by Tamie Dearen
His eyebrows arched high, and he smiled, his dimples announcing his pleasure. “It’s actually great. I can’t believe it—just when I think I’m finally getting to know you, you surprise me again. I mean, every day it’s something new.” He shook his head, and then he forced his face into a stern expression. “But that doesn’t mean you’re out of trouble for scaring me to death. Oh, and you’d better call Emily. I’ll call Gram.”
Anne rode home with Gherring in the limousine. She was so tired she didn’t argue with him about her mode of transportation. Relaxing in the back with the vibration of the car, she felt herself nodding off, even though the ride only lasted fifteen minutes. She woke with a jolt when the car stopped and found herself leaning against his shoulder.
“I just moved over so you could lean on me. Your head was tilting at an awful angle.”
“Thank you.” She felt awkward and shy at his sweet and gentle manner.
“It’s the least I could do. After all, I’m the reason you’re so worn out. Let’s get you upstairs.”
Gherring supported her elbow as they walked in. Anne felt warm even from that small contact on her arm. When they walked into the lobby together, Rayna spotted them immediately.
“Anne! Oh, thank goodness you found her. Is she okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
But Gherring had stopped cold.
“Steven,” said a soft female voice.
Anne turned to see the owner. She was blond and beautiful. Anne knew immediately she was wealthy. By now, Anne knew the look—soft, self-assured, impeccably dressed, sophisticated demeanor, a subtly powerful presence.
“I’ve been waiting for you. I hope you don’t mind.” She walked confidently to Steven and kissed his cheek, before her glance slid questioningly to where Gherring’s hand still supported Anne’s elbow. “Have you rescued some fair maiden?”
Gherring broke from his reverie. “Michelle, this is Anne, my uhmm—”
“His secretary. I’m his secretary.” Anne spoke in a flat, emotionless tone. She removed her elbow from his hand. “I think I can make it upstairs alone. Thank you, sir… for the ride home.”
Anne started for the elevator. She heard Michelle speaking in a low voice to Gherring. “Can we go up? It would be nice to have some privacy.”
“Do you have a hotel room?” His voice sounded gruff and a bit impatient.
“No, I was hoping…” Her voice trailed off and a sob escaped.
Escaping into the elevator, Anne turned around to face the lobby and let her eyes fall on Gherring. He was standing frozen in place, but Michelle had thrown her arms around him, crying inconsolably. For just a moment, his eyes locked with Anne’s. The doors closed, shutting off her view and vaulting her back to reality.
*****
Anne arrived at the office on Tuesday, feeling fatigued. She’d been unable to fall asleep, finally drifting off at two o’clock. Then her eyes snapped open at five o’clock, and she knew the fight was over. She went up to the gym and ran for thirty minutes, then showered and headed for the office. Anne immediately headed into the conference room, with the intent of finishing the Switzerland project. She’d been working undisturbed for almost an hour, when Gherring came to the door.
“Good morning, Anne,” he said hesitantly.
She nodded, but didn’t return the greeting.
He sighed. “I hate to do this to you, but Michelle would like to talk to you.”
This got her attention, and she turned stunned eyes to Gherring. “Why does she want to talk to me? I’m nobody.”
Gherring frowned. “Don’t say that—”
Michelle pushed her way into the room. “I’m sorry! I’m just asking if you’d be willing to talk to me.”
Anne scrutinized Michelle, her quivering lips, her reddened nose, and her still-swollen eyes. Perhaps her night had been as bad as Anne’s. Her heart softened.
“Of course you can talk to me. I just don’t know why you’d want to.”
Michelle nodded at Gherring, and he closed the door, leaving the two women alone. “Can I sit down?”
“Sure. What do you want to talk to me about?”
“I… I want to… I need to ask you about Henri.”
“Henri? Why do you—” Anne’s mouth fell open. “Oh—you’re that Michelle!” Now Anne remembered Katie’s story about the broken engagement between Michelle and Gherring.
