Midnight in Montmartre: A French Kiss Sweet Romance by Chloe Emile Page A
Authors: Chloe Emile
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turned around and caught Brigette's eye. Brigette gave Mia one of her usual frosty looks and went back to talking to Lina.
Mia shrugged. There were some people in the world who simply didn't like you due to their own insecurities. What could she do? All Mia could focus on were the people who did appreciate her.
She got up to get some coffee from the break room. She focused on the positives so far: at least a few other employees were warming up to her. Her Monday was off to a good start.
In the break room, Didier was making an espresso.
"Good morning, Mia," he said over the noise of the machine. "Congratulations again on the campaign. We're all excited to start working on it."
"Fingers crossed that the public will like it," Mia replied.
"Who knows what will appeal to the public? It's always a surprise, but it would really surprise me if your campaign isn't well received. Luc seems confident that it'll do well. I trust him. He's a lot better at predicting public response than I am."
"Speaking of Luc, is he in yet?"
"Not yet. If he was, you'd know it. He'd be humming to himself with his head in the clouds, with that silly grin on his face. Have you noticed?"
"That he's happy?" Mia said. "I thought that was what he was like."
"No. He's usually much more serious. He's only been this cheerful in the past few weeks."
"So what's gotten into him?"
Didier grinned. At first Mia thought he was going to say it was because of her, and she looked away shyly.
"Probably because of Beth Montaigne."
Mia looked up, startled. "Beth?" she said weakly.
"Luc will be working with her more closely now that he has the Mademoiselle Montaigne campaign. He's been in love with her for years. Didn't you see how excited he was after Beth approved the ad?"
"Yes, I suppose..."
"Now this will finally be his chance to win her over. Working on the campaign will throw them together, and he'll finally be weeded out from the pack of suitors that's always surrounding her."
Mia felt nauseated. It was as if she'd been hit with a tranquilizer in the heart. Her hand shook as she put her espresso cup in the machine when Didier was finished with it.
"I didn't know that Luc liked Beth," she said as normally as she could while conjuring up a fake smile.
"Oh yes. They did their MBAs together. He's been carrying a torch big enough to ignite a forest. But can you blame the man? She could walk into a room and turn gay men straight. Beth is not like most women. She's beautiful and rich but also ambitious. She's determined to be respected for her business skills, too, and be admired for her brains on top of her beauty. Most women of her status would live off their looks and family, so that's very admirable. She's picky, that one. If she picks Luc, he'd win the prize of a lifetime."
Mia turned on the espresso machine, letting the cat-gargling noise silence the breaking of her heart.
"Absolutely," Mia said. "I can't blame him either."
Didier poked his head out the door. "Oh, I see Luc coming in. I'm going to have a quick chat with him first. Enjoy your café ."
"Thanks. See you."
Mia gulped the bitter liquid. It burned its way down her throat.
And her cheeks burned. So did her heart. Everything in her body seemed to be on fire.
How was she supposed to face Luc now? He'd been in love with Beth all this time, and she got drunk and threw herself at him. It was mortifying.
Someone like Beth Montaigne would never do something like that.
She sat down at the empty round table in the middle of the break room and contemplated what she was going to do when she saw him. Before she could decide, however, Luc poked his head into the break room.
"Mia?"
She almost jumped out of her seat. At least the espresso cup raised up to her lips was empty, so she didn't spill anything.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Luc said. "I didn't mean to startle you. Didier said you were here, and I wanted to talk to you."
He still had his coat on, and he was carrying a mahogany briefcase with his
Mia shrugged. There were some people in the world who simply didn't like you due to their own insecurities. What could she do? All Mia could focus on were the people who did appreciate her.
She got up to get some coffee from the break room. She focused on the positives so far: at least a few other employees were warming up to her. Her Monday was off to a good start.
In the break room, Didier was making an espresso.
"Good morning, Mia," he said over the noise of the machine. "Congratulations again on the campaign. We're all excited to start working on it."
"Fingers crossed that the public will like it," Mia replied.
"Who knows what will appeal to the public? It's always a surprise, but it would really surprise me if your campaign isn't well received. Luc seems confident that it'll do well. I trust him. He's a lot better at predicting public response than I am."
"Speaking of Luc, is he in yet?"
"Not yet. If he was, you'd know it. He'd be humming to himself with his head in the clouds, with that silly grin on his face. Have you noticed?"
"That he's happy?" Mia said. "I thought that was what he was like."
"No. He's usually much more serious. He's only been this cheerful in the past few weeks."
"So what's gotten into him?"
Didier grinned. At first Mia thought he was going to say it was because of her, and she looked away shyly.
"Probably because of Beth Montaigne."
Mia looked up, startled. "Beth?" she said weakly.
"Luc will be working with her more closely now that he has the Mademoiselle Montaigne campaign. He's been in love with her for years. Didn't you see how excited he was after Beth approved the ad?"
"Yes, I suppose..."
"Now this will finally be his chance to win her over. Working on the campaign will throw them together, and he'll finally be weeded out from the pack of suitors that's always surrounding her."
Mia felt nauseated. It was as if she'd been hit with a tranquilizer in the heart. Her hand shook as she put her espresso cup in the machine when Didier was finished with it.
"I didn't know that Luc liked Beth," she said as normally as she could while conjuring up a fake smile.
"Oh yes. They did their MBAs together. He's been carrying a torch big enough to ignite a forest. But can you blame the man? She could walk into a room and turn gay men straight. Beth is not like most women. She's beautiful and rich but also ambitious. She's determined to be respected for her business skills, too, and be admired for her brains on top of her beauty. Most women of her status would live off their looks and family, so that's very admirable. She's picky, that one. If she picks Luc, he'd win the prize of a lifetime."
Mia turned on the espresso machine, letting the cat-gargling noise silence the breaking of her heart.
"Absolutely," Mia said. "I can't blame him either."
Didier poked his head out the door. "Oh, I see Luc coming in. I'm going to have a quick chat with him first. Enjoy your café ."
"Thanks. See you."
Mia gulped the bitter liquid. It burned its way down her throat.
And her cheeks burned. So did her heart. Everything in her body seemed to be on fire.
How was she supposed to face Luc now? He'd been in love with Beth all this time, and she got drunk and threw herself at him. It was mortifying.
Someone like Beth Montaigne would never do something like that.
She sat down at the empty round table in the middle of the break room and contemplated what she was going to do when she saw him. Before she could decide, however, Luc poked his head into the break room.
"Mia?"
She almost jumped out of her seat. At least the espresso cup raised up to her lips was empty, so she didn't spill anything.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Luc said. "I didn't mean to startle you. Didier said you were here, and I wanted to talk to you."
He still had his coat on, and he was carrying a mahogany briefcase with his
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