After the meal, we resumed with work and several hours later, when I finished reviewing the files and had asked all relevant questions, I got up to stretch my legs.
Mrs. Gallagher had walked back and forth on the flight at intervals while I’d pretended not to look, and now I was too tired from sitting to wait for the plane to land. I went to the lavatory, which was spacious and far better in comparison to the commercial flights I’d taken and was a little proud I had something to compare it to.
When I rejoined Mrs. Gallagher, she was having a glass of champagne. Since it was around four in the afternoon, I didn’t mind the glass I found waiting for me. Mrs. Gallagher was resting back on her seat as she stared out the window.
I sat quietly, thinking she didn’t want to be disturbed as I counted how long we’d been traveling. We’d left around ten, so we’d been flying for six hours. We’d probably arrive in about two hours or less.
Since I’d be resting later on that night, I was glad I’d carried my laptop because it meant I’d get some time to study. I couldn’t help wondering though, how long we’d have to stay in Paris. Would I get back in time for my exams? The question gave me anxiety.
“Olivia?”
I turned my attention to Mrs. Gallagher and found her still gazing out the window.
“Are you afraid of me?” she asked.
It was an unusual question but I thought she asked it because of my reaction every time I saw her. I wished I could tell her I behaved that way because I found her so exceptionally beautiful and every time I saw her she took my breath away, but I couldn’t.
“I used to be, but it was only because I found you extremely intimidating.” Who was I kidding, I still did.
“How come?” She looked at me now, waiting for an answer.
I cleared my throat and said, “I’ve never been around anyone like you before.” I doubted I’d ever get used to being around her.
I took a sip of my champagne and wondered what she was thinking. What did she think of me? Had she ever looked at me as anything else other than a mere employee?
The questions reminded me of my conversation with Rex, promptly acting as a block and instantly stopped me from that line of thought.
Chapter Twelve
We landed at a private airport in Paris, and after getting my passport stamped at customs, Mrs. Gallagher and I were taken to a hotel. Knowing her, I was sure we’d stay at a nice hotel, but I wasn’t prepared for how grand or extravagant it would be.
The hotel’s location was appealing because it seemed to be at the center of most shopping stores, which I hoped to check out at some point. I just prayed we’d have the time.
The hotel was a huge magnificent building with a unique contemporary interior décor which I found to be breathtaking.
We approached the reception desk and Mrs. Gallagher was handed two key cards. I was glad to find out our rooms were right next to each other on the top most floor of the hotel.
When I walked into my hotel room, my jaw literally dropped. The room was enormous and glamorously decorated. It was a blend of luxury and taste. I didn’t want to imagine how much it was worth but I was glad I was staying there.
I walked over to the window to see the view and realized it was a sliding terrace door. When I pulled aside the drapes, I walked out and stared in disbelief at the lit Eiffel tower.
The unbelievable view made it all the more real, making the realization hit hard, that I was truly in Paris. I took my phone from my purse and took several selfies with the Eiffel tower in the background and sent them to Rex. I had to share the amazing moment with him.
Because of the six-hour time difference, it was around midnight in Paris. I was a little fatigued from the flight but my body was still active because it was still early in New York.
Mrs. Gallagher had said we’d be meeting Mr. Alix Delacroix at ten in the morning, which gave me ample time to study. Trying hard not to let the extravagance distract me, I got my laptop and went to take a seat on the desk beside the flat screen television.
A couple of hours later, I went to the bathroom, took a long shower and when I was done, I put on an extremely comfortable white robe and got on the plush cushy bed with a mattress that felt like it’d been stuffed with feathers and almost immediately fell asleep.
The following day, I woke up on time and got ready. It was a little depressing getting back in the same clothes, but I had no choice. I met Mrs. Gallagher downstairs and wasn’t surprised to find her in an elegant knee-high black dress, a white expensive looking trench coat and a stunning pair of shoes.
When we got in the car en route to the venue, Mrs. Gallagher got to work, instructing me on what to do.
“Mr. Delacroix is not entirely happy about selling his company, but he doesn’t have the resources needed to run it successfully either. So, I’d like you to quickly scan through the files one more time because during the meeting, I’ll ask you to quote some numbers.”
I nodded and did as she asked, grateful my photographic memory was going to come into play. Half an hour later, we walked into a nice exquisite restaurant.
She recognized Mr. Alix Delacroix and approached him. After a pleasant exchange of greetings, when we were seated, a waiter came to take our order. Shortly after, Mrs. Gallagher got into character and I witnessed her transformation as she got into business mode and started speaking French.
I didn’t know much of the language apart from a few basic words but Mrs. Gallagher spoke fluently, which I found fascinating.
After breakfast was served, I observed the two as they conducted business. I wasn’t sure if it was going well. I wished they’d switch back to English because all I could do was observe their body language.
Mrs. Gallagher asked me to hand her some documents, which I did, and during the meeting, she gave me signals to provide statistical information regarding the market.
