Attraction (Love & War, Part I) Read Free Page B

it. Why
couldn't he pick up the phone and call her? She hated being shouted
at and being called 'Niks honey' across the office. She took a
quick bite of banana to sustain her, just in case it was a long and
tedious conversation he planned.
    “ Yes Jake, what can I do for you?” she asked with her best
grin and bear it smile, as she approached his disorganised
desk.
    What a
pig-sty, she thought in disgust. Jake was
like that. He lived in a state of constant messy chaos. But somehow
he seemed to know where everything was and be on top of it all. He
was highly intelligent and sharp minded underneath his slap dash
presentation skills.
    He was lazing
back in his trademark slouch, legs wide apart, arms above his head.
She could see a touch of hairy stomach poking out of his white
shirt where the buttonholes gaped over his ever expanding
waistline. He really needed to go on a diet. The amount he ate and
drank was way beyond acceptable. Mid thirties and hurtling towards
a heart attack, in her opinion. But it wasn't her place to voice
such thoughts. His wife should be on his case. Sadly, that wasn't
about to happen, because if she remembered rightly, Stella was just
as bad as he was for health and fitness regimes. In fact she was
even worse, because she smoked like a chimney as well.
    “ Got a job for you. It's one you're gonna like,” he began,
breaking her out of her stomach stare. “You've got a new
assignment, with Mr Gates at GIG. Apparently he's not content with
buying up half the UK and US stocks and shares, he's now going Euro
zone. How's your French lately.”
    “ Mieux que la moyenne, merci,” she translated 'better than
average' with a smug smile. Being bi-lingual, French came as
naturally to her, as English.
    “ I guess that means good?”
    “ Good enough for this, I'm sure. So, it's a French deal, is
it? Will I be travelling?”
    “ Yep. You're meeting him at his office this afternoon and
tomorrow you're visiting the prospective company, Fabliss de Paris,
a property company, in Paris. That should be exciting for
you.”
    “ Exciting? Why's that?” She didn't expect they'd be going
sightseeing. Not that she wanted to. She knew Paris far too well
for it to be fun for her, there was nothing to see she hadn't seen
dozens of times. She spent all her school and uni holidays there,
visiting her French grandparents. And as her last visit was only
three months ago, she wasn't chomping at the bit to go to Paris at
the moment.
    “ You'll get a trip in his Cessna Citation X, that's why. It's
the fastest civil aircraft on the planet. Six hundred miles per
hour top speed.” His face took on a dreamy look. Jacob was obsessed
with planes, particularly US military aircraft, and spent a lot of
his free time at air shows all around the country.
    She couldn't
stop it, a little smile of excitement lit up her face.
    “ He has a private jet?”
    Now that is
something I'll look forward to getting into.
    “ Yeah, and he flies it himself.”
    Even better.
He might let me take a peek in the cockpit... Maybe I can have a
quick 'fly' of it... Maybe I'm getting a little carried away...
    “ Well I'll certainly make sure I enjoy my flying visit,” she
joked with him.
    “ Do some genning up till then, okay? Go see Greg or James,
they've worked on his stuff before so they can fill you
in.”
    “ Right, I'll get started then.”
    “ You do that, and make sure you do a top drawer job for him,
Niks love”
    She bristled at the 'Niks' and the cheesy 'love' which
followed. “Jake, when have I ever let you, or any client down?”
    He leaned
forward, placing his arms on his desk. “Never, not once, I trust
you and that's why I'm giving you this assignment, of course,” he
replied, a cheeky grin spreading across his mouth.
    She laughed
out loud at his downright lie.
    “ No it's not, you're sending me because I'm the only one here
who speaks French and knows European and French business law.”
    “ Such a sharp cookie, aren't you?” he