The Paris Connection (5 page)

Avery, with her cheeks so pink it looked as though she’d been sunburned, dropped the blush back into the cosmetic bag resting on the bed and then skipped out of the room once more.

“Did you ask Brice,” Jacqueline finally ventured, “if he would be willing to watch Avery this weekend?”

Emma couldn’t meet Jacqueline’s eye, so she kept her attention focused on the remainder of her packing. She knew it disappointed her that her son didn’t exhibit more care for his daughter.

“He had other plans, I believe.” She didn’t explain that this was to have been Brice’s weekend with Avery anyway, and that he had canceled, as he so often did.

Jacqueline expelled a long sigh. “One day he will recognize what it is he takes for granted. I am always telling him that at some point, he will have to grow up.” The sadness in Jacqueline’s tone caused Emma to reach out and squeeze her former mother-in-law’s shoulder. Jacqueline reached up and touched her hand.

“Don’t worry. As long as Avery has you, she has all the love she needs.”

Jacqueline shook her head but wisely chose to let the matter drop.

“Tell me more about this retreat and everything you will be doing. It sounds delightful.”

Emma filled her in on the activities listed in the estate literature, as well as Julien’s attempts to unify Cole with his senior recruiting team.

“Are you looking forward to it?” Jacqueline often asked her the most pointed of questions.

“A little bit. It will be fun to get away. I only wish I could bring Avery along.”

“Don’t even think of depriving me of a weekend with my granddaughter.”

Avery padded into the room right on cue, wearing what Emma recognized as one of Melanie’s hats. Emma went to her daughter and scooped her up for a kiss before turning back to Jacqueline.

“You may wish you could have switched places with me by Sunday. I have a feeling this little one is going to keep you quite busy.”

Jacqueline opened her arms, and Avery wiggled free of her mother to vault herself into them.

Emma watched them and wondered if her words would be truer for herself. What if this weekend didn’t go well, and she found herself wishing she had stayed home with Avery instead?

* * *

T
HE
NEXT
DAY
, Emma stood before the eighteenth-century château and simply stared. The others were unloading from the van they had rented to bring them from the train station, their voices overlapping in a melody of excitement, but she was transfixed by the elegant stone facade with diamond-grid windows in front of the circular drive. The exterior of their weekend home displayed an air of old-world charm coupled with new-world adornment in the form of a contemporary white entry door and topiary shrubs in classic stone pots. She relaxed a bit, seeing this inviting atmosphere. She may have been uncertain about the trip to the countryside—feeling guilty for leaving Avery in her grandmother’s care and uncertain about spending so much time in Cole’s company. But now, seeing the welcoming sight of the château, she thought perhaps the next few days might not be so bad.

As the others came up behind her, they began to offer compliments on the grounds, equally as enamored with their surroundings as she was. They dropped their luggage on the lawn as Marc approached the front door and Cole came up behind her.

“Not too bad,” he remarked from beside her, “but I thought it would be bigger. Like a castle.”

Emma resisted the urge to laugh. “A château served as a manor house for the landed gentry. Though some were large enough to be castles, many were simply large country homes, such as this one.”

Just then, their host opened the front door in response to Marc’s knocking.

“
Bonjour!
I am René Denis,” the man said in French. “I assume you are the party from the city, Aquitaine Enterprises?”

Emma quickly translated this for Cole as Marc politely requested the gentleman switch to English, if possible, in deference to their American boss.

“
Oui,
but of course. Come, bring your bags and place them in the front hall so I can give you the tour.”

They each hefted their luggage and followed Marc into the cool interior of the house. Leaving their bags in the entry area, they were given a quick overview of the château’s first floor. There was a lounge area with quaint furniture and wooden beams adjacent to a game and TV room, a Provençal-style kitchen with a cozy table for intimate meals, as well as a larger dining hall and laundry facilities in the back of the house.

René explained the schedule of meals and then suggested they retrieve their luggage and follow him up to the first floor. There were a total of six bedrooms, each with a private bath, meaning everyone would have their own room. They quickly claimed their quarters and René announced he would give them a half hour to unpack and settle in before they should join him in the kitchen for lunch and then further orientation.

Left to their own devices, they retreated to their respective rooms. Emma was glad to have grabbed one of the middle-size bedrooms near the top of the stairs. Rather than unpack, Giselle joined her. They commented on the beauty of their surroundings.

