“So, what’s so important that you had to come all the way to my apartment to tell me?”
“It wasn’t that far,” he reminded. “I haven’t had a chance to go apartment hunting yet, and my hotel’s just across the Seine in La Défense.”
She knew that, but she still found it curious that he had taken the time to scout out where she lived.
“Still, what brings you here? You said we needed to talk,” she reminded him. “Did something happen on the retreat, after I left?”
“No, it went pretty well,” he assured her. “I think Giselle even managed to leave with René’s personal cell phone number.”
She laughed. “If anyone was going to succeed on that score, it’s Giselle.”
“She’s tenacious. I think she simply wore him down.”
“Maybe that’s what makes her a good recruiter—she never gives up.”
“Maybe,” Cole said, and she sensed him growing more serious. “How’s your ex-mother-in-law?”
She wondered if he was stalling. “She’s holding her own. She’s been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I took Avery to see her. I think it helped lift her spirits. They’re hoping to release her in another few days.”
“And...Brice?”
“Brice?”
“How’s he doing with everything that’s happened?”
She found it odd that he would ask about her ex-husband. “I think it rattled him a bit. It’s always difficult to face your parents’ mortality.”
“Hmm.”
“When my mom died a few years ago, I was a mess. It was after the divorce, and Avery was just one year old at the time. I flew back to the States by myself. My aunts had arranged the funeral. All I had to do was show up. It felt wrong, as though I should be doing something, even if it was just taking care of the final details of her life. I guess that’s the difficult part—wanting to do something, even when there’s nothing you can do. I mean, they take care of you your entire life, and when the end comes, you want to do the same—to kiss away the pain and wash away the hurt. But life doesn’t work like that.”
He said nothing, his silence stretching out unnaturally, and she suddenly felt foolish for sharing so much about herself. Hadn’t he already learned enough about her this weekend? More than he’d bargained for, that was certain.
“So, what’s up? You didn’t come out here just to check up on me.”
He seemed to come out of a deep reverie. “I wanted to see where you lived. I thought it might give me more insight into why you love this place so much.”
She stopped walking and grabbed his arm to make him halt, as well. “That’s hardly why you came. You said we needed to talk.”
He sighed and then gestured to a nearby bench. They moved toward it and sat down together. When he turned to face her, she was struck again by how handsome he was, even wearing such a sober countenance.
“I spoke with Julien when we got back from the retreat.”
“Oh?” She felt a rising swell of apprehension.
“There’s a situation at the office. Several candidates we had in mind for clients were suddenly placed by Léon Professional. None of them were in talks with anyone else as of last week. So it means—”
“Someone at Léon got hold of our candidate files and used them for their own clients.”
He nodded. “At first, Julien chalked it up to coincidence. Some of the candidates had to have been talking with other recruiters. But word kept trickling in of placements. There have now been four candidates who were working with our firm, waiting for negotiations to be finalized, who suddenly contracted with Léon’s clients. That’s too many to be coincidence.”
“How did they get the candidate profiles?”
“It appears they were leaked. Someone must have given them to a recruiter at Léon Professional.”
“Leaked? But who would bother? A recruiter could just as easily earn the commission themselves as sell a candidate’s profile to someone else.”
“It does seem far-fetched,” he agreed, “unless someone is trying to sabotage this merger and the company.”
She hadn’t considered that. “But I thought things were going well. The retreat was good, wasn’t it?”
Cole hesitated. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be another recruiter selling off the information. It could be a board member, an intern...” He trailed off.
“Or?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. I’m just saying it could be anyone at the firm. Recruiter or not.”
She wondered if Solene knew about this and what she’d have to say if she did. “I could ask my friend Solene. She works for Léon Professional.”
He didn’t say anything. She looked in his direction and found him studying her. “What?”
“That’s part of the problem.”
“What is?”
“These placements, all four were by the same recruiter at Léon Professional.”
She felt a knot of dread forming.
“Oh? Who was the recruiter?”
He watched her carefully. “Solene Thierry.”
She had known the answer before she even asked the question. It had been evident in Cole’s hesitation.
“Solene,” she repeated
“Yes.”
She looked toward the lake, watching as a duck waddled along its edge. A few ducklings followed in her wake, struggling to keep up.
“I understand that Solene used to work for Aquitaine.”
“She did,” Emma confirmed.
“I heard she and Julien didn’t get along.”
“Solene is very independent. She wanted more freedom than Julien was willing to give.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Emma debated on how to phrase her reply. She knew that however she answered, it would make Solene look less than ethical and her guilt in this matter would seem even more likely.
“She wanted to use some tactics that are considered questionable.”
“Such as?”
“Using false identities to speak with hard-to-reach prospective candidates, pulling a red herring when a candidate gets a better offer, that sort of thing.”
