by Denise Irwin
“Child, if you’ve gotten yourself involved in some police investigation, it’d be best if you told me about it now.”
“Nana, I swear on my grandfather’s soul, that I don’t know what they want. What did you tell them?”
“Daniella McPherson, as sure as I am standing here before God, I couldn’t lie. I told them that you left for Paris this morning.”
“When Grant picked me up at the airport, he said the police came to the shop this morning looking to speak with me. Let me call them and see what the problem is. I’ll call you back when I know more.”
Angry that she was put on hold for an answer, she said, “Make sure you do just that child.”
“I will, I promise.”
When she hung the phone up, she looked at Grant, “An FBI agent came to the ranch just after Michal and I left. He wanted to talk with me. I think I need to call the police here in Paris immediately.”
“Of course you do, Daniella, would you prefer some privacy?”
“No, I’d like you to stay with me. Trust me because I can use the support.”
She dialed the number on the card Grant had given her. When an officer answered the phone, she identified herself and told him that someone had asked that she call. He asked her, “Mademoiselle, please hold one moment while I connect your call.”
“Thank you.” While she waited, she felt quite nauseous. Looking at Grant’s face caused her to chortle, since he looked nauseous himself.
When the call went through to the detective that had been waiting to hear from her, he rapidly spoke to her in French, “Mademoiselle, nous devons vous permet de signaler immédiatement au poste de police. Il est urgent que nous parler avec vous.”
Daniella barely understood what he said, so she asked him, “Mon français est limitée, mais je suis assis avec mon gestionnaire de bureau. Pouvez vous veuillez parler avec lui ? Il peut ensuite traduire ce que vous dites lui à l'anglais, afin que je comprends ce que vous avez besoin de moi.”
“Oui, bien entendu, Mademoiselle. Je peux le faire.”
Daniella handed the phone to Grant. “I don’t have a clue as to what he’s trying to tell me, can you talk to him, and tell me in English what he’s saying?”
Grant took the phone from her.
“Mon nom est Grant Beauchamp. Je travaille pour Mademoiselle McPherson comme son chef de bureau. Svp me dire ce que vous avez besoin et je qui se traduira en anglais pour elle.”
The détective told Grant, “Mon nom est Adam Perrot. J'ai besoin de parler avec Mademoiselle McPherson aussi rapidement que possible.”
“Ce que vous voulez parler avec elle ?”
“J'ai besoin de parler avec elle de Michal Bagot.”
“Où vous désirez me ramener la Mademoiselle ?”
“Je préférerais au poste de police, mais je peux vous rencontrer quelque part si c'est plus pratique.”
“Nous sommes à manger du Café rouge, pouvez vous joindre à nous ici ?”
“Oui, je peux vous rencontrer il.”
“Daniella, the detective wishes to speak with you about Michal. He can meet us here. What do you want me to tell him?”
“Tell him that will be fine.”
Grant told Detective Perrot that they would be waiting for him, and then he ordered another round of wines. “Daniella, are you hungry?”
She was lost in her own little world, so when their wines were delivered, Grant ordered quiche along with salad for the two of them. “Daniella, are you okay?”
“Not really, but I believe that Michal is going to be the crux of the conversation. If he’s gotten my name involved, I will scream.”
He chuckled, “And I will choke him.”
When Detective Perrot entered the café, he walked to their table, where Grant told him, “Rejoignez-nous vais vous commander un verre de vin ?”
“Oui Merci qui serait merveilleux.”
“Nous avons également ordonné déjeuner ; Nous avons commandé quiche et salade, puis-je commander vous certains ainsi ?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Once the orders had been placed, the discussion of Michal began. Detective Perrot spoke to Grant, who translated what he said to Daniella.
“Michal Bagot a été arrêté à l'aéroport de ce matin. Il est marié avec trois femmes différentes. Nous croyons fermement que c'était son intention de se marier Mademoiselle McPherson en raison de son héritage ranch de son grand-père.”
Grant turned to Daniella, “He said that Michal is married to three women, and the police believe that he wanted to marry you because he learned that you inherited your grandfather’s ranch.”
Daniella was devastated, “Oh my God; that’s why he wanted a job on the ranch. What does the detective need from me?”
“Détective Perrot, ce que vous avez besoin de Mademoiselle McPherson ?”
“Rien, nous voulions simplement pour s'assurer qu'elle comprenait ses intentions. Nous avons suffisamment de preuves pour lui Ranger depuis très longtemps.”
Grant laughed, “C'est merveilleux d'entendre, Daniella sera très heureux.” He turned to Daniella to tell her that the police only wanted to warn her.
Daniella laughed. Detective Perrot thanked them for their time and took his leave.
“Grant, I need to call the ranch.”
“Do you wish me to leave?”
“No I don’t. This is the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”
Danny called the ranch and told her Nana the story of Michal Bagot. Nana laughed so hard, she started to choke, “I knew from the moment I met that lecherous asshole that he was just after your money.”
Grant drove Daniella to her apartment. “Grant, you are just the best. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I’ve asked that all the staff be in by 9:00.”
“Perfect. Thank you for picking me up from the airport.”