“So, I understand… Steven told me… you’re dating Henri.”
“Well, I don’t know if you can call it dating. I went out with him a few times while he was here, and I’ve talked to him on Skype. But I’m here, and he’s in Paris. And you’ve probably noticed, I have a job. So I can’t just drop everything and move to Paris.”
“But Henri likes you, doesn’t he? It’s not like him to pursue someone. I know him. He doesn’t just pursue anyone who comes along. He must really like you.”
“Look, I don’t know the whole story about y’all. But I understand you used to date Henri, and you also dated Steven. Word has it you turned both of them down. Is that about right?”
“Yes. But I’ve come to realize I still have feelings for Henri.”
“It’s not really any of my business. I try not to be a judging person, so you don’t need to explain your reasons to me of all people. And if you and Steven have decided to marry after all, I think that’s good. He needs someone. I hate he’s alone. And it’s really not my business, because I’m just his secretary.”
“But that’s not it at all! Just let me explain.” She looked behind her as if to be sure no one else was in the room. “I met Henri, and we were crazy about each other. But I knew he was a real player, so I didn’t really trust him. I broke it off.”
She stood up and began to pace. “And I ran to Steven’s arms, sort of. We’d grown up together like a big brother and little sister—he’s ten years older. Neither of us had anyone else to marry, so we thought the perfect solution was to marry each other. Our families were thrilled, and we almost went through with it.”
She seemed to grow more upset as she shared her story, swiping at the tears rolling down her face. “But then I realized I still loved Henri. So we made up this story about me wanting children and Steven refusing, just to keep my parents and Gram from hounding us. And we called off the marriage.”
Anne nodded. “I can see you’d have to take desperate measures with Gram. She can be pretty tenacious.”
She stopped to search through her purse for a tissue to wipe her face, collapsing into a chair next to Anne. “Six months later, I decided to go to Paris and give it a try. For a couple of weeks it was perfect. Henri was perfect. And he was rich enough I knew he didn’t love me for my money. I know that sounds snobby or stupid, but that kind of thing happens all the time. I’ve been burned so many times.”
She looked so miserable Anne put her hand on her arm to comfort her. “I’m sure it’s hard. That sounds terrible.”
She blinked away a few tears and continued. “One day I noticed Henri was always gone for an hour at the same time every afternoon. So, I know this sounds awful, but I followed him. And I saw him with two kids, a boy and a girl, and the boy looked just like him. I knew they were his kids, and I was just furious he hadn’t told me. We fought, and I wouldn’t let him explain. So I left. The press assumed I’d caught him in an affair, and so did the rest of the world, including Steven.”
Michelle took a deep quivery breath. “But the thing is, I found out later those weren’t Henri’s kids. Do you know about them?”
“Yes, he told me about his sister’s kids. They live in his house now, all three of them. And I think Henri is wonderful for loving those kids and his sister like that.”
Michelle’s expression was wretched, tears spilling from her eyes. “I know… You’re right. I was so blind and I wouldn’t even let him explain. And then, when I found out the truth, I was too proud to admit I was wrong. And I know I really hurt him.”
“Henri said you’d found someo
ne else. He thought you’d found someone who’d make you happy. What happened?”
“He was a jerk. Just like always, he loved my money more than me. And I wish I could go back in time and do that all over again. You know… swallow my pride and let him explain. I was such an idiot.”
“What do you want from me?”
“I don’t know… I guess… Did you say he mentioned me?”
“Yes, I think you’re the reason he was so wild before he met me. I think you really hurt him. He likes me because I could see what a great guy he was, behind all that playboy façade.”
“I think he’s the only man I ever really loved.”
Anne was thinking this woman didn’t even begin to understand the meaning of the word.
“I’m going to see him next week, during the Thanksgiving holidays. Mr. Gherring doesn’t know. I haven’t told him because he doesn’t like Henri, as you well know.”
