‘Glad to hear it.’
They’d discussed moving in together, but things were going so well between them neither wanted to rock the boat right now. There would be plenty of time for all that in the future.
Tonight was about endings, but new beginnings too. Bella had bought two enormous bottles of champagne and had invited everybody to join her.
They were all there: Odette, who’d finally secured a meeting with the gallery owner for next month; Henri, whose father had apparently come round to the idea that his son was an academic rather than a business mogul; Claudine, who’d just arrived, sporting a long winter coat and furry boots which she’d kept on, complaining that the house was ‘too draughty’.
Bella sipped her champagne, feeling slightly queasy. When Brad had invited them all to come together, including Claudine, she’d felt that it had to be more than a simple collective drink he had in mind. Conversation was stilted; they could all feel that something else was going on.
She reached over, squeezed his hand. ‘No offense,’ she said, ‘but what’s this all about?’
‘Can’t a man share a drink with friends without there being a hidden agenda?’
‘A man can,’ she said, smiling. ‘Youcan’t. I can read you like a book and you’re definitely up to something.’
He grinned. ‘You got me!’
Then to her surprise, he looked at Claudine, who nodded slightly as if to give him the go-ahead. He stood.
‘Well, I was going to announce this later, only Miss Smarty-Pants here figured I was up to something. So I’d better get on with it.’
For one horrible moment she thought he might propose. That was something she might want later down the line. But not now, not yet.
‘Claudine here has agreed to let me invest in the hotel. We’re going to be partners. I kind of… It feels like a safe investment. Something I can actually be involved in properly. Although it has to be OK with you, of course,’ he said to Bella.
‘Hey, I’m just a general manager.’
‘True.’
‘And I’m not even working right now.’
‘Also true.’ He picked up her hand. ‘But you’re also pretty important to me, so you kinda get the last say.’
She looked at him, grinned. ‘OK.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Yeah. It sounds… I mean it’s a really great step.’ She raised her glass.
‘Not so fast!’
‘There’s more?’
Claudine glanced at her watch. ‘Shortly.’
As if she’d conjured it, the doorbell rang out at that moment, making them jump.
‘She sure is punctual,’ said Brad.
‘Who? Who is punctual?’ Bella asked.
But he was silent as Claudine disappeared to answer the door. There was the muffled sound of talking and then two steps of shoes clipped towards the kitchen. As the door opened, Bella was surprised to see her boss with an arm around a woman in a chequered wool suit, with red shoes, holding a bemused-looking dog on a lead.
Bella rose to her feet. ‘Madame Roux!’ she said, smiling. Rounding the table, she gave the old woman a hug which surprised them both. ‘Call me Élise,’ she said. ‘“Madame Roux” makes me sound old.’
The sharp, discerning eyes looked around the kitchen, taking in the basic decor, the large wooden cupboards, the scattered plates and mugs. ‘My God,’ she said, turning to Brad. ‘You said it was ugly, but this is?—’
He grinned widely. ‘You’ll have to help me decide how to decorate, Élise. Whole place could do with a refresh.’
