by Tamie Dearen
“Hey Anne,” said a timid male voice from the edge of her desk. Anne looked up to see Tanner West, a thirty-something financial consultant who had moved from Dallas six months ago to join Gherring Inc. “Are you and Sam still having lunch next door today?”
Anne had invited Tanner to join her and Sam at Papa’s Place after she was forced to admit Mr. Gherring was not going to be Sam’s match-made-in-heaven. Tanner was extremely shy and hadn’t agreed to join the lunch pair immediately. Obviously, he’d gained courage over the weekend.
“Actually, Tanner, I’m going to be working through lunch every day this week.”
Tanner looked disappointed, but nodded and turned to go. Anne stopped him.
“Wait. I was going to ask if you could go with Sam, and y’all could bring something for me when you come back?”
“Um, sure… if you think she would want to go with me… without you… I mean, I don’t know if she’ll want to go.”
“I’ll ask her and let you know. I really appreciate it. You’ll be doing me a great favor.”
“Well, I’ll bring you lunch even if she doesn’t want to go with me.”
“You’re so sweet, Tanner! I’ll call you later in the morning.” She hoped Sam would agree to go to lunch with him. She’d hate to dash his ego now he’d gotten the courage to meet Sam.
Anne returned to her work, so absorbed she didn’t notice when a tall brown-haired man with a neatly trimmed goatee walked up to her desk. He stood quietly for several moments, observing her with unabashed interest.
“Bon jour, Mademoiselle. Tu est tres jolie!”
She looked up in surprise at the handsome man in the well-tailored suit that emphasized his broad shoulders. Well, handsome was not an adequate word. He was mouth-watering, smokin’-hot, drop-jaw sexy!
“Merci beaucoup!” She couldn’t help being flattered by the attention.
He flashed a warm smile with even white teeth. “Tu parle francais?”
“Non! No! I’ve just exhausted my memory of college French. Please don’t test me anymore.”
He leaned closer and declared, “Charmonte!” He continued in slightly accented English, “Yes, you are charming. I love your accent.”
“Wait.” Anne laughed. “Isn’t that my line?”
“I am Henri,” he said, pronouncing it ahn-ree, and reaching out to catch her hand. He pressed his lips lightly on her fingers. “You are new, oui? Katie is not here?”
“Oh, Katie is out for three days doing wedding planning, but she’ll be back on Thursday.”
“Wedding! My Katie is with another man?” At Anne’s shocked look, Henri laughed aloud, his green eyes sparkling. “No, I am teasing you. She was never mine. But you… maybe you could be mine.”
“Monsieur, I have a feeling I’d just be one of many if I were yours. I think you have plenty of women to keep you company.”
“Non! No! There have been others before, but they are all gone.” He blinked puppy-dog eyes. “I am all alone.”
“I doubt that seriously. No woman could resist that face, I think.”
“And you? Can you resist me?” He lifted her hand again and turned it over to kiss her wrist gently.
Anne pulled her hand away slowly.
“No, I can resist you. At least I hope I can. You seem pretty dangerous to me.”
“I am not dangerous. I am a pussy cat.”
“I’ve always been a dog-person,” Anne replied. “You can trust your dog. But a cat can be purring in your lap one minute and digging his claws into your leg the next.”
“Do not worry,” he countered. “This cat has no claws. Very safe.”
Anne laughed. “I don’t think I believe you!”
“I can show you how safe I am. You will like this cat. Will you give me a chance?”
“I don’t know.”
“Earlier I was thinking that this week would be boring. A boring week of business, a long boring time. But now I am thinking that a week is too short. I am thinking a week is not enough time to spend with such a beautiful woman.”
“Beautiful woman… Now I know I’m getting a line.”
Henri’s eyes widened. “You do not know? You do not know you are beautiful? Your eyes are so dark that I could get lost in them. I’ve never seen such eyes.”
“Henri, you’re a smooth-talker. But I’ve been warned about French men. I know y’all just lead women on and then break our hearts.”
Henri put his hand over his heart. “Never! For you I would give up my wandering ways. For you—”
“Henri!” a stern voice spoke from across the room. Steven Gherring was glaring from his office doorway. “I see you’ve met my personal executive assistant. Now if you’re ready to get to work…”
Henri turned toward Gherring’s office, then leaned back and whispered urgently. “I do not know your name.”
“It’s Anne,” she whispered back, despite her boss’ glower.
“Perhaps we could have lunch together,” Henri said over his shoulder as he walked away.
Gherring’s voice was scolding. “We’ll be meeting through lunch today, Henri. If you worked as hard on your business negotiations as you do on your flirtations, you’d probably have a much better report for me.” They disappeared behind the heavy wooden doors.
Anne realized her face was warm. She’d enjoyed the playful exchange with the handsome French stranger. He wasn’t really her type. But then again, did she even have a type anymore? Anyway, it was a harmless exchange. Like he said, he was only in the country for a week. Nothing serious would ever come of it. But hadn’t she come to New York for a bit of adventure?
