by Tamie Dearen
“Do you miss your girls?” Gram asked.
Anne forgot her nerves when she thought about her daughters. “Yes I do, so much. But they’re coming on Friday for the whole weekend.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful dear. The three of you should come to dinner while they’re here.”
“Will you still be here this weekend? I thought you lived a few hours away from here.”
“Yes, but I still keep the home here in the city. I was planning on a short visit, but now I think I may stay for a while. That way you and I can work on getting my grandson together with the perfect woman. You see, I intend to see him happily married before I die, but I don’t have much time left.”
“Do you have a health problem?”
“No dear, I’m perfectly healthy. But I’m old. I’m ninety-five years old. So I figure I’ve got one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. I’ve got to work fast.”
Anne giggled. “You’re so funny.”
“Yes, but this is serious business. I’ve been at this for a while. Steven doesn’t have the best judgment when it comes to women. I’ve tried to encourage him to date more, but he refuses to get close to anyone. And since he broke off his engagement with Michelle, he’s been even more withdrawn. It’s been more than five years, and he just can’t seem to get over it. I’m sure it’s because of his past.”
“What happened to him?”
“Well his parents put him in a boarding school when he was a young boy. I told my son it was a bad idea, but they traveled a lot and didn’t want to be bothered with a child. He was ten when they died in an airplane crash in France. I’ve always loved him, but that’s not the same as having your mom and dad. He inherited his father’s flare for business, and Gherring Inc. has grown into a billion dollar company under his guidance.” Gram’s mouth drooped. “But I’d rather he’d thrown the company away and had a wife who loved him and a family. Believe me, at the end of your life, when you look back at what you’ve done, you won’t care about how much money you have. Family is what really matters.”
“You’re so right. Didn’t you tell him that?”
“I’ve talked to him ‘til I was blue in the face, but he doesn’t listen. He just says I’m all the family he needs.” Gram leaned in close and put her hand over Anne’s. “But someday I’ll be gone, and he’ll have no one.”
Anne’s eyes swam with tears for the little boy without a mom and dad, and for the man who was married to his work.
“Don’t worry, Gram. We’ll work together, and we’ll find someone for him. We just have to.”
When Anne returned to her desk, Gherring was waiting for her. “How was your lunch?”
“It was great. I had meatloaf. Papa’s makes the best meatloaf. That is if you like meatloaf. If you don’t like meatloaf, their other special was—”
“That’s not what I meant. I wondered… How your lunch was with Gram?”
“Lunch with Gram was great. She’s a very interesting lady.”
“What did you talk about? You had a rather long lunch.”
“A little of this and a little of that. You know. All kinds of stuff. I really can’t remember anything exactly. Oh, I remember.” Anne forced a smile on her face. “She asked me all about Emily, and Charlie, and Gandalf.”
“Who are Charlie and Gandalf?” His brows knotted.
“Well Charlie is Charlotte, and Gandalf is my Irish wolfhound.”
His face relaxed. “Ah… Charlie’s your daughter. And I didn’t know you had a dog.”
“Oh Gandalf isn’t just a dog. He’s a member of the family. I think he may be almost as tall as you.”
Gherring smiled and probed a bit more. “That’s all you talked about?”
“Are you worried we might have talked about you?”
“The thought has crossed my mind. My Gram can be a bit scheming and meddling at times. I just wanted a little warning to be prepared.”
“Hmmm.”
“Hmmm? What does that mean? Is she up to something?”
“Well, she did mention she’s been shopping for a Christmas present for you. But I’m sorry. I’m sworn to secrecy—you’ll never worm it out of me.”
“Perhaps you’d rather discuss the pictures I saw in the social column.”
“Pictures? What pictures?” Anne began to rifle through her desk drawer, avoiding Gherring’s eyes.
“I think you know what I’m talking about.”
She was caught. What could she say? She’d throw herself on his mercy. “I’m so sorry about that first picture. I had no idea they were taking a picture. I didn’t say anything to them, so I don’t know where they got the idea we were together. And I didn’t know Henri was going to say anything about me at the gala. I didn’t even know there would be reporters there.”
She couldn’t quite meet his eyes. “I really am naïve about these things. No one in Weatherford ever wanted to take my picture for any reason. You don’t think I’d do something like that on purpose, do you?”
Gherring seemed to be struggling to remain stern. “No, I know it wasn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have even gone to that musical. I knew that might happen.”
Her eyes stung. Of course he was embarrassed to be seen with her. He didn’t want anyone to think they were together. Well she knew that already, didn’t she? This just confirmed what she knew.
“Wait… I didn’t mean it that way. I’m glad I went, and I would make the same decision again. I just meant I knew what might happen. So it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.” His face darkened. “Except for one thing. You did make the decision to associate with a man like Henri.”
“I thought y’all had made up. What’s so bad about him?”
“He… he… well he just… He’s just Henri. He’s arrogant and self-centered and disrespectful.”
“So maybe he bugs you ‘cause he doesn’t bow down to you like the rest of the world?” She tried to lighten his mood with a teasing tone.
