Page 17 of Embracing Love

Tanya blinked at the notion and then felt her anger at the idea of her and Sandra ‘talking’ about the Paris expansion. Here she was fighting in the trenches, alone in the front line in the Battle of Valois, dealing with everything, while Nadine and Sandra were lunching and ‘discussing’ Paris and Flight from a safe distance. Her silence prompted further analysis from Nadine.

“We’ll be over in August and hopefully we can iron out all issues then.”

“I can handle it, Nadine.” Maybe the wine had gotten to her. Maybe she needed to sleep.

“I know you can handle it. It’s not a reflection on you.” An awkward silence filled the airwaves.

“So who went to the restaurant?” Nadine asked. She seemed as anxious to avoid talking about work issues.

“Patrice, Thierry, Stephan, and lots of new faces, Kristina, Luc.”

“How is Luc?”

Tanya smiled. She missed the girlie talk, and hated herself for being so grizzly. “I had a narrow miss.” Her confession poured forth. Nadine had a knack for putting her in a place where she felt like telling all. Still, it felt good to be able to let things out and Nadine made for a welcome listening ear.

“How narrow was it?”

Tanya raised the glass to cool her cheek. “Take it as a good sign that I’m here talking to you now. I came straight home. Alone.”

“Luc isn’t the man for you.”

“I figured.”

“That doesn’t really leave anyone in the office for you. Not that you want or need another office romance.”

Ouch.

“I’m sorry.” Nadine said quickly, “for mentioning it.” Tanya knew Nadine was still having a hard time dealing with her confession about her and Zimmerman.

“Come on Nadine, aren’t you over that piece of news yet?”

“I will be once we find you a man.”

Tanya hugged her stomach, and fought hard to wipe away the image of Vincent that had just flashed into her head. Everything she did, had done, was doing, was only for one benefit: to forget him.

Why was that the hardest thing in the world to do? Why did every face she looked at remind her of him?

“Gabriel Valois is single, isn’t he?” asked Nadine.

Tanya jerked her head up. “I don’t know, and I couldn’t care less. He’s an arrogant slime bag.”

“He’s a good looking, but arrogant slime bag, from what I recall. Although he didn't seem as rude to me as he was to you.”

“That might be because of that huge big honking diamond you've got on your finger,” said Tanya. “How is Ethan?”

“He’s doing well,” replied Nadine, “and he’s very busy. Which suits us both because I'm really busy too.”

“But why Gabriel Valois?” asked Tanya, puzzled. “Why him of all the people in the entire world? I thought you’d hate him as much as I do. He’s the reason you missed Ethan’s awards night, remember?”

“I missed his awards night because I missed my flight, and I missed my flight because you and I were up until the early hours catching up on your news.”

Tanya wasn’t going to concede defeat. “But if he’d agreed to see you earlier in the week, even the day before, you’d have caught your flight back a day early and you’d have made it for your fiancé’s big night.” She wanted to make that point to Nadine.

“Okay, that too. You sound tired—a little pre-menstrual to me, shall we speak tomorrow?” Nadine offered.

If she was sounding crotchety it wasn’t because she was pre-menstrual but more because Nadine was beginning to annoy her. And because she hated lying alone in her bed after a good night out.

“Yes, but wait,” she wanted to hear why Nadine would pick Gabriel Valois for her above any other person. “Tell me, why Gabriel Valois?”

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