Page 10 of Embracing Love

Chapter 5

At least the walk to Gabriel Valois’s office put her in a better frame of mind than she’d been in when she’d woken up this morning.

Echoes of yesterday’s conversation with Michael Zimmerman still rang in her ears.

It wouldn’t do to walk into that man’s office blatantly showing her contempt for him.

He is the client.

As difficult as it was, she had to bear that in mind. Her career in Paris, her hopes for a new life both depended on it. Zimmerman might not have spelled it out as such, but Tanya knew what was in the cards. It put her on edge, knowing that from now she would be closely watched. She’d only been here a few months and this was the last thing she needed: the almighty Zimmerman breathing down her neck.

And all thanks to Gabriel Valois.

The walk along the Boulevard Saint-Marcel, with its many crème colored balconied buildings, and wide open roads bedecked with the green lace of summer trees made her temporarily forget the onerous meeting ahead of her. Inhaling the sweet fresh air rejuvenated her sagging spirits. In due course, armed with an abundance of good feeling that she very much needed in order to pass off her best act, she turned up at the offices of the man she detested with more vigor than she detested Vincent’s girlfriend.

She’d need to keep that fake smile on her face no matter what.

Even as she sat waiting for him once more, taking no chances at all and arriving a good fifteen minutes early, she already felt her good mood seeping away. The door to his office remained closed and she wasn’t even sure if he was behind that door or not.

Unable to sit still, she asked his assistant, a blonde haired prom princess with hair swept back into a high pony-tail, if he was inside or whether he had stepped out. His secretary looked at her as though she was a five-year-old. “He is in a meeting at the moment. He knows you are next.”

Tanya whimpered a smile in response and sat back down again. Her eyes darted every now and then to her wrist watch. It was now one minute to two and she couldn’t believe that the man would subject her to the same rudeness as before by making her wait any longer.

Especially in light of what she now knew about him making an issue of yesterday’s meeting with his boss. He didn’t know that she knew what he’d done and this already put her at an advantage.

Presently, his door opened and he let his visitor out first, an elderly gentleman with whom he shook hands and offered the very thing he’d refused to give Tanya: his civility.

The men exchanged a few laughs and pleasantries and his visitor left.

Gabriel Valois turned his attention to her. His eyes still dark, still shining like flint. This time though, there was something else in his expression, as though he was really seeing her for the first time. She wondered if he had any idea that she knew what he’d done.

“We meet again,” he said, holding out his hand. She shook it firmly, more firmly than she usually did, partly because she wanted to wring the very life from him.

Instead, she searched his face for signs of evidence, guilt even, but when he held on a moment longer than he should have, she pulled her hand away even as her gaze ran over the dusting of dark hair along his jawline. He hadn’t shaved since yesterday and she had to admit, he looked a little rough. Had lost the smoothness and arrogance he’d possessed yesterday.

“Shall we?” he said, beckoning her in.

She started to walk in, at the same time wondering ‘shall we what?’ when a woman rushed in through the main doors and accosted Gabriel.

She was tall and ticked off, with short cropped hair that only models and someone like her, classically French, could carry off.

Tanya watched, like a piggy in the middle caught in the cross-fire, as Gabriel narrowed his eyes, getting ready for the confrontation.

“You haven't returned any of my calls,” the woman snapped.

“Not now, Vanessa. I have a meeting to attend.” His tone was cold, commanding, and once more, he seemed annoyed. She was beginning to think that this was Gabriel’s personality and not just the way he had reacted only to her.

“We need to discuss this now. I've been trying to get hold of you all morning.”

Tanya watched the vein in his neck cord and she wondered who the woman was? His wife or girlfriend? The woman he’d been speaking to yesterday? For she spoke with a familiarity that indicated she was more than a business acquaintance.

“I have a meeting and I’m busy.” He repeated firmly.

This could turn out to be quite a scene, thought Tanya, as she settled in for a full-blown confrontation.

“I'm not leaving until you give me an answer. You’re avoiding me, I can tell. We had a deal, Gabriel." He stared back at the woman and Tanya could see that his face registered something other than mild irritation. He was trapped. The woman wasn’t going anywhere and yet he couldn’t very well turn Tanya away either, not after what he’d done. She eagerly awaited his reaction.

“I’m sorry Ms. Braun. Would you mind waiting a little longer?" By now his impatient visitor had already made herself at home in his office.

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