You're All I Need. Karen White-Owens

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СКАЧАТЬ up, she thought. Adam’s body language revealed important information. She’d seen him like this before. Something important happened at the meeting.

      Heart fluttering in her chest, Tia swiftly returned to her desk, grabbed her computer, and switched on voice mail. Adam always returned from his meetings with Reynolds with a boatload of work to do. Work didn’t worry him, so this had to be something different.

      By the time Adam made it back from the executive lounge with his cup of coffee, Tia had settled in a chair in his office with her computer opened to a new document, ready for whatever new assignments he was about to share.

      “Let’s get started.” He shut his office door and took his place behind the desk. “The legal department is going to expand.”

      Oh, man! This is huge, she thought, typing this into her document. Since opening his U.S. office in the GM Renaissance Center two years ago, Reynolds had been very cautious about his hiring practices. The president of Gautier International Motors lectured his staff on erring on the side of fewer, instead of more, employees. But why was Adam concerned?

      Her boss hit the power switch on his laptop and opened a file. Glancing at the screen, his forehead crinkled as he reviewed his notes. “Reynolds wants me to cross-train an attorney from the home office in France. He’ll be working here for a while.”

      That doesn’t sound so bad, Tia thought. “How long is a while?”

      “Um”—Adam shrugged—“that hasn’t been determined. I do know that he’ll be in this office for at least six to eight months. What happens after that is Reynolds’s decision.”

      “When will he start?”

      “He’s here already.”

      “Oh!” Tia sat up straighter in her chair. “That was quick. Where is he?”

      “In Reynolds’s office. He’ll be down here in a bit.” Adam pointed to the door. “We’re going to put him in the office on the other side of your workstation.”

      Okay. She didn’t have a problem with that. “What about staff? Is he bringing anyone with him?”

      Amazed, Tia watched Adam shift uncomfortably in his chair. That wasn’t like him. What was going on?

      “This is where things get a bit dicey,” he announced.

      “Oh?” Tia uttered cautiously. What’s going on, Adam? she wondered.

      Nodding, Adam answered, “Mmm-hmm.” He leaned forward in his chair. “Look, I hate to do this but I don’t have a choice. I need your help.”

      “For what?”

      “I need you to help acclimate Christophe to the office.”

      Not liking the sound of this request, she asked, “What does that mean, exactly?”

      “You’ll be his admin like you are mine. We’ll increase your salary. Don’t worry about that,” he added hurriedly. “Tyler Hudson’s admin will be your backup.”

      Tia brushed a curly lock from her forehead and then held Adam’s gaze with her own. “You haven’t answered my question. I’m stuck on the word acclimate. What exactly do you expect from me?”

      Adam sighed. “Christophe Jensen is from France. He’s going to need a little help beyond the office.”

      “Am I going to be dealing with a language issue? Problems with English?”

      He shook his head. “No, not at all. Chris is very fluent in English.”

      “Then what’s the catch?” Tia asked. Her eyebrows lifted questioningly, and her voice dropped. “What does ‘outside the office’ really mean?”

      “Okay, you got me.” Adam held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m sorry about this. But Christophe is going to need a little direction in finding an apartment, getting around for the first few weeks, and learning the office routine. You’ll have to go over his briefs and show him how we structure things here. It wouldn’t surprise me if you end up in court with him. There’s just so much that he’s not going to know and will need help learning. Think of him as a first-year attorney.” He offered Tia his most engaging smile. “Please. I truly need you on this one.”

      “Adam!” she whined, gearing up for a major rant. The last thing she wanted to do was play nursemaid to a company transplant.

      He halted her tirade with a slice of his hand through the air. “Tia, help me out.”

      Unmoved by his pleading, Tia crossed her arms over her chest and sat back in her chair, considering all of the options and implications of Adam’s request. “What do I get out of this?”

      Adam swung into negotiation mode. “I know you are finishing your degree and that you want to make a move in a different direction. That makes sense. You didn’t go to school to be an executive assistant for the rest of your career. I’ll tell you what. Do this for me and I’ll move you into a law clerk position once you’re admitted into law school.”

      Lips pursed, Tia considered Adam’s offer. He’ll give me this promotion for showing some French guy around town? she thought. There’s got to be more to it. She examined Adam’s poker face but found nothing. There were times when Adam played his cards close to his chest until he found the best possible moment to reveal them. She had to keep in mind that there might be more to this deal than she already knew. Was she willing to do whatever it took to get that promotion? Short of going to jail for killing someone or taking Mr. Frenchie to bed, she could handle this assignment.

      She did a mental debate while her hopes soared. This may well be the opportunity she needed. But she didn’t want any gray area. Tia needed the offer to be as clear as possible to avoid any misunderstandings or mistakes later. “I know you’ll keep your word. If something happens to you, I want everything clear and tight. Here’s the deal. Bear with me. I’m going over our agreement one more time. If I get into law school, you’ll find me a law clerk position at Gautier’s.” She reached out her hand. “Agreed?”

      Adam leaned back in his chair, mentally reviewing the agreement for any loopholes that might cause him problems later. His lips pursed, and then he lifted his hand, taking hers. “Deal.”

      On cue, there was a knock on the door.

      “That should be him.” Adam rose and strolled across the office. He opened the door and greeted the newcomer. “Hey, come on in.”

      The man entered the office and shook hands with Adam.

      Tia rose, allowing her professional smile to drop into place. She straightened her skirt and jacket and ran a hand through her wavy hair, waiting for her first glimpse of the French attorney.

      Adam led the man toward the desk.

      Christophe had the well-toned physique of a man who worked out regularly. His oval face and blemish-free skin would have been considered pretty on a woman, yet he wore them well. It made him appear more alluring and attractive.

      Golden locks lightly brushed his shoulders. For a moment, Tia had a flashback to one of the romance novels she’d read during her high school years. The СКАЧАТЬ