Page 1 of Embracing Love

Chapter 1

Tanya Braun waited alone in the discreetly chic office belonging to Gabriel Valois. Fighting to keep her irritation in check, she swallowed hard and felt her neck muscles tighten before venturing a glance at her watch. She looked around the room, tapping her foot in a poor attempt to stifle her growing annoyance.

He kept it tidy, she thought, and sniffed, inhaling the scent of cedar wood and spice that hung in the air.

This was insane.

She’d arrived on time, and had already waited outside in the reception area for fifteen minutes. He came rushing into the office, apologized for running over on a prior meeting, and called her in.

But a moment later he excused himself to take a call on his cell and disappeared out of the room.

She’d been waiting ever since. Should she be thankful that she’d now been given access to his office and was at least a step closer to seeing him?

Footsteps outside alerted her to his return and she heard him close the door and sit back down opposite her.

He folded his hands and frowned, making her feel at fault for being here.

“You wanted to see me?” He narrowed his eyes as he spoke. This was a meeting Nadine had set up having met with Mr. Valois last week. Today, Tanya had come with the intention of putting into place a strategic plan for delivering an ad campaign that Nadine, the executive creative director of the Zimmerman Group, and Russell Trent, the CEO of Flight US, a sportswear company, had already discussed in the US.

It seemed to her that the man had a problem and if so, he ought to bring this up with Michael Zimmerman, her boss, and Russell Trent, his boss. They both wanted the two companies to work together and Russell had already been blown away by the success and brilliance of the advertising campaign Nadine had put together.

It was this very advertising campaign that had now been imposed on Mr. Valois, and the man didn’t seem remotely interested in anything she had to say.

“I'm following up a meeting you had with Nadine Stefano last week,” she started, and then hesitated as Mr. Valois picked up a pen and began to tap it noisily against the smooth wooden surface. “I have some designs based on what you and Nadine discussed last week. Perhaps we could discuss them? I’d be most interested in your feedback.”

She pulled out the designs Luc had created and spread them out carefully over the desk, all the while telling him of her ideas in order to ensure that this new ad campaign would fit in more closely with Flight Europe’ product line. But Mr. Valois’ continuous pen tapping and the look on his face when she glanced his way, told her he wasn’t paying much attention to her words.

“Would you please stop that?” This time she didn’t even bother to hide her displeasure. “It’s…somewhat annoying.”

He stopped, but gave her a cold stare.

“The conceptual designs,” she said, pushing her mock-ups towards him. Her gaze met his cold flint-like eyes.

“And what do you want me to do with these?” He asked, scarcely giving them his attention.

“You are the client, Mr Valois,” she attempted to match his hostility, in a subtle way. “I am only here at your request.”

He shook his head and leaned forward before he threw down the pen. “We have been happily working with a local Parisian ad agency with which we have a great relationship. We like their work. Just because our parent company in the US seems to be overexcited with the ad campaign your people have put together, I do not see why it should be imposed on us. We might be the same company, however we are continents apart, we are different countries and it makes no sense at all to change what is already working well.”

She reined in the desire to answer him back and met his stare with one just as cold.

This was a major account for the Zimmerman Group and the Flight Europe ad campaign was important. This had become Michael Zimmerman’s mantra and Tanya was already sick of hearing it.

Nadine had told her that the recent introduction of the Flight ad campaign in Europe had added a further layer of complication to her role. Tanya was well aware of this.

However, no complication was bigger than the rude man who now stared at her, barely able to contain his contempt.

She needed to make the Flight campaign here a stellar success—to at least match what Nadine had created in the US. This was supposed to be easier, since Nadine had already done the work. This man, the head of marketing for Flight Europe, only had to agree minor changes yet he seemed eager to prevent the campaign from getting off the ground.

This project was vital not just for the company but for her. Tanya needed to prove that a new life abroad wasn’t just an escape for her— that a new career, a new company, new people and new challenges were what she wanted in order to start over.

But success was measured by results and she was going to need a boatload of them.

Inwardly disheartened and feeling as though this was going to be an uphill struggle all the way, Tanya gazed at the obstacle to her goals and attempted another try.

“I’m sorry you feel that way, however the issues concern you and your boss, not me, Mr. Valois. I am only the messenger. I’m just trying to do my job.” She forced a smile but he didn’t reciprocate.

This was not going to be easy.

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