froze as the penny dropped, "but that’s a joke cos you’re a chef, ‘Gordon’ Ramsey!" She looked up at him, and was greeted with a nod.

"Mark is my step brother, my mother married his father when I was in my late teens, I was already an established chef when we first met, not like I am now, but he’s always called me Gordon, especially if he’s had a few drinks!" He rolled his eyes, “amongst many other embarrassing things.”

The whole situation was mortifying, she’d slept with him, and now he was her new boss. How the hell did she get past that? Realising she couldn’t, she avoided his eyes as she started to shuffle the papers on her desk, "I’m sorry!" her voice was a mumble, "I’ll gather my things, you don’t need to honour my notice."

Evan was stunned, "What?" he braced himself on the desk in front of her. "I have no intention of forcing you to resign, or heaven forbid sack you. Quite the opposite, you spent most of Saturday evening explaining how great an opportunity your new job was, and how it was going to change your life, so I’ll be interested to see how much of an asset you are!"

She hated the way heat filled her face, how embarrassed she was to think that she’d bigged up her new job to her new boss, moments before going home with him. How the hell could she carry on working there? How could she sit in meetings with him? Call him on the phone? It was all such a mess! Then she processed his words, and looked up at him slowly, "did you know then? Did you know who I was?"

He stared at her for longer than was necessary, then shook his head, "I was too drunk to register, I don’t think you actually told me where this new wonderful job was, but it was great to see someone with so much joie de vivre. I didn’t even think to find out where your job was..."

She wasn’t sure she believed him, but then he had no reason to lie, "but you knew today?"
Evan smiled, and she hated that she could feel herself blush at that, "I read my emails on Sunday morning; Eric had sent me your details. There can’t be that many Madeleine’s who have had a ‘super’ new job..." she blushed even more as he continued, "I wanted to be here yesterday, but was stuck with a crisis at another restaurant; I couldn’t get back here in time. Even if we hadn’t met before today I would come and meet an important new team member, ok?"

She raised an eyebrow, "I don’t think this can work Evan..." She stumbled over the name, it seemed so unlikely. She’d been looking forward to meeting her boss, now it felt like there was a band squeezing around her chest, and she felt sick.

"Are you ok?" Evan rushed around the desk to squat next to her, "you’re white as a sheet!"
She gulped trying to catch her breath, "I’m a bit warm..."

Grabbing her arm, he pulled her to her feet, and led her towards the door, calling back over his shoulder to Gina, "Madeleine’s not very well Gina, hold the coffee, I’m going to help her get some fresh air."

The cold gush of outdoor air hit her like a smack to the face, and Maddie staggered, losing her footing. But Evan was there like a rock to help her. Leading her across the pavement, he bundled her into a low car, as she slumped exhaustively in to the comfortable seat, she felt her eyes wanting to close. Sensing movement beside her she opened her eyes to glance at him, his concerned expression as he studied her.

“Ok?”

Maddie felt as though her humiliation was complete, there was no stone left unturned in terms of this man seeing her at her worst, as she nodded she briefly  noted the plush leather interior of the vehicle, and the soft smooth sound as he fired the engine.

She must have fallen asleep as she was woken by him shaking her shoulder gently. He’d stopped in a car park and turned off the engine, "let’s go get a drink. You look like you need it."

                "I should be back in work...there’s so much to do..."

He laughed, "I’m the boss Maddie, and as my newest employee, I say that me and you need to talk.”

Doomed to this slow and painful death, she followed him into the pub with more than a little reluctance. As he led her towards a table, he gestured to the barman for a couple of brandies, "I know that beer’s more your thing...I bought you enough on Saturday, but I think brandy’s better for the shock."

She wished with all her heart that he’d stop referencing that night; it was like having him poke her in a raw wound with a sharp stick.

Sitting across the table from him in the booth he’d directed her to, she sipped at the amber liquid and it travelled a warm path to her stomach, he was right, she did start to feel better. And she even managed a sigh.

Evan finally relaxed back into his chair, “thank God for that!" he announced with a sigh, "fair play you looked awful."

Maddie couldn’t dare to admit that she felt awful too, in fact half of her wished she’d fainted properly back in the office, because then she’d not have ended up across the table from a man who was the last person she wanted to be with.