The view from Emma’s bedroom window revealed a spacious stone-paved patio as well as a glimpse of a sparkling lake. Emma had also read there were hiking and bicycle trails, a nearby outdoor activities course, a forest chapel and, of course, the lake for swimming and fishing.

“We must tell Julien this should be an annual event,” Giselle announced as she stretched out on Emma’s bed.

Despite the charming setting, Emma remained skeptical on that score. “Let’s wait and see what’s in store for us before we sign up for anything regular,” she said.

“Don’t be so worried, Emma. It’s going to be a perfect weekend.”

Emma hurriedly hung her clothes in the wardrobe and placed her cosmetic bag in the bath. She checked her watch. “I’m going to call Avery before lunch and the orientation. I’ll meet you downstairs in a bit.”

“Suit yourself,” Giselle replied with another stretch and peered out the window once more as Emma grabbed her cell phone and headed for the door.

* * *

E
MMA
ENDED
THE
phone call and allowed her shoulders to sag with relief. Now that she had spoken to both Avery and Jacqueline, she felt as if she could enjoy the rest of the day. She wasn’t accustomed to leaving Avery for a whole weekend at a time, and she’d grown a little uneasy during the train ride as she imagined everything that could happen in her absence.

Now that she had heard Avery’s voice and received Jacqueline’s reassurances, she determined to lay her worries to rest and focus on the retreat. She was just pocketing her phone as she turned and caught sight of Cole coming around the side of the house.

“Checking in with your daughter?”

“Yes,” she admitted and then noticed he was holding his cell phone. “You?” She gestured.

“Just letting Julien know we arrived.”

They came to a stop at the château’s front door. “It’s a lovely estate, and René seems like a competent host. Julien must have done his research,” he observed.

“He always does. Julien is decidedly thorough.”

Cole eyed her after this statement. “I never meant to imply he isn’t.”

Belatedly, she realized how defensive her words had sounded.

“I admire Julien,” Cole went on, “and despite any misgivings I might have about being in France, I’m honored to be working with him thanks to this merger.”

“I’m...glad to hear it since I’m pretty fond of Julien myself.”

The conversation stalled, and Emma folded her arms awkwardly.

“So, you ready for this?” Cole asked.

“I guess so. How about you?”

Cole shrugged. “After lunch and the orientation, René said our first activity will be at a nearby ropes activity course. He said the purpose of the exercise is to give us ‘the opportunity to bond as a team and find our spirit of camaraderie.’”

Emma couldn’t help grinning at how Cole repeated René’s words, imitating the man’s French accent.

“Sounds like René is determined to unite us.” She didn’t add that he might have his work cut out for him. While she got along with her coworkers well enough, none of them had ever participated in an event like this and certainly not with the intention of bonding with a new boss.

She cleared her throat. “Did Lillian ever send you on a corporate retreat before?”

He shook his head. “This is a first for me. I have to admit, I’m curious to see how it goes.”

“Me, too.”

Just then, René opened the front door and called them in for lunch. Cole gestured for her to go ahead of him into the house, and she followed René into the château’s dining room.

Lunch was served on a table laid with chipped, antique plates and elegant silverware wrapped in linen napkins. The dishes were simple but delicious: quiche Lorraine with salty bacon and creamy egg custard nestled in a puff pastry; salad with crisp, fresh vegetables in a tangy red wine vinaigrette; and several varieties of cheese along with still-warm, round loaves of peasant bread and a jar of local honey.

Famished after their train ride to the countryside and further transportation in the rental van, the Aquitaine recruiters descended on the luncheon with ferocity. When they had finished, René clapped his hands and asked that they follow him outside for their orientation.

Emma shuffled toward the door along with the others and emerged into the early afternoon sunshine bathing the stone patio in the back of the house.

René began by reiterating his welcome from their arrival and proceeding with a grandiose speech about the importance of teamwork and their united purpose in the next couple of days together. Emma yawned, feeling full after lunch and warmed by the sunshine, and wishing she could just return to her room for a nap. But as Cole had already told her, René had other plans for them.

“We will begin this afternoon by driving to a nearby activity course where you will establish the foundation of your teamwork exercises by utilizing the ropes. Following this afternoon’s activity, there will be some time for personal reflection and then dinner, followed by various team-building games.”

There were a few murmurs of interest as they all wondered what sort of games might be in store.