“Daniella, where is your car?”
“It was in dire need of an automobile hospital, so it’s still in the shop. I’ll deal with that later. Grant, can you call me in the morning? With the time change, I’m afraid I’ll oversleep.”
“Of course, I can.”
Daniella wandered around her apartment touching everything. She loved this small furnished apartment where she had lived. It wasn’t elegant by any stretch of the imagination, but it was her home. When she moved to Paris, this was the first and only apartment she looked at. She was lucky enough to find a suitable building for her design shop within walking distance to her apartment. Memories of working with a local architect to help redesign what would become the House of Daniella, came to her in waves. She smiled when she remembered the argument that ensued when she demanded that she needed glass walls to let natural light into her office. He felt he could provide what she wanted with track lighting, but she stood her ground.
Her internal time clock told her it was midnight, so she showered and went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a stressful day, so if she could sleep, she just might regain the strength she would need to close her shop.
Daniella was awake and dressed when Grant made his wakeup call. “Good morning Grant.”
“Bonjour à vous même, Mademoiselle Daniella. Je reviendrai à vous chercher ?”
“Thank you, but I think I’d like to walk. Would you like to join me for breakfast before we go to the shop? I’ve been eating Nana’s ranch breakfasts, so I woke up starving.”
“Je jouirait de qui. Vais vous rencontrer au café du coin de l'atelier ?”
“Yes, that would be perfect. I’ll be able to say goodbye to the café staff.”
She strolled along the sidewalk as Daniella inhaled the smells, the sights and sounds of her Paris. The memories of these visions may have to last her a lifetime. Grant was waiting outside the café when she arrived. “Daniella, je n'étais pas certain si vous vouliez dîner à l'intérieur, ou ici sur le patio.”
“Ah, it is such a beautiful morning, I think I would prefer to dine outside.”
“Permettez-m
oi de vous dire le gestionnaire que nous avons choisi de manger à l'extérieur.”
Daniella took a seat at one of the tables and tried to imagine her new life compared to her life in Paris. It was, to her, a horrible vision. Colorado held the scent of cow manure, while Paris dazzled her senses with floral blossoms.
Grant joined her at the table, “The waiter will bring us coffee and menus in just a few minutes.”
While they waited for the waiter, she asked him, “What do you think will happen to Michal?”
Grant looked at her earnestly, “Do you really want to know, or would you prefer to leave Paris for a new life and leave him behind?”
That’s a rather odd question. “I really want to know.”
The waiter brought out their coffees and menus, giving Grant a few moments to think. “Thank you.” He focused on the menu as he casually asked, “Daniella, what would you like to eat?”
She chuckled, “You’re avoiding giving me an answer.”
“Only to place the order, then I will tell you what I think.”
She gave him her order. “Daniella, that order is enough food to feed three people.”
She laughed, “I told you that I’ve been eating ranch breakfasts. Now that the orders are placed, we have our coffees; it’s time for you to tell me what you think.”
Grant stared into his coffee cup as if the answer would appear in it. “Nothing will happen to Michal. There will be a fanfare about his being taken into custody, then he will pay bribe money to the police and they will forget about the charges, and release him.”
A feather could have knocked Daniella over. She was aghast at what Grant had just told her. “How can that be?”
Grant shrugged his shoulders. “I cannot say, because I do not know.”
Daniella was getting angry, “Has he done this before?”
He felt the anger in her voice as if he had been stung by a wasp. “I cannot say for sure, but there have been rumors.”
“Tell me, did you hear these rumors before or while I was involved with Michal?”
He looked close to crying as he pleaded with her. “Daniella, they were rumors. When he started dating you, he seemed genuine in his affection for you. I have offended you, have I not?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m just surprised that you didn’t say anything before now.” Grant started to address her statement, but she put her hand up to stop him. “I’m okay. You aren’t prone to spreading gossip, so I’m very okay with you. I’m just shocked by what you said. We may never know the truth, but to think that he can bribe his way out is just horrible in my mind.”
Daniella paid the bill and they walked together to her shop. “Grant, please believe me when I said that I do not blame you. Michal is a weasel who manages to squeeze through the tiniest loop in the system.”
When they reached the shop, Grant held the door open for her. Daniella broke down and sobbed when she saw her staff assembled in the lobby to greet her. As she made her way through them, she found that each one was also crying. She was about to announce that she had returned to the shop to close it, when Samanta asked to speak with her and Grant in private. The staff looked at one and whispered amongst themselves, as the trio left the lobby.
Daniella followed them to her office on the second floor. As soon as the door was closed, Samanta started speaking animatedly, “Daniella, nous faisons plus d'argent que nous avons jamais, donc Grant et j'ai parlé il. Nous ne pas fermer la maison de Daniella, si vous me le permettez à diriger l'entreprise en tant que partenaire. Nous avons tous les trois pourraient être des partenaires, vous, moi et Grant.” Samanta then waited for Daniella to speak.
Daniella looked from Grant to Samanta and back at Grant. They nodded to her in total agreement about something; she just didn’t understand what the agreement was.