"What will Gina think?" she wondered aloud, her eyes meeting his when she realised she’d spoken her thoughts.

He shrugged, "who cares? I’m the boss Maddie, and I can in theory ask you to do anything." When her eyes widened in fear he laughed, “I meant in work!”

Struggling to cope she reached for her glass, warming it between her hands, “She fancies you.”
Evan was silent for a moment as he watched her reaction to her own comment, "I have been made aware of that fact." Sitting back in the chair he sighed.

"Are you always this arrogant?" She asked, even though he had been the perfect gent the previous Saturday without a hint of being self absorbed or over confident.

He laughed at that, a really loud belly laugh, "I like someone who speaks their mind, and you don’t mess with your words, do you?"

Shaking her head she looked at him, "I’m finding this a little difficult if you must know. I mean I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, let alone find that you are my boss. Now I’m mortified. I don’t make a habit of picking up men like that."

He reached across the table and grabbed one of her hands, Madeline gulped trying desperately to snatch it away, his touch was having a profound effect on her, and she had to focus, concentrate. “As I recall it was a very mutual thing, and it’s not my scene either, but these things happen. And it doesn’t change what we both are. Ok?”

It was all too much, “Can we just forget that it happened?"

Ignoring the pleas in her eyes he shook his head, “Oh-no, no way.”

"What?"
He shrugged, "shouldn’t we just see if there’s more to it than we’ve seen so far? We had fun; I’m not against us going out for dinner, a movie..."

"You want to go out again?" she was incredulous.

"Why not? Technically it would be the first date as oppose to going out again, but hey, we had a good laugh didn’t we?"

She thought back to the parts she remembered from the evening, he had a great pair of eyes, great backside, and was an awesome kisser. Other than that she remembered very little, she’d been morose that evening, and had tried to drink away her sorrows. "Look it was a drunken encounter. We have to work together, and for that reason if nothing else, we have to keep a professional distance. I really need this job Evan, I’ve bummed around for too long. I don’t want to screw this up."
He ran a finger around the rim of his glass and she found herself mesmerised by the action, then he flicked his eyes up to her face, "I don’t want to let this go, and I don’t think it’ll spoil things."

"Of course it will. What happens if it doesn’t work out? What if we have a blazing row? Gina will hate me too, as if that alone isn’t enough." She was twisting the bead bracelet on her wrist as she frantically sought out the right words. "Evan, maybe it’s been a while since you needed money, needed a job, needed a purpose in life. At this moment in time, I want to feel better about myself. Reacquainting with a one night stand and jeopardising the job before it’s even begun will not boost my self esteem. You have to understand."

He drained his glass, "I don’t believe it was a one night stand, and I don’t believe it’ll ruin you working here. But I’ll give you time. A week? A month? Then you can justify why you can’t date me. Ok?"

Maddie shook her head, then shrugged some form of agreement. She needed to get back away from him and back to work.

That night, Steve arrived home to find Maddie cooking, not just opening a tin or a packet, but actually cooking. Her roast vegetable lasagne was one of the only dishes she made and it was to die for, though it made very few appearances. Tonight it was accompanied by garlic bread and dressed salad. He couldn’t begin to imagine what had precipitated her cooking.

"Cindy’s in the shower, but there’s wine there if you fancy some?" She called shrilly as he stepped into the kitchen.

Taking everything in, he knew better than to ask too many questions before he’d sussed out the hormone levels, instead he nodded, filling his glass, "so what is all this is aid of?"

She looked up from her place bent over the stove, "I’m finally working, a proper job, I thought I should do something nice for you guys. Plus I was always at the bar when you guys ate an evening meal. So I haven’t eaten with you properly in ages."

He nodded, accepting that at face value, “that is very true, so how was your second day?"
She held up a hand to silence him, “let’s not ask. We’ll just presume it was great."

When she stooped back to the oven, Steve knew he couldn’t let the moment pass.

                "Maddie?"
She stopped, dead in her tracks, slowly straightening back to her full height, "Ok ok, Evan Tate...."
                "Your new boss?"

She nodded, "he was also Saturdays’ shag! How’s that for an awkward boardroom moment?"