The morning flew by as Anne wrestled with all the travel plans. Three more men and two women had arrived to join with Gherring in the conference room adjacent to his office. When Anne entered the conference room to set up the PowerPoint, she noticed Henri trying to catch her eye. But Gherring blocked her view as he asked her to review the location of various presentations on the laptop. She repeated the instructions, thinking they’d just discussed those details on Friday.
“And can I get anything else for you? Would you like for me to bring everyone a bottle of water?” she asked Gherring.
“No, they can get their own waters.”
“What about lunch? Do you want me to order in for the entire group?”
“Yes, yes… That’ll be fine.” He attempted to shoo her from the room.
“I’ll just ask everyone what they want to order,” she started to skirt around Gherring, heading toward the smiling Henri.
Gherring stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her way. “That won’t be necessary, Ms. Best. Just order some of the specials from Papa’s.”
Henri was waving at her behind Gherring, and Anne leaned sideways in an effort to see him, momentarily forgetting how precariously she was balanced in her high heels. She started to topple over, but Gherring caught her arms and held her upright. Blushing furiously, she rushed from the room, her heart pounding in her chest. Why was she so clumsy? Henri probably wouldn’t be interested in such a klutz, anyway.
Anne returned to her desk to order lunch from Papa’s. May answered the phone and took the lunch orders, arranging delivery at twelve thirty. “So you aren’t coming down for lunch today?” May asked with a bit of a pout in her voice.
“No, I’ll be working through lunch every day this week, May. Tell Papa I’ll stop by on my way home if the door’s open.” she knew Papa’s was only open for breakfast and lunch, except on Fridays and Saturdays.
“But you need to eat,” May protested with motherly concern.
“Don’t worry. I won’t miss my daily Papa’s special lunch. Today, my friends are bringing lunch up to me after they eat. You remember my friend, Sam?” She lowered her voice. “Well today, she’s eating lunch with a sweet young man from the office, named Tanner. Be sure y’all seat them at a romantic table.”
“But I thought you told me you were trying to set Sam up with your boss?”
“No worries, honey. My lips are sealed. They couldn’t drag that information outta me even if they tortured me. I won’t tell a soul… unless someone offers to give me a good neck massage. Then my lips will go all loosey-goosey.” May started laughing.
“Now I’m serious. Katie says I’m never supposed to get involved in Mr. Gherring’s private life. I could lose my job.”
“Really dear, I won’t tell anybody.”
Lunch arrived at precisely twelve thirty. Anne attempted to help serve the food in the conference room, to speed things up, but Gherring took the food bags from the delivery boy and shut the door before she could even peek inside. The smell of the food was mouth-watering, and Anne waited impatiently for her lunch to arrive, drinking water to quiet her growling stomach. Sam appeared at one fifteen with her lunch, chicken smothered in some kind of wonderful mushroom cream sauce.
Anne attacked her food with a vengeance, while interrogating Sam about her lunch date. “Did you like him? Did y’all have anything to talk about? He’s so shy—but you’ve got to admit he’s really cute.”
Sam chuckled. “Yes, yes and yes. He is so shy I thought we weren’t going to be able to carry on a conversation. That is, he was so shy, until he found out I like the Beatles. Turns out he’s a nut for the Beatles just like me, and he has a great collection of vinyls. He pulled out my chair for me, waited for me to go through every door first, and insisted on buying lunch. So, yes, he’s really sweet and we’re going Wednesday night to hear a Beatles cover band.”
“I knew it!”
“Don’t look so smug. We’re not engaged. We’re just listening to music together. And anyway, last week you were trying to set me up with—”
“Shhhh!” warned Anne, glancing toward the conference room. “I admit I messed up on that one, but don’t tell anyone. I don’t want to get in trouble.”
“Okay, I won’t tell anyone you tried to set us up. They wouldn’t believe it anyway.”
“But if things work out with Tanner, I want full credit.”
Anne waited until five forty-five for the meeting to end, hoping to have a chance to see Henri. The door opened and Gherring peered out. When he spotted Anne at her desk, he looked decidedly irritated. “You’re still here?”
“Yes, I thought you might need me for something before you go home.”
“Well, I don’t. Wait, I do need something.” He closed the conference room door and stepped toward his office. “I need for you to check something on my calendar.” She followed him into his office, and he motioned for her to sit behind his desk. “Would you mind pulling up my calendar for the week? I’ll be right back.”
He stepped out, shutting the door behind him. Anne pulled up his calendar, puzzling over what his problem might be. They’d been working on the week’s schedule, squeezing in meetings at every possible moment with little wasted time. Gherring didn’t believe in frivolity and only engaged in social functions when absolutely necessary. Hence, the single formal gala at the end of an exhausting week of meeting, planning, and negotiating. Gherring returned, looking happier and relaxed.
“What did you want me to check on your calendar? Do you need to change something? I hope you don’t need to add another appointment. Y’all will have to meet at midnight.”
“No, I just want to make sure our calendars match.”
Anne stared at him in confusion. “Of course they match—they’re synced automatically.”
“Oh yes, that’s right. Well, that’s great—you can go now.”
