by Tamie Dearen
“What happened to him?” Anne couldn’t hide her curiosity. It was fun to get a better understanding of Gherring’s past.
“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 fought back 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 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. How was lunch with my grandmother?”
“She’s a very interesting lady.”
“You had a rather long lunch. What did you talk about?”
“A little of this. A little of that. You know. All kinds of stuff. I really can’t remember anything exactly.” 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.
“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.”
“Gandalf isn’t just a dog. He’s a member of the family. I think he may be almost as tall as you.”
“Listen, my Gram can be a bit scheming and meddling at times. If she’s up to something I’d appreciate a little warning, to be prepared.”
“Hmmm.”
“Hmmm? What does that mean?”
“She did mention she’s been shopping for a Christmas present for you.” Anne was glad Gram had provided an excuse for their lunch meeting. When she asked Anne’s opinion about a men’s cologne sample she pulled from her purse, she claimed her nose couldn’t judge scents as well as it used to. “But I’m sworn to secrecy—you’ll never worm it out of me.”
“Why do I think you’re leaving something out?”
“I have no idea.”
“Perhaps you’d rather discuss the pictures I saw in the social column.”
“Pictures? What pictures?” Anne rifled through her desk drawer to avoid Gherring’s piercing gaze.
“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 Mr. Gherring. I never meant to cause all this trouble. The media wouldn’t have cared that I was with Henri if they hadn’t seen you and I together at the musical. I shouldn’t have gone to the musical. Or the gala, for that matter. I don’t belong with those people, anyway.
Gherring’s harsh expression softened. “I was the one who should’ve stayed home, not you.”
Her chest hurt. Of course he was embarrassed to be seen with her. He didn’t want anyone to think they were together. She knew that already, didn’t she? This just confirmed what she knew.
His face darkened. “The only thing that really upsets me is your continued association with Henri.”
“I thought you and Henri had made up.”
“I listened and agreed to give him a second chance. But there’s something about his personality that drives me up the wall.”
At least Gherring wasn’t truly angry with her. She tried to lighten his mood with a teasing tone. “Maybe he bugs you ‘because he doesn’t bow down to you like the rest of the world?”
“Exactly. Always my goal in life.” Gherring’s words dripped sarcasm. “And obviously, his bad habits are rubbing off on my PA. That sassy tongue is going to get you in trouble.”
“The problem is I’m not as afraid of you as I used to be. I think you’re all bark and no bite.”
“I do have a bite. My business associates will attest to that.”
“I think you act aggressive to hide how sweet you really are.”
“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 laughter. “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 mimed zipping her lips.
His mouth curled up at the corners and he looked to the ceiling. “When did I lose control of this conversation?”
“More like when did you ever have control of it?”
“And that’s the problem. I should be able to control my own PA, right?”
“Sorry if I mislead you. Was that in the job description?”
“I’ll make sure it’s in there next time.” His tone was menacing, but the sparkle of humor in his eyes gave him away.
“Don’t worry about your Gram,” Anne said. “She obviously adores you. She would never do anything to hurt you. Trust me.”
“I trust her like I trust you… about as far as I could throw both of you with one hand tied behind my back.”
“Ha! That’s a pretty fair distance. I’ve seen your muscles.”
With a growl he turned his back to her, but not before she saw a telltale grin. 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. She pulled out her personal laptop and opened up FaceTime 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.”
“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 désolé! 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.”
“Thi
s 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 breathe 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. “Not since lunch today. I didn’t know it was that much of a crisis.”
“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. “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. Mr. Gherring 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,” said Gram. “Why do you call him Mr. Gherring? Don’t you know him well enough to call him Steven?”
“I’m just trying to show him some respect. I already have trouble smarting off to him. The least I can do is call him Mr. Gherring.”
“Hmphh! I’ll call you tomorrow and check on your progress.”
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? 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, and Anne was a little nervous at what that might be.
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.”
“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 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. “How did this happen? 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 wasn’t a sign of how bad her day was going to be. She hurried down, intending to run all the way to the subway station in her bright blue running shoes. Hopefully her deodorant would hold up to the challenge. When the elevator reached the lobby, she sprinted toward the door.
“Wait! Stop!” G
herring’s voice came 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.”
His brows drew down over his clear blue eyes. “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.”
“I’m glad you gave me a ride, but I don’t want you displaying your geniality. Isn’t there a law against that?” Anne kept a straight face for a few seconds, and then burst out laughing. When she accidentally snorted, she clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide.
He joined the hilarity, and she laughed until she had tears in her eyes. When she gained control of her breathing, they had what could only be called a pleasant conversation. She didn’t dare mention it, or he might be offended.
“Should I get out after you’ve gone so no one sees us together?”
“I think it’ll be fine, as long as I don’t display my geniality.”
She dissolved into helpless laughter while he exited the limo. He bent down and offered his hand to help her out, and she took it. Big mistake! Something like a bolt of lightning sizzled up her arm. Obviously, she was letting her emotions run wild.
She scrambled out of the car and pulled her hand free. “Thanks for the ride.”
“It was my pleasure.”
Those eyes… crystal blue pools! She could get lost in them. And she had! She was standing there, staring at him, like some kind of star-struck girl. Her heart pounded so loud she couldn’t even hear what he was saying. Probably something about how she shouldn’t presume anything just because he’d given her a ride in his limousine.
She nodded. “Right. Okay. Gotta hit the ladies’ room before work!” Turning, she trotted toward the entrance ahead of him. She couldn’t even imagine what he must think of her. Maybe if she worked really hard, she’d look more professional the rest of the day.
