You're All I Need. Karen White-Owens
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 hero stood tall, blond, and handsome on the book cover, just like this man.
Adam touched her arm and drew her closer. “This is my executive assistant, Tia Edwards.”
Fascinated by the sheer beauty of the man, Tia stared, tongue-tied. As tall as Adam, Christophe moved forward. Casually dressed in a blue and white striped poplin shirt with the cuffs rolled back, he revealed a set of long, muscular arms sparkled with blond hair. The man completed his outfit with a pair of tan Dockers and sandalwood-colored snakeskin boots.
Tia gazed into a pair of pale blue eyes that twinkled with humor and intelligence. She nodded at the man.
Adam made introductions. “Christophe Jensen. Tia Edwards.”
“Nice to meet you,” he stated in an accented, musical voice. The deep tone resonated within her. He captured Tia’s hand and shook it. A spark of something sizzled between them. Christophe’s eyes widened and his gaze settled on their intertwined fingers.
“You too.” Flustered by the contact, Tia pulled her hand free and rubbed her hands together.
“I’m going to leave you in Tia’s very capable hands,” Adam said. “She’ll take you to your new office and get you settled. If you need anything, Tia will be your contact person.”
Christophe’s eyebrows rose, questioning. “Oh? With anything?”
“Work related,” Tia clarified swiftly, wanting to make her role as clear as possible. She waved a hand toward the door and then retrieved her computer. “Let me show you your office.”
Christophe hesitated in the doorway. “Adam?”
Back at his desk, Adam glanced at the pair, shifting through a dozen or so pink message slips. “I’ve got a few things to sort out. Let’s meet back here after lunch, around two-thirty?”
Nodding, Christophe replied, “That sounds good.”
“See you then.” Adam picked up the telephone and began to dial. “Tia, did my wife call?”
“Yes, Wynn called around nine-fifteen.”