Cerella Sechrist - The Paris Connection

“If you need money, I could loan you some,” Emma offered, but Henri was already shaking his head.

“No. I owed enough to friends after I recognized my gambling addiction. I vowed never to borrow a single euro again.”

Emma nodded with sympathy and then noticed that the conversation nearby, in one of the smaller conference rooms, was growing to a steady buzz. She ignored it for the moment.

“Enough about me. How was your weekend?” Henri asked.

“Very nice.” She hesitated, unwilling to mention Avery in light of Henri’s own plight.

“And how is Avery? You haven’t shown me any pictures lately.”

She relaxed since he broached the subject first.

“She’s grown at least three inches in the past few weeks. She’s going to be as tall as her father one day.”

Henri clucked his tongue, presumably at her mention of Brice. He slid a glance around. “And the new American boss? What do you think of him?”

She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. Henri might only be the janitor, but Julien’s warning on Cole’s first day had been clear. She would support the merger and CEO. “I think Cole is the perfect person to manage this company for the days ahead.”

“He has a very flashy smile,” Henri observed.

Emma smothered a laugh. “Yes, that’s true.” Cole’s smile was certainly something of note. It made his handsome features even more attractive.

“Everyone here just beams whenever he comes around. I hope you plan to challenge him, keep him sharp,” Henri remarked.

She grinned at this idea. “I should tell him you said so.”

Henri’s head jerked up in alarm. “I do not think—”

“It’s all right, Henri,” she assured him. “I won’t say a word to him. But I promise, I’ll do my best to keep him on his toes.”

The hum of chatter in the conference room was unmistakable now and growing by the second. Emma turned her head in that direction.

“What’s on everyone’s mind, that they’re talking so much?”

Henri gave another shrug. “I overheard a few things—that Julien is arranging some sort of company getaway.”

Emma furrowed her eyebrows. Julien had initiated plans without consulting her? It was unlike him.

“I better go see what they’re buzzing about.” She paused before leaving and reached out to give Henri’s arm an affectionate squeeze. “Good luck with everything. Let me know how things go.”

He nodded and turned back to his work as she moved down the hall and toward the conference room. She entered to find a small group of the top four recruiters chattering excitedly and passing around what looked like colorful brochures. Julien was nowhere to be seen, but as she prepared to move farther into the room, she felt an arm brush hers; she looked up to see Cole Dorset, tall and striking as ever, studying the room at large.

“What’s going on in here?” he questioned without looking at her.

She forced her gaze away and back to the group before them. “I don’t know. Henri said something about a company getaway.”

“Henri?”

“The janitor,” she replied with distraction.

Cole fell silent so she dared to look at him once more. He was staring at her.

“You’re friends with the janitor?”

She stiffened. “It’s not like we go to lunch every day, but we’re friendly, yes. Why?”

“No reason. I just...never thought about being friends with the janitor.”

She looked away from him. “Well, maybe you should. Henri’s really nice.”

His voice sounded amused as he replied, “Maybe you’re right.” He waited a beat before speaking again. “By the way, we heard from Delacroix this morning. He’s decided to take the job with Arrow Tech after all. I guess he really was unhappy enough with his current company to make a switch.”

She felt a jolt of surprise at this news.

“What the heart wants, remember, Aquitaine?”

She didn’t reply. After another pause, she felt his touch, warm and solid, beneath her elbow as he began to steer her farther into the room. “Let’s see what Julien has gotten us into now, shall we?”

She didn’t protest how he moved her along, and when his hand finally dropped away, she found that she missed the gentle touch.

“Good morning,” Cole greeted everyone.

The room suddenly fell silent as they turned to face their new boss. “Um...bonjour?” he tried again, and Emma nearly rolled her eyes at how the group broke into smiles and returned Cole’s attempt at the French greeting.

“Everyone seems particularly cheerful for a Monday morning,” he remarked. “Does it have something to do with that?” He pointed a finger at one of the leaflets.

Giselle handed it over, and Emma was forced to ease closer to Cole in order to see what sort of information the literature contained.

Scenic pictures of woodlands, a dining hall and rustically chic suites were splashed across the glossy paper beneath words advertising the “Château Bonnaire: an idyllic, team-oriented retreat center for professionals.”

She felt Cole shift uncomfortably beside her and clear his throat. Ah. She realized the brochure was entirely in French, and Cole had no idea what it said.

“A team-oriented retreat center for professionals?” she prompted. “Where did you get these?”

“Julien,” Louis informed her. “He said to look it over, and that he’d be back shortly.”

“Is Julien sending us on a retreat?” Aurora questioned.

Emma looked at Cole and found his frown mirroring her own. If Julien had chosen to send them on a retreat, he hadn’t informed her...nor Cole, it seemed.

“I’m sure Julien will be back soon to enlighten us,” Cole offered.

“You mean, you don’t know?” Marc asked.

Emma felt Cole stiffen beside her at the implication he was clueless as to the goings-on at the very company he was meant to be heading.

“You know Julien enjoys his little surprises,” she jumped in to spare Cole having to reply.

“Emma is correct.”

They all turned at the sound of Julien’s voice. “I decided to surprise you. I thought it would be good for you all to get away for a weekend, as a team. To get to know your new leadership.” He dipped his head in Cole’s direction.

Excited murmurs rippled through the group, but Emma watched Cole carefully. He frowned in dismay, obviously not quite as pleased as the rest of the group. Little wonder, given that Julien hadn’t clued them in to his plans beforehand. She slid her gaze in the older man’s direction, but he did not seem to recognize that he had possibly caused offense.

“Julien,” she murmured, but he was too busy beaming in reaction to his other employees’ responses to the news.

“Julien,” she repeated more forcefully. His eyes found hers, and she frowned. “Could we speak for a moment in your office? Please?”

His pleased expression faltered, and she noticed his eyes shift from her face to Cole’s.

“Oui. Certainly.”

The others didn’t seem to pick up on the unease clouding around their American counterparts as Julien led Cole and Emma from the room. As they arrived at Julien’s door, Emma reached out and laid a hand on Cole’s arm, leaning in to whisper softly enough that Julien would not hear.

“Give him a chance to explain.”

Cole glanced at her briefly and then nodded before stepping into Julien’s office. Emma closed the door behind them.

“Julien, why wasn’t I consulted about this decision?”

Julien frowned at Cole’s question. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

Emma stepped forward before Cole could speak again. “Julien, I think you should have informed Cole of your idea before announcing it to the others. He— We both,” she corrected, “were at a loss in there.”