An hour and a half later, the meeting concluded and Mr. Delacroix didn’t look too happy. I wasn’t sure how to interpret that. Mrs. Gallagher waited until he left, and took a deep breath, which I also couldn’t interpret.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“We have to stay a day longer so he can talk to his lawyers,” she said.
It seemed she’d expected things to go better, which was a bit of a relief because it meant we could still make it back in time for my exams.
“I have a few things I have to do.” She stared at me for a few seconds. “Did you carry the platinum credit card I gave you?”
I nodded.
She wrote down something on a piece of paper and handed it to me.
“Go do some shopping,” she said.
A little surprised by her statement, I took a look at the piece of paper and froze. She’d written down addresses for high fashion brands; Versace, Prada, Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana.
“For you?” I asked in confusion.
“For yourself; I know I didn’t give you enough time to plan for the trip so get anything you want and charge it on the card. Clothes, shoes, make up, suitcase, anything.”
I was speechless.
She got to her feet and said before she left, “I’ll call you when I’m done. I didn’t plan on us staying longer than twenty-four hours so we might as well make use of the time. Maybe we can even go sightseeing later.”
I wasn’t sure if she was joking about the last part of her statement, but I was excitedly looking forward to it.
“You’re where?” Rex asked in shock.
“Paris!” I said in excitement as I twirled around my room in front of a mirror, admiring how good I looked in Chanel. “I sent you some pictures, didn’t you see them?”
“I’ve been at the art studio since yesterday and you know I keep my phone on silent when I’m working.”
“Mrs. Gallagher told me to shop for clothes and stuff and charge it on the platinum credit card and I’m afraid I might’ve overindulged.” I turned around to face the bed and stared at the countless bags of clothes a
nd shoes.
The bags had been delivered half an hour after I’d gotten back to the hotel. I hadn’t thought I’d gotten so much stuff until two porters had walked in with them. Considering the shopping was original brands, I knew I’d spent a small fortune and wasn’t sure how Mrs. Gallagher would feel about that.
“What if she deducts the shopping from my salary?” I said.
“She wouldn’t do that. She should’ve given you a credit limit if she didn’t want you to overdo it.”
I thought about that and stared admiringly at my brand knew shoes. My feet had never been in anything so exquisitely expensive but dear Lord the shoes were stunning.
“What did you get?” Rex asked.
I looked at everything on the bed and listed them. I’d gotten several pants, tops and under garments, a few elegant dresses, a couple of leather jackets and trench coats, several pairs of shoes, scarves, handbags, make up, perfume and a couple of suitcases.
“I overindulged, didn’t I?”
Rex was silent for a moment, then said, “Yeah, you kinda did.”
“Maybe I should return some of them.” The sentence made my heart ache. I’d tried everything and they all looked so good on me.
“Maybe you should wait and see what Mrs. Gallagher has to say about it,” he suggested.
“She’ll be too busy firing me.” I got on the bed and inhaled the wonderful scent of high fashion and luxury and I loved it.
“Come on, stop worrying over nothing. She didn’t seem to mind when you charged things on the credit card when you were going through Africa.”
I sat up. He had a point.
“She never even mentioned it, right?”
“Yeah, she never did.”
“So stop worrying and enjoy Paris. Go out and tour the place.”
Since I hadn’t heard from Mrs. Gallagher in the last few hours, I could tour the city by myself. I’d probably never get another chance to do it, so I shouldn’t have been stressing over shopping. I should’ve been out taking a tour of the most romantic city on earth.
Paris brimmed with culture, style and romance. There were so many things I should’ve been doing, like going to the Eiffel tower, the Louvre museum and what was left of the Cathedral of Notre Dame.
“You know what? You’re right.”
“Good, take lots of pictures.”
It was no wonder I loved Rex. He always had a way of making me feel better.
I took his advice and checked my phone to see if Mrs. Gallagher had been in touch. When I didn’t find any messages from her, I got ready and left the hotel, leaving a message at the reception desk in case she came back and I wasn’t present.
I got into a cab and told the driver where I wanted to go. I was so excited I wanted to stick my head out the window like a dog and see everything.
Paris was intimate and beautiful. The streets thronged with natives who were impeccably dressed and seemed to have an air of panache and the sidewalk cafés were a pleasant and inviting sight.
When I got to the Eiffel tower, the soaring iron construction seemed to knock the air out of my lungs. From a distance, one could imagine how huge it was, but up close, it rose high to the sky like a monolithic structure.
I was glad it wasn’t a tourist time of year because there weren’t a lot of people around. I got a brochure and purchased a ticket, visiting all three levels one at a time. The view was amazing from the top.
For a long while after I got up there, I stared at the stunning sight of the city in disbelief as I tried to picture where else I would’ve been had I never gotten a chance to work for Mrs. Gallagher. It felt like the single most important point of my life.
I wasn’t sure how long I stayed there. Time seemed to stand still as I absorbed everything with every fiber of my being. It felt so surreal, how I’d woken up to go to work one morning and ended up at the Eiffel tower the following evening.