“Well obviously, his bad habits are rubbing off on my personal executive assistant. Andy don’t expect the whole world to bow down to me. I’m not that kind of person.”
“Oh please, I’m just kidding you. I thought you were pretty arrogant when we first met, but now I know better. I think you’re all bark and no bite.”
“Hey—I do have a bite. My business associates know better than to—”
“Sorry. Sorry. You’re so sensitive. First you get mad because I suggest you’re too arrogant. Then you get mad because I say you’re sweet.”
“Sweet? I’m not sweet.” His hands tightened into fists.
“Don’t get me wrong… I still believe you’re extremely dangerous. But I’ve seen how sweet you are with your Gram. You can’t fool me anymore.” At his stormy look, she broke out in giggles. “Gram told me you didn’t take teasing well. I guess she was right.”
“Just don’t go around saying I’m sweet. That’s bad for my reputation. Bad for business.”
“I’ll take that secret to my grave.” She laughed.
He couldn’t help himself. A smile broke out on his face. “When did I lose control of this conversation?”
“You know, Henri’s not as bad as you think. He admitted to me Michelle was the only woman he ever loved. I don’t think he’s ever quite gotten over her. You really should give him a chance.”
“I am giving him a chance, but this is the last time.” He heaved a heavy breath. “Well I can see I’m not getting any info from you. I’ll just be prepared for anything. Maybe, if I’m really, really sweet, I can get my Gram to spill the beans.”
He retreated to his office and Anne returned to the work that was stacking up on her desk. At two o’clock, Henri called Anne to set up an Internet conversation. She pulled out her personal laptop and opened up Skype to see his smiling face. Henri had shaved his beard. “I like your new look, sans hair,” said Anne. She looked toward Gherring’s office. His door was shut. She should have a few moments alone.
Henri gave her a devilish smile. “How much do you like it? Am I totally irresistible now? Maybe I should fly back tonight—”
“You’ve always been irresistible. But now I can see that cute dimple on your chin.”
“If only I had known, I would have shaved off the beard so you would not be able to say ‘no’ to me.”
“Hmmmm… It may be too dangerous for me to come to Paris now. Now I’ll have to work even harder to resist you.”
“But I have promised to be good and not to tempt you. Do you not trust me?”
“Frankly, I couldn’t possibly trust a man with a cleft chin.”
“Je suis desole! I will grow back the beard at once.”
“Ah, but now I know the cleft is there. I still won’t be able to trust you.”
Henri sighed. “I cannot wait until you come. I feel like I have been dead for years, and I have come back to life. I want you to meet my family. I have told them about you.”
“I’d love to meet your family. Do they live in Paris?”
“Oui. They live here, in my house. I told you, the house is very big. My sister is here, and my niece and nephew. They will love you.”
“I can’t wait to meet them. How old are they?”
“My niece, Anna-Laure, is six and my nephew, Jean-Pierre, is eight. You do not mind that my family lives with me?”
“Of course not—they’re family. I’d love for you to meet my girls, too.”
“This is good. I cannot wait to see you, mon bel ange. And I have one more question.”
“What’s that?”
“Do you think you could ever trust me? Even a little?”
She hesitated, but smiled. “Maybe. At least a little.”
“Then perhaps, if you think you can trust me a little… One more kiss? Maybe two?”
“I think that’s a strong possibility.” She signed off and closed her laptop, still smiling.
“Personally, I don’t think you should trust him as far as you can throw him,” said a scowling Gherring from his office doorway. Anne gaped at him as he disappeared back into his office. How did he always manage to sneak out of his office at the worst possible time?
When Anne got home, she checked her email and found a note from Johanna.
Dear Anne,
I am anxiously awaiting a report on your night with Henri. I saw the two of you leaving together. I must know what happened! I need details. Were there sparks?
Johanna
Anne struggled to decide what she should tell Johanna. Were there sparks? There was definitely some kind of passion burning that night. But she couldn’t tell if that blaze had been for Henri, or if it was just because of fifteen years in the cold. He was beautiful to look at, and his attention had done wonders for her sagging ego. Kissing him was certainly exciting, and she was looking forward to a repeat performance. She knew she was playing with fire—she’d teetered on the edge of control. Finally she decided to skirt around the question, but give enough details to satisfy her friend’s curiosity.
Dear Johanna,
I can only tell you Henri is a great kisser! I’m sure my long dry spell made me even more appreciative of his skill. I’m determined to limit our physical relationship to kissing for the time being. I know that may seem antiquated, but I won’t be satisfied with less than total commitment. Anyway, it would be difficult to do more since an ocean separates us. But the exciting news is Henri has invited me to come to Paris over the Thanksgiving holiday! I’ll get to use my passport and see Paris! Mr. Gherring doesn’t like Henri, so we’ve had some strain in our work relationship. He doesn’t know I’m going to see Henri in Paris. But his grandmother and I are joining forces to find a potential wife for him. (This is strictly confidential, so don’t breath a word about our plan!) I think Mr. Gherring won’t be so interested in controlling my personal life when he has a wife to love him. Everyone deserves sparks, right?
