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Anne realized she’d been there with Henri on the night of the gala. Not wanting to bring up a sore subject, she evaded the question.
“It’s a popular place. I’ll be you’ve been up there, haven’t you?”
“That’s where we had the gala.” His was face inscrutable.
“Oh that’s right… I… I must have gone there when we were planning the gala.”
“At night?”
“Yes, I think I went with Katie.”
“So you and Katie went at night? Alone? To a bar?”
“Oh no, maybe Gary was there… I don’t remember.”
“We could ask Gary tomorrow. He’d surely remember.”
Anne knew her face was crimson. “Okay fine! I went up there with Henri the night of the gala.”
“You could have just said that.”
“But I know you don’t like him, and I didn’t want to make you mad.”
He frowned. “I don’t get mad.”
“Call it what you want. You always start yelling at me.”
“I’ve never yelled at you. I don’t yell.”
“Well… you used a yelling tone of voice.” They rode the rest of the way in silence as she swore to herself she would never lie again.
Gherring and Anne worked together in the conference room. The earlier tension was soon forgotten as they immersed themselves in the job at hand. She found she could concentrate around Gherring easily, unless he got too close or brushed up against her. At the slightest contact, she felt her heart rate accelerating.
But her physical reaction wasn’t an indication that she was attracted to her boss. The real cause was her people-pleaser personality. She had a strong desire to make everyone happy, and Gherring was particularly difficult to please.
She was relieved that she wasn’t falling for her boss. That would be so awkward. Not to mention she’d be setting herself up for devastation.
Thankfully, she wasn’t attracted to him at all. Well, maybe a little bit. But she only admired him like a work of art. It didn’t mean anything.
She watched as he leaned over to pick up a paper that had floated to the floor. Hard, tight compact muscles. He turned toward her and flashed a distracted smile, his rugged face, blue eyes, and dimples a winning combination. Of course she was physically attracted to him. Any woman with eyes would be physically attracted. That didn’t mean she had feelings for him. She couldn’t have feelings for him because that would simply lead to heartache. After fifteen years she wouldn’t let herself fall for a guy she could never have. She was much better off with Henri. That relationship was practically impossible and therefore, incredibly safe. At least until she went to Paris….
She’d decided to FaceTime with Henri during her lunch break, so it wouldn’t be an issue with Gherring. But as lunchtime approached, Gherring asked, “Should we order in from Papa’s?”
She took a big breath. “I’m going to try something new and to tell you the truth, I’m Facetiming with Henri during lunch. There, I said it. So please don’t be mad and don’t yell at me.” She cringed, waiting for him to vent his anger.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not mad. I’m… I’m… worried. I don’t want you to get hurt. That’s all.”
“To tell you the truth, I think you should be more worried about Henri. He seems—I don’t know—kind of vulnerable. I’m really taking it slow, you know. After fifteen years, I have pretty tight reins on my heart. I’m not sure I can ever actually fall in love again. I know what true love feels like, I’ve experienced it before. I’m not sure that kind of thing could ever happen twice in my life.”
He was quiet for a few seconds that seemed like an hour. “I sincerely hope that isn’t true, Anne. I hope you’re able to find love again someday. But not with Henri. I still don’t trust him—let’s just say I question his motives. And I’m definitely not worried about him getting hurt.”
The conversation was cut short when her cell phone pealed out the Maserati song. “Oh that’s Charlie!” She fumbled for her phone in her sweater pocket.
“Hey Mom, we’re on the plane, getting ready to take off. Oops, the stewardess is giving me a dirty look. Gotta go. See you soon.”
Anne’s heart swelled with anticipation. She couldn’t believe how much she missed her daughters. It’s not like she was used to seeing them all the time when she still lived in Texas. It was just the knowledge they were so far away from her now.
“They’re on the plane.” She couldn’t stop grinning.