Before she could ask what Samanta had said, she went on, “Vous serez un partenaire silencieux et nous vous paierons redevances pour nous permettre de continuer à appeler à la boutique de la maison de Daniella. Vous puis sera toujours une partie de Paris, et tout le monde aura toujours l'emploi. Ensuite, vous pouvez venir nous visiter chaque fois que vous le désirez et vous pouvez l'écrire au large comme une dépense d'entreprise. Cette façon que tout le monde gagne.”
Whatever Samanta was saying, it had her quite excited. She looked at the two of them and they looked as though they were about to jump for joy.
“Grant I need a little help in understanding what the two of you are up to.”
“Samanta and I are proposing that we, the three of us, enter into a partnership. You would be a silent partner and we would pay you royalties to retain the name, House of Daniella. That way we all stay employed. What do you think of the idea?”
It took Daniella about two seconds to agree with them. “It sounds too perfect to work.”
“I have checked into it legally; we can do it.”
“I’m stumped for words, but count me in. Does the staff know anything about this little plan the two of you concocted?
“No, we wanted to wait to see if you agreed with it first.” Grant went on to say, “I did; however, make lunch reservations just in case you liked the idea.”
“Well, in that case, let’s go tell everyone the good news.”
Overjoyed that they would be able to continue to work for the House of Daniella, lunch stretched into dinner, and drinks after. Daniella was thrilled that she wouldn’t lose all of her ties to Paris.
In three days, she managed to sell her car to the mechanic who had fixed it, boxed her personal items, which Grant would ship to the ranch, and made her return reservations.
When Grant drove her to the airport, he told her, “Daniella, I have never known a woman like you. It is an honor to call you my friend.”
“Stop it, I’m gonna cry for the next eight hours, so I don’t need to start crying this early.”
“Promise me that you will call to let us know that you landed safely.”
“I’ll call you from Atlanta, which will be 10:00 at night here. Would that work?”
“No, please call when you land in Denver.”
“Grant, that will mean 1:00 am in Paris.”
“I will wait for your call.”
After a tearful hug and kiss goodbye, Daniella was on her way back to her ranch. She called the ranch from Atlanta, to let everyone know that her flight to Denver was on schedule to land at 5:17 that evening. She had a two-hour layover in Atlanta, so she bought a book to read with a couple cups of coffee. She’d washed her sorrows away with wine in her first class flight to Atlanta. Sobering up a bit couldn’t hurt.
Garrett was waiting at the passenger pickup with that fucking green monster, he called a truck. This time she was prepared to get into it on her own. She had chosen loose fitting jeans and a cotton shirt, along with a pair of flats. When he opened the door for her, she climbed into it as if she’d done it all her life.
Before he closed the passenger door, he chortled as he asked, “Where’s the luggage that you want me to pick up?”
She laughed, “There isn’t any. I boxed everything up and Grant’s going to ship it to me. Not that I’ll need those clothes anymore.”
“Well then, let me be the first to welcome you back home. How did it go in Paris?”
“Better than I could have ever dreamed it would. I am now the silent partner for the House of Daniella. They’re gonna pay me royalties to use the shop name, so that means no one needs to look for a new job. How are things here?”
“Good, the rehab program started this week.”
“Excellent, I can’t wait to see it in action. I need to make a quick call to Grant. I promised him that I’d call when I was in Denver.”
Grant must have fallen asleep, so Daniella left him a voice mail.
They made small talk during the rest of the drive. Danny desperately wanted to ask if Michal called, but kept that question to herself.
Nana was waiting in the driveway when the truck pulled in. Danny jumpe
d out of the truck to hug her. “Child, we held dinner until you arrived. We’re eating in the dining room to celebrate your arrival.”
Nana chattered away as they walked to the dining room, where Danny almost fell to the floor when she saw Michal sitting at the table. Garrett took her arm, and announced to everyone, “Please excuse us for just a moment.” He then led Danny into her office.
Before he had the chance to explain the situation, she was all over him. “What the fuck is he doing sitting at the table.”
“Danny, he showed up unannounced. I made a reservation for him to leave at 1:00 am tomorrow. I plan to drive him to the airport myself leaving the house about 11:00 tonight. I know that something’s going on with him, but you’re gonna have to wait until I get back home to tell me about it. So, let’s walk back into the dining room and get through this celebration dinner that Betty insisted we do.”
Danny laughed, “Did you pay for his flights?”
“I sure as hell did. I wasn’t going to leave it up to him.”
“Did Michal tell you that he prefers to travel first class?”
“He did, but that boy’s flying coach and doesn’t seem pleased with it.”
“I have never met such an asshole in my life. I’d like to ride along with you to the airport if you don’t mind.”
“No, you may not. I have a few choice words I want to say to him, and I don’t want to mince words.”
The only way Danny could deal with Michal was to ignore his presence. Nana of course, wanted to know all about Paris and how her staff took the news.
Knowing that Michal would be listening intently to every word she said, she told Betty, “Nana, I’m going to be a silent partner in the House of Daniella. Samanta and Grant will run the operations, keeping all the staff employed while I collect royalty checks for using the shop’s name. I’m delighted with the plan.”