Anne
She read over her reply one last time and pressed send. She hoped her new friend would be satisfied with her response. Anne thought about going upstairs for a run, but she finally opted for curling up on the couch with a good book. She would put off her workout until tomorrow. She had leftovers from her lunch she popped in the microwave for a tasty dinner. She chuckled to herself as she remembered her lunch with Gram. Perhaps a better description would be interrogation. Just then her cell phone rang, and she answered the unidentified call.
“So have you made any progress?” Gram’s voice demanded.
Anne laughed. “Well not since lunch today. I didn’t know it was that much of a crisis.”
“Well, my heart is feeling a little weak today. I think we should hurry.”
“Did you try talking to him again? Suggesting he should consider dating—really dating?”
“Hon, talking to that boy is like banging your head against a brick wall.”
“Okay, well I did have a thought.”
“What’s that?”
“It just so happens I’m in charge of arranging for Mr. Gherring’s escort to a fundraising dinner on Friday. I’m supposed to let the publicist choose someone, but this time I thought I’d pick his escort personally. I’ll look at all the available women, and choose the one I think he’d like. I’ll make sure she has the qualities we think would be good for a wife.”
Gram sounded dubious. “That’s a good thing, I guess. Couldn’t hurt. But he’s so stubborn. We need something to really shake him up.”
“Did you have something in mind?”
“No, not yet. But I’ll think of something. This time I’m taking the gloves off.”
“Gram, I think you’re a formidable opponent. Steven won’t know what hit him. But you should know he tried to find out from me what we talked about at lunch today. Don’t worry though, I didn’t give anything away.”
“Good job keeping it under the table. Good night, honey. I’ll call you tomorrow and check on your progress.”
“Good night.”
Anne tried to go back to her book, but she was distracted with thoughts of Steven Gherring. This had to be her most challenging match ever. To find a wife for New York’s most eligible bachelor! She decided to work on a list of qualities.
Beautiful
Young Kind of young (30-40 years old)
Smart
Educated (must have a college degree)
Sophisticated
Talented
She pondered a bit. These were rather superficial things. But Steven was special. He deserved a wife who would understand him and care about him. He needed someone who loved him for himself and not for his money or power or popularity. How could she put that on a list? Well it was her list. It didn’t have to look great. One-word descriptions wouldn’t work for this part.
Loves him for himself, not his money
Will take care of him
Will commit for life
She thought further. What else did he need? This girl had to be strong enough to stand up to him a little, or he wouldn’t respect her. She couldn’t be wimpy. But he wouldn’t want someone who irritated him all the time, like she did. She finally decided on the final qualities.
Not a pushover
Not too bossy
Anne folded up the paper and put it in her purse. She could use this as a reference and also show it to Gram. His grandmother might want to add something to the list.
The next morning, Anne got up early to run. She loved running before work, when no one was in the gym. She was a bit of a morning-person, unlike her two daughters—she had learned early on it was best not to speak to them at all for the first few hours of the morning. After three quick miles on the treadmill, Anne hurried for the elevator. She had plenty of time. It was only six a.m.
When the elevator doors opened, Steven Gherring was there, totally dressed for work, with briefcase in hand. Anne stepped in and pressed the button for her floor, self-conscious of her sweaty body and mussed hair.
“Why are you going to work so early
?” she asked.
“This is when I usually leave for work.” He raised his eyebrows as he observed her condition. “Are you planning to wear that to work?”
“What do you mean? It’s only six o’clock in the morning.”
“Well, I think I can read the time, but perhaps I’m in error. Why don’t you check for me?” He stretched out his arm to show her his Rolex wristwatch. Anne read the dial. She grabbed his arm to look more closely.
“It’s five after seven!” she shouted, as the elevator stopped and two more people joined them. “Oh my gosh—I’m an hour off!”
The elevator stopped on her floor and Anne rushed off. She scrambled into her apartment, showered and dressed in record time. She couldn’t go out with wet hair because of the cold, so she took the extra ten minutes required to dry her heavy tresses. It was seven thirty-five. She knew she was going to be late. And she couldn’t even make up a great excuse because Gherring had caught her red-handed. She hoped this was not a sign of things to come. She hurried down, intending to run all the way to the subway station. She had on her bright blue running shoes anyway. Hopefully her deodorant would hold up to the challenge. When the elevator reached the lobby, she sprinted toward the door.
“Wait! Stop!” she heard Gherring’s voice from behind her. “I thought we might ride together today.” He pointed to the limo waiting outside.
“You waited for me? I can’t believe it—thank you.” They climbed into the car and she collapsed into the seat. “I can’t believe you waited for me—that was so nice.”
He almost looked offended. “Why is it so surprising I waited for you? You don’t think I can be nice?”
“Hey, I’m just thanking you. Don’t get your panties in a wad.”
“Get my… What? What did you say?”
“Nothing. I’m sorry I thanked you.”
“It’s not that you thanked me. It’s that you seemed so incredulous about my display of geniality.”
