Baby on Board

3

As much as I loved running my own business there was always a downside- the paperwork. It took hours to go through everything and by the time I was finished I'd be exhausted. Today, however, I was avoiding anything administration as I knew it would give me a headache that would last the rest of the weekend, at least. 

My company wasn't in trouble, far from it. La Petite Pâtisserie was thriving and making more money that I'd ever predicted when I did the number crunching before launching the shop but that was part of the problem. The company was now so well known that I had wolves clawing at the door, offering big bucks in a potential takeover. I was currently at war with some Yank that was determined that he was going to buy me out despite my protestations that I was not selling up. This was my baby and I'd put far too much time and effort, not to mention blood, sweat and tears, into making it a profitable business. 

In the past week, I'd been trying to come up with ways to keep the alpha wolf at bay. Never one to ask for help, I was trying to come up with plans that would do the job but I knew that if the worst would come to the worst, I'd eventually have to cave in and ask the one person that I'd been trying to avoid discussing the matter with. My father, while I love him dearly, would revel in the opportunity to help me but I'd built this company up from the ground myself and I didn't want to dilute that. 

"Hey, Charlotte?" A soft voice spoke from the doorway of my office. I looked up and saw Lauren smiling politely at me. "The car is here."

I nod. "Thanks, Lauren," I say, a heavy sigh in my voice. "I'll be down now."

Powering down the computer, I neatly arrange my desk in an attempt to buy more time before I had to head to my doom. When I run out of distractions, I make my way down to the shop and check that everything is in order before I leave. It didn't escape me the way that Nate and Arnaud both turn to look at me with clear confusion in their eyes. It wasn't until Aimee slipped into the kitchen that I finally understood the look the men gave me.

"Holy cow," Aimee gasped. Setting the dishes down on the side, she held up her hand and instructed me to spin. I duly obliged. "You're dressed up. Where are you going?"

Not wanting to tell them the truth about the lunch I was headed to, I simply shrugged my shoulder and said, "Out." Swiftly exiting the kitchen when I felt Arnaud's stare on me, I made my way to where Lauren and Joanne stood and looked between them. "I'm going out and Arnaud's in charge of the kitchen. Lauren, you're in charge out here. Joanne, you're in charge of making sure that Aimee doesn't ruin my business or flirt with customers. I'll have my phone with me. Don't be afraid to call over the slightest problem. In fact, I may give a pay rise to the first person that can get me out of this stupid lunch."

Before I gave them any more ideas of how to get more money out of me, I slid out the door but not before I bumped into a familiar face. Or rather, a familiar chest. Solid, broad and perfectly defined, even under a white shirt, I looked up at met Isaac Fletcher's azure eyes. Panic flowed through my veins as I struggled to comprehend what he was doing here. I opened my mouth to speak, but it wasn't my voice that I heard. Nor was it Isaac's.