He seemed to be waiting for her to elaborate, but she spoke no further and avoided looking at him directly. She had never condoned Solene’s tactics, had even found them to be a little distasteful, but Solene had taken Emma under her wing in this country and at Aquitaine. She was her friend.
“Emma.”
“Yes?”
“Emma, look at me.”
Reluctantly, she turned.
“You and Solene are friends. I get that. You have a certain loyalty to her.”
“I’m loyal to Julien, too,” she said.
“I know. I never meant to imply you aren’t.” He paused. “I’m not accusing you, Emma. I don’t believe you had anything to do with this, and I don’t know enough about what occurred between Julien and Solene to judge how deeply she’s involved in our current situation. I’m asking you to help me, okay? I need help on this.”
She felt a ripple of understanding. “You need me,” she clarified.
“I do,” he agreed without a touch of rancor. “You know the rules over here better than I do. Maybe that’s why Julien assigned you as my liaison. He knew you could help me navigate these sorts of situations until I can learn the landscape for myself. There’s a reason you’re the managing director. I believe he placed you in that role because he trusted your abilities. And...I’m trusting you, too.”
She was touched by this, by his attempt to assure her she was still a valued member of this company. “What do you need me to do?”
“You know Solene better than the rest of us.”
She nodded in agreement.
“Do you think you could talk to her, find out what she knows? If nothing else, see if you can learn how she got this information and who might be trying to sabotage me or this merger.”
“I can do that,” she agreed.
They discussed a few more possibilities before the light began to edge deeper into the horizon. Cole stood, offering to walk her back to her apartment before he went in search of a cab. He paused before they left the square, drinking in the sights around him. She swelled with pride in her adopted city, hoping that the Batignolles village had begun to charm him, as it had her, so he could start to see how truly wonderful Paris could be.
They spoke little on the walk back to her apartment, and though she asked again if he’d like to come up for a bite to eat, he declined, saying he knew what a long weekend she’d had.
It was true, and she knew she should be exhausted. But this past hour in Cole’s presence had somehow served to revive her. Perhaps it was only the news of Solene’s involvement, but she felt a little too on edge now, and she feared she might not be able to sleep for some time.
Before Cole offered his goodbyes, he stepped a little closer to her, and she found herself shivering despite the warmth of the summer air.
“Emma, I want you to know that I meant what I said back there. I’m really glad you’re on my team.”
“Thanks. I—” She stopped. He was so close, she could count the individual eyelashes and admire the way they framed the brown tint of his eyes that faded into green in the center. He wasn’t quite smiling, nor was he quite frowning, either, but his face was relaxed, his expression casual. A dusting of scruff rested along his jaw, and she realized she liked that slightly rugged touch so much more than his clean-shaven appearance. The urge to run her palms along that stubble caused her fingers to twitch. “I’m glad you came,” she murmured, the words slipping out before she could think about them too much.
“To your neighborhood? I am, too. It’s...nice.” He let out a small breath. “Okay, so I have to admit. It’s nice enough that I can see why you love it.”
“Thanks, but that’s not what I meant. I meant that I’m glad you came to Paris. I think you’re going to be a really good CEO.”
“Oh.” He looked genuinely startled by this pronouncement, but then his face turned serious. “Thanks. I really appreciate that, Emma. More than you know.”
She nodded. “I better get back upstairs. Are you sure you can find your way to a cab?”
“Sure, I’m not as helpless as I look.”
She laughed. “You look anything but helpless.” In fact, she began to think he was fitting into this city and her own life just a little too well.
“I’ll see you at the office, Aquitaine.”
She waited and watched as he turned and headed down the street, unable to tear her eyes away, even when he disappeared around a corner and she couldn’t see him anymore.
* * *
EMMA INVITED SOLENE to lunch as soon as she reached the office on Monday morning, but her friend was already booked with a client meeting, so they opted to go for coffee in the afternoon instead. The mood at Aquitaine was more tense than usual, as word of the leaked candidate placements got out. Cole took it upon himself to interview each of the top recruiters, trying to discern where the leak had come from, but he told her none of them seemed to be responsible or have any idea of who might wish to tarnish the company’s name.
Emma was tasked with contacting the companies who had been prepared to hire the candidates, making the firm’s apologies and offering up alternative résumés. Most of their clients took the news well, except for one, who threatened to transfer their business to Léon Professional Services instead. Emma offered effusive regrets and promised to handle their next placement personally. She hung up the phone exhausted after that call, and she hadn’t even been in the office two hours.
She was both dreading and looking forward to her coffee break with Solene when the clock reached four. Grabbing her purse, she ducked her head into Cole’s office to let him know where she was going. He was on the phone but gave her a thumbs-up and a smile that sent a rush of pleasure through her.
Hormones, she told herself. Her growing reaction to the new boss was simply the result of hormones. Or her addled brain after the crazy weekend. She headed toward the elevators and then the building’s exit, making her way to the café she and Solene liked to frequent.
