Isabelle and Mr. Bête

'He can't do this!' said Avery, head sales at Anderson Trading, while pacing back and forth through the main office. 'How could you agree to this!?'

'Because if I didn't you and everyone else would be standing in line at the unemployment office right now.' said Isabelle, dividing her duties for Liu and Jack.

Avery didn't like it, but she was right. And he didn't want to give up on his newly bought Mercedes coupé. 'Listen,' he said, putting his hand on top of hers. 'If anything happens, I'm here for you.'

She slipped away her hand and filed the last of her paperwork. 'Nothing will happen. And I can deal with stress by myself.'

'I know. I'm just saying, if you need to blow off steam, or go wild, I'm game.'

She rolled her eyes as she closed the cabinet, wondering when he will ever give up on her. 'I'll be fine. I'm off to see my father now and then I'll be gone to Bête.' she said and left for her father's office.

'Isabelle, my dear..' her father said and hugged her. 'I'm really sorry about this.'

She hugged her father back. 'It's not your fault. And I'm tough, he won't get me down.'

He pulled back and grabbed her shoulders, looking with pride at his youngest daughter. 'I'll bet you'll put him in his place when he goes too far.'

'Count on it.' she said with a wicked smile.

She said quick goodbyes to the rest of the employees, then drove off to her new temporary workplace. Very temporary, she hoped.

When the elevator doors opened at the top floor of the Bête building she looked at the glass doors in front of her. "Am I really doing this?" she thought, then knew she had no choice. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly to gather her confidence and walked through the doors toward the front desk.

'Good morning, Isabelle.'

Colette's pleasant voice felt good. 'Good morning, Colette.'

Colette handed a thick envelope to Isabelle. 'Here are your employee badges, keys and instructions on the alarm.''Alarm? I thought there was building security?'

Colette shook her head. 'You're able to come here because this floor is the only one freely accessible. All others can only be entered from the elevator with a badge and a code.'

Isabelle nodded. 'I guess I'll go settle into my position of new slave then.'

'Good luck.' Colette said as Isabelle walked into the office.

She found Samantha waiting at her desk with a mug of coffee. 'I though you might want something to start the day with.'

Isabelle smiled at the kind gesture. 'Thanks, I feel like I'm starting at my first job now, so I can definitely use it.'

'Mr Bête told me you could settle in until nine thirty, then he'd expect you in his office.'

Isabelle glanced at him behind his desk, his attention on several reports in front of him. 'The quiet before the storm.'

Samantha suppressed a giggle. 'Break a leg.' she said with a wink and left.

'Yeah, maybe his.' Isabelle said to herself, opening the envelope and going through the contents.

At exactly nine thirty, Isabelle knocked on Jean-Marie's door and entered. 'Good morning, Mr. Bête.' she said with a friendly tone since she decided she wouldn't let her feelings get in the way of business.

'Good morning, ms. Anderson.' he said, looking up slowly at her, the corner of his mouth going up slightly and making her regret starting with friendliness.

She took a good look at him this time, having ignored him mostly before, and thought he looked more mature than most men aged thirty-three. His black hair was sculptured in a business fashion, his black suit definitely custom made, but not from any big brand, and his brown eyes showed an amused twinkle in them.

She was surprised at the expression in his eyes when she noticed he was looking directly at her and smiling. 'Do I make that much of an impression on you?'

She huffed and turned her attention to the notepad in her hands. 'You needed me?'

'Yes.' he said. 'Sit down, there's a lot to be done today.'

For the next hour he brought her up to date on current issues and gave her instructions on what he needed, then let her get on with her work.

'Oh, ms. Anderson?' he asked just before she left his office.

'Yes?' she asked, looking back.

'I expect much from you.' he said, looking smug.

'Yes.' she said as cold as she could, then went to her desk.

***

When lunchtime arrived Isabelle realised just how much more relaxed working at her father's company was, but looking back on what she had accomplished so far gave her the feeling she could handle and control the work. It helped that she could delegate many things to other departments and only needed to make sure it was done.

'Join us for lunch?' Samantha asked, holding up her lunch box.

Isabelle felt pleased to accept, but Jean-Marie's voice intervened. 'I'm afraid ms. Anderson will have to join me on a lunch meeting.' he said. 'We'll be seeing Don Walker of Walker Automations about supplying parts to him.'

Isabelle looked apologetic to Samantha.

'Next time then.' Samantha said, giving her a nod and smile.

Isabelle saw Jean-Marie taking a good look at her. 'Something wrong?'

He moved his face closer to hers and it made her heart skip a beat. 'Lose the knot. Your hair looks better in a pony tail.' he said and walked away. 'And hurry, we're expected.'

Without time to think about it she undid the knot in her hair and tied it down into a pony tail, then almost forgot to take her notepad when she hurried after him.

***

After the lunch meeting with the old friend of Jean-Marie's father, he took Isabelle to quick meetings at different subsidiaries and customers in town. She started to get a feel on how many different markets the Bête Holding worked in. Any crisis in one could eventually be compensated with the others.

When they finally came back at the office after a dinner meeting she felt tired and slumped in her chair. She skimmed over the work that had gathered on her desk during the day and sorted it quickly into neat stacks.

'Come,' he said as he came out of his office. 'time to go home.'

She had forgotten about having to live at his place for as long as she worked for him and groaned inside. 'Yes.' she said and gathered her things.

She followed him in her car while he led the way in his dark red Alfa Romeo 164, a car she had never seen before, and arrived half an hour later at what seemed to be a small three story apartment building near the edge of town. They drove through the automated gates and down into a parking floor underground, the lights turning on automatically by the movement of the cars.

There were a couple of cars more down here, modern sedans she suspected he'd use for visiting clients.

She opened the trunk of her car to take out her suitcases when he reached past her and took them out. 'Follow me.' he said and moved toward a wide staircase at the back.

One floor up they came to a hall that spanned the entire depth of the building and gave her a Mediterranean feeling like on photos she had seen before about the south of France, Spain and Italy. It wasn't lavish, but the simple earthen coloured murals and few white statues of naked goddesses and athletes on the tiled floor felt relaxing. She could imagine being there when the sun shone through the glass roof and front windows of each floor.

'I'll show you your room.' he said and went up the next flight of wide stairs.

On the second floor he opened a double door facing the open area and she looked into a wide room, furnished in comfortable modern furniture and light colours.

'There's a kitchen and bathroom to your left, to your right a bedroom and a study.' he said, putting down her suitcases next to one of two leather couches. 'My own room is up one floor to the right. You are not allowed at any time to the rooms on the left.'

'This is way bigger than my own apartment.' she said softly, impressed by the spacious room he had given her. She had somehow expected a simple room and maybe own bathroom.

'Now, there's still work to be done.' he said and it reminded her of why she was brought into his home. She hid her sigh and prepared for a long evening. 'You get your rest and I'll see you tomorrow morning.' he said to her relief.

'Thank you!' she called out to him when he was about to close her doors on her way out, feeling grateful for the rest he had allowed her.

He nodded at her and closed the doors.

She turned around to have another look at the room, took off her shoes and went to have a look at the bedroom. It had a king size bed and she couldn't resist feeling how soft it was. A shiver went through her body at how comfortable and warm it felt. Giggling with childish excitement to try it before taking a shower, she took off her skirt, blouse and bra, then let herself fall onto the covering.

A deep sigh escaped her as she felt like the bed embraced her and pulled a pillow closer. 'Damn, this is luxury..' she muttered and fell asleep before she realised it.