Chapter Thirteen
I got back to the hotel around six in the evening and went to the restaurant to grab something to eat because I was a little hungry. I didn’t manage to go anywhere else after visiting the Eiffel tower, which was disappointing but I had to stick around the hotel incase Mrs. Gallagher needed something from me.
I was only there for fifteen minutes when Mrs. Gallagher called. I wasn’t sure if someone told her I was back or if it was a coincidence. I answered the call and waited for her orders.
“Olivia, where are you?” she asked.
“Down at the restaurant,” I said.
“Oh, good. A friend heard I was in town and invited me for a show. I thought you might like to join me,” she said.
Her words caught me off guard because I was still trying to get used to her. Being such an unpredictable person, most things she did or said seemed to take me by surprise.
“Oh, yes, I’d like that,” I said.
“Did you go shopping?” she asked.
“Yes, I did.” My voice shook when I remembered everything I’d gotten myself.
“Good, we’re leaving in an hour. Dress your best. I’ll meet you at the hotel lounge.” She hung up.
I got up and quickly headed up to my hotel room. What kind of show was Mrs. Gallagher talking about? It sounded like a social event and I was pleased she wanted me to join her.
What kind of people were going to be there? And what friend had found out she was in the country and so quickly invited her for the event. Guess I was going to find out.
When I got to my room, I took a quick shower and started preparing myself. I started off with applying my make-up, which took a bit longer than I thought because I was trying to match Andre’s aptitude and finesse, but when I was done, I wasn’t disappointed.
I was excited about dressing up and tried in and out of almost all the social event outfits I’d gotten, but I finally settled on a gorgeous little red dress that elaborately hugged my body and nicely exposed my cleavage. I chose a pair of black Prada heels that matched the look.
I wasn’t sure what to do with my hair, but since Andre had taught me how to fix it, it was less unruly and easily agreeable to many styles of choice. When I was done, I applied some perfume and looked at myself on the mirror and smiled, thinking Andre would’ve been proud of me.
I got down to the lounge on time as Mrs. Gallagher approached me looking ravishing in her usual stunning getup. I didn’t know why but every time I saw her my heart began to race.
When she got to where I was, she looked me up and down as I waited for her verdict on my choice of clothing for the evening and I was relieved when she smiled and said, “You have good taste.”
I bobbed my head and smiled as I followed her out of the hotel. There was a black stretch limousine waiting for us outside. When the driver opened the door for Mrs. Gallagher, I wondered if I’d ever get used to such a lifestyle.
I got in after her and trembled when I accidentally brushed up against her. When I was settled down beside her, I closed my hands over my legs and tried to loosen up.
“How was your day?” she asked.
I wanted to tell her everything, but I was too tense. She always seemed to have that effect on me every time we met or were in close proximity. “It was lovely.”
“What did you do?” she asked.
I looked at her and found her looking at me, which made my heart pick up pace and my hands tremble. “Um, I went shopping as you suggested and then went to see the Eiffel tower.”
I thought she’d comment on the shopping or rather, how much money I’d spent, but she seemed more interested in my satisfaction of what I’d gotten and what I’d thought of the Eiffel tower, which put me more at ease.
“Are you happy with what you got yourself?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said, feeling guilty for the sizable amount I’d spent. “But I think I might’ve overdone it and I can take some of it back.” I could never have gotten away with spending so much money.
“Why would you do that if you’re happy with what you got?” she a
sked.
I bit my lower lip and averted my gaze from her. “I got carried away and overspent.”
“And you’re worried I might do what…?”
I cleared my throat, feeling like a child reporting myself to a parent over a wrongdoing. “Let me go as your employee, deduct the money from my salary—which I will fully understand,” I said.
She was silent for a while, which made my heartbeat pound loudly in my chest. I thought she was going to tell me to go back to the hotel, pack my bags and head back to New York, but she softly said, “I’m not letting you go.”
I looked at her in amazement and tried to conceal my joy as she looked back at me with a bit of warmth in her eyes. I’d never seen her look at me that way before. As her words reverberated in my head, I wondered if there was a deeper underlying meaning to her words other than what we’d just been discussing.
A slow rush of heat vibrated through my being and I tore my gaze from hers, realizing I was getting aroused. I unconsciously crossed my legs and thought I saw her sneak a peek, which made my hands feel clammy.
I must’ve imagined it because there was no possible way Mrs. Gallagher could’ve been attracted to me. She was a married woman with children. She was high society. She was someone who would never look at me twice in a room full of people and remember my face.
I took a deep breath and repelled the self-deprecating thoughts, which helped with my arousal situation, but lowered my spirit.
“What did you think of the Eiffel tower?” she asked.
“It was incredible,” I said, lacking words to describe the emotions I’d experienced. “I honestly don’t know how else to explain it.”
“I think your expression says it all,” she said.
My gaze fell on her and that hunger I was restraining within myself came alive again. I struggled to look away, wondering if she was experiencing any of the motions going through me.
God, could she see it? Could she feel my desire for her? Could she sense how much I was fighting myself to conceal how she made me feel? The fear of her having any knowledge of how she made me feel broke the trance.
Cougar Boss Page 14