“Tomorrow morning, we will have breakfast on the patio, after which we will move to the lawn for the archery portion of our exercises.”

“Archery?” Emma bit her lip. She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of her coworkers wielding weaponry.

To her right, Marc snorted. “What is this, medieval mayhem? How is using a bow and arrow going to bond us?”

René frowned at the interruption. “I would ask that you please take this weekend and its activities seriously. Your employer has arranged for you to be here and expects results. You can only achieve the harmony of teamwork if you are open to the exercises.”

Giselle, in her typical flirtatious style, winked at their host. “I am fully prepared to embrace the possibilities, René.”

This declaration appeared to startle the man, and he rushed to continue highlighting the activities for their stay. Though she continued to keep one ear tuned to the orientation, Emma couldn’t help observing Cole and thinking about their brief conversation earlier. She had meant it when she’d said Julien was very thorough. She was sure he had weighed the options and done the appropriate research before sending them all on this retreat. But given how she had questioned his recent decision to merge his company with Reid Recruiting, she couldn’t help wondering if Julien was losing his edge.

And what if trying to force them all to bond with their new boss was a mistake?

CHAPTER FOUR

E
MMA
FELT
THE
tug and vibration of the tightrope beneath her and quickly redistributed her weight to accommodate the shift. Behind her, she sensed Aurora struggling, her arms flapping wildly. They were only a few inches off the ground, but it was still a struggle to remain balanced.

“Easy, easy...” René coached from the sidelines. “Work in harmony. Together.”

From farther down the line, Emma recognized Marc’s scoff. “Easy for you to say. You’re still on solid ground and not relying on these idiots to stay balanced!”

Emma inhaled sharply at Marc’s criticism but didn’t tear her eyes from Cole, whose back remained poised and straight in front of her. He made the exercise seem effortless, and she felt a swell of irritation at the sight.

From several feet away, René clucked his tongue at Marc in disapproval. “
Monsieur,
it is a team effort. You must anticipate each other’s movements, must be as one—”

“If you say ‘as one with the rope,’ I’m going to tear this thing off the stakes and strangle you with it.”

“Marc!” Emma blurted out, embarrassed by her coworker’s vehemence.

“It’s all right, René!” Emma heard Giselle call from farther down the line. “I’m sure you would do a much better job than Marc if you were to join us. Care to take his place?”

Emma tore her gaze from the task of balancing and shot it in René’s direction. She found him frowning in disapproval.

“You are all out of sync with each other. You must aim for cooperation. Understanding. Coordination. See how your boss holds his position?” René gave a nod of approval. “You must look to him as your example.”

Irritation flickered in Emma’s chest.

“Sacré bleu,”
Marc muttered. “He has the easiest position in the entire line.”

For the first time since the exercise began, Emma saw Cole’s back stiffen in front of her. He turned his head to speak over his shoulder. “Want to switch places, Marc?”

“Absolutely.”

Marc jumped off the rope and to the ground so unexpectedly that the rest of them shifted and flailed, reaching out blindly to maintain a balance they could not re-create. One by one, they fell off the line and onto the ground mere inches below.

Cole was the last to waver, and if Emma hadn’t reached out without thinking, grabbing him to maintain her balance, he might have remained steady. Her momentary fumbling, though, caused him to stagger with the rest of them, and both she and Cole jumped to the ground at the same moment.

She stumbled, and he quickly turned and caught her, his hands firm but gentle on her waist to keep her upright.

“Careful there,” he murmured.

As she collected herself, she looked up into the concerned depths of his hazel eyes. She stared for a moment, caught in his watchful gaze. She jerked to awareness seconds later as she realized how tightly she gripped his forearms and how his hands remained on her waist.

“Oh, um, thanks,” she muttered and released him. His own hands dropped back to his sides.

“No problem. I guess we all need a bit more practice.”

“Not me.”

Emma turned away from Cole to see Marc dusting off his pants. “I am done with these circus acts.”

“Marc,” Cole said, his tone soft but warning. “Julien sent us here for a reason.”

“Well, then, Julien can come out here himself and see what a waste of time this is. How is balancing on a tightrope going to improve how we work together? The rest of us have known each other for years. No offense, Cole,” he rushed to add, “but wouldn’t the company be better served if we each devoted ourselves to what we’re already good at?”

René grumbled. “My program is of the highest caliber. It works, if you only give it a chance.”

“I just did, and I can’t say I was impressed.”

