Page 8 of Embracing Love

Chapter 4

Aknot of anger, the size of a fist lodged further in her throat. She felt a pounding sensation in her ears, when she got off the phone.

How arrogant of Gabriel Valois to think she would have nothing better to do than to rush to his office and meet him now?

She had nothing better to do but she wasn’t about to waste this evening with that miserable man.

Sinking back into her chair, she pressed her forehead while her heart thundered in her chest. He rubbed her the wrong way, had done so from the beginning and she didn’t know how she was going to lead this collaborative US and European ad campaign to the success of its US counterpart.

Thank goodness Nadine was accountable for the whole thing, but still, not being able to get the campaign moving even at this lower level would mean all fingers pointed to her.

She needed to go home, unwind, and calm herself down enough so that tomorrow she could put this behind her, and try to be nice to him.

She got up to clear her desk for the evening, and to go home but the sound of a new alert indicating that she had a new email, made her check her computer screen.

An email from Nadine stared back at her and she rushed to open it. Nadine must have sent it hastily from her iPad or something because it only said:

Michael is not happy. ‘I'm rushing off to a meeting now but need to speak later.

What happened between you and Gabriel Valois?

Tanya glared at the words and quickly re-read them. What the hell did Michael have to do with anything? But she didn’t even have the time to answer her own question because her phone rang once more and she snatched it, partly because she’d been trying to leave the office for over an hour now, partly because she had the feeling it might be important: knowing Michael knew something raised her mood further into the black.

“Tanya—it’s Michael here.”

Holy shit balls.

She sunk into her seat, rapidly trying to think ahead. How had he come to know of her meeting with Gabriel Valois? Why would he be calling her? What was it Nadine had warned her about?

“What happened in your meeting with Gabriel Valois?” Michael Zimmerman was never one to waste time with small talk.

Tanya's brow furrowed deeper. This call coming immediately after Nadine’s email suddenly had her thinking. If they knew what had happened at the meeting today, and the news hadn’t come from her, then Gabriel Valois had created this drama.

Did he really hate her that much?

Nothing, nothing happened, she wanted to yell back. "Nothing.” And she meant that literally. “Is there a problem?" She needed to uncover his source.

Michael Zimmerman remained silent and she knew that when this man paused he was choosing the words to say. “Russell Trent called me. He says the meeting between you and Gabriel Valois didn’t go too well."

That was putting it mildly.

It was obvious Michael knew more than he was letting on, he was that kind of man. He knew everything. As for that rat-bag low-life arrogant scum-bag, a-hole dick-head of a man Gabriel Valois, it was evident to her now that she was piecing it all together, that he’d let it slip.

But why? What did he have to gain?

“Is that what you heard, Michael?" She still wasn’t willing to concede the truth. She thought she heard a sigh escape his lips. “Tanya, you know how important this contract is for us. I believe in you completely which was why I decided to give you this role…” Her mind raced ahead.

What was Michael implying? How could a minor issue, such as this have blown things so out of proportion?

But before she could open her mouth to defend herself, Michael asked her, “Did you walk out of the meeting?”

Of course he knew everything.

“He was on a personal phone call and he was talking for—”

“They are the client and we have to be completely professional here, Tanya. I don't understand the problem. Is there a problem?”

“If you could just let me explain myself, Michael,” she said in firm voice. “He kept me waiting. He arrived at the meeting late, and then he kept me waiting some more in his office. He didn't seem remotely interested in anything I had to say and then he took a personal call while I waited patiently for him to continue our meeting. I had a conference call with the Milan office later that afternoon and I was going to be late if I waited around any longer. I didn’t just walk out for no reason. And I told his secretary that I had to leave, and why I had to leave.”

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