She arrived ahead of her friend and took the time to order them both their usual, café au lait with the coffee served in a pot and a pitcher of milk on the side with two cups. As she waited for their order, she found a table near the back of the establishment. The business was slow this time of day, but she preferred it. She wanted a relative amount of privacy for the conversation she had to have with her friend.
She settled into a seat to wait and checked her phone to make sure she had no missed messages. As she looked up, she caught sight of Solene just entering through the door, and she stood, waving to get her attention. Solene’s face broke into a smile as she made her way around tables and chairs to the back.
“Why are we seated back here? I feel as though this is a secret rendezvous.” She placed her cheek against each side of Emma’s face in her usual greeting before sitting. Emma sat across from her, facing the door.
“I just liked the view from the back of the room. And I thought it would be nice to have a little bit of privacy.”
Solene seemed to sense something in her tone because she dropped her bag to the table and eyed her speculatively. “Privacy? This sounds more clandestine with every minute.”
“I’m hardly an international spy, Solene.” But given the corporate espionage that was taking place at Aquitaine, this statement only served to make Emma more uncomfortable.
Before they could say anything further, a server appeared with their order and placed it on the table between them. They each took a minute to prepare their coffee before conversation continued.
“Thanks again for watching Avery this weekend, after everything that happened.”
Solene fluttered a hand in dismissal. “I only hope Jacqueline makes a complete recovery. I never got to ask, though, how the corporate retreat was going before you had to come home early.”
Emma took a sip of her coffee and scalded her tongue. “Ah.” She took a second to recover. “It was...good.”
Solene paused with her cup halfway to her lips. “Good? You sound unconvinced of that statement.”
“No, not at all.” It had been good, in her mind. But she also didn’t know how she could explain things to Solene, about Cole’s insinuation concerning her and Julien and the conversation at the chapel, without her friend casting a negative light on the weekend.
“And the new CEO? How are things coming along with him?”
To her horror, Emma felt her cheeks flaming, the heat spreading outward toward her jaw and neck. Solene watched with interest.
“Emma. You are smitten, aren’t you?”
“Wh-what? You’re crazy.” She took another sip of her coffee, hoping to rein her reactions in, and scalded her tongue once more. She winced.
“Listen, Solene, there’s something I need to talk to you about.” She couldn’t just sit here and discuss Cole or the retreat. She had to get this thing out in the open.
Solene calmly sipped from her own cup, and Emma marveled that she didn’t singe her lips. But then, Solene had always been Emma’s idea of the quintessential Frenchwoman. She could do anything and appear elegant and at ease, even burn her mouth on hot coffee and act as though nothing had occurred. She wondered just how often she got to see the real Solene, the one underneath the perfect veneer.
“I am ready whenever you are,” Solene prompted after she had remained silent for several seconds more.
Emma cleared her throat and straightened up a bit in her seat. “Your company
has been poaching our candidates.”
Solene leaned back, eyes wide. “That is quite the accusation, my friend.”
Her use of this appellation was not lost on Emma. They were friends. Solene was one of her very best friends, and she was grateful for how Solene had watched out for her over the years. Accusing her felt a little like a betrayal.
“I’m not trying to blame you, but I have a list....” She dug the paper out of her purse and slid it toward Solene. “You recognize all these names.”
Solene took the sheet and unfolded it, scanning the list. “I do,” she admitted.
“Solene, all four of those names were placed by you. And they were candidates we were in exclusive talks with. No other recruiters had approached them.”
Solene lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. “You had not contracted any of them yet.”
Emma felt her stomach sink with disappointment. “Then you did poach them.”
Solene sighed. “I was offered an exclusive list of candidates who were looking to be placed with companies in their field. It would have been foolish not to take it. If I hadn’t, then someone else at my company would have.”
“Solene.” Emma felt a sting of hurt. “That feels an awful lot like revenge against Julien.”
“Oh, chérie.” Solene leaned forward and clasped her hand. “It was not intended that way. I was given an opportunity. It was not illegal to take it.”
“No,” Emma had to admit, but it was the same reason Julien and Solene had parted ways to begin with—her methods, if not illegal, hovered in a gray area at best. “But, Solene, that was a direct strike to Aquitaine, to the merger, to me.”
Solene squeezed her fingers tighter at this. “Non, you cannot think of it that way. We are friends, Emma. I would never do anything to jeopardize you.”
“Then tell me who gave you the candidate names. Was it one of the other recruiters? Marc, maybe?”
Solene released her and leaned back. “No, I cannot tell you that. I promised that I wouldn’t.”
Emma felt a swell of frustration. “You just said that we’re friends. Can’t you help me out here? I was on the phone all morning, doing damage control. It’s going to take us weeks to come up with suitable replacements for the candidates we lost. And you can’t even tell me who at my own company betrayed us?”
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