“That’s mostly my fault. It really hurt Steven when I went back to Henri after we broke off the marriage, even though it was a mutual agreement. It hurt Steven’s pride for me to be with Henri. And I probably hurt him again last night by telling him about my feelings for Henri. Steven is so good to me. He only wants what’s best for me. I really wish I could love him the way I do Henri. I think I’ve waited too late now, anyway.”
Her heart hurt, not for Michelle, but for Mr. Gherring. He must still have feelings for her, and it must have killed him for her to profess love for Henri. As much as she hated the idea, if he loved Michelle, she would help them get back together.
“Maybe you should forget about Henri and try again with Mr. Gherring. It’s obvious that he still cares for you.”
“Actually, if you and Henri aren’t dating seriously, I was hoping you might put in a good word for me with him.”
“I can’t make any promises, Michelle. He’s going though a lot right now, and he really needs someone supportive. I don’t think he could handle it if you broke his heart again.”
“But I wouldn’t… Not this time!”
Anne grimaced. “Okay. I’ll try to put in a good word for you if we get a chance to talk.”
Anne worked alone in the conference room until lunchtime. She was about to order take-out from Papa’s when the door opened abruptly.
“Come dear. It’s time for lunch,” Gram demanded.
Anne thought about arguing, but she knew it would be fruitless. “I’m coming, Gram. But I need to get back quickly. I have a lot of work to do.”
“I’ve already spoken to Steven and informed him he’s been giving you too much work. The very idea of you working here alone until nine thirty last night. You can take all the time you need for lunch, and Steven can and will take some of this workload.”
“It’s not his fault.” Anne grabbed her purse. “In fact, it’s kind of my fault.”
“What do you mean?”
“He had to fire this guy who was being fresh with me, and it left us with a crisis right before the big Switzerland presentation. And they’re leaving tomorrow evening.”
“Humph! I don’t believe it was your fault Steven fired someone. He’s not a rash man. He’s infuriatingly deliberate about his decisions… Well, usually.”
“I know you didn’t invite me to lunch to talk about work. Have you made some progress on our project?” Anne spoke cryptically since there were other passengers on the elevator.
“I’ve made some progress, but there’ve been some setbacks.” She gestured with her eyes to the others in the elevator. “We’ll talk during lunch.”
May chatted happily with Gram, leading them to the private room in the back. They ordered quickly, with Anne trying the new special—crab-stuffed whitefish.
“So what’s up?” asked Anne.
“I had a long talk with my grandson Sunday night, and I believe some of my advice is finally sinking in. He admits, at least, he doesn’t want to be alone for the rest of his life. But he says he’ll find the right person his own way in his own time.” Gram screwed up her face. “If I let him do it in his own time, I’ll be long gone before he finds someone.”
“Well, at least it sounds like he’s open to the possibility. What about Michelle?”
Gram looked surprised. “Michelle? What about her?”
“Well, she’s in town. She was with Steven last night, and she was here this morning.”
“That’s great information. I’ll give her a call. She owes me a visit anyway.”
“And after Mr. Gherring comes back from Switzerland, I’m going to introduce him to my friend, Ellen. I think she’d make a good match.”
“I’d still like to know why you’re doing all that work by yourself in the conference room. Why isn’t Steven helping you?”
“Well, partly because he’s just swamped. But I also think it’s partly because he doesn’t want to work with me. We had a… misunderstanding. I guess I have a bit of a temper, and I’m sure he’s uncomfortable.”
“Sunday night?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“Let’s just say I don’t appreciate being the butt of a joke. I know I’m probably too sensitive, but I can’t help it. Especially with Mr. Gherring.”
“Well, that answer is hogwash. Steven wouldn’t explain it to me either.”
“It doesn’t matter. I can be professional, and I’ve proven I can get the work done.”
“It does matter. We need to clear this up, or my plan is never going to work.”
“But I’m still on board with the plan. I’ll still help you find him a wife, I promise. After all, I have to protect my reputation as the world’s best matchmaker. This one will be my crowning achievement.”
