Page 4 of Embracing Love

Tanya got up and closed the door when Luc left. “Of course I’ll come.”

“Excellent. How did it go?” Thierry asked her in his gently lilting French accent that had started to rub off on her. She closed the page on her computer and gave him her full attention. “It could have gone better,” she replied. Thierry raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”

“He kept me waiting, he was late and then when the meeting started he seemed annoyed that I had the audacity to take up any of his time.” Thierry shook his head, his fingers supporting his chin as he listened.

"And then as we started to talk his cell phone rang and he had the conversation right then and there in front of me." Tanya rolled her eyes. “What was I supposed to do? Smile and listen politely?”

Thierry shook his head.

"He stood with his back to me talking on the phone and you know something," She leaned in conspiratorially. “He completely ignored me.” She paused for effect. “Know what I did?" By now Thierry was almost smiling.

“I walked out and told his secretary he could call me when he was less busy."

Thierry chortled. "I don't think anyone has ever walked out on an office meeting with him before. This might not be the last you hear of it," he told her. “I'm glad you did. The man is arrogant but even this is taking it a bit too far."

Tanya got up and perched on the edge of her table. “Between you and me Thierry," she said “I have a feeling he detests having anything to do with the Zimmerman Group. I don't think he’s at all interested in working with us on this campaign. He certainly showed no interest in the brochure I showed him. I think I'm going to have a word with Nadine and find out how her meeting went with him last week. We didn’t talk about it much but I don’t think Nadine was too impressed by him.”

Tanya remembered the night she and Nadine had talked until the early hours of the morning. Nadine was probably still in shock about the confession she had made. Still, she wanted to find out what Nadine thought of Gabriel Valois. Had he been as rude to her? After all, he’d been putting the meeting off right up until the very end.

“Speak to Nadine. I’m sure it’s not just you.” Thierry rested his hands against his stomach. With the Flight Campaign using their resources, and with the planned expansion, the Paris office also needed to hire new people. Tanya was fast discovering that workload was growing exponentially.

"How is everyone taking to the rollouts?” She asked Thierry, as she always ran things by him. She was all too aware of being seen as a bigwig from over the pond who was making this staff work a particular way. So far there had been no major grumbles but these things would only come out over time as people began to use the new system in earnest. Thierry with his nose to the ground, and the most senior member of the work force here, was good to bounce ideas off.

"Not too bad except that there is a lot of paperwork which means our projects and our creative campaigns are slowing down."

She gave him a world weary look “That's what happens when a company grows and does too many things all at once.” She felt this was happening here in Paris, the roll-out, the Flight campaign, and she was only based here for a few months more. Then she’d have to spend six months in Milan, overseeing their implementations. She didn’t want to think too much about what would happen after that. “Unfortunately it's not my call. Maybe you can bring that up with Michael at the convention next month?” It would be the perfect time having all senior management there. She was relieved not to be going.

Thierry waved his hands dismissively, quick to console her. “It’s not a problem. We will learn to work in this way."

“Thank you for understanding. Because you have no choice in the matter,” Tanya reminded him. What Michael Zimmerman wanted, Michael Zimmerman got.

“And you’re definitely coming tomorrow?”

“Of course,” replied Tanya. After all she was still getting used to life in Paris and she didn't know anybody. Her friends were the people she worked with and although she had come to Paris to escape San Francisco, setting up a new life here was not as easy as she’d thought. On the few times when she didn’t work as late, she spent her evenings at home alone reading a book. But she found herself slipping back into her old life where work consumed more of her time simply because there was nothing else, there was no one else, to fill the gap.

“Let’s see what Milan has to report back this week.” She dialed the number as Thierry opened his folder and got ready to take notes.

With her long day almost at an end, and the ill-fated meeting with Gabriel Valois soon forgotten, Tanya picked up the phone to call Nadine. It would be just after ten in San Francisco and it was often the best time for the two of them to talk. She dialed Nadine’s direct line hoping she wouldn't be away in her usual round of meetings.

To her relief, Nadine answered on the second ring. "I was just thinking about you," were her opening words.

“Good things I hope?” And she did hope, for she knew Nadine had Michael Zimmerman’s ear.

“I wanted to ask you—what did you think of Gabriel Valois?” she asked. She heard Nadine’s low groan. “Don’t even get me started.”

Tanya eased into a smile. She had an idea that Nadine didn’t think too highly of the man, after all, it was due to his delaying tactics that Nadine had missed her fiancé’s awards ceremony. Of course, had she and Nadine not been up until the early hours of the morning, perhaps Nadine might not have missed her return flight back.

Perhaps his coldness and hostility were ingrained in his DNA and weren’t solely aimed at her? The thought gave her a little comfort.

"He seemed aloof. Not really present. Why? Have you had the pleasure of his company yet?"

Tanya didn't want to volunteer too much information. “Almost. We had a meeting this morning, kind of. We didn’t make much progress. He was…busy.”

Nadine let out a laugh. "Good luck. You might need a bit of a heavy hand with him. Why are you still at the office? Are you overloaded with work again?”

“A little but probably not as much as you.” Tanya decided against whining about her lot. She especially didn’t want Michael to catch wind of things because the last thing she needed was for him to think she couldn’t cope.

"I might move my trip forward, if it might help.”

---