"Wow!" he tried to stop laughing and failed, "Oh my, it could only happen to you! Have you told Cindy?" Her nod reply indicated she had. So he lowered himself to a seat at the kitchen table, "so come on tell me more, I’ve heard he’s a hunk"

"So have I!" even Cindy’s voice was petite, as she entered the room to join them. "One of my friends said he’s really good looking."

Maddie huffed, "I’m not likely to go off with someone who’s awful! But like I said, it was just a one night thing."

Steve nodded, "so what did he say? Does he hate you? Think you’re a tramp?"

Maddie laughed, “condemn me why don’t you? And no, he doesn’t! Though I wish he would. He wants us to date.”

"Wow!" Cindy squealed. "That’s great...."she took in her friends face and then suddenly added, "Ah, not so great to Miss Commitment-phobe!"

Maddie groaned then turned back to the cooker, "let’s change the subject guys!"

She didn’t see Evan the rest of the week, and was never more grateful to wake up on a weekend with absolutely NO agenda. No work, no party planned, and for most of the weekend no housemates. Steve was away on a stag weekend, and an old schoolmate was getting married, and paintballing in the Essex countryside was apparently the appropriate way to mark the occasion. Cindy was home for her mother’s birthday, and having no one home was wonderful...for the first evening, but then she started to feel a little lonely, and her mind became overactive.

Why hadn’t Evan some to see her again? One minute he was asking her for a date, and then he disappeared. What did that mean? Then the internal voice would find an alter ego, and she could almost imagine an angel and a devil on opposite shoulders, debating. Because she didn’t want a relationship, men were off her radar, so she should be grateful that he’s kept away, surely?

Screaming in frustration she opened a bottle of wine before she tried to decipher which option was represented by the angel and which the devil.

                “So Evan called,” Gina offered when Maddie walked into the office on Monday.

Maddie ignored the choking tension that the debate that Evan was raised within her, “Really?”

The other girl nodded, chewing on her pen, she’d eyes Maddie with a little more than suspicion since she’d disappeared with Evan on her first day. “He wants some report figures faxed to his hotel in Bath. He said he’d emailed you about it.”

Nodding Maddie settled at her desk and opened her emails.

                [email protected]

Sat blinking in her in her inbox.

                “It’s urgent!” Gina called through to her almost as though she could sense Maddie's reluctance to open the email. With a groan she clicked on it.

                ‘Madeline (I rather that to Maddie - hope you don’t mind the formality), I need the projected figures for all the restaurants for the next six months, have you found them in the deepest realms of the hard drive yet? If you can print and get Gina to fax them to me that’d be great, if you don’t have them then call me, I’ll help you find them. Thanks, definitely owe you a beer for this one (though it’s your turn really), you haven’t seen the size of the document! Evan’

She stared at the email, how could something so boring in content have so many hidden connotations? The man was a walking contradiction, he’d referenced him buying her a drink - which could hint at the weekend they’d ‘met’, but then there was the brandy he’d bought on her first day - the innocent answer. She could read everything, or nothing into his words, and that was more disconcerting than him being flirtatious or even frosty.

She wanted to scream, instead she searched the documents on her computer until she found the eighty page document that she had to first print, then get Gina to fax, a rather laborious and old fashioned way of working, but she was sure she had her reasons for it.

Finally able to hit ‘reply’, she paused, her fingers hovering over the keyboard for a moment.

                ‘Evan, as my boss you can call me just about anything you want. As for the beer, it seems that Gina has done the lion’s share of the work she’s been stood at the fax feeding the pages for more than half an hour, can’t understand why an email wouldn’t have sufficed. So if you’re buying beer I think you’ll find her both more deserving, and more receptive. Maddie (!)’

She was smiling as she pressed send, he brought out the competitive side in her and it thrilled her. Not that she’d ever admit it.

There was a bleep from her computer after just a few moments, and she felt her heart race as she saw Evan’s name pop into her inbox. Clicking on his message she gasped as she read it.

                ‘Ah Madeleine. The reason you get the beer is that I know you’d email rather than fax such a huge document. Gold star to Miss Newman. Evan’

She had NO idea what to make of that!