Of course the first man she'd had a crush on would be the only thing standing between her and her promotion.  CJ Terrence smiled with a confidence she was far from feeling and shook Tad Randolph's hand.

Ten years had passed since they'd last seen each other and she knew she'd changed a lot.  She'd dyed her mousy brown hair a sassy auburn, she'd swapped her horn-rimmed glasses for aqua colored contacts that masked her natural brown color.  And the biggest thing of all she'd lost twenty pounds.

But in that moment she felt like the chubby girl next door.  She reached for the bridge of her nose to push up the glasses she'd always wore back then.  Dropping her hand, she reminded herself that she'd changed.

She took a deep breath; assured herself that her physical changes were enough to keep Tad from recognizing her.  Of course, she recognized him and he'd put on at least twenty pounds.  All of it solid muscle.  He was exactly how she'd expect the owner of a sporting goods company to look.  

It was too bad he couldn't be balding like other guys who were her age.  Instead his blond hair was thick as ever and bleached by the sun.  He looked too good and she wanted to leave immediately.

"CJ Terrence," she said introducing herself.  She could only hope that maybe Tad wouldn't be able to place her and identify her as the girl he'd known as Cathy Jane in high school.

He took her proffered hand and shook it for the required three pumps.  Shivers of awareness or maybe it was nerves shook her.  His hand was bigger than hers, not surprising since she wasn't a big girl--at 5'5" inches tall she was average and Tad Randolph had grown into a giant since she'd last seen him.

Calluses ridged his palm and his skin against hers was rough and warm.  She wondered how his hand would feel against her stomach.  Tremors of sensual awareness pulsed through her body.  He continued to watch her with that razor sharp gaze of his.  Had she given too much away?

"Ms. Terrence, where do you want these presentation boards?" CJ's secretary, Rae-Anne King, asked.

CJ dropped Tad's hand and glanced at her new temporary secretary.  "Please excuse me."

"It's a pleasure meeting you, CJ," Tad said.

"I've...got to set up," CJ said.  Yes she was the queen of intelligent conversation--not!

"Don't let me keep you."

Right.  One minute in the man's presence and she'd lost ten years worth of self-confidence.  Confidence she'd earned by standing on her own and not depending on anyone else. 

Tad nodded and walked to the coffee service that CJ had set up herself.  Normally, her assistant would have handled it but this was her first day working with Rae-Anne.  Her temp had proven herself to be a little inept around the office.

CJ motioned to the easel set at the end of the long narrow conference room.  Working quickly she set up her presentation and then glanced out the window.

It was a blustery day in early December day.  Chicago was gray and damp.  Though the Christmas decorations along Michigan Avenue tried to instill a little cheer they failed.

Failure was something CJ understood but she didn't plan to let it rest on her shoulders today.  She took a deep breath, muttered her mantra to herself and then stood. 

Tad touched her shoulder; she started and dropped her cards.  Damn.  This wasn't going to work.  Six years of moving her way steadily up in the advertising world was suddenly in jeopardy. 

He picked her cards up from the floor and held them out to her.  Their hands brushed.  His were warm and tan.  He wrapped his fingers around hers, which were cold.  Rubbing his thumb across the back of her knuckles he warmed up more than her fingers.

"Cold hands?" he asked softly.

"Always," she said.  Her fingers were never warm even in summer.

"You know what they say about hands," he said.

"Honestly, no."

"Cold hands, warm heart.  Do you have a warm heart, CJ?" he asked.

No way was Tad Randolph--the only boy she'd every allowed herself to have a crush on--flirting with her in the middle of the conference room. 

"CJ?"
"Uh...I don't know."

"There's something familiar about you," he said.

She took her cards from his grip and nervously shuffled them.  Oh, God, please don't let him remember me.  She was never going to be able to do this. 

"Have we met?"

She shook her head.  God, don't get me for lying, she thought.  Just in case she crossed her fingers behind her back.  Before she could answer her boss walked in.

"CJ was featured in Advertising Age last year as part of their top 30 to watch.  People under 30 who were taking the advertising world by storm," Butch Baker said from the doorway.

Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and began her presentation.  She avoided meeting Tad's gaze.  And spoke with all the confidence she'd cultivated since she'd left that small town she'd grown up in, and honed since Marcus had left her.

It would be a lot easier to deal with Tad's reappearance in her life if he weren't so damned attractive.  Remember what he said about you and how it felt to realize that she'd put her trust in someone who was so superficial.  Remember that Tad wasn't the only one to teach her that lesson.  Marcus had as well.  How many times did she have to be hurt before she'd finally learned?

But there was a part of her--Cathy Jane--that wondered what it'd be like to kiss Tad Randolph, high school superstar.  A little experiment to see if all the hype that had surrounded Tad during high school had been accurate.

She was no longer the girl with the baggy clothes and frizzy hair.  She was sophisticated city-girl who knew how to make men take notice of her and wasn't afraid of their attention.  At least in the boardroom she knew how to do it.

Life couldn't get much better, CJ thought.  Once she started talking her confidence returned and she realized that even if Tad recognized her it wasn't the end of the world. 

"I know you had a long-standing relationship with Tollerson but together we can take P.T. Xtreme Sports to the next level," she said.

"Very impressive.  We'll be making our decision at the end of the week," Tad said.

Slowly the conference room emptied leaving only herself and Tad.  Why was he still here?

Nervously, she tugged at the hem of her suit jacket.  "I'm really impressed with you, CJ Terrence."

"Thanks," she said.  She should just clear the air, tell him they'd gone to high school together and then put it behind her.

He moved closer.  There was something sexual in his eyes.  Was he attracted to her?  He quirked on eyebrow at her as she took a half-step backwards.

"Am I scary?" he asked.

"No."

He smiled at her and closed the gap she'd just opened with her retreat.  She tried to reassure herself that he wasn't stalking her.  If she wanted to she could back away and give herself more space.  But she didn't want to.  He smelled good.  Closing her eyes she inhaled deeply.

"Well...Ms. Terrence."

"Well what, Mr. Randolph?" she said pulling her hand away.

Time to take control and get the heck out of the conference room. 

"CJ Terrence...CJ...Cathy Jane?" Tad asked.

She was frozen.  Unable to think of anything intelligent to say she just nodded.

"Cat Girl, I knew you looked familiar," Tad said smiling.

Cat girl...that's what she'd called herself senior year.  CJ wished for a time machine.  She wouldn't travel to the future to see the marvels it held, or to the distant past to visit Regency England.  She'd travel back to her first year of high school.

She'd find her old locker and destroy the box of Ho-Hos she'd always kept there.  Then she'd give her teenaged self a makeover, pointing out gently that baggy clothes didn't make her look slimmer and finally giving her teenaged self the one piece of advice no one else had given her but someone really should have--never call yourself Cat Girl.

Even if you mean it tongue-in-cheek, some day when you're almost thirty it will sound humiliating and not funny.

Alas, there was no time machine and she'd just have to muddle through this as best she could.  Tad Randolph's wasn't the only large sporting good chain looking for representation, she could find another one.  Of course, by then Paul will have beaten her to the punch and her career with Taylor, Banks and Markim would be down the drain.  CJ wished that the floor would open up and swallow her.