Emma watched as René’s mouth flattened to a straight line. “With such attitudes, it takes time to form the bond.”

Emma caught Giselle’s eye and saw her own concern reflected in her friend’s gaze. Cole must have seen it, too.

“René, would you be so kind a host as to give the rest of the group a quick tour of the other activities here while I have a word alone with Marc?”

René’s expression remained peeved.

“Please, René,” Emma spoke up, “I know we would all love to see what other opportunities there are in a course such as this.”

Her plea seemed to soften their host slightly.

“I thought the rope bridge looked fun,” Aurora added.

“My kids would go crazy here,” Louis put in. “They’d love it.”

Giselle sealed the deal by moving to René’s side and tugging at his stiff arm until she could weave her own through it. “Of course, you must show us!”

He finally relaxed. “Very well, if that is what you wish. Please, follow me.”

Aurora and Louis trailed after Giselle and René, but Emma lingered for a moment.

“You, too, Emma,” Cole said. “Join the others. Marc and I will be along shortly.”

Emma’s gaze shifted between the two men, from Marc’s sour expression to Cole’s neutral one. She gave a little shrug, decided it was Cole’s job to see to Marc and followed the others, refusing to allow herself a backward glance.

* * *

C
OLE
WATCHED
UNTIL
he was certain the others were out of earshot, and then he turned his full attention to Marc.

“Not a fan of the tightrope, huh?”

“Children’s games,” Marc spat.

Cole shrugged and then crouched down to test the tautness of the rope. He tugged on it and watched as it vibrated from the touch. He sensed Marc watching him so he turned his head and looked up.

“You have to admit, though, it’s not a bad exercise. Trying to get us to work in rhythm? It’s a good icebreaker, a nice method to get you comfortable around your new boss.”

Marc appeared slightly chastened. “My apologies. You are not the problem.”

Cole stood and brushed his hands against the hem of his T-shirt, dusting off the dirt from the rope. “I’m glad to hear it. I’d hate to think that display just now was solely because of me.”

Marc shook his head. “Sometimes I find myself short of patience where my coworkers are concerned.”

“Oh? How so?”

Cole watched as Marc shifted his eyes away.

“It’s okay, Marc. You can be honest.”

It seemed to be the invitation Marc was waiting for.

“Aurora is a mouse. She’s not cut out for work as a recruiter. Giselle is more interested in finding dates than placing recruits. Louis isn’t so bad, so long as that wife of his isn’t calling him at his desk all day long. And Emma. Don’t even get me started.”

Cole felt a stab of curiosity. “What about Emma?”

Marc sneered. “Julien’s little lackey. She’s his favorite, and it shows. She doesn’t have half the talent I do, and yet, she’s the managing director and was slated for promotion before you came along.”

Cole thought how appropriate it was that this conversation was taking place beside a tightrope, where each step had to be measured carefully. He felt as if he was still balancing on that thin line.

“Her record speaks for itself,” he pointed out. “Her satisfaction rating with her clients is impeccable. Her recruitments love their placements at their new jobs, and the companies who hired them couldn’t be happier.”

“Of course. But her talents are no better than my own. Why should she have the opportunities to advance when they are denied to the rest of us?”

“The rest of us?” Cole repeated. “Or denied to you specifically?”

Marc released a rush of breath in a quick huff. “The old man plays favorites. He gives to Emma with one hand and withholds from me with the other. And he thinks sending his supposed top recruiters on a little holiday is going to unite us?” Another scoff. “I had hoped, with your coming, that matters could be set right.”

Balance, Cole reminded himself. He was an outsider here, new to this country and this office. Was this Marc’s attempt at a corporate coup? If so, he’d approached the wrong man. Cole had no intention of overthrowing Julien. He was still president and chairman of the board, even if Cole did now possess daily operational control.

“I think you’re going to have to be a bit more specific in what you want me to do,” Cole said.

He watched as Marc took a step back, turned and walked a few feet and then came back to stand before him. His agitation was evident in how he met Cole’s eyes and then quickly looked away.

“Emma has made her dislike of you clear.”

Cole eyed him but said nothing in response to this.

“She left you waiting at the airport on your first day. Things were tense between you.”

Marc had been paying far more attention to the situation between him and Emma than Cole had realized.

“We simply had a few misunderstandings at first. She had a good reason for being late to pick me up on that first day.” Despite the initial tensions, they had formed an unspoken truce, and he felt compelled to defend her.

