Isabelle and mr. Bête

Isabelle goes home

'Working late tonight?' asked Colette as she checked her notes with Isabelle a few days later.

Isabelle nodded. 'Yeah, he told me to see what I'd like and have it delivered, but I don't know. Do you have any ideas?'

'There's pizza, pasta, spareribs and burgers around here of course.'

Isabelle nodded. 'I'm not really in the mood for anything fatty or fried like that.'

Colette pondered for a moment, then remembered what a friend mention a short time ago. 'There's a new Japanese restaurant in the neighbourhood. It also delivers and it's supposed to be good.'

Isabelle thought about it, then nodded. 'Sound good. I'll have to ask him.'

Colette saw Jean-Marie coming out of his office. 'Just in time.' she said, then leaned over. 'Mr. Bête? Your girl would like to order sushi tonight. Do you eat cold fish?' she asked, loud enough for most to hear and embarrass Isabelle while she heard giggling and snickering.

'Dear Colette, no fish I ate has ever been cold, but I do like raw fish, yes.' he said with a blank face.

Isabelle groaned at the whistles through the office. 'Colette...'

'What?' Colette asked, blinking her eyes innocently. 'It's not like anybody hasn't noticed by now..'

'In fact,' said Samantha, putting her hand on Isabelle's shoulder. 'they're glad to see him soften up and enjoy himself more often. You've really tamed the beast.'

'Or he can be enough of a beast at home to satisfy himself.' Colette chuckled.

'Guys..' Isabelle groaned, but couldn't hold back her grin at thinking of the beast she'd been sharing a bed with nowadays.

***

'Got it?' asked Linda.

'Yeah, I'll remember the code.' Avery said as she handed him a key card.

She leaned back in her bar seat at the backstreet bar and took another sip from her wine. During her talk with Jean-Marie she had gathered enough information about Isabelle to find out who she was and where she'd come from. The way he talked about her told her she wouldn't get a chance to ensnare him or pry some money or expensive gifts out of him so she had to find a way to get rid of her.

Through her contacts she learned more about Isabelle's father's company and found out an old acquaintance of her worked there. She knew Avery through mutual friends and had seen him several times before at parties. Once she got a hold of him he soon spilled the whole story and it gave her an idea on how to drive Isabelle away with his help.

Suggesting Jean-Marie would send Isabelle back and then being in need of a supportive shoulder was all Linda needed to get Avery's cooperation.

'To think this old key to the office still had a use.' she chuckled.

'I'm surprised no one had noticed you still have the key from when old Mr. Bête gave it to you.' Avery said, tapping his finger on the blank card.

'It wasn't very official, seeing how it would spread rumours of naughty things going on during overtime.' she sighed, remembering the fun times late at night.

'I don't really want to know..' he said, distracting himself with his drink on the bar.

'Just remember, only take the information in her filing cabinets and the unlocked ones from sales which benefit her father's company.'