Gram’s chin jutted out. “I’m afraid you’ll never win that title away from me, dear.”
Katie came in the conference room that afternoon carrying coffee from the downstairs shop.
“Coffee! Is that a latté? I love you, Katie!”
“I haven’t seen you for days. Aren’t you going stir-crazy in here? Is there something I can help you with?”
Anne stretched her arms, arching her back. “Ugh! I am getting a little stiff. But I think I’m almost finished.”
“Well, the president of the company from Bern just called. Gherring’s on the line with him now. There’s some kind of scheduling problem, and they may cancel the whole thing.”
“Ohmygosh! After all this work?”
“I’m sure they’d reschedule on a later date. But Mr. Gherring wanted to get this thing done before the end of the year. Postponing would get us into Thanksgiving, and December is really tough, with all the end-of-year business to wrap up. We’ll see soon enough. Here he comes.”
His hair was mussed as if his hand had been pushing it in all directions.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do. One of the companies involved has a conflict on Friday. We can’t move it up to Thursday because we aren’t even finished with the presentation.”
Anne said, “I’ll stay tonight and work late. We can finish everything. I’m almost done with Jeff’s part, even the last stuff you interpreted for me. By the way, thanks for clarifying that mumbo-jumbo.”
Gherring shook his head. “I’ve done this a lot. I’d rather postpone the presentation than show up for a meeting with jetlag.”
“I’ll call the pilots, and maybe you can fly out tonight. Just check with Jared and see if he can leave a day early,” said Katie.
“And you can give me the additions you and Jeff have. I’ll keep working tonight and email the PowerPoint,” said Anne.
“Absolutely not. I want that PowerPoint on a flash drive, and I prefer to have it on my computer already. I’ve had that backfire on me before,” Gherring frowned. “I think I’ll reschedule. It may have to be January.”
He strode to the door, but froze in his tracks. “Or… you could just go with us.”
“Me?” Anne’s heart turned over in her chest.
“That’d work,” said Katie
. “I’d volunteer to go in a heartbeat, but I have a meeting with the caterer on Thursday and a shower on Friday.”
“And you already have a passport, right? I heard you tell Johanna you have one,” said Gherring.
“You were listening?”
“I just happened to overhear. So you do have one, right?”
Anne nodded, numbly. “So… uhmm, I guess I’d better get to work, then.”
“No,” said Gherring. “Ms. Carson, you call and set everything up with the jet, the pilots and the hotel. I’ll talk to Jared and call the company in Bern. Ms. Best, you need to gather everything here in some organized fashion and be sure we have everything else we need for the presentation. Then we’ll get home and pack. We’ll leave as soon as possible.”
Anne felt dizzy. Things were happening too fast.
“Are you okay with this Ms. Best? Is there some problem I don’t know about?” Gherring studied her with concern.
“No…”
“We’ll finish the presentation tomorrow at the hotel in Switzerland. I’ll have a suite, and we’ll have plenty of room to spread out and work. Okay?”
“I’m going to Switzerland?” she asked in a squeaky voice. “Tonight?”
Gherring’s face broke out in a broad grin, flashing his dimples. “Yes, you’re going to Switzerland. Tonight.”
He stepped out of the conference room door, closing it behind him. But he stuck his head back inside and added, “With me.”
“I can’t believe it, Mom! You’re going to Switzerland? You’re so lucky! Switzerland this week, Paris next week. What’s next? Venice?” Charlie was so excited Anne saw her dancing around on the computer screen.
“Yes, and I don’t have any time. I tried to get Emily, and she didn’t answer. Will you tell her for me?”
“Oh, don’t worry your little head about that. I’ll be glad to call Em and tell her all about your fabulous surprise trip to Bern, Switzerland. On a private jet. With Steven Gherring.”
“It’s for a presentation, and it will be me and Jared and Mr. Gherring. You make it sound like a tryst.”
