The man would arrive in mere moments and he’d spent the last half hour working in preparation. Remembering one last thing, he called his assistant Kara.
“Gabriella Durand will arrive in approximately…” He checked his watch. “Fifteen minutes. I want you to tell her the moment she arrives she may come directly into my office. Don’t escort her in, don’t ask her to wait. Just let her come right in.”
“Of course. I’m assuming Mr. Durand will arrive soon?”
“I believe so. Miss Durand’s arrival won’t disrupt us. I can assure you of that.”
“Not a problem,” Kara said crisply. “I will do exactly as you ask.”
“Thank you.” He hung up, pleased. She was the best damn assistant he’d ever had. The only assistant, for that matter.
He bided his time, watching the minutes tick past while doing a bit of last-minute research via Google. Looking up the Renaldi family and digging up their situation. Three brothers and a sister who ran various branches under a brand much like Worth, he already knew. Launching a new perfume—not a word about it. But there was plenty of information regarding Giorgio Renaldi’s health failing.
Interesting.
Within minutes, Michel Durand entered his office, all smiles and jovial greetings. Rhett was coolly polite, not wanting to reveal his true feelings yet. The man had no idea of his involvement with his daughter. That Rhett knew from their conversation yesterday Durand was a liar.
Rhett had no place in his life for liars.
“So, you want me back, eh?” Michel asked cockily after settling in his seat across from Rhett’s desk.
Rhett smiled thinly. “Aren’t you the one who wanted to meet with me?”
Durand’s expression slipped a bit. “Well yes, I did. But I’m assuming you were so agreeable because you’re displeased with the work Gabriella is doing.”
Pressing his lips together, Rhett rested his clasped hands on top of his desk. The man’s very presence boiled his blood, let alone the horrible things he said. “Whatever gave you that assumption? I’m merely curious to see what you might say.”
“You would like to know what I have to say? Fine, I shall tell you.” Durand leaned forward in his seat. “I want the in-house perfumer job. I can do it much better than my daughter and you know it. I have twice as much experience as she. Three times, even. I have seen many things and done more. My creativity, my scents are legend. You would be a fool to turn away this offer of my expertise.”
Rhett arched a brow. The gall of the man was unbelievable. “You certainly don’t think little of yourself, do you?”
“Of course not! I have too much experience not to be proud of my accomplishments. I have taken a break, too long of one, and now I am ready to get back to work. Get back to creating. And I want to create for Worth.”
“So what happened with Renaldi?”
Durand appeared taken aback. “Renaldi? What do you mean?”
“You worked for them, albeit briefly. What happened?”
“How do you know of Renaldi and my association with them?”
Rhett leaned back in his chair. “I have my ways.” As if he would reveal anything to Durand, especially the fact that he was half in love with his daughter. Not yet, anyway.
“It didn’t work. A brief distraction, nothing more.” Durand waved his hand, dismissing his association with Renaldi with a flick of his fingers.
“So you think you can come back in here and take over Gabriella’s job because it didn’t work out for you with Renaldi. Interesting.” Rhett shook his head. “You realize you haven’t asked how she’s doing?”
Durand frowned. “How who’s doing?”
“Your daughter.” You bastard. Rhett sat up straight. “Gabriella.”
?
??Ah.” Again, another wave of his hand, another dismissal. “She is a simpleton. Raw talent, to be sure, but she needs years more experience to hone it.”
“Here is where we’ll disagree.” Ah, the satisfaction would come now, he was sure of it. “She’s a brilliant perfumer who captured exactly what we were looking for.”
Durand reminded silent for a long, still moment before finally clamping his lips together. “Then what you look for is most likely too simple.”