Anne walked out of Gherring’s office, giving him a wide berth. She noticed the conference room door was open, but as she approached she saw the room was dark and empty. Realizing he’d purposely hidden her until Henri was gone, she fumed inwardly.
She turned to find Gherring smiling from his office door. “Goodnight, Ms. Best. I’ll see you in the morning. Uhmm… It’s getting rather late. Would you like a lift home?”
“No, but thank you, sir.” He was treating her like a child, so she would address him like a father.
“I think sir is a bit much—I’m not that much older than you.” At Anne’s silence, he retorted, “That man’s not safe; he’s not to be trusted.”
“Who?” asked Anne, deliberately obtuse, as she tied on her running shoes, pulling a little too vigorously on the strings.
“Henri. You can’t trust him—he’s a scoundrel. He flits from one woman to another. He’s a… he’s a…”
“Player?” Anne offered the term the media often used to describe Gherring.
“Yes, he’s a player.” He followed her toward the elevator, and she stopped, returning his glare.
“Well, I think that a player is simply a man who hasn’t found the right woman.” She turned and stepped into the elevator without looking back.
*****
Tuesday morning found Anne at her desk by seven fifteen. Gherring arrived at nine thirty with fifteen international account executives, fresh from a breakfast meeting. Anne scanned the crew as they filed into the conference room, but Henri wasn’t among the crowd. Gherring stopped by Anne’s desk
“How was your evening, Ms. Best?”
“It was fine, sir. And yours?”
Although her tone was without rancor, Gherring winced at her verbiage. “So I must assume you’re still angry with me?”
“I have no idea what you’re referring to. Why would you think I was angry? Did you do something I should be angry about?”
“You know very well what I’m talking about. And no, I didn’t do anything you should be angry about. All I did was prevent Henri from hurting you. He would just use you. You’re too naïve to realize, but I did the right thing.”
“Let’s see… How did you put it?” She paused as if trying to recall. “I think I’m old enough to make my own decisions about my personal life and whom I’ll date and whether I’ll date anyone. But I suppose it’s impossible for you to believe a man might actually be interested in having a relationship with me. And I’m sure you’re right—he probably just wanted to use me. Why else would he talk to someone like me?” Anne wiped furiously at the tears that began to spill from her eyes.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“It really doesn’t matter—it’s a moot point, now.”
“Well, for what it’s worth,” Gherring said quietly, “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. But” he continued quickly, “I still believe I did the right thing.”
Anne still refused to make eye contact. “Did you need help with anything else? Perhaps you’ve forgotten how to log in to your computer or make a phone call,” she suggested with a hint of sarcasm.
“Actually, I do need your help today.” He hesitated. “We have an important client from Germany, and he brought his wife on the trip. We have a lunch meeting planned, and I thought you might come along so his wife would feel more comfortable. It would really be a great help, and it might help us land a big account.”
Anne didn’t look up from her computer. “Of course, Mr. Gherring. I’ll be glad to help in any way.” Gherring was still standing at her desk. “Is there anything else, sir?”
Gherring’s lips pressed in a straight line. “No, Ms. Best. That’s all for now. Thank you.” He disappeared into the conference room.
Anne had never been in a limousine before. She tried to act nonchalant, but she couldn’t hide her excitement and curiosity. There was even a bar inside. The others were obviously accustomed to the fancy ride. The four men, including the client, Alexander Klein, were already intently discussing business. Johanna Klein was an attractive blond in her fifties with an engaging smile. She chatted comfortably with Anne, apparently fascinated by her life in Texas.
“I
can’t believe how well y’all both speak English. I’ve always wished I was fluent in another language,” Anne confessed to Johanna. “How many languages can you speak?”
“I can speak German, English and French fluently. I can speak enough Italian and Spanish to communicate. We start language training at an early age in Germany, and I have traveled extensively.” Johanna glanced at her husband. “Alexander is a wonderful and unusual man—he has always invited me on all his travels. Most businessmen would think having their wives along was a bother.”
“Oh, I’m so jealous. I haven’t really been anywhere. I’ve never even been out of the country, except one time across the border to Mexico for an hour. Even New York City is a big adventure for me, although I haven’t really done anything but work since I’ve been here. But I’ve got my passport—I got one fifteen years ago, just in case I ever got a chance to go somewhere. I even had it renewed.” She peered wistfully out the window. “You never know. Maybe someday…”
Johanna glanced at Gherring who was casually eavesdropping. “So Mr. Gherring, however did you find your secretary? She is delightful!” She turned to her husband. “Alexander, can’t you get an extra ticket to the musical tonight? Anne needs to experience New York.”
“Yes, of course you can bring her along. I acquired two extra tickets in case we needed them. And Mr. Gherring could come also. I’m sure we will still have business to discuss.”
“Oh no—I couldn’t impose.” Anne stole a terrified look at Gherring. She knew he wouldn’t want to be seen in public with her. He was only seen in the company of beautiful young women. His escorts had to be intelligent and composed. He’d be mortified to be seen with his secretary, especially an unsophisticated forty-five-year-old woman from Texas.