Marc made a face. “Traffic? She has lived in Paris for ten years. She should know to allow the appropriate amount of time to reach the airport.”

Cole felt a ripple of irritation run through him.

“Marc—” Before he could get another word out, the other man began speaking again.

“It’s curious, though, isn’t it?”

Cole stopped. “Curious? What’s curious?”

“Emma. And Julien.”

Cole reared back in surprise. “What are you saying, Marc?”

“Well.” Marc shifted from one foot to the other, ran a hand through his hair and then paused to rub the back of his neck. Cole felt his impatience growing.

“Marc? Just say whatever it is that’s on your mind.”

Marc dropped his hand. “It is no small matter, though, and I need to be certain I can trust your discretion.”

Forcing himself to relax his posture, Cole nodded. “I understand your concerns, but that’s what this weekend is for—to build trust between us all.”

He waited as Marc eyed him for several seconds. “I believe you are trustworthy, but it is a delicate consideration.”

Cole gritted his teeth and tried to be patient as he waited. Marc obviously had something to say; Cole needn’t push him to say it.

Marc drew a breath and then slowly exhaled it. “All right. Have you considered that perhaps there is more between Julien and Emma than they would have you believe?”

Cole blinked. “Are you suggesting...?”

“I think they are in a secret relationship.”

Cole couldn’t stop himself. He burst out laughing at this idea but soon cut it off when he saw how Marc stiffened. He couldn’t help wondering if this conversation was staged in some way. He looked away from Marc, his gaze sweeping the forest around him. The activities course contained several different areas where other groups and instructors were engaged in various exercises, but this particular corner of the ropes course remained isolated from the rest. There were a handful of people gathered around an instructor many yards away, but here, he and Marc were alone. No one was listening in, at least that’s how it appeared. He shifted his focus back to the man before him.

“Sorry, Marc, but no. I don’t believe that’s the case.” He thought about Emma, her classic beauty, and then Julien’s round form, a product of too many years of a gourmand’s indulgence. He could not imagine Emma and Julien together. The idea was preposterous. He had to give Marc credit, though; the man possessed far more imagination than he would have thought.

“You are thinking of superficial considerations, I can see,” Marc stated as he crossed his arms over his chest. “But imagine Emma’s advancement—he was prepared to name her CEO before your company took over. How does someone as young as Emma move up so quickly?”

Cole shook his head. “She’s not much younger than you or me. Why shouldn’t she advance quickly? Is it because she’s a woman?”

“Do not be ridiculous. Only consider the signs. Julien favors Emma, more than the rest of us. It would make sense she has seduced him.”

Emma? A temptress? Cole was hard-pressed not to break into laughter once more. And yet, Marc’s words had done what he supposed was their original intent—planted the smallest seed of doubt. It was obvious to him how fond Julien was of Emma, but he hadn’t thought it was rooted in anything more than affection.

“After her divorce, Julien was very solicitous of her situation. He played a
very
personal role in her affairs, if you understand my meaning.”

Oh, Cole understood all right. There were no cultural barriers to what the man implied. But couldn’t Julien have simply cared for Emma as a friend and mentor? The thought of the two of them together, in that way, made Cole feel faintly sick, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. It was just that the two seemed so mismatched physically. Then again, he studied Marc, wondering if any of these accusations stemmed from the man’s own jealousy for a woman as lovely as Emma. He discovered that the idea of her with Marc, who was much better matched to her in both age and appearance, still left a twisting knot of disgust in his abdomen.

This entire conversation had become ridiculous.

“What Emma and Julien do in their free time is none of our business. I suggest we focus on our purpose for being here.”

Marc seemed to finally sense Cole’s annoyance and backed off. But only slightly.

“Of course, of course. She is your managing director, and you will be required to work closely with her. You wish for things to run smoothly. I understand.”

“I’m so glad,” Cole said, wondering if Marc would pick up on his sarcasm.

“Only, what if...” Marc trailed off, and Cole sensed he was making an attempt to lure him in.

“What if...?” he prompted Marc to continue.

“What if you didn’t?”

“Didn’t what?” Cole asked in growing exasperation.

“What if you didn’t have to work with Emma?”

Cole said nothing.

“It is no secret that she was not in favor of this merger. She argued with Julien several times over it. If she continues with that opinion, it will affect her ability to perform her job. And her